STARK warnings are being fired about the creation of 'City regions' - amid fears Worcestershire could be governed from Birmingham.

Worcester MP Robin Walker is among a raft of politicians lining up to say they want clarity over how devolution could impact upon areas like this county.

The Scottish referendum aftermath has led to calls around the country for more powers to be sucked away from Whitehall to regions across England.

But there are fears the likes of Worcestershire could get sucked up into a 'City region' effectively ran from Birmingham as part of a wider, West Midlands-wide local authority.

The idea first emerged under Tony Blair's old Labour Government, and would lead to regions getting far greater powers than ever before on big issues like taxes, transport and education.

Mr Walker said the shenanigans over the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is just one example of how the county's aspirations cannot be met by a City region ran from Birmingham.

Last year, planning experts from Birmingham and the Black Country tried to get the SWDP changed so it earmarked less land for employment, saying Worcestershire was effectively competing with the Second City for greater prosperity.

Mr Walker said: "What we do not need is a leap backwards to the failed 'regionalisation' which the last Government tried to impose upon us.

"Worcester does not want to be run by Birmingham, and the fact that Birmingham objected to our local plan on the basis that it created too many jobs is just one example of how a West Midlands region is against our interests."

Sir Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire, has urged politicians across the county to "fight the emerging idea of City regions", insisting it "would mean our county being controlled from Birmingham".

The MP's stances matches that of Worcestershire County Council, where the leadership would only accept devolution on their own terms.

Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader, wants more powers to be transferred directly to County Hall instead.

Local government secretary Eric Pickles, speaking at a fringe event during the Conservative Party conference over the weekend, has pledged that a new round of city deals will be carried out before the 2015 General Election.

He said "devolution to English cities and to county areas" was on his agenda, appearing to acknowledge concerns over creating 'regions' that are too large.

"You don’t create localism by sucking all the powers up to a big city regional authority with a city regional mayor," he said.

Mr Pickles' speech means the Coalition appears unwilling to follow the model favoured by the EU and figures within the Labour Party.

Last month a new report from the City Growth Commission recommended that 15 regions across England, including the West Midlands should, get greater freedoms such as revaluing tax council tax bands and pooling revenue streams.

It recommends that the creation of City regions should go ahead, with Worcestershire pooled together with areas like Warwickshire, Birmingham, Coventry and Shropshire.