CONSERVATIVES on Worcester City Council have been accused of performing a "humiliating U-turn" over the Perdiswell park-and-ride.

Last month, Tories on the policy and resources committee voted the defer a decision on the release of more than £200,000 towards the cost of the park-and-ride at Droitwich Road.

The county council had expected the city to put up the funds and threatened to chop transport budgets in Worcester if the money was not forthcoming.

Councillor Robert Rowden, the leader of the city council, said at a meeting last night that after "detailed study" he was prepared to hand over £177,000 raised from legal agreements with developers.

Another £55,000 would be allocated shortly, he added.

"The agreements were rather tighter than we had realised," said Coun Rowden.

Labour members of the policy and resources committee claimed the Conservatives had been forced to "climb out of a hole".

"What a humiliating U-turn," said Coun David Bannister, while Coun Geoff Williams branded the ruling administration "guilty of gross incompetence".

The county council had prepared a list of schemes that could be delayed or axed, including traffic calming in St Peter's.

The city's director of technical services, Stuart McNidder, told the meeting he now expected these to be funded next year as planned.

But the county had submitted a bid for Government funds to pay for transport initiatives, known as the "Worcester Package", and had not yet been pledged the cash, he added.

A vote was taken to pay the county council the money raised from legal agreements.