SIR – The recent decision by the Planning Inspector to reverse the Worcester City Council planning committee’s decision to refuse the application for a c4,000-seater stadium at Perdiswell is obviously a disappointment.

As the chairman of the planning committee we felt the loss of the green space was not overcome by the community nature of the stadium, the Inspector took a different view, as did planning officers.

In Geoff Williams letter (The ball is at the council’s feet, October 3) he makes a point if the fact that the committee went against officer’s advice, which is very true, but the planning committee is not there to simply rubber stamp officers’ recommendations – if it was then why would have one – so I make no apology for the committee’s decision.

What everybody seems to fail to remember in what is fast becoming the WCFC Stadium saga is that the very same planning committee approved a 4,000-seater stadium on Parsonage Way some five years ago.

The club at that time were telling us that this was the best location for them and that they had both the plan and funds to develop it, so the council and its planning department did their part and approved the planning application.

The club failed to deliver on its promises and didn’t have the funds or the plan to build the stadium.

So please, please, please stop inferring that the football club’s current situation is partly the fault of the city council or its planning committee; it isn’t, it is due to poor club business management.

I do hope that the club have a fully costed and funded business plan before they approach the city council requesting that we either sell or lease Perdiswell.

Chris Mitchell

Cllr, St Clement and planning committee chairman