RESIDENTS from Alfrick have challenged council leader David Hughes's claim that he has been done nothing wrong after a police investigation into his conduct over planning decisions in Malvern Hills.

And they are also calling for Cllr Hughes to reveal what he now plans to do with land he owns after fellow councillors rejected plans to build homes there

Cllr Hughes said last week that his name and reputation were "totally cleared" after West Mercia Police said it will be taking no further action over the complaint.

This week, the Alfrick and Lulsley Residents' Group issued a statement saying: "The police not taking the case forward is not, in our view, an exoneration of the action of Mr Hughes.

"We fail to see how there was not a conflict of interest and think most constituents think the same."

In February, the district council's planning committee voted to reject an application to build 21 homes at Clay Green Farm, owned by Cllr Hughes.

The residents' group has clarified details of its complaint. It says Greenlight Developments, which made the Clay Green Farm application, is also linked with an application to develop a site in Clifton, Blue Shot Meadow, which was approved by councillors. They say Cllr Hughes has business links with Greenlight and so should not have taken part in the Blue Shot Meadow vote.

"This is not a vendetta, as Mr Hughes has claimed. It is simply ordinary people standing up against people in power saying their behaviour is not acceptable."

The group now wants Cllr Hughes, who is standing for re-election tomorrow, to say what he plans for the Clay Green Farm site.

"The voters were not told of his plans the last time he was elected, but they now demand to know is he had dropped his plans completely or whether he will try again for planning permission."

The group made its complaint to police after first approaching MHDC's monitoring officer, but not getting a response to their satisfaction.

The Alfrick group has united with groups from other area such as Upton, Welland, Malvern, Clifton and Leigh Sinton, who say sitting councillors should not personally involved in large planning applications.

In 2013, Welland councillor Roger Cousins was at the centre of controversy after a planning application was put in to build houses on land he owned near the village.