DAVID Cameron has warned councils to either adopt local housing plans or face direct Government intervention - leading to a rallying call from Worcestershire councillors.

The Prime Minister has announced a hard-hitting "housing crusade" by setting local authorities a firm 2017 "do or fail" deadline in agreeing their housing blueprints.

Those councils which cannot get working documents in order, earmarking specific parcels of land for new homes and employment, will have ministers come in and do it for them.

The tough stance comes just days after the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), which allocates land for 28,370 homes by 2030, was sent out for a new six-week consultation.

Once that closes an independent inspector will have to make a fresh judgement on its contents and then district councils in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon are expected to take another vote on adopting it - bringing the end in sight after three years of work.

Councillors involved in the planning process now say it is more imperative than ever that they finish the job.

At a Worcester City Council meeting last month nine councillors refused to vote in favour of the latest blueprint.

Subject to no further hiccups thrown up by the inspector, the hope is that the SWDP will be adopted in the early part of next year, well ahead of the PM's deadline.

Councillor Geoff Williams, vice-chair of the city's planning committee, said: "It just demonstrates how important it's been to make consistent progress towards getting the SWDP adopted.

"Because once we have that document in place we have control - this process is absolutely crucial.

"Hopefully we will be in a position where we can adopt it early next year."

Councillor David Wilkinson, who also sits on the committee, said: "He (Mr Cameron) is right to set a deadline.

"But part of the difficulty is that getting a local plan in place is quite a convoluted process, the Government sets out some quite challenging arrangements.

"It was the inspector who requested we made changes to it, but we are nearly there and we hope it's in place soon.

"As far as south Worcestershire is concerned I think we'll be well ahead of this deadline."

The old version of the SWDP earmarked land for 23,200 homes before inspector Roger Clews ordered it to rise significantly, eventually taking the figure to 28,370.

Mr Cameron wants one million new homes built across the country by 2020, saying "we need a national crusade to get homes built and everyone must play their part".

Across the country just 65 per cent of areas have adopted local plans and one in five haven't even got a draft version ready.