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PLANS to merge the staff and services of Malvern Hills District Council and Worcester City Council were not being kept a secret, claim MHDC leader and chief executive Serena Croad and Chris Bocock.

Details of the scheme came into the open this week when a confidential document detailing the proposal was leaked. Members of Worcester City's cabinet and MHDC's executive committee had met to discuss a draft report by officers on Wednesday, May 7.

But Mr Bocock dismissed the leak as "someone deciding to create a little mischief", and insisted that the plans were scheduled to be brought into the public domain in the next week.

"We were not keeping it a secret," he said. "There are some things that you have to work on a little before you go public.

"This was well known both at a political level and within the workforce."

Cllr Croad said there was no intention of discussions taking place behind closed doors.

"This is not a bombshell," she said. "Councils up and down the country are looking at how they can work together and work more effectively."

5:00pm Friday 16th May 2008

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