AN MP is taking legal advice after allegations made by a senior councillor that she "bent the rules" to have a multi-million pound housing development called in by the Government.

The increasingly strained relations between Lib Dem-controlled Durham City Council and the city's Labour MP, Roberta Blackman-Woods, reached rock-bottom yesterday over plans for a £20m housing development on the former Durham ice rink site.

In December, the city council's development control committee granted planning permission for the controversial proposal, in the face of opposition from English Heritage and several other groups.

Last month, two weeks before the Government announced there was to be a planning inquiry into the case, Dr Blackman-Woods announced she had written to officials expressing her concerns about the development and urging the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to call in the application.

However, the MP's intervention yesterday brought an outspoken attack from Lib Dem councillor Carol Woods, who stood against Dr Blackman-Woods at last year's General Election.

Coun Woods accused the MP of "playing silly political games" and added: "Dr Blackman-Woods has obviously bent the rules to get the ODPM to call in the development on the old ice rink site.

"It is not acceptable for her to use her political influence to bypass normal procedures."

Coun Woods said a proposal would normally be called in only in the event of a formal complaint, and said neither English Heritage nor the Campaign for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) had submitted a formal objection.

However, the accusation produced a stinging response from Dr Blackman-Woods, who said: "I am seeking legal advice with regard to the accusation made by Coun Woods, but I will not be drawn into name-calling over matters as serious as this.

"I completely reject any accusation of wrong-doing. We have been inundated with complaints about the ice rink and not one letter has been in favour. I have acted completely properly in representing those concerns to the ODPM and a proper decision has been made."

English Heritage and Cabe yesterday said they had not formally lodged objections into the granting of planning permission for the site, but said their earlier objections to the proposal sent ahead of December's meeting still stood.

The ODPM declined to comment.