PARISH councillors in Adderbury are caught up in a legal wrangle that has halted discussions on a new sports and community centre and a housing development.

Cherwell District Council has been called in to advise parish councillors - including Oxfordshire County Council leader Keith Mitchell who lives in the village - on voting procedures and conflict of interest rules.

At the heart of the dispute is the fact Adderbury Park Football Club wants to move from Lucy Plackett field to a site on Milton Road.

A proposal has been submitted that includes community facilities being provided on the site, if developers get planning permission for a 30-house development.

However, some are concerned because parish councillors have interests in other facilities that could be affected by the scheme.

The Standards Board for England, the local authority watchdog, has been informed of the problem. A statement from Adderbury Parish Council said: "It is often the case that people who hold public office, such as parish councillors, will take on more than one role.

"Many of Adderbury's parish councillors are active on other bodies.

"This can sometimes lead to a potential conflict between the interests of the parish council and those of the other body and may mean that a councillor is prevented from taking part in important decisions."