A PLEA to hold a special meeting to discuss the Ukrainian refugee crisis was rejected by Worcestershire County Council.

Calls were made by opposition councillors in Worcestershire to the ruling Tory administration to convene an extraordinary meeting to discuss possible measures to help Ukraine and its residents during the ongoing conflict with Russia.

The county council said it was unable to agree to the opposition’s request as it “included items that were outside of the council’s powers” and would be discussed by cabinet on March 24.

The appeal included potential commitments to welcoming refugees and calling on the government to relax current visa and asylum restrictions, assistance with sending supplies to Ukraine and cutting ties with any Russian companies to avoid buying goods or services from the country.

Green and Independent group leader Cllr Matthew Jenkins said he was “extremely disappointed” by the rejection – which was made on behalf of the opposition Green, Labour, Lib Dem and Independent groups – from council chairman Steve Mackay.

“The government has been heavily criticised, including by Conservative MPs, for their slow and heartless response to the plight of these refugees,” he said.

“We called on the council to put pressure on the government to make it easier for refugees to come to the UK, rather than making it as complicated and difficult as possible, as the government have been doing.”

Councillors will now be given the chance to discuss Ukraine and the county council’s response during a meeting of the overview and scrutiny performance board – the council’s main scrutiny committee – on March 23 ahead of cabinet’s discussion the following day.

Cllr Jenkins said only discussing the Ukrainian crisis at cabinet level would give the ruling Tory administration the chance to set the agenda and water down possible criticism of the central Tory government’s response.