Homes plan can still be rejected, insists councillor (From Worcester News)

Homes plan can still be rejected, insists councillor

4:40pm Saturday 5th January 2013 in News By Tom Edwards

A LAST-DITCH appeal is being made to reject plans for 256 new homes on fields in Worcester – with a leading politician saying residents “have a genuine case” for it to be thrown out.

Campaigners living in and around Spetchley Road are battling against developers Bloor Homes, which wants to build the properties off Kilbury Drive.

The move was debated during a city council meeting in November, and will be voted on by Wychavon’s planning committee in February or March, because the land falls just inside that council’s area.

Councillor Richard Boorn, who represents the Nunnery council ward, which incorporates Spetchley Road, said he has been inundated with complaints from residents.

Householders say they are concerned about the impact it will have on congestion in the road, and cite worries over flooding, as when it rains heavily puddles have been spotted on the land.

Coun Boorn is preparing a speech for the meeting, and has made a plea for Wychavon’s politicians to reject it.

A petition has been handed to Wychavon District Council with 477 signatures on it.

Coun Boorn said: “This is not nimbyism – the people who live there do, I believe, have a genuine case that this should not go ahead.

“The sewage system there is 50 years old and flooding is already an issue, if you add 256 homes it just won’t be able to cope.

“Severn Trent has promised to improve the system, but not until 2020 – the problem with that is that it’s too late for this development.

“Spetchley Road is also a disaster waiting to happen. It’s already very busy, and to make it even more so is clearly not acceptable.

“It’s not too late to say no.”

Spetchley Road resident Lisa Wilkes, aged 45, one of the protestors, said: “It’s not that I am against new development on the land, it’s the size and scale of it, plus the fact the sewers and roads are not up to it.”

The campaigners want Bloor Homes to ensure access to the site is not off Spetchley Road or Walkers Lane, and assurances the drainage will be upgraded sooner.

Chris Shaw, the agent for the developer, has said the company had been working hard to get feedback from residents.

“In the South Worcestershire Development Plan the site is earmarked for 300 homes, we’ve come in under that and have taken the feedback on board.”