CAMPAIGNERS have claimed “victory in another little battle”, after parish councillors unanimously opposed plans to build 95 new homes in open countryside in Upper Welland.

More than 50 concerned residents attended the Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council meeting on Monday evening (November 17) to voice their opposition to the Kler Group’s proposals.

Several residents spoke passionately against the plans before councillors voted to formally object to the development, which would be located off Watery Lane to the south of Upper Welland Road.

Mal Westfield, vice-chairman of Upper Welland Action Group (UWAG), which represents 150 households in the village, said: “It was a very good meeting and we are very pleased that the councillors rejected the plans.

“We have won this little battle but obviously we also need Malvern Hills District Council to reject the development.

“It is not just Upper Welland that is going to lose out if the house building goes ahead, but it will be the whole of Malvern because views from the hills will be destroyed and tourism in the town will suffer.

Councillor Lucy Hodgson, of Worcestershire County Council, whose division the planning site falls into, said: "I attended the meeting where I listened to the concerns raised by the residents.

"I would urge them to make comments when the proposal comes before the district council's planning committee."

Councillor Tom Wells, who represents a neighbouring division on Worcestershire County Council,  also attended the meeting.

He said: “This is yet another attack on the high quality environment in which we live.

“The land is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and for a very good reason.

“I hope the district council supports local residents and rejects this planning application.”

Don Atkinson, chairman of Little Malvern and Welland Parish Council, similarly labelled the proposed development as “completely inappropriate” and in the “wrong location”.

He said: “The council unanimously voted to object to the application on the grounds that it is on land in the AONB, it will virtually double the size of the village and there is no infrastructure for such a development.

“Residents are concerned it will overpower the whole area.”

Last week parish councillors in Malvern Wells, which borders the proposed development site, also objected to the plans.

Speaking after that meeting, Andy Pitt, chairman of UWAG, said: “It is wholly inappropriate to build a modern, dense suburban development adjacent to a low-density, rural village with near zero facilities.

“The proposed building site is prominent on the foothills of the Malvern Hills in the AONB and will result in the irreversible loss of picturesque views.

“There are no exceptional circumstances presented that justify the destruction of productive agricultural pastoral land in this unique rural landscape.”

Kler Group had not commented by the time of going to press.