A FINAL round of changes have been made to Worcestershire's controversial housing blueprint - in the hope an inspector can finally give it the green light.

Your Worcester News can reveal how the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is now expected to be signed off early next year - with the final figure of no more than 28,370 properties by 2030 intact.

Several last-ditch revisions have been made on the advice on inspector Roger Clews, including:

- The so-called Shrub Hill 'opportunity zone', where more than £100 million is expected to be sunk into a major re-development, will now take 750 homes instead of 596

- Worcester's old metal packaging firm site, the old offices of Crown Food Europe in Perry Wood Walk, off Wyld's Lane, will get 190 properties instead of 200

- Proposals for new housing developments in Green Lane, Malvern and Claines recreation ground, Worcester, have been ditched

- Land in Cheltenham Road, Evesham, will get 500 homes instead of 400

- Fields off Abbey Road, Evesham, will get 250 homes instead of 200

The changes come after a series of round-table discussions with the inspector, who has spent months examining the plan.

But the alterations, which are subject to a six-week consultation, have bewildered some councillors, who claims their areas have taken unfair shares.

Councillor Bob Banks, who represents Evesham at County Hall, said: "Evesham has already taken lots of housing from Worcester voluntarily, and even some of Malvern's because they haven't got room.

"We've had a raw deal. This won't be popular with a lot of people."

But senior politicians say the changes are vital to ensure the SWDP is finally adopted, which will guard against developers building on other sites.

Councillor Melanie Baker, who chairs the SWDP joint advisory panel, said: "We now need to focus on making a series of largely technical policy changes, and I would urge south Worcestershire residents to make their voices heard in the upcoming consultation.

"We will then reach the stage when the inspector can formally judge the plan and the councils can move on to its adoption."

Worcester's Shrub Hill opportunity zone is based around industrial land in Sherriff Street, and proposals are in the pipeline for a major re-development including apartments, offices, retail, a five screen cinema, bowling alley, ice skating rink, offices and more.

We revealed last year how the project is being held up due to highways concerns.

The old packaging site in Perry Wood Walk has been derelict since Carnaud Metalbox shut in the summer of 2013 with the loss of 100 jobs, and will now take less homes than envisaged.

Evesham’s main site off Cheltenham Road, meanwhile, has been eyed by developers for a long time, which has managed to convince Mr Clews that the number of properties it can take must be increased.

The SWDP was originally drawn up with land for 23,200 homes, but that figure was increased significantly on orders from the inspector.

A new consultation is expected to run from Friday, October 9 to Friday, November 20 and if the three district councils in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon are satisfied, Mr Clews will be asked to sign it off in time for adoption in early 2016.

Details of how to take part in the consultation will be available HERE next month.