A DECISION is set to be made on a plan to build new homes in a village just a mile away from Upton.

Malvern Hills District Council’s planning committee will be meeting to decide on a move to build 25 ‘affordable’ homes on fields off the main Ryall Road in Holly Green near Upton.

The district council’s planning officers have recommended the plan should be approved when the committee meets next Wednesday (November 15).

The application by Hamelin Partnerships was put forward more than a year ago but a decision has yet to be made.

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More than 20 objections were made against the plan – including several by potential neighbours in Furrow Close.

One objector, Andy Vale, said allowing the homes would set a “dangerous precedent” and allow for more homes to be built on valuable green space.

“We could well end up with small pockets of housing developments all along the A38 from Worcester to Tewkesbury, and many other similar areas,” he said.

The council’s planners said the extra two-to-four-bed ‘affordable’ homes would be an ‘extension’ of the existing estate off Furrow Close – built between 2016 and 2018 – and would not be “isolated” or “incongruous.”

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Planners also said it would help address the lack of affordable housing across the district.

Ripple Parish Council was far from happy about the application – saying it was “extremely disappointed” by its design.

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The parish council also highlighted that all facilities would be in Upton and the new homes would rely too heavily on a car.

“The nearest facilities, such as shops, schools and doctors, are in Upton and beyond,” the parish council said. “There is very limited employment locally which means that residents will need to travel to get to their employment.

“There is very little in the way of public transport with only very limited bus services to Worcester, not at the hours which would be suitable for commuting, a pre-bookable community bus service on a Wednesday to Tewksbury and no service at all to Malvern.

“Residents would be almost totally reliant on cars. Walking to and from Upton is difficult.”

The planning committee meets from 6pm in Malvern on November 15.