A MAJOR planning application to build apartments in Droitwich has been put forward by a company using the name of a top Worcester property tycoon who ran up debts estimated at millions of pounds.

Neil Grinnall called in the receivers to two of his companies in November and was said to be in the process of winding up a third.

Now a company called Neil Grinnall Properties 4 has submitted a planning application for a major development in Droitwich.

It has applied for planning permission from Wychavon District Council to build 11 apartments and a car park in Hanbury Street, Droitwich.

The proposal is a resubmission of a previous one that was later withdrawn.

It is not known if Neil Grinnall himself is behind the proposed development.

Among the property developer's major schemes were the Hadzor development in Droitwich and redevelopment of the Kays apartments in Worcester.

But just three months ago he had to ask accountants to deal with the problems for Neil Grinnall Properties Ltd and Neil Grinnall Classic Homes. A spokesman for Neil Grinnall Properties Ltd confirmed the firm was still in receivership.

The value of the 24 unsold domestic properties built by Mr Grinnall's two companies alone came to £5,317,000. The value of commercial units remaining was not released.

Accountants Moore Stephens were hoping to recover the debts through the sale of the properties.

Meanwhile, Neil Grinnall Properties 4 is hoping to develop the site on Hanbury Road. It lies on the north side of the road and backs on to the river Salwarpe. It is vacant at present and consists of a single-storey building to the front and a three-storey structure behind.

The plan is to build four apartments in the first building, with seven in the second. There would be a total of ten two-bed properties and one one-bed.

Only two people have opposed the development, citing extra traffic on an already busy Hanbury Road as the reason.

Wychavon District Council's development control committee, which meets on Thursday, January 26, has been recommended to approve the application.

Robert Peel, planning officer for the local authority, said: "I recommend approval subject to no objection from the Environment Agency and to the applicant providing a financial contribution for the provision of open space, education facilities and recycling facilities."