A CONTROVERSIAL development on land near St John's, Worcester, came one step closer when planning chiefs put the final touches to guidelines prospective developers must follow.

Worcester City Council's planning committee met to discuss the development brief for the site and debated wording to try and ensure certain rules must be followed by any proposals.

The brief aims to spell out what a potential application would have to include to ensure it met council planning guidelines.

An application by Spen Hill Developers - a subsidiary of Tesco - to create a business park on Grove Farm sparked outrage among residents who formed the Grove Farm Residents' Action Group to fight building on the site.

But after the final touches are added to the brief within the next few weeks, the developer can submit a formal planning application. The land, off Meadowbank Drive, has been earmarked for employment land by the city council.

Objector John Guy spoke at the meeting to ensure councillors were clear about the action group's objections. The vast majority of complaints from residents relate to the traffic implications a business park would have on St John's. There is also concern about security and pollution, as well as protection of wildlife.

Mr Guy said at Friday's meeting: "The development brief as it stands is too weak. The traffic problems this will inevitably cause across the whole of Worcester must be addressed. The brief needs to be stronger.

"This is a greenfield site and the local plan states brownfield sites should be considered first. Councillors, you created the local plan, you should be enforcing it."

Councillors agreed wording should be included in the plan to ensure provision for infrastructure should be in place before work starts.

The view of the Malvern hills from the site should be taken into consideration and a bus stop should be included in the site.

If given the go-ahead, the proposals already outlined by Spen Hill would see 27 office blocks and industrial units built on the site, along with parking for 1,800 cars.

About 11 hectares of the 19-hectare site would be built on.

Construction would create 900 temporary jobs for building workers, and 3,000 jobs would be created on the business park.