10:50am Thursday 12th August 2010
AN MP has once again “poured a dose of cold water” on plans for a £70 million sports village near Worcester.
Peter Luff, MP for Mid-Worcestershire, said his “jaw hit the floor” when he saw images of the proposed development at Hindlip on the front page of your Worcester News last week.
Sir Bert Millichip Sports want to build facilities including an Olympic swimming pool, indoor cricket centre and football academy at the 84-acre site.
The company also plans to build up to 2,000 homes as part of a larger scale development stretching from Fernhill Heath to Pershore Lane, which is in Mr Luff’s constituency.
Mr Luff has previously spoken out against the idea and has reiterated his concerns about the number of houses which will need to be built in order to fund the project.
He is also worried about traffic at junction six of the M5 and thinks the centre will be more for the sporting elite rather than the community.
The MP, who is also minister for defence procurement, said he doesn’t think the figures stack up and wants more information.
He said: “It’s okay putting the nice pretty pictures into the public domain but we need to see some sort of a business plan which answers all the questions.
“How many houses need to be built to fund the project? How long is it going to take? How much is it going to cost? And where is the money going to come from?
“I just don’t think it is affordable, it is such a huge development and I think it would need at least 2,500 homes to fund it.
“I’m not saying that it is not exciting or that it is a bad idea but I don’t think it will work.”
Peter Millichip, managing director of the company, said it is up to the planners at Wychavon District Council do decide on the viability of the business plans.
Mr Millichip said: “We have always understood and accepted that, as part of the planning process, the authorities will wish to be satisfied that the scheme is both deliverable and sustainable.
“The plans have been in gestation for four years and we have shared considerable information and business plans with the local authority.
“We are confident we will be able to satisfy them on both elements.
“Peter Luff is of course perfectly entitled to raise his concerns.
“We would be delighted that he should embrace what we are trying to achieve for the good people of Worcestershire.”
Formal plans for the sport site and proposed housing development will be submitted towards the end of the year.
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