RESIDENTS in the Warndon Villages area of Worcester packed into a public meeting to make their voices heard over a controversial planning application.

Last week your Worcester News reported people living in the area were concerned about the application by technology company GTech for a 2,915 sq metre headquarters off the junction of Berkeley Way and Parsonage Way, near the 900-year-old grade one listed St Nicholas Church.

A public meeting was held at the church on Sunday, February 22 where many concerned residents claimed they were unaware of the plans until they read about it in your Worcester News.

Warndon Villages resident Alex Humphries said: "This appears to be a vanity project by the developer, at the expense of our green network.

“There are vacant sites on the nearby Berkeley Business Park, Blackpole Industrial Estate, the vacated Bosch site and soon to be built Technology Park, all of which would be far better suited to an industrial development.”

Neighbour Fiona Howarth, who has lived in Warndon Villages for 22 years, said she did not believe the site, which is not included in the in-progress South Worcestershire Development Plan, was an appropriate place for the development.

“This simply isn’t a suitable or appropriate site for any commercial development,” she said. “There are issues of access, road safety, noise pollution, light pollution conservation and the destruction of the local green environment not to mention a industrial unit infringing on the residential side of the road.”

GTech founder and chief executive Nick Gray said he understood resident’s concerns but said the development would improve rather than damage the area.

"We have been very open and welcome the thoughts of our fellow residents of Worcester," he said.

“We do understand that some local people are concerned, but we want to provide a beautiful landscaped site with a nature reserve that safe-guards the area from further development, and works in harmony with our neighbours."

A second public meeting will be held at the Lyppard Grange Community Centre in Ankerage Green, Worcester, from 11am today, Saturday, February 28.

For more information email StopGtechThreat@aol.com or to view the plans visit www.worcester.gov.uk and search for application P15P0013.

A decision on the plans is expected to be made by Wednesday, April 22.