We must scrap plan for homes on site in city (From Worcester News)

We must scrap plan for homes on site in city

5:30pm Friday 20th July 2012 in Worcester By Tom Edwards

PLEAS are being made to scrap proposals for new housing in one of Worcester’s most congested areas.

Critics say unless council chiefs do a U-turn over Stanley Road, existing parking problems will become 10 times worse and will cause havoc.

Under the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), the county’s development blueprint, 10 properties would be built on the site of an old pupil referral unit.

However, Councillor Jabba Riaz, Conservative cabinet member for safer and stronger communities, said it would be insensitive to nearby residents and has launched his own petition.

He is calling for the land to be turned into a car park to help ease the problem of too many people competing for existing spaces.

He said: “These streets are already heavily congested and new homes in Stanley Road will only make the problem 10 times worse.

“The area is close to Shrub Hill, Lowesmoor and the city centre, so we have three competing interests already when it comes to parking.

“Not much consideration has been given to the overall flow of traffic – at the moment it’s pretty bad on the best of days.

“I want to see it turned into a car park. The aim is to stop housing being built there.”

He also said constant traffic regulation orders, preventing motorists from parking in nearby roads at certain times of the day, was adding to the strain.

Stanley Road was not earmarked for new housing when a draft version of the SWDP was first published, but since then a series of changes have been made to the document.

Small plots have been added to the blueprint in Malvern, Wychavon and Worcester, which means a fresh consultation will take place in August and September.

The overall plan earmarks room for more than 23,000 new properties across the south of the county by 2030, as well as community facilities.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, deputy leader of Worcester City Council , has urged people to have their say during the consultation period. He has backed the SWDP as a document which allows the county to control its destiny. To add your name to Coun Riaz’s petition and view his argument in full, visit cllrjabbariaz.blogspot.co.uk.