A PLAN to demolish an industrial building and build eight three-storey townhouses was approved despite objections from neighbours over the height of the building.

Lockley Homes put forward a proposal to build the townhouses in Pope Iron Road in Worcester but neighbours said they are concerned the buildings would lead to a loss of privacy and sunlight.

Neighbours have also said the design would be out-of-character with the Victorian street.

Worcester City Council's planning committee approved the plan at a meeting on Thursday (October 24).

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The proposal was called into the planning committee by Councillor Joy Squires over local concerns about flooding, the design of the homes and parking issues.

Cllr Squires said residents were not against building houses on the site but were “very very unhappy” with the proposals and there was still doubt that some of the changes to the design had not gone far enough.

Cllr Squires said there was inevitability that the other industrial units would become available for housing in the future and the three-storey scale of the proposed homes was setting a precedent and would change the balance of the area.

Cllr Jo Hodges said the new houses would only be 50cm taller than existing neighbouring buildings and the argument about overshadowing had already been made.

Three buildings would be facing Pope Iron Road with five buildings built behind.

A number of objections were raised by residents in Pope Iron Road, Gheluvelt Mews, Barbourne Lane and Waterworks Road as well as landlord James McKeever of The Whipping Post pub in Pope Iron Road.

Barbourne Riverside Residents Association said the design was "highly inappropriate" and out-of-keeping with the area.

Pope Iron Road is prone to minor flooding but the council said it would because of water running down the road and collecting rather than flooding from the River Severn. The site at its closest point is 148 metres from the river.

The site is right next to land designated as having a high chance of flooding. The rear of the site is within an area that has up to a one per cent chance of flooding.