A MOVE to add more homes to a huge development on the edge of the city has been backed by the council.

Major housing developer Persimmon will be allowed to build 19 extra homes, including one-bed flats and two-to-four-bed homes on land off Swinesherd Lane in Spetchley near Worcester after plans were given the green light by Wychavon District Council.

The developer already has permission to build up to 300 homes in Spetchley, which included a commitment to building the new Swinesherd Way bridge across the A4440 Southern Link Road, and submitted a new application for an extra 60 at the end of 2019.

Following talks with the council, a new plan asking for permission to reduce the number of homes from 60 to 19 was then put forward by Persimmon.

The original plan for 60 homes would have seen a number of the houses built outside the boundary previously agreed between Wychavon District Council and Persimmon for the 300-home development.

Some concerns had been raised about building the homes so close to the M5 and the noise and disruptions problems it could prose for future homeowners.

But now the 19 new homes will be built within the previously agreed boundary with more than two-thirds of the planned homes scrapped from the scheme.

Wychavon planning officers said the “significantly reduced” plan would be acceptable and the noise from the busy M5 would not be harmful to any potential future occupiers.

Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), which is responsible for licensing, health and safety and other environmental health functions on behalf of Wychavon District Council, shas been in talks with Persimmon over the noise fears and has said that “most” of the new gardens would fall within the accepted guidelines and keeping noise to a minimum indoors would be “achievable.”

A report outlining the council’s decision said: “The significantly reduced proposal would accord with the strategic site allocation objectives and other development management policies.

“The proposal would integrate with the site and would not compromise the existing landscaping and ecological corridors identified at the site previously.

“The reduced proposal from the constraint afforded by the M5, would not result in detrimental impact on amenity of future occupants of the proposed dwellings.”