A PLAN to build houses next to a ‘favoured route for walkers and horse riders’ in a village could still be approved despite the council turning it down.
A plan by Philip Ralph to build four homes at Bush Farm off the narrow Bush Lane in Callow End was rejected by planners at Malvern Hills District Council in December last year.
Mr Ralph has now appealed to the government’s planning inspector, which has the power to overrule the council, in a bid to get the decision overturned.
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The plan for ‘permission in principle’ to build the four homes proved controversial when it was revealed in September 2022 and led to more than 40 villagers sending objections to the council.
Planners turned down the application saying the new homes would “detract from the rural landscape” and went against the council’s policies on protecting the countryside.
One objector, Laurence Quelch of Upton Road in Callow End, said the plan was “totally ridiculous” for the village.
“Bush Lane is a very narrow single-track lane with little or no places for vehicles to pass or turn around,” the objection said.
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“It is used by dog walkers, horse riders and families with young children every day.
“The entrance to the proposed site is very tight and blind when entering from Upton Road and already quite dangerous, any more traffic would cause a real problem.”
Powick Parish Council objected to the new homes saying Bush Lane was frequently used by walkers and horse riders and it “represented the gateway to a valued recreational facility for both residents and the wider community.”
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“The lane currently retains a rural feel which would be compromised by what is this relatively – for this location – high-density development. Four houses would have an urbanising effect in an area which has seen significant development.
“A proposal to put four homes onto this site would necessitate the erection of fencing to the rear of the properties to maintain privacy for the established homes and those proposed.
“This would be out of keeping with the rural nature of the site.”
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