A DEVELOPER keen to build houses at Powick is willing to spend more than £250,000 on road safety improvements at the end of the A449 dual carriageway.

He has offered to build a roundabout at the junction with Sparrowhall Lane, an area highlighted as a danger spot by parish councillors.

But the scheme offered by Brian Connally of Hercules House Ltd was rejected when he first put it forward in 1998, as part of a proposal to build outside the Powick settlement boundary.

He wants to put up to 15 houses on Bowling Green, an open area bounded by Bowling Green Lane, Sparrowhall Lane and Malvern Road.

Density

"We are not talking about an estate, but a nicer house type to complement the area, with a similar density to those already around the site," he said.

"But the parish council and the district planners were very much against it."

He said he brought in traffic consultants to liaise with highway engineers to draw up a suitable scheme for a roundabout and other road safety measures.

"Everything has a price and nothing remains the same for ever," he said.

"I thought I would be welcomed with open arms when I offered a roundabout and traffic calming measures to save lives, because it's an obvious planning gain, but they couldn't grasp the nettle."

Gary Williams, who is head of planning services for Malvern Hills, commented that planning gain could not be used to make an otherwise unacceptable plan become acceptable.

Powick parish councillor John Mason recently led a call for improvements on the A449 at the junction with Sparrowhall Lane, where traffic turning right towards Malvern has to cross four carriageways with no safe haven.

Fellow parish councillors agreed that safety measures were needed, but opposed the idea of a roundabout.

"I suggested a roundabout was one consideration, but we kicked it into touch immediately, because we are not seeking to urbanise the tiny village of Powick," he said.

Malvern Hills planner Bernie Smith said the Bowling Green site was outside the settlement boundary for Powick in the Local Plan, which is currently under review.

"Various suggestions have been made for possible development sites including this one," said.

"We are looking at all settlement boundaries to see if they are appropriately drawn and any suggested alterations will be put to the council this summer."