NURSES' hostels on Worcester's former Ronkswood Hospital site are to be demolished and the area transformed into a new housing estate.

Thirty-four new homes, ranging from one-bedroom flats to four-bedroom houses, have been outlined for development at the site in Newtown Road.

Worcester City Council's planning committee agreed to the proposals along with the re-routing of a footpath from Newtown Road to the Tolladine golf course.

This received one objection from the Worcester Ramblers.

"I genuinely can't understand the objection," said Peter Yates, principal planning officer.

"The footpath proposed is going to be much better than it is at the moment.

"In my view, that layout is a perfectly good. Moving the footpath is a huge improvement."

Mr Yates was also in favour of the designs of the proposed new homes.

"This is like going back to the Warndon Villages development with the different house types," he said.

"We've got a good range."

Gardens

Some of the houses would be two-storey while others will be three-storey.

The footpath would run alongside the main road into the estate and lead into the golf course at the same entrance.

The estate would include nine properties under a social housing scheme.

Almost all the properties would have gardens but councillors were concerned about a suitable play area being positioned nearby.

"I would have thought it would have been better to have a play area on this site," said Councillor Mike Layland.

"It would be good if they could play under their parents' noses. There's a very busy main road and an industrial site that will be developed.

"They're not going on the golf course and who would allow them across that road?"

Mr Yates said that around £35,000 was being made available to the Community Services department following the development and this would be invested at nearby play areas.

Councillors approved the development plans and the re-routing of the footpath.