RESIDENTS of Plymouth Road are celebrating after councillors rejected a planning application.
The application from Barteak Properties would have meant 15 houses and eight three-bedroom flats on land next to the bus station.
But eight letters of objection were received by people in the surrounding houses who were concerned about, among other things, an increase in traffic, noise and disturbance and a loss of trees.
And they felt the properties would both overlook existing houses and be out of character with surrounding buildings.
Redditch councillors agreed with residents as they turned down the application, despite it originally being set for approval.
Councillor Pat Wilson said: "While the demolition of the bus station is taking place, this must be the most undesirable place in Redditch to build residential housing."
And despite changes to the original plans which brought some of the houses down from three to two-and-a-half storey, Mrs Wilson believed this would make no difference to residents' concerns about being overlooked by the new buildings.
And Councillor Ken Kenney said: "Wait until the developments and changes in the town are completed.
"Don't build something here when half the area is going to be destroyed anyway."
The reasons given by councillors for rejecting the application were non-compliance to planning guidance, impact on valuable amenities, concerns over the site levels and they felt the proposed development would be detrimental to the surrounding area.
