A PUBLIC inquiry is set to be held to determine whether controversial plans for 500 new homes in Rock Hill get the green light.

The Advertiser reported in November that Bromsgrove District Council had put the proposals for land off Whitford Road and Albert Road - including the derelict Greyhound pub - on hold.

At that time, the council's Planning Committee - after a debate lasting more than three and a half hours - said it needed more information on several issues, including highway matters.

However, the developers, Catesby Estates, have since lodged an appeal against the non-determination of the application with the Planning Inspectorate.

Local councillor Luke Mallett claims the move is an attempt to 'bypass local opinion and decision-making' and labelled the plans 'utterly flawed'.

Subject to formal confirmation, the application will now go to a public inquiry, a date for which will be set by the Inspectorate.

Past proposals for the sites, from the same developer, have been rejected by the council and there have a been a number of objections to the latest plans, particularly in regard to the impact on roads and traffic.

Cllr Mallett - a Labour District Councillor for Hill Top and County Councillor for Bromsgrove West - told the Advertiser two months ago he thought the plans 'had more holes than Swiss cheese'.

On the public inquiry revelation, he said: "The latest move by the developers to try to bypass local opinion and decision making is not a surprise.

"These developers know that their plans are utterly flawed and risk traffic gridlock and a crisis for local services.

"They also taking away the opportunity for a relief road to the west of Bromsgrove at any time in the future.

"Whitford Vale Voice (a local community group) and the community have raised many concerns, and it is about time the developers came clean and put the local community before their profits.

"We will continue to raise these issues at the public inquiry whenever that comes."

John Gerner, transport spokesperson for community group Whitford Vale Voice, added: “Since the Planning Committee latched on to the lack of technical information they needed to conclude that access to the site off Whitford Road would be safe and journey times across the town would not increase because of further congestion, this move by the developers has been expected. 

"However, many residents will be concerned that the applicants have chosen to skip a layer of democratic scrutiny rather than provide the extra information our councillors quite rightly asked for.

"Whitford Vale Voice will continue to press the case that you can’t build new homes without investing properly in our transport, health and education infrastructure.”

While the council will now be unable to determine the outcome of the application, members of the Planning Committee can still make a resolution on it which will form the council’s case at the inquiry.

The Planning Committee date for this discussion has been set for Thursday, February 13, at 6pm, at the larger venue of the Fairfield Suite at The Holiday Inn Birmingham on Kidderminster Road.

The change of venue from the council's own chambers is due to the volume of attendance at the previous meeting when the room was unable to hold the number of people who turned up on the evening.

Interest was so high in the plans that the council had to open up an extra room for an overflow of attendees, screening the meeting on a television for all to watch.