CONTROVERSIAL plans to build up to 110 homes on land on Lower Howsell Road were approved despite a plea from a respected town councillor to refuse it, claiming the new homes would cause gridlock chaos.
Malvern Hills District councillors of the Southern Area Development Committee voted unanimously for Halkin Development’s plan in Malvern Link to go ahead at a meeting last night (Tuesday).
The majority of the site was formerly used for allotments.
But its approval was greeted by disapproval by members of the public with one shouting to councillors ‘someone will get killed’.
Malvern Town Council had previously objected to the plans on access grounds and town councillor Clive Smith pleaded the committee to refuse the plans.
He said at the meeting: “The contentious part is the access to Lower Howsell Road cannot cope with anymore traffic despite the best efforts of various experts, it would cause gridlock.
“Please please please do not cause gridlock to Lower Howsell Road and refuse it.”
And Malvern Link resident Linda Norris also told the committee that traffic would be too much to cope with on nearby roads.
But councillors voted for approval stating new homes were needed in the town with the plans adopted in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).
Link ward member Coun David Watkins said: “I don’t consider approval on this application will anyway worsen the traffic movement adjacent to the site.
“Having read the report I have no reason to believe that this independent assessment was not carried out to the expected professional standard.
“What it will not do is decrease the traffic flow on Worcester Road which on most days results in traffic gridlock from Townsend Way to Link Top.
“But more seriously I am concerned that a lack of foresight in forward planning at the complete lack of public transport in this large section of Malvern Link.”
