Housebuilder urges Malvern Hills District Council to approve Kempsey project after community support - The Malvern Observer

Housebuilder urges Malvern Hills District Council to approve Kempsey project after community support

Malvern Editorial 1st May, 2018   0

HOUSING firm Taylor Wimpey has urged Malvern Hills District Council to approve plans for a new community centre, more than 15 acres of sports facilities and up to 113 new homes in Kempsey.

Officers have recommended the authority’s northern area planning committee to refuse the plans for Pixham Ferry Lane, despite strong support from the community.

Taylor Wimpey says the officer’s reports ‘does not reflect’ the viability of the application and the proposals to bring forward the community sports provisions and recreation ground should be approved tomorrow night (Wednesday).

A spokesperson for Taylor Wimpey said: “The planning officer’s recommendation for refusal is based upon inaccurate assumptions around revenues, abnormal development costs and, in particular, an artificially low land value.




“A separate study carried out on behalf of Kempsey Parish Council as well as the Worcestershire CIL viability study have shown that our proposals are fully policy compliant.

“The proposal is directly related in scale to its role in providing the identified community sports and recreation land.


“We have addressed other issues raised in the officer’s report by bringing forward a well-designed project which will fit in with the existing properties in and around Kempsey.

“The proposals will also deliver 70 per cent green space on the site, which is well above the council’s own policy of 40 per cent, as well as a policy compliant 45 affordable homes for the local community.

“There is no way to deliver these sports facilities without the associated housing and we urge the planning committee to take on board the views of local people and approve the development.”

The site is allocated in the Kempsey Neighbourhood Plan which was supported by 92 per cent of respondents to a referendum last October and formally made by Malvern Hills District Council during a full council meeting in November last year.

In addition to Kempsey Parish Council the plans have support from the representatives of Kempsey Cricket Club, Kempsey Lawn Tennis Club and Kempsey Colts FC.

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