RESIDENTS can now have their say about the latest version of the South Worcestershire Development Plan after Malvern Hills District Council approved the updated housing figures.
A six-week consultation launched on Monday (October 6) will run until Friday, November 14.
The updated draft now calls for 28,370 homes to be built across South Worcestershire by 2030, including 5,600 in Malvern.
The Government inspector scrutinising the plan has called for a total of 8,590 homes to be built in the district but a large portion of those will be achieved by a large urban extension to the west of Worcester City.
It has now been recommended 800 homes are developed at Newland instead of 700 and the land at QinetiQ now accommodates 300 properties rather than 250.
Six entirely new sites have been put forward in Malvern Town including 21 homes in Victoria Road car park, 33 in Broadlands Drive, 77 at Brook Farm Drive and 81 in Lower Howsell Road. The two others at Pickersleigh Grove where there will be 44 homes and Mill Lane in Poolbrook, which will accommodate 62, have already been given planning permission by the district council.
About 1,100 properties have been earmarked for villages throughout the district, but similarly the plan includes controversial developments which have been approved already.
Two additional sites at Hallow and Rushwick have been included for 30 and 50 homes respectively, but about three quarters of the total housing need in rural areas has already been given the green light.
Three new sites have also been found in Tenbury totalling 122 homes and the recommendation for 75 properties to be built in Upton-upon-Severn has now been scrapped because three major applications have been approved in recent months totalling 138 dwellings – 70 in Upton Marina, 43 in Tunnel Hill and 25 in Sunny Bank Meadow.
Extensions to Worcester City within the boundaries of Malvern and Wychavon districts accounts for about 5,450 dwellings in the latest plan.
Now Temple Laugherne, to the west of the city, has been allocated for 2,150 instead of 975.
The plan also includes an updated assessment of the amount of travellers and gypsy sites needed in the county, which shows Malvern actually has three pitches too many.
Coun Melanie Baker, responsible for planning and housing at MHDC, said approving the SWDP would put the council ‘back in the driving seat’ because the authority would finally be able to demonstrate a five-year land supply for housing and defend against unwanted developments.
After voting the proposals through last Tuesday (September 30) the council will now write to the planning minister to request the document is given substantial weight when unexpected housing applications are submitted.
All of the relevant information is available to view at www.swdevelopmentplan.org along with details on how to take part in the consultation.
Click here to read what was said on Tuesday night by councillors and members of the public.
