“TOTALLY inappropriate” plans for 45 homes on the edge of a Worcestershire village have been rejected.
Councillors unanimously turned down a scheme to build on land off Worcester Road in Drakes Broughton at a meeting of Wychavon’s planning committee last week.
The plan, which included 18 affordable homes, followed previously approved proposals for another 45 homes off Worcester Road.
REJECTED: Plans for 45 homes on the edge of Drakes Broughton have been turned down (Image: Wychavon District Council)
Planning officer Adam White said the scheme was technically contrary to planning policy because the land sits outside the village’s settlement boundary but is “immediately adjacent to it in a sustainable location” and would boost the supply of affordable housing in the district.
Councillor Rob Adams questioned why a site outside of the development boundary should be built on when the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review—a planning blueprint for the area—has only just been approved.
He said he was “bitterly disappointed” that officers had recommended the plans for approval.
Cllr Adams said Drakes Broughton had “grown out of all recognition” during his time as a councillor.
Mr White said the benefits of the application outweighed the fact it is outside the settlement boundary.
Drakes Broughton and Wadborough Parish Council said the spread of housing towards Pershore would “contribute to urban sprawl” and said it had “serious highways safety concerns”.
Sarah Harper, a resident of Drakes Broughton, said the concerns of neighbours had been “dismissed” and claimed the development would “urbanise” a rural area.
Agent Neil Pearce said the site is in a sustainable location and is “not affected by any planning constraints”.
“It will add a few more cars on the road,” he admitted.
Cllr Emma Kearsey asked why developers hadn’t been “honest with the planning system” and put in an application for 90 homes instead of two sets of 45.
Mr Pearce said it would make “no commercial sense” to withdraw the first set of plans.
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He said technical evidence has considered the impact of both phases of the development.
Cllr Kearsey said the developer had “played the planning system” because an application for 90 homes would have been recommended for refusal.
Cllr Linda Robinson said: “The whole of Drakes Broughton is going to become rat run with the Parkway development and this is going to make it even worse. Why are we even looking at this?”
Cllr Charles Tucker said the plan was “inappropriate” for a village and looked more like it belonged in a town.
Proposing refusal, Cllr Margaret Rowley said the scheme was a “dense proposal right on the edge of the village and totally inappropriate”.