RESIDENTS are objecting to a proposed nursery that could “compromise the safety of children, parents and local residents.”
The proposal would see The Forge on Crown East Lane in Lower Broadheath transformed into a 94-place nursery with space for 21 staff.
The plan has prompted strong opposition from local residents who have raised concerns about road safety and the suitability of the location.
Stephen Hunt, speaking on behalf of the residents, said: “This objection is not about whether a nursery should exist.
“It is about whether this particular site—on this particular road, in this particular location—is a safe and appropriate place for one.
“We believe it is not.”
The primary concern centres on the suitability of Crown East Lane, described as a narrow, unlit rural road with a 40mph speed limit and no pavements for much of its length.
Residents say the lane is already used as a commuter “rat run” and is ill-equipped to handle the 273 additional vehicle movements per day expected from the nursery.
Mr Hunt said: “The applicant’s own transport data demonstrates that the 14 proposed drop-off spaces are insufficient for a nursery of 94 children—meaning that when those spaces are full, as the evidence strongly suggests they will be, this scene will repeat itself twice a day, every weekday, with young children in the middle of it.”
Councillor Sarah Rouse has also raised objections, criticising the remote location and lack of safe, sustainable access.
Cllr Rouse said: “Anyone accessing the site with a young child will almost certainly have to drive.
“The site is on a rural road used as a cut-through towards Broadheath.
“There are no lit footways, and it is simply not somewhere parents or children are realistically going to walk or cycle safely.”
She added: “Living next to Leigh and Bransford Primary School, I see every day the impact that school drop-off and pick-up traffic can have on local roads.
“This particular road is, in my opinion, wholly unsuitable for the additional traffic movements this proposal would generate, and safety for residents, pedestrians, parents and children must be a key consideration.”
Rushwick Parish Council has also voiced objections.
Despite these concerns, Worcestershire County Council’s highways department said with the proposed conditions and a £6,000 contribution towards a new pedestrian crossing at the A44 junction, the development would not have a “severe” impact on the highway.
However, residents remain unconvinced, with Mr Hunt questioning the consistency of the highways department’s approach.
He highlighted an earlier recommendation for refusal of a separate application for nine homes on the same road, citing “a severe safety concern of conflict between pedestrians and vehicles on Crown East Lane, especially in hours of darkness and inclement weather”.
He pointed out that the road has not changed, yet the department now supports a more intensive use involving young children.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “We are a statutory consultee and have provided comments on the information provided.
“The local planning authority is Malvern Hills, who will determine the application.”
Malvern Hills District Council said it could not comment on a live application, adding that all issues raised would be considered as part of the decision-making process.
MEETING: Stephen Hunt (second from left) will be asking elected members to refuse the application at an upcoming Malvern District Council planning committee meeting. (L-R) Nina Hunt, Stephen Hunt, Robin Kalinowski, Stuart Crowther, Deborah Crowther. (Image: Supplied)
Mr Hunt added: “On Wednesday (June 3) evening, I will be standing up at Malvern Hills District Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee and asking elected members to refuse this application.
“I will be asking them to listen to the community — to sixteen objecting households, to Rushwick Parish Council, and to the evidence of their own eyes about what Crown East Lane is and what it is not suitable for.”