A CRUCIAL Worcestershire housing blueprint is about to take a decisive step towards being finalised - with councillors insisting it will protect the county.

Tomorrow evening Worcester City Council will take a vote on accepting the new-look South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), which earmarks room for 28,370 homes by 2030.

The vote, which is taking place at the same time as one in Wychavon, will mean one final six-week final consultation takes place before planning inspector Roger Clews is asked to sign it off.

It means after years of debate the crucial document, which will prevent developers from building on sites not earmarked for property, is finally nearing a conclusion.

Members of the city council say they are looking forward to the day the dossier is finished.

Getting it in place will ensure Worcester has more than five year's worth of land ready for developers to build on - a target essential to fight off appeals.

But the SWDP still faces a race against time to be adopted before an independent inspector examines Miller Homes' bid for 200 homes at Middle Battenhall Farm, which is likely to be looked at over the coming weeks.

Subject to the votes going through, the new-look SWDP should be adopted by the councils early next year - or potentially sooner, meaning it could be weeks away.

Councillor Alan Amos, who chairs the city's planning committee, said: "We are not stopping development in Worcester whatsoever.

"Too often the Government accuses us of stopping development when we are not, we do everything we can to make sure decisions are made properly and on time."

Councillor David Wilkinson said: "The five-year land supply will actually be seven-and-a-half years when we do actually get into the position of adopting the SWDP.

"I very much look forward to that day coming."

Some last-ditch revisions were made to the document over the summer, including Worcester's Shrub Hill 'opportunity zone' now taking 750 homes instead of 596.

Proposals for new housing developments in Green Lane, Malvern and Claines recreation ground, Worcester, have been ditched while land in Cheltenham Road, Evesham, will get 500 homes instead of 400.

Fields off Abbey Road, Evesham, will get 250 homes instead of 200 and Worcester's former metal packaging firm site, the old offices of Crown Food Europe in Perry Wood Walk will get 190 properties instead of 200.

Malvern Hills District Council voted in support of sending the SWDP for a six-week consultation next week.

* To see some more background on the revised SWDP go HERE.