2,150-home 'super village' for Worcester edges closer despite fears of "gridlock"

Worcester City Council says it intends to raise no objections against developing the western boundary next to Dines Green into a multi-million pound settlement.

It comes after a fresh appeal to convince highways officers that £100 million needs to be sunk into completing the city's ring road first was rejected.

Final decisions over the new village, one of the biggest overhauls to the entire city in a generation, are now due within months after council planners published a dossier endorsing the first tranche of work.

A primary school, shopping units, offices, restaurants, takeaways, sports facilities, a playground and 2,150 properties are on the cards.

But councillors say they worry about what it will do to St John's, with developers due to rip up farmland straddling the A44 Bromyard Road in Lower Broadheath for a new village.

They say it should not go ahead without Worcester's Northern Relief Link Road being built - despite it already being ruled out before 2030.

They also want more cash pumped into beefing up the area's two existing primary schools, Dines Green and Oldbury Park, rather a new one be created.

Councillor Richard Udall said: "Obviously we'd all prefer it not to happen, but we accept it is going to happen.

"But there are still two major issues - the first one being a new school, as it would have an adverse impact on Dines Green School, which is five minutes away, and Oldbury Park.

"We want the communities around both schools to come together, not be socially divided by education.

"And the extra amount of traffic this will create will cause huge traffic problems, it will gridlock St John's."

Speaking during a planning committee meeting, he said the only acceptable solution was completing the ring road around the city via the northern link.

During the debate Stephen Hawley, a highways officer at Worcestershire County Council, reiterated the authority's stance on ruling it out.

"Up to 2030 a ring road around Worcester has not been identified as what's required," he said.

Alan Coleman, a senior planning officer, told Councillor Udall it could take "15, possible 20 years" to finish the development and a new school would be required at some point.

Back in 2010 the estimated costs of building a link road topped £100 million, and in 2014 bosses abandoned it to focus on enlarging the A4440 Southern Link Road instead.

Councillor Pat Agar said: "Overall I find this development quite exciting - I'd really like an emphasis on a 'garden village' approach.

"It's a huge opportunity to have something really good on the edge of our city."

A final decision will be made by Malvern Hills District Council, as the land straddles the border with Worcester.

Hallam Land Management has already submitted plans to develop 935 properties on the site, with the rest due to be brought forward by Bloor Homes.

The city council has agreed to send Malvern's planning officials a note saying it has "no objection in principle" to the first section of work.

So far, an outline application has been submitted to Malvern Hills District Council.

The fields in question form part of plans to build 28,370 new homes across Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon by 2030 under the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

* To see the city council's formal response to the first section of work go HERE