WORCESTER'S elected planning chief has hailed an inspector's backing of a 28,370-home blueprint - saying the city's heritage is no longer "at risk".

Councillor Alan Amos, who chairs the city council's planning committee, said the official signing off of the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) is a major boost.

It comes as a county MP also hailed the news by saying the plan will provide an economic boost for south Worcestershire.

As your Worcester News revealed on Friday inspector Roger Clews has brought an end to 10 years of uncertainty by saying the document, which guides where new house building and job creation can go, is now acceptable.

Councillor Amos said today: "It's very good news because it will protect our city from being over-developed - we are already pushing the boundaries to its limits.

"Our city cannot take any more development other than what's in this plan, we've got to protect our history and heritage because that is what is at stake.

"Once building takes place it's irreversible - it's been an exhaustive process but I'm very glad this time has finally come."

It comes as a Worcestershire MP spoke of her relief at the decision, calling all the delays "immensely frustrating".

Harriett Baldwin represents West Worcestershire, with Malvern being hard hit by developers winning planning permissions on appeal in recent years.

She has also lobbied fiercely down in Westminster for the plan to be signed off.

"It is immensely frustrating the consultation process for the ambitious South Worcestershire Development Plan has been so long," she said today.

"But I welcome the news that it will be put before local district councillors this month for their approval.

"This will mean that we will finally have a blueprint for new development which creates a platform for economic growth for the county."

Councillor Marc Bayliss, who is due to be confirmed as the new leader of Worcester City Council on Tuesday, February 23, called it "excellent news for the city's future".

Residents in Worcestershire have also contacted this newspaper to speak of their relief.

Peter Burridge, 60, of Rainbow Hill, Worcester, said: "I used to live in Malvern and I had become more and more concerned about houses popping up everywhere.

"Then you look at Middle Battenhall Farm (in Worcester, where Miller Homes has appealed in a bid to try and get 200 homes built there), and you wonder what's the point of electing councillors if they can't stop unwanted development?

"I don't like all of the plan, but I bothered to take part in the consultation, so the least we can do is stick to it."

The document guides district councils and developers up to the year 2030 and also includes room to create 25,000 jobs on 309 hectares of employment land.

It takes into account more than 8,000 properties built since 2006 and another 8,000 already with current planning permission.

It will now be formally voted through by the councils in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon at the end of this month.

* See our report from Friday: At last! South Worcestershire's 28,370-home blueprint finally signed off by inspector