THE building of homes and a new village hall near Droitwich has been praised by local groups and councillors.

Your Droitwich News reported on Monday how Tibberton is set to get a brand new village hall after Wychavon District Council's planning committee voted for ten affordable homes, four private homes and a hall to be built on land off Hawthorn Rise.

According to the council, the scene is the first of its kind in Worcestershire as it will see developers, Rooftop Housing Group, working together with the Tibberton Community Land Trust (CLT) — a charity made up of more than 100 local people who will be responsible for the development of the new facilities for the benefit of the community.

Local residents have been directly involved in designing the layout and appearance of the homes and the hall through a series of public consultations.

Homes will be allocated to those with connections to the parish of Tibberton, to help local people continue to live in the area.

The project has been three years in the making and Wychavon is supporting the scheme by either gifting or leasing some of its land at a discounted cost to the CLT.

CLTs are increasingly being seen as part of the solution to the nation’s housing shortage with 170 being formed in England and Wales over the last two years.

Planning permission was granted by Wychavon’s planning committee on Thursday but it is expected to take at least 18 months for the development to be completed.

David Campbell, chairman of Tibberton CLT, said: “This is an imaginative scheme which demonstrates what is possible by working together. Most other CLTs are limited to affordable housing but this goes much further than that with the creation of the new village hall and allotments.

“Our current village hall is 80 years old and belongs to a different era. The village has grown enormously since then and this will provide a modern building which will attract people to use it.”

Councillor Richard Morris, portfolio holder for economy and housing on Wychavon District Council, said: “Tackling the housing shortage requires us to be creative. This scheme not only delivers new affordable homes to meet the needs of local people, but the creation of the new village hall and allotments will deliver a much wider benefit for the whole community.”