Homes plan ‘like a sardine can’ is given the go-ahead (From Cotswold Journal)

Homes plan ‘like a sardine can’ is given the go-ahead

12:20pm Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Freya Leng

THE final draft of plans to build more than 500 new homes in Evesham have been given the go-ahead despite one councillor saying they were being packed in like sardines.

Wychavon District Council’s planning committee approved the reserved matters application, which deals with details such as layout and scale, to build 502 houses on land west of Offenham Road at their meeting last week.

Eight members voted in favour of the plans with one against and five abstentions.

Outline planning permission for the development was granted at an earlier meeting along with a previous reserved matters application from Millers Homes.

But the new design and mix of houses, put forward by developers Barratt, Bovis and Taylor Wimpey, who took over the scheme, proved a sticking point with members.

Phil Radford, of Taylor Wimpey, said the new application, which includes a mix of one to five-bedroom homes and 151 affordable homes, was “very similar” to the previous development.

“I know a number of objections have been received by the residents in Lichfield Avenue,” he said. “I can assure you the type of dwellings that back on to those properties are the same to the approved scheme.”

But Councillor Judy Pearce said: “I’m mystified. It isn’t the same at all. There’s a definite intensification of larger houses. The number of twobedroom dwellings which we want to get people on the housing ladder have gone down by six. Three beds have gone down by 18. It’s reminiscent of a sardine can. There’s no room to breathe along these houses at the back of Lichfield Avenue.”

Bengeworth ward member Councillor Emma Stokes said: “My only reservation is and always has been it’s not a site where you fall in love with it. It’s an acceptable site in every way.”