‘Reluctance’ as council waves through plans for 151 homes (From Cotswold Journal)

‘Reluctance’ as council waves through plans for 151 homes

6:00pm Thursday 18th October 2012 in News

THE next stage of plans for a new housing development in Evesham have been reluctantly approved by council planners.

Wychavon District Council’s planning committee approved the ‘reserved matters’ application from Persimmon Homes South Midlands for permission to begin building 151 homes on Cheltenham Road, at its meeting last Thursday.

Councillor Wendy Dyke said she felt the application which included details of the appearance, layout and scale of the proposed housing development had not improved enough since the last time it was before the planning committee in August, when members voted to defer it.

“I cannot support this application for many reasons but mainly that condition 43 for replacement allotments is not being met,” said Coun Mrs Dyke.

Coun Judy Pearce echoed Coun Dyke’s views. She said: “I do think it is very disappointing when we deferred this that so little has moved in between. We all seem to be banging our heads against a brick wall here.”

Changes to the plans included a decrease in fourbedroom houses, which were replaced with more threebedroom houses with studies.

However, Coun Pearce said: “Whether it is study or bedroom is immaterial.”

Speaking in support of the application, Chris May, agent for Persimmon Homes, insisted the company had worked to address concerns.

A wider distribution of affordable housing, details on location of replacement allotments and provision of full landscape details were also added into the plans, he said.

Persimmon Homes was granted outline approval for the scheme last year and due to that fact, Wychavon’s head of planning Giorgio Framalicco advised members that they were unable to refuse the reserved matters application.

Proposing the application for approval, Coun Tony Miller said: “If this goes to appeal we will lose all control and this will become more of a dog’s mess than it already is.

“I regrettably propose approval.“ A full application for permission to build the homes is expected to be submitted soon, when the planning committee is expected to debate the proposals again.