RESIDENTS and councillors living in a Worcestershire village are being urged to take part in a public consultation on the number of homes that could be built in the county over the next 20 years.

Malvern Hills District councillor Mike Biddle told members at Kempsey Parish Council it was important they had their say on plans to build up to 32,200 new homes in and around Worcester, Wychavon and Malvern Hills once the six-week oublic consultation starts on Monday, November 5.

"There are some very important decisions for people to consider and think about," he said.

"There are a lot of implications, some of which have direct implications for the Kempsey area."

Your Worcester News previously revealed how up to 10,000 new environmentally friendly homes could be built in an undecided location to make a new settlement about the same size of Evesham. It is just one of a number of options being considered.

Local planners are under pressure from the Government to find locations to build new homes, so officers from all three districts are working together as a part of the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy to produce a consultation document which is intended to help find solutions to the Government Regional Spatial Strategy - a blueprint for how the county should look in 20 years time.

Other options available are to build on the edge of Worcester, on the edge of towns and villages like Droitwich, Malvern, Pershore and Kempsey as well as smaller villages like Fernhill Heath, Callow End and Holt Heath, or on green belt land.

New roads, schools, hospitals and employment land will also have to built in order to cope with the extra homes.

Public consultation starts on Monday, November 5 and comments should be submitted using the issues and options consultation document and questionnaire by Friday, December 14.

For a copy call 01905 722233, e-mail contact@swjc.org or visit www.swjcs.org