A MAJOR developer has unveiled plans to build 1,250 homes on the edge of Worcester.

Housing developer St Modwen has joined Merton College in Oxford for the huge 240-acre scheme which would see 1,250 homes built as well as 900,000 square feet of employment land between the M5 and Worcestershire Parkway railway station near Worcester.

The huge scheme would also include a new primary school, shops, and other facilities.

St Modwen, the developer behind several other major schemes in and around the city including the nearby Weogoran Park off Whittington Road and the 255-home plan just south of St Peters, has joined up with Merton College, which owns the land, to bring the plan to life.

Guy Gusterson, managing director of strategic land and regeneration at St Modwen, said: “This is a fantastic opportunity to create a new and thriving community in Worcester.

“Building on our proud history of development in the city, we are thrilled to be partnering with Merton College, which shares our commitment to sustainability and community, to create a destination for new homes and employment opportunities that builds on Worcester’s continued growth.”

The development would form part of a wider vision to create a new town on the outskirts of Worcester made up of as many 10,000 homes.

The much-delayed and Covid-hit review of major planning blueprint the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) has included a vision for a new town next to the multi-million-pound Worcestershire Parkway railway station which would see 5,000 new homes built in the next 20 years with a possibility for 5,000 more thereafter.

The proposals for the new town near Worcester could also include a new secondary school and three primary schools, more than 120 acres of employment space near to the M5, new shops and offices and likely include a doctor’s surgery, a new police and fire station, a town hall, a leisure centre and sports facilities.

John Gloag, estates bursar at Merton College in Oxford, said: “This is an exciting opportunity to create a high-quality, mixed-use scheme with cutting-edge sustainability that will be a fantastic place to live and work.

“Merton College is delighted to be partnering with St Modwen, which shares our sustainability ambitions, brings multi-disciplinary expertise, and has a proven track record of delivering residential and commercial together to create new communities.”

The latest thousand-home scheme for the edge of the city joins plans for more than 2,200 homes between the city’s St Peters area and Norton as part of the planned Worcester Urban Extension.

The urban extension also includes plans for a care home, hotel, schools, a leisure centre and outdoor sports facilities, offices and employment space, allotments, parks and green space, a gym, shops and restaurants.