ALMOST a hundred homes will be built on the edge of the city after controversial plans were backed by councillors.

The proposal by developer Rooftop Housing will see 92 homes built on the former Ketch car boot site next to the A4440 Southern Link Road in Worcester.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee approved the plan at the second time of asking having deferred a decision in July over concerns about the design of the development’s three-storey apartment block.

After the developer was told to go back to the drawing board over its plan for the former car boot site, councillors were again critical of its design calling it “ugly” and “unambitious.”

At the meeting on Thursday (September 23), Cllr Owen Cleary said: “Let’s not beat around the bush here, they are ugly. I still don’t understand why they have to be three-storeys.”

Cllr Andy Roberts, who had called the first design “wretched” was again critical saying the development was “not a thing of beauty” and Cllr Alan Amos called the apartments ugly and bemoaned the lack of imagination from the developer.

“We only have so many gateways and this is what people will see when they are visiting Worcester,” Cllr Roberts said.

Cllr Pat Agar said it was a “great pity” that Rooftop had not been more ambitious with its design and said it “could have been much better.”

St Peter’s councillor Steve Mackay said there had been “little change” between the application discussed in July and the new plan and again suggested the layout of the homes should be reviewed.

A long list of objections were registered with Worcester City Council during public consultation with St Peter's locals and parish councillors in Kempsey saying surrounding roads were inadequate to cope with the planned number of homes and local schools would not be able to manage.

Cllr Jo Hodges welcomed the plan and could not understand what the “grand objection” to an apartment block was.

She said the possibility of providing 92 families in the city with affordable housing was one of her most important issues.

Planning chairman Cllr Mike Johnson said the development looked “wholly acceptable.”

The plan was backed by five votes to one with five abstentions.