A MOVE to build new homes on the edge of the city will be allowed to go ahead despite being called ‘unsympathetic and damaging’ after the council was overruled by a government inspector.

Up to four new homes can now be built in the garden of Hill House in Bevere off Northwick Road on the edge of Worcester after inspectors overturned a decision by Wychavon District Council to block the work.

Having seen the plan turned down by Wychavon District Council, applicant Barry Thorpe-Smith had referred the decision to the government’s planning inspectors in a bid to get the decision overturned.

Planning officers at Wychavon District Council had said the new homes would be “unsympathetic” with the character of Bevere and neighbouring houses and building them would “damage” the conservation area.

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But inspectors disagreed with the district council’s planning officers saying they had not seen any evidence that the new homes would ‘harm’ the character or appearance of the area.

The application asked for ‘permission in principle’ to build up to four new homes in the garden of Hill House on the corner of Northwick Road and Green Lane, near to more than 100 new homes built at Gwillams Farm.

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A number of objections were raised by neighbours in Northwick Road who said the homes should not be allowed to be built as the area already suffers from drainage issues.

One objector in Northwick Road said: “We witnessed first-hand, the complexity of safely providing drainage for fresh and foul water, foul water in particular, having to be pumped uphill to an opposite mains sewer, noted by Severn Trent to now be at full capacity.”

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In another objection, Jason Smith of Bevere Green, said: “The conservation area has already been subjected to some harm from the Cherry Orchard housing estate and I strongly feel that further development diminishes the specialness and character of the conservation area and its wider setting.”

Cadent Gas had called for the plans to be redrawn saying in an objection that the new homes would be built too close to one of its major pipelines.