A DECISION on whether part of a huge plan to extend the city by building thousands of new homes can go ahead has been delayed.

The ruling on one plan to build up to 130 homes between Taylor’s Lane and the A4440 Southern Link Road around the edge of Worcester will have to come at a later date after the item was withdrawn from a planning meeting at the last minute.

However, Malvern Hills District Council’s planning did approve a separate plan to add two more units to Broomhall Business Park on nearby land.

The two units would be added to the five already approved for the Broomhall Business Park and are likely to be eyed up as potential warehouses and distribution centres because of its ‘prime’ location with easy links to the M5.

READ MORE: Costa Coffee set to open in Worcester's former Paperchase store

Allowing more units means the developer exceeds the amount of employment land agreed for the whole site in 2019 with the existing five units already taking up nearly 14,000 square metres of the 15,000 permitted – with the latest two potentially adding another 6,700 square metres.

Kempsey councillor David Harrison had requested a decision be made by the council’s planning committee because of the potential harm to heritage assets at Upper Broomhall Farm.

READ MORE: Controversial move to introduce £2 charge for Worcester Show scrapped

Cllr Sarah Rouse said the heritage assets had already been harmed when the council allowed housing and industrial units in the first place and the new units were needed “as soon as possible.

“I completely understand that we are looking at harm to a heritage asset, which is beautiful and it’s a shame,” she said. “But I am kind of minded that when we gave approval to all of this site, [that] was when we lost that heritage asset.

“It’s now surrounded by houses and surrounded by industrial units and they aren’t pretty, it doesn’t matter what direction you are coming from, but they serve a purpose which is employment and what we’re actually balancing here is a heritage asset, which I think we’ve already lost, against employment in this district, which is what we really need.

“We need those jobs, we need those units and we need them as soon as possible.”

Cllr Dan Walton said “demand was massively outstripping supply” for such units across the Malvern Hills District and supported the plan.

“Bearing in mind what has already been said, I think the requirement for employment space outstrips other concerns with this particular site,” he said.

The report by the council’s planners boasted the development contract was expected to be in excess of £7 million and the new units would bring 95 new jobs once finished as well as £300,000 in business rates.

The ‘urban extension’ of the city to the south towards Broomhall and Norton will eventually see up to 2,600 homes built.

The plan was approved by 11 votes to two.