A plan to build new homes in a village just a mile away from Upton has been rejected by councillors.

Malvern Hills District Council’s planning committee turned down a move to build 25 ‘affordable’ homes on fields off the main Ryall Road in Holly Green near Upton.

The district council’s planning officers had recommended the plan should be approved when the committee met in Malvern on Wednesday (November 15).

Upton councillors Martin Allen and Jeremy Owenson both called for the plan to be turned down.

“I understand the need for social housing,” Cllr Allen said. “However, I don’t believe this is the correct location.

“You can’t just dump it all in one village that has no immunities. There are no shops, there’s no community centre and there is only one pub and that’s across the A38.

“The development will blight the land. It will stick out like a sore thumb. It will be an eyesore.”

Ripple Parish Council was far from happy about the application – saying it was “extremely disappointed” by its design.

The parish council also highlighted that all facilities would be in Upton and the new homes would rely too heavily on a car.

Cllr Maggie Davis from Ripple Parish Council said the plan “made no attempt” to match the surrounding area.

The application by Hamelin Partnerships was put forward more than a year ago and more than 20 objections were made against the plan – including several by potential neighbours in Furrow Close.

One objector, Andy Vale, said allowing the homes would set a “dangerous precedent” and allow for more homes to be built on valuable green space.

“We could well end up with small pockets of housing developments all along the A38 from Worcester to Tewkesbury, and many other similar areas,” he said.

The council’s planners said the extra two-to-four-bed ‘affordable’ homes would be an ‘extension’ of the existing estate off Furrow Close – built between 2016 and 2018 – and would not be “isolated” or “incongruous.”

Planners also said it would help address the lack of affordable housing across the district.

The plan was rejected by 11 votes to one.