Appeal lodged after Birlingham homes plan turned down

Developers had wanted to build housing on land behind Broadgrove Farm Shop in Eckington Road, Birlingham, near Pershore.

But Wychavon planners refused to grant permission, saying the development would not be “environmentally sustainable” and raising concerns about the lack of public transport in the area.

PLANS: The proposed homes would use an existing access road (Image: Ordnance Survey)

The applicant has now lodged a planning appeal, so the decision is now in the hands of a planning inspector.

Interested parties have until August 1 to submit written representations, while both the appellant and Wychavon District Council have until August 15 to make their final comments.

In a planning statement submitted with the original application back in November 2023, it was argued: “the proposal for up to four dwellings would have a significantly reduced visual impact on the ‘open countryside’ (such as it is) than the recently approved scheme for seven commercial units on the site, and indeed result in a significant reduction in the amount of vehicle traffic to and from the site than the approved scheme”.

Plans showed the proposed development would use an existing access road off Eckington Road - and that each property would have an electric vehicle charging point plus bicycle storage.

Birlingham Parish Council said it supported in principle the use of the site for two or three homes - preferably bungalows - but had concerns that four may be too many as the site is close to a bend in the road.

But the district council said the “adverse impacts of the proposal in terms of location and amount of development are considered to significantly and demonstrably outweigh the benefits”.

“There is no regular bus service in the vicinity of the site and future occupiers would be heavily reliant on the use of a private car to access their everyday educational, medical and recreational activities, along with commuting to and from their place of work.”