WORCESTER City Council has pledged to protect the natural habitat at a Worcester farm if a new housing estate is ever built on the site.

Up to 250 homes could be built at Earls Court Farm, Dines Green - on land adjacent to the proposed new Christopher Whitehead School - if the Local Plan remains unchanged.

City council senior planning officer, David Hobbs, said the ultimate plan was to balance out the Warndon estates and create more employment to the east of the River Severn.

Oak trees

But at a review of the Local Plan, resident Freda Griffiths said she feared oak trees and wildlife would be destroyed if this land was allocated to housing in order to alleviate Worcester's "housing shortfall".

"An abundance of living things, such as slow worms, newts, owls and herons live there. These will be in danger," she said.

She was reassured, however, when officers agreed that consideration to wildlife and their natural habitat would be taken into consideration in any future plans.

Mrs Griffiths also raised concerns for the inevitable increase in traffic in Tudor Way and urged city council representatives to ensure children had adequate play areas.

Preserve

Senior planning officer David Hobbs said that, although they did not believe there was enough ecological value to warrant not building the estate, he was keen to preserve the natural habitat.

"We could keep a long strip behind the gardens and, possibly, create a new nature reserve," he said.

"We also want to have open spaces for children to play."

When drawing up the Local Plan, the council pledged to create 5,250 new homes between 1996 and 2011.

Among the three green field sites being considered within the city boundary - in Whitmore Road, Bromyard Road and Earls Court Farm - the latter was deemed the least damaging.