A GUARLFORD farmer has finally won a long-running battle to use his land for a residential development.

John Bullock had submitted four different applications to Malvern Hills District Council asking for permission to develop the land at Mill Farm, on Guarlford Road, before planners finally gave the go-ahead for an outline application.

Residents were fiercely against the plans because they claimed there would be access problems on to the Guarlford Road, safety issues associated with any develpment and a loss of privacy for those living in nearby areas such as Bluebell Close and Campion Drive.

There is also the issue of where the working farm would relocate.

Mr Bullock's applications for developments in August 2000 and January 2002 were withdrawn and others in August and December 2001 were refused.

MHDC planners gave outline permission last Wednesday for residential development to take place after officers reported themselves satisfied with highway arrangements.

Council members on the southern area planning sub-committee agreed with officers' recommendation that permission be granted.

After winning approval Mr Bullock said he had no comment to make about the application or his plans for the development.

Betty Yap, a resident of Bluebell Close who had made representations to MHDC about the plans, said she was concerned about how extra traffic would get out on to the Guarlford Road and how the safety of schoolchildren attending the nearby Poolbrook Primary school could be compromised.

Even with restrictions, she explained, there would still be problems.

"There are going to be a lot more houses in a small area and when you think they are going to convert barns, plus 14 houses - if you add them up and every house has two cars each, that's a lot of cars," she said.

Malvern Town Council - the site is in the Malvern Chase ward - had passed its objections to the site on access grounds to the MHDc southern area planning committee prior to its meeting last Wednesday.

Mr Bullock has also submitted a series of controversial plans to build large farm buildings close to the Green Dragon public house.