BEWDLEY's Dog Lane car park is to be extended after plans were approved by a Wyre Forest District Council committee.

The proposal, considered by the planning (development control) committee on Tuesday last week, was to increase the number of car parking spaces from 171 to 209 by creating 24 new spaces and reconfiguring the northern part of the car park.

Disability Action Wyre Forest had raised concerns that the redevelopment would mean there were only 10 disabled parking spaces, one less than the current number.

In a report to the planning committee, officers said 10 spaces just met the ratio of one in 20 required by the Adopted Local Plan parking standards.

Since the meeting, council officers have agreed to increase the number of spaces to 12. Andrew Dickens, head of cultural, leisure and commercial services said: "We had a request to provide as many as we can so we tried to accommodate that."

Mark Lawley, chairman of the disability group, said: "It is only one space but it is important. It will be interesting to see how they are going to redesign the car park."

As part of the application, a half-metre high cherry laurel hedge was proposed for the western boundary of the car park, near properties in Sabrina Drive, to reduce any potential loss of privacy but planners have agreed to let the hedge grow to three metres.

At the meeting, councillors decided that a fast growing plant was needed and a conifer hedge is being discussed.

Gordon Guild, who lives in Sabrina Drive, said he wanted to see shrubs planted that were already or close to the required height.