CONTROVERSIAL plans for a Bordesley bypass were given the green light by the county council's planning committee yesterday.

Members agreed unanimously to give the go-ahead to the £10.7 million project, set to serve the long-awaited Abbey Stadium development.

Committee member and Redditch councillor Betty Passingham told the Advertiser she was delighted with the decision, which would hopefully mark the first step towards developing the Abbey Stadium.

"It's a very interesting application because of all the things that have been taken into account," she said.

"I think it will be better for the people of Bordesley anyway because it must be hell living there with all those cars going through."

The long-running issue saw costs for the mile-long bypass explode from an original £4.6 million, when the county council decided it should be a dual carriageway rather than the single route planned.

Mrs Passingham added: "We are over one hurdle, then if we get the Abbey Stadium go-ahead from the Government we will maybe have a lot of good jobs in Redditch."

The plans saw resounding support from bodies including Advantage West Midlands, Redditch Council and Alvechurch Parish Council but the Redditch branch of the Council for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) remained opposed to the scheme.

CPRE chairman Val Kendrick said although officers had pointed out the bypass was not necessarily directly linked to the proposed Abbey Stadium development, giving it the go-ahead was one step towards allowing green land to be used for new development.

"It encourages the use of green land instead of looking inwards - what Redditch needs is inward investment, there are buildings standing empty and there is a lot of opportunity in the town centre to take on board, most of what is designed for the Abbey Stadium," she said.

"You do not need to build on green land when you already have facilities here - that's what's called regeneration."