VAST new city housing estate proposals have been pulled by its developers – to the delight of local people.

The plans could have seen 3,950 homes built on land to the west of Worcester, from Dines Green to Lower Broadheath. But council planners told developers that its proposals were too many houses, too soon.

If passed, the proposals by JS Bloor Ltd (Tewkesbury) would have seen an estate bigger than Pershore added to the city’s outskirts.

Campaigners had railed against the plans as “totally inappropriate, poorly thought out and entirely speculative” and have welcomed the developer’s decision to voluntarily withdraw the application.

The decision comes after planning officers told Bloor there would be “no positive decisions” made while south Worcestershire councils work out how many new homes people will actually need over the next decade.

Malvern Hills, Worcester and Wychavon councils are currently doing just that in a document called the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

The developer had based its application on now defunct government housing numbers, which meant 24,500 new homes would have to be built between now and 2026.

Bloor has said it will merely shelve its plans for the time being.

But Malvern Hills planning chief Councillor David Hughes said the developers had been told the scale of their plans would not fit with new housing numbers currently being drawn up.

“We have advised Bloor Homes the scale and extent of development proposed is unlikely to feature in our new plan for south Worcestershire,” he said.

He said the builder had acted “professionally” in withdrawing the plan.

Bloor is thought to have spent £100,000 bringing the plans to application stage, and hosted public exhibitions setting out its vision.

A new industrial park would have been built, along with a high school, primary schools and community centres.

But Paul Swinburn, chairman of the Save Elgar’s Village campaign group, said the plans would have swamped Hallow and Lower Broadheath.

He said: “They wanted to build a town bigger than Pershore – it was barmy and I welcome its withdrawal. There’ll be a few corks popping around here now.”

He accepted Bloor could have “another go” at submitting the plans but urged developers to work “with the grain of communities, rather than against”.

Mr Swinburn said the estate would have created a huge amount of traffic on the already busy A4440, without providing any new roads.

David Joseph, Bloor’s strategic planning director, said: “We are convinced development at west Worcester can and should play a major role in meeting future need.

"We now intend to focus on influencing the content of the development plan.”