We don’t want these new homes on our doorstep
9:20am Wednesday 29th June 2011
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PEOPLE worried about thousands of homes being built on the edge of their village packed into a parish council meeting to quiz developers about the proposals.
St Peter’s Parish Council’s monthly meeting in Worcester attracted dozens of people from nearby Kempsey keen to find out more about development to the north of their parish as part of the South
Worcestershire Development Plan. As previously reported, planners say there is enough room for 2,450 homes listed under the Brockhill and Norton site.
Developers Welbeck Strategic Land LLP held a question and answer session at the meeting at St Peter’s Village Hall.
Residents vented frustration about further consultation on issues they had already raised during the 2008 South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy.
One Kempsey resident, who did not wish to be named, said: “Do you have the evidence from the joint core strategy consultation?
“Have you read it? Have you even looked at it?
“We’ve been there and done it. What a waste of time and money the last three years has been.”
Michael Davies, of estate agents Savills, said there had been some confusion about the meeting, with some residents expecting a presentation.
He said: “People thought we had plans of the development but we haven’t. There are no plans. We want to find out from residents what the issues are.”
Concerns were also raised about a new school in the area possibly taking pupils from Hanley Castle High School’s catchment area. The developers’ leaflets were also labelled as “misleading” and
“patronising”.
Another resident said: “You don’t even know what you are doing. What is Kempsey going to get out of this?
“We don’t want 2,500 more houses, 5,000 more cars and 5,000 more people.”
Master planner Claire Sandmartin said: “At this stage we haven’t got anything to say.
“We want to hear from the residents.”
Kempsey Parish Council chairman John Michael asked if the other parish councils in the area had been contacted about consultation. Ms Sandmartin said: “We have approached the other parish
councils.”
Mr Michael said: “Well, I’m the chairman of Kempsey Parish Council and I’ve never met you before.”
Mr Davies said: “You’ll have to bear with us. We are not trying to hide this. The council has to put development somewhere.”
A “community planning weekend” is being held by developers to hear residents’ views.
Two events are taking place at St Peter’s Baptist Church, in Eden Close, on Friday, July 8, from 2pm to 7pm and Saturday, July 9, from 11am to 3.30pm.
Your Worcester News was the only member of the media at this meeting.
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