Decision should be made on 76 homes

A final decision on whether to controversially build more than 70 homes on the site of a former Victorian hospital should be made this week having been delayed because of missing information in the application.

Planning officers at Wychavon District Council have been waiting for important documents about drainage from developer ilke Homes about its plan to build 76 ‘modular’ homes built on the site of the former Evesham Sanatorium off King’s Road near to Evesham Marina.

Councillors meet again today (December 10) to make a decision with the district council’s planning officers again recommending the plan should be approved.

A decision could not be made by the district council’s planning committee last month as the information had not be provided.

Dozens of objections were made by neighbours with one saying it would be “complete madness” to build more homes next to King’s Road which already suffers from heavy traffic.

At a planning meeting in October, Bengeworth councillor Martin King said developer ilke Homes had already had between 18 months and two years to prepare the application and provide the information. “The applicant does not appear to be able to, or has chosen not to, address some significant issues,” he said. “The application has caused significant concern within the ward and in particular the area of King’s Road and Lichfield Avenue.”

The prefabricated ‘modular’ homes – which would first be built in a factory and then delivered and put together on-site – would replace the former hospital buildings last used by Green Gables Business Centre.

Dozens of objections were made by neighbours with one saying it would be “complete madness” to build more homes next to King’s Road which already suffers from heavy traffic.

Other neighbours in King’s Road and Drakes Lea said driving along the busy road was a “nightmare” because of parked cars.

Neighbours said the road was already busy from during drop-off and pick-up times at Bengeworth Academy and the prospect of 150 more cars from the new estate would make matters even worse.

By Christian Barnett - Local Democracy Reporter