Golf course homes plan returns

A controversial plan to build 50 homes on a former city golf course has been put back on the table despite being rejected by the council.

The affordable housing could be built on the former Tolladine golf course in Worcester by housing association Bromford with three homes in nearby Darwin Avenue demolished to make way.

Worcester City Council’s planning committee went against the recommendation of its own planning officers and rejected the proposals in June after hearing the land was some of the only accessible green space in the city for hundreds of residents.

Despite the rejection, Bromford has now resubmitted the exact same plan with “significantly enhanced” landscaping which it says addresses the concerns raised by the planning committee when it was first rejected.

Bromford has proposed a mix of one-to-four-bedroom homes which the housing association would go a long way in providing much-needed affordable homes in the city.

A statement included with the application said: “The application is the resubmission of the earlier application refused at planning committee.

“It proposes 50 dwellings in a sustainable location on land allocated – or proposed to be allocated – for residential development in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) and its review.

“The key difference between this application and the previous refused application is that this application proposes significantly enhance landscaping in response to planning committee’s concerns.”

Last year, a campaign was set up to stop the homes being built with residents saying if the plan went ahead, it would mean swapping priceless natural fields for pollution and congestion.

A petition against the plans attracted more than 800 signatures and more than 25 objections were made against the plan to the city council with Warndon Parish Council also objecting.

Campaigners said the fields are next to a local nature reserve and used regularly by families and young people, dog walkers and nature photographers who already have very few places left to go.

Concerns were also raised by Warndon councillor Andy Roberts who was critical of applicant Bromford’s claims about an “oversupply” of green space in Warndon adding that it was “ludicrous” to draw lines through green space and did not want to see green space in Worcester “rationed.”