WYCHAVON Liberal Democrats are in disbelief over government plans to increase house building in the district by 280 per cent – from 499 to 1375 a year.
The current proposals in the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review envisage 10,000 additional new houses in Wychavon leading up to 2041.
But these latest figures would increase that number to around 28,000.
Lib Dem leader Margaret Rowley said: “These are eye-watering increases and would change the district beyond recognition.
“It would mean huge new estates of more than 5,000 houses in Droitwich, Pershore and Evesham or three more new towns in the district on top of the two already proposed at Parkway and Throckmorton.
“It would devastate our countryside and destroy our natural environment, making nonsense of plans for a carbon-neutral Wychavon.”
Coun Rowley called the policy ‘breathtakingly dishonest’.
“It claims to be designed to increase housing affordability, while at the same time scrapping the requirement for affordable housing in developments of less than 50 houses.
“We will oppose this at every stage and we urge everyone to make their views known on the government website by October 1.”
Visit www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changes-to-the-current-planning-system to have your say.