COUNCILLORS from Malvern, Worcester and Wychavon will be considering the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) across three days in October.
The plan sets out the three councils’ vision for the area up to 2041 and includes a government target for an extra 11,000 homes on top of the 28,400 already planned for up to 2030 in the current SWDP, the majority of which have been built.
Policies will also be introduced that aim to support business growth, rural communities and combatting climate change.
The plan will first be considered by Worcester City’s Place and Economic Development committee at a meeting on October 3, and will then need to be approved by all three councils.
Worcester City Council will have their meeting on the issue on October 17, with Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils giving their verdict in the subsequent two days.
Should all three councils agree to the proposals, the SWDP will go through a six-week consultation period starting from November 1, where residents can give their views.
Following this, the plan will be submitted to the Secretary of State for scrutiny by the planning inspectorate to be reviewed next year.
Most of the new homes will come through new settlements which will be close to existing or new railway links.
Worcestershire Parkway will see 5,000 new homes built up to 2041, with 50 hectares of employment land and another 5,000 homes are planned after 2041.
A new town centre, schools and other community facilities will be provided along with walking and cycling infrastructure.
Throckmorton will see 2,000 homes and 20 hectares of employment land by 2041, while infrastructure developments include walking and cycling links to Pershore Railway Station, which will also be improved.
Another 3,000 homes are planned in the second phase, which starts after 2041, alongside 40 hectares of employment land.
Rushwick will see 1,000 new homes planned alongside five hectares of employment land.
A new railway station will be built, with no other development allowed before the land needed to allow it and other infrastructure to be built has been secured.
A further 1,000 homes would be built on land identified near Mitton, with half of them helping neighbouring Tewkesbury Borough Council to meet its housing need.
A new primary school, community facilities and walking and cycling links are also included.
In Worcester, 866 new homes are planned along with 594 in Malvern, 10 in Tenbury and 376 across the Malvern Hills District.
Wychavon would see 916 new homes in Droitwich, 255 in Evesham and 212 in Pershore, with 1,069 spread across Parishes in the district.
Up to 40 per cent of all developments will be built as affordable housing.
As well as 290 hectares of new employment land, the plan includes strengthened protections to prevent development on the Green Belt and 179 hectares of new open green space.
New policies to help with climate change include new sites for solar farms and the requirement for sustainable materials and construction techniques.
Coun David Harrison, Chairman of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Joint Advisory Panel, said: “The Plan publication consultation is an important milestone in the process of getting the revised SWDP formally adopted and is the culmination of a huge amount of technical work and consultation already undertaken over the last few years.”
