Worcester homes plans are withdrawn by a developer

Plans to build 3,950 homes in Worcester have been withdrawn.

If approved the homes would have been built on 14 hectares of land from the Crown East island, off Bromyard Road, to the north of Martley Road.

The plans were submitted to Malvern Hills District Council by developers JS Bloor Ltd in December 2009.

But a council spokeswoman said the plans had been withdrawn because of the abolishment of the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

The strategy determined at least 3,500 homes should be built to the west of Worcester.

But it has since been replaced by the the South Worcestershire Development Plan - which is working on a much smaller scale.

'Major role'

The developer has said it will now try to work with the council to submit plans that fit in with the South Worcestershire Development Plan process.

Councillor David Hughes, planning portfolio holder for the council, said: "The current administration has rigorously maintained its stance that the scale of growth proposed by the West Midlands Regional Spacial Strategy was unacceptable.

"We have advised Bloor Homes that the scale and extent of development proposed is unlikely to feature in our new plan for South Worcestershire."

David Joseph, spokesman for Bloor Homes, said: "Bloor Homes are convinced that development to the west of Worcester can and should play a major role in meeting the future development needs of the area.

"We understand the council does not intend to take major strategic decisions about future development until a new plan is progressed.

"We intend to now focus on influencing the content of the emerging South Worcestershire Development Plan."