Villages and neighbourhoods across West Worcestershire are being left vulnerable to unwanted developments in their areas due to a lack of proper planning and organisation by Malvern Hills District Council. Many local communities across the region have developed painstaking neighbourhood plans only to be undermined by MHDC's failings. District councils are required to plan for meeting five year's worth of demand for housing but in recent years MHDC has consistently failed to meet that requirement. That leaves communities vulnerable to speculative and opportunistic applications by developers. The government recently confirmed that a lack of land supply to meet demand in MHDC's area has created the situation leaving the council having to spend tens of thousands of pounds on planning appeals. One developer recently successully appealed against a planning decision meaning more unwanted development in Hallow.
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin wrote to the Local Government minister, Simon Hoare, and received confirmation that MHDC's failings had enabled developers to bypass and ignore the democratically supported Neighbourhood plan. Harriett said: "I have been flagging my concerns about the five year land supply to local councillors as it is their direct duty to manage this issue."
"Across the south of Worcestershire we are seeing developers ride roughshod over the wishes of local people - some of whom have gone to great lengths, including much time and expense, to develop their own neighbourhood plans. I raised the legitimate concerns of Hallow Parish Council with the Government and I have received an unequivocal response. Without a proper five year land supply, we will see many more speculative housing proposals coming out of the woodwork. I dread to think how much these lost appeals are costing the local taxpayer and I can't believe how long it is taking to agree the local plan."
Harriett continued: "The long drawn out review of the South Worcestershire Plan won't conclude until the end of next year and whilst this is still under inspection, the larger villages around West Worcestershire are a sitting duck for unwanted development."
