Safety concerns over new homes

A COUNCILLOR has warned people’s lives could be put at risk on a busy Worcester road unless the access to a proposed new housing estate on the edge of the city is moved.

Developer Bloor Homes’ plan to build 256 homes on Uffnells Farm near Whittington came underfire from councillors at a meeting of the city council’s planning committee on Thursday (November 23).

Nunnery Wood city councillor Richard Boorn and resident Keith Burton were among those to voice concerns over the proposed access to the site off Spetchley Road.

Coun Boorn said: “Spetchley Road is an accident waiting to happen with all the children which go across the road to the college and to the schools. Sooner or later there will be a fatality and this will only bring about the situation sooner.”

Mr Burton, chairman of Spetchley Road Residents ‘Association, said it was already a rat run for drivers travelling to Nunnery Wood High School, Worcester Sixth Form College and County Hall.

There were calls from some members for Bloor to switch access to the A4440 Swinesherd Way but Brian Sharp, from Worcestershire County Council Highways Department, said the dual carriageway was not an option as it was a long distance route.

But Coun David Tibbutt said he felt that argument did not stack up as there was already access to sites off Swinesherd Way, including Worcester City’s planned new football ground at Nunnery Way.

Coun Boorn added: “You (Highways) are happy to put the football club there and yet you are not going to do it in a situation where it would solve a lot of issues and development would happen.

“To be frank, if you won’t be part of the solution you are the problem.”

The planning committee’s concerns will be passed onto Wychavon District Council which will decide whether to approve Bloor’s application in January.

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