Plan To Add Up To 5,500 Extra Homes On Top Of Existing Numbers In South Worcestershire Is Madness

12.33.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Oct 2008

Reacting to news that Government appointed consultants, Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners will propose up to 13,400 additional homes for Worcestershire, including up to 5,500 additional homes in South Worcestershire on top of the number already agreed by local councils, West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate, Richard Burt described the proposals as 'madness' and said they bore little relationship to reality.

Mr Burt, who has recently attended local protest meetings about the 24.500 extra homes already agreed, said that he would be calling a public meeting to discuss these excessive numbers within the next few weeks.

"These new numbers added to the extra 24,500 that our councils have dumped on us are detached from reality.

"The outstanding natural beauty of towns and villages like Malvern, Kempsey, Lower Broadheath and Hallow are already under threat.

"Such an increase would simply kill the goose that lays the golden egg, having a devastating impact on the character and quality of life in South Worcestershire by turning vast tracts of green open space into dormitory estates and breaking down village boundaries.

"Of course we need a strategic housing plan and new affordable houses, but not this plan, and not these numbers."