THE LONG-RUNNING saga over a controversial development at Boat Lane will continue next week as planning chiefs debate the latest application from developers.
Planning chiefs at Wychavon District Council deferred Hallam Land Management’s proposals for 220 home and a care home in November during a tension-filled meeting which saw angry residents vent their opposition to the controversial plans.
Now the developers have submitted a new plan for up to 200 new homes, open space and a children’s play area. The plans will be discussed at a meeting of Wychavon District Council’s planning committee on Thursday.
Despite the revised plans, town councillors repeated their opposition to any development on the land during a meeting in April and recommended the application be refused when Wychavon District Council discuss it in the coming months.
Councillors welcomed the reduction in homes proposed and the removal of provision for a care home and office space but said concerns still existed which would still enable the scheme to be given the thumbs down.
Worries over the current infrastructure and how it would cope with a new development, the impact on traffic with the only access to the development from the already congested Abbey Road and the narrow roads proposed have all been highlighted by concerned council chiefs.
“The main through road on the development should be able to handle all traffic . It is not just residential traffic which will access this road. There are many events that take place at Hampton Ferry and consideration needs to be given to cars towing caravans, lorries etc that will need access to Hampton Ferry via Boat Lane and do not want to have to navigate parked cars,” their report said.
James Powell, chairman of the Evesham Civic Society, who intends to speak at the meeting, slammed the proposals and said: “It is still abundantly clear that this development would bring with it a further detrimental impact to the town.
“The historical significance of the site cannot and should not be ignored, as stressed by Historic England’s letter of objection and how that aspect of the town’s history contributes towards the economy through increasing tourism.
Mr Powell highlighted the investment by the Heritage Lottery Fund to the Trustees of Evesham Abbey to open up and investigate the site and said the area could prove to have as much historical significance as Bosworth Field and York.
“The historical significance of Evesham will have a great impact on parking and traffic movements in the town,” he said.
“We consider the application will only aggravate any future traffic movements. The road system and parking in the town is chaotic.”
“Evesham’s hospital is the oldest in the county and has had very little money since its original construction in the 1930s. The hospital and local surgeries are over-stretched with appointment delays of three to four weeks.
