AFTER months of delays planning chiefs have finally revealed when a decision will be made on a developer’s controversial application to build hundreds of homes in the heart of Evesham.
As the Observer has previously reported, a decision on Hallam Land Management’s bid to build 220 homes and a care home on land off Boat Lane has been pushed back three times by planning officers on Wychavon District Council.
The developer first submitted their proposals for the land back in December 2016.
But planning officers said they had to agree to three time extensions with Hallam due to a number of issues, including waiting for comments from Highways chiefs and Historic England, as well as minor changes made to the application.
When the application failed to make it to September’s planning committee, David Lock Associates, the agent for Hallam, expressed the developer’s ‘disappointment’ a decision date had ‘slipped’ back again.
However, a conclusion to the long-running saga finally appears to be insight after planning officers revealed a decision on the controversial plans will be made at the next planning committee on Thursday, October 19.
With a decision date insight, it brings an end to the saga which has rumbled on since 2015.
Hallam first submitted proposals for the Boat Lane site in October of that year.
At that time they wanted to build 380 homes on the site, but the passing of the South Worcestershire Development Plan in February 2016 scuppered their intentions after the blueprint stated only approximately 200 homes could be built on land off Boat Lane.
As a result, Hallam withdrew that application and in December last year they submitted their fresh bid for 220 houses, a care home and business land and a decision will finally be made on that some 10 months later.
Evesham Town Council held a public meeting on the proposals and residents packed the Town Hall to voice their opposition to Hallam’s housing bid.
Town Councillors also unanimously rejected the proposals, but their decision is only advisory and it will be councillors on Wychavon’s planning committee who will have the final say on the controversial proposals.
