A NEW housing estate with up to 100 homes has been given the green light in Cleeve Prior with local councillors saying the development will ‘breathe new life into the village’.
Outline planning permission was given by Wychavon District Council for the houses to be built at Wayside Caravan Park in Cleeve Prior, near Evesham.
Wychavon’s planning committee heard the site on Evesham Road was historically home to gypsy and traveller families.
Councillor Hannah Robinson, of Cleeve Prior Parish Council, told the committee the lands needs to be improved ‘as it is an environmental health hazard’.
“This development would help rejuvenate a dying village by bringing in people of all ages,” she added.
Planning officer Gavin Greenhow told councillors the site was ‘widely acknowledged to be in very poor condition with a history of ‘extensive dumping of waste materials’ on the site.
As part of the application, a parish council owned open area at the north end of the site will be included with aspirations to create a village green space to serve the estate’s new residents.
There are two small areas in the centre of the site which are currently occupied by a few travellers.
These areas are not currently part of the development but the council heard that the travellers have been notified to move and police have confirmed the occupants have other accommodation to move to.
Councillor Mary Smith, of Cleeve Prior Parish Council, believes the development will breath new life into the village.
“If you approve this application, you will be helping Cleeve Prior to move in the right direction, hopefully enabling it to evolve into a busy thriving community again.”
According to the developer’s planning agent Joe Bennett, Malvern Homes will contribute over £300,000 for an improved bus service, new bus stops, community transport and a ‘significant’ contribution for home to school transport in order to alleviate concerns around the location of the site.
The headteacher at Cleeve Prior CE Primary, Sarah Laughlin, said she hoped the homes would be built so new children could be found for the under-subscribed school.
They have 21 pupils but a capacity of 90.
The application has been granted with reserved matters meaning finer details are yet to be decided.
