A “LOVELY old hedgerow” removed by accident will be replaced as work on a huge housing development continues.
The hedge, off Martley Road, was removed by developer Bloor Homes during work on the urban extension of Worcester – a scheme that will see 2,000 homes built between Lower Broadheath and St John’s.
Bloor is building 1,400 of those homes and was this week given the go-ahead by planners to plant a replacement hedge and carry out other landscaping works.
Malvern Hills District Council approved a reserved matters application at a northern area planning meeting on Wednesday (September 2), having already backed outline plans for the wider scheme back in 2020.
WORK: Thousands of homes are being built as part of the urban extension of Worcester (Image: Google Maps)
Councillor Daniel Walton told the meeting a “lovely old hedgerow” had been taken out by accident and residents had been concerned for some time about its replacement.
“The existing native hedge should not have been removed,” Cllr Walton had said in his response to a consultation on the latest plans.
He said this had caused “increased dust dispersal and increased noise” from construction work.
Andrew Winstone of Bloor Homes said the landscaping proposals form an “important part of the overall green infrastructure provision on our Elgar Park development”.
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He said the scheme includes a “significant area of open space” that he said forms “an important piece of the jigsaw in terms of the site’s green infrastructure and will provide accessible and connected recreation space linked to other green spaces and recreation facilities on the development”.
“We are very mindful of concerns regarding the necessary removal of a section of hedgerow,” he said, adding that Bloor would be responsible for replacement hedge plants for the next five years.
“A wholly new hedgerow has been planted on the east side of the track. This did not feature in the original landscaping plans,” said Mr Winstone.
He said an “attractive green corridor” would be created, adding that residents’ maintenance fees would not be impacted by the extra work.
Councillors approved the landscaping plans, in line with officers’ recommendations.
