PLANS to build 800 homes on land on the edge of Malvern should not go ahead until a full independent traffic survey has been carried out, say Malvern town councillors.

Gleeson Developments Ltd and Welbeck Strategic Land LLP have put in an application to build the houses on on farmland between the railway line and the A449 Worcester Road at Newland.

The plan also includes employment land, a care home, community hall, a police post, shops and other facilities, as well as playing fields and green space.

But when members of the town council's planning committee met to discuss the plan, they said it should be rejected for a number of reasons, with one of the main ones being the inadequacy of the existing road networks.

Paul Tuthill, committee chairman, said: "We feel it is wholly inappropriate that only one access for the entire development is proposed. This access will have to contend with possibly 950 extra vehicles at peak hours.

"The developers have proposed a new roundabout to cope with the extra traffic from the site but do not seem to have taken in to consideration the extra traffic that will be generated by other new-build sites such as Lower Howsell allotments and other sites such as Hayslan Fields, Mayfield Road and Barnards Green, as well as the expanding retail park."

"We feel that an independent survey should be carried out in order that the full traffic data of Malvern as a whole can be used to highlight the problems that already exist and aid in finding suitable solutions."

He also said the plan should not go ahead until the A4440 southern link road near Worcester is fully dualled, including the Carrington Bridge.

The town councillors also said that 800 was too many houses, especially taking into account the 110 houses proposed for Lower Howsell Road.

They also want a promise by the developer that all roads must be finished and adopted before building begins, to avoid a repeat of the problems encountered at Malvern Vale.

And the overall attractiveness of site must be taken into account .

Cllr Tuthill said: "Heights of buildings must be taken into consideration and the type of roofs on all buildingd should be carefully examined in order to avoid sun glare when looking from the Malvern Hills. Views from the AONB should be respected, as well as those from the spa town of Malvern itself.