PLANS for up to 110 houses in Malvern Link were given the go-ahead this week, to the dismay of local residents.

People living close to the former allotment land in Lower Howsell Road have been opposing the scheme since it was put forward in 2014, voicing fears that the extra traffic will make local residential roads more dangerous.

And they declared themselves appalled when members of Malvern Hills District Council's southern area development management committee voted unanimously to approve the plan on Wednesday.

"Don't come round asking us for our votes at the next election," shouted out one angry resident after the vote was taken. "Be it on the heads of all of you when somebody is killed."

The application had been made by Halkin Development Ltd, and the land is owned by the Madresfield Estate.

Lyn Norris, who spoke for local residents at the meeting, said: "We're thoroughly disgusted about this decision. It's just mind-boggling.

"The roads are bad enough as it is. This will only make it worse."

She also said residents were also worried about flooding. "When all that land is concreted over, where will the rainwater go? It will just make the flooding worse."

Before the vote was taken, Link ward member David Watkins said that, much as it would not please local residents, the latest independent traffic survey showed that there would be no severe impact on the existing transport network.

He said: "I have no reason to believe that this independent assessment was not carried out to the expected professional standard."

However, he feared the worst impact would be on the A449 Worcester Road, which he said is gridlocked most days from Townsend Way to Link Top.

"How often have we been told that for new houses to be built, we need first a good infrastructure, which includes a good road network, not the other way round."

Committee chairman Roger Hall-Jones said: "My memories go back the North Site development and at the time we were saying that what we need is a new distributor road in this part of Malvern. We have been saying for years that something must be done."