DELIGHTED residents have welcomed the withdrawal of plans to build almost 4,000 new homes near Elgar’s birthplace.

As revealed by the Gazette, developer J S Bloor has withdrawn its application for 3,900 homes and land for schools, employment and community facilities on green fields between Lower Broadheath and the western edge of Worcester.

Development on that scale was earmarked for that are in the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy WMRSS).

However this has now been scrapped, and Malvern Hills District Council has told the Tewkesbury-based developer that such development will not feature in its replacement - the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).

A 600-strong residents group called Save Elgar’s Village had been fighting against the proposals. Chairman Paul Swinburn called the decision a victory for “common sense and people power”.

“We’re delighted that Bloor Homes has withdrawn its totally inappropriate, poorly thought out and entirely speculative planning application,” he said.

“The widespread consultations undertaken by MHDC showed an almost unanimous rejection of Bloor’s ideas. Let’s hope in future that developers consult local residents before, rather than after, putting forward their plans.”

He added: “We want new homes for families but the numbers must be proportionate to the size of our village. Building massive housing estates is unnecessary and no longer the right approach.”

Bloor says it now intends to focus on influencing the content of the emerging SWDP.