WORK which will kickstart a huge urban extension of the city has been given the green light despite opposition.

Plans for 36 homes on land next to the A4440 Southern Link Road were backed by Malvern councillors even though concerns were raised about using a nearby road would be unsafe.

The work is just one part of a 255-home plan between the A4440 on the edge of the city and Taylor's Lane and several other huge developments which form part of urban extensions to the west and south of Worcester

The major work also includes a massive £500 million, 2,204-home 'super village between St Peter's and Kempsey and two massive plans in Lower Broadheath near Worcester which total 2,365 homes.

Objecting to the plan, Kempsey Parish Council said it feared the homes would become isolated from the rest of the urban extension and said it was disappointed the plans did not seem to connect with other planned surrounding developments. It called the plans "extremely disappointing."

The council also feared cars using Taylors Lane to get onto the A38 would cause an "unacceptably high risk."

Cllr David Harrison, who represents Kempsey on Malvern Hills District Council, said the plans were “not the best” but were acceptable.

He shared the concerns of Kempsey Parish Council but admitted most of the problems had been ironed out.

Cllr Harrison also raised concerns about using Taylor’s Lane, which is often used as a rat run for the often congested Southern Link Road, as it had already caused problems before a brick was even laid, bringing it to a “standstill” with heavy goods vehicles trying to negotiate the narrow road in both directions.

He said developer St Modwen had immediately moved in after gaining permission in principle and building a compound and “ripping out hedges.”

“The planning application has been very difficult and very time-consuming,” he said.

“This plan is for 36 dwellings and the whole of this site for 255 and I sincerely hope that it doesn’t take seven times the amount of time that we have spent on this.”

Developer St Modwen said the urban extension was always going to be built in stages and "somebody had to put the first spade in the ground."

In its objection, the parish council said: "St Modwen’s plans show total reliance on Taylors Lane as the only access to their site.

"There appears to be no future planning for any roads link up with the much larger Welbeck site to cater for private and public transport.

"If the plans are accepted as proposed, the St Modwen site is in danger of becoming a standalone and isolated development that will always have to rely on Taylors Lane, which it was hoped would have bollards and provide, in the main, for pedestrian and cycle access only.

"This would also prevent the lane being used as a cut through between Norton Road and the A38."

The plan includes a mix of two-to-five-bedroom homes, of which seven homes would made available as affordable.

Much of the green space would be built as part of the first phase as well as a children's play area.

Allotments would also be built in the corner of the site near to the business park.

The plan was backed by Malvern Hills District Council's planning committee at a meeting on Wednesday.