HANBURY residents claim they have been given inadequate time to respond to the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) after a plot of land in the village was included ‘late on’ and earmarked for 300 homes.
Coun Margaret Rowley has questioned the legality of the application due to the last-minute inclusion of ‘Gateway Park’ off Hanbury Road.
It has been claimed the SWDP proposal for the area fell short of having sufficient housing, leading to the change in the document.
Coun Rowley said: “At this stage if I were asked if the plan is sound and legal, I would contest it.
“It really makes the plan unsound because it came in last minute and has not given people enough time to object.
“It is not how plans should be run, there should be a proper consultation period.”
Coun Rowley was praised for creating a newsletter to alert residents to the issue.
Residents said the land proposal – if chosen – would sit outside of the town boundary further leading to concerns it would then be an extension of Droitwich.
In the ‘soundness and legal compliance’ section of its response to the SWDP, Droitwich Town Council said: “There have been concerns expressed within the wider community questioning that the allocation for this site has not been suitably consulted.
“This has in turn been presented to the town council as a suggested challenge towards soundness.
“Following consideration of the circumstances, the town council’s position remains to accept the aforementioned document by way of explanation for the process as outlined regarding the legal compliance of this matter.”
Concerns have also been raised about the existing infrastructure not being able to support the site.
Droitwich Town Council added: “It is understood that (the plan) will directly and significantly impact the existing roads network, overall infrastructure provision, residents and visitors to the town.”
The deadline for people to submit comments is at 11.59pm on Friday, December 23.
After the consultation, all comments will be passed on to the Planning Inspectorate before being examined.
Coun David Harrison, Chairman of the South Worcestershire Development Plan Joint Advisory Panel, said: “Consultation with Wychavon residents began Tuesday, November 1, with the opportunity for the community to comment on the consultation over a six-week period, the statutory time decreed by Government for consultations.
“The deadline has now been extended to Friday, December 23. This will have allowed sufficient time for the public to have the opportunity to have their say on the SWDP.
“A public meeting was held in Droitwich on November 21 where Wychavon Council Officers and Worcestershire County Council Officers attended to help explain, support and answer questions relating to the SWDP Review from residents.
“We encourage all residents to comment on the consultation by filling in the online comment form.”
Visit swdevelopmentplan.org/review to comment online.
