Perryfields Road

Approval for Perryfields Road development raises traffic fears

Despite more than 900 public objections and concerns raised by Whitford Vale Voice and the Bromsgrove Society, Bromsgrove District Council’s planning committee has granted outline permission for the Perryfields Road development.

The application by Taylor Wimpey will see 1,300 properties, a 200-bed extra care home, five hectares of employment land and a mixed-use centre of shops and community facilities created. Of the properties, 390 will be affordable homes and there will also be ten units for self-build.

A new first school will be built at a cost of £2.5million and more than £900,000 will go to South Bromsgrove High School to increase secondary school capacity. There will also be public open space, recreation areas, sports pitches and a pavilion.

The planning committee heard that the plans did not include a relief road for Bromsgrove and would route existing and new vehicle trips through the town centre.

After the meeting, Councillor Luke Mallett, county councillor for the west of Bromsgrove, who has opposed the proposals for over a decade, said: “What Bromsgrove needs is a relief road and without it this development will create gridlock. “Despite concerns about local health services no support is being provided to new GPs in Bromsgrove. Every local resident knows how difficult it can be to get a doctors’ appointment now, why is a new GP surgery not being provided?

“Whitford Vale Voice and I will continue to campaign on behalf of the community on these issues as it moves forward to further planning meetings and the appeal.”

The Western Distributor Road will be discussed at the next council meeting and Mr Mallett is urging residents to sign the Relief Road petition:

www.bit.ly/relief4bromsgrove

Photo by Neil Pugh