Catshill housing may get go-ahead

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CONTROVERSIAL plans to build 80 homes in Catshill could be given the green light by the district council's planning committee when it meets on Monday (August 20).

Officers have recommended the application, submitted by Cala homes to develop the land at Church Road, be approved.

The proposal has been resubmitted to the council after more-detailed plans were thrown out in May, due to concerns about the layout and design.

After looking over the revised application, officers said the proposed development would provide a sustainable, attractive, safe, convenient place to live which reflected the character and appearance of the area. They also stated the scheme had fully addressed the reason for refusal, which was the adverse impact on the surrounding area.

But the Catshill Marshes Action Group (CMAG) - set to speak at the meeting on Monday - has compiled a comprehensive list of concerns.

As well as reiterating issues with design and layout, CMAG has flagged up possible flood risks, traffic fears and landscaping issues.

It has also criticised Cala over a recent consultation where members said they felt 'the developers listened to their suggestions but dismissed many of them as not being feasible'.

Imir Frazer from CMAG admitted the residents were not confident the council would throw out plans for a second time. She added the last real hope lay in the fate of their application for Catshill Marshes to be declared a village green, but a verdict from Worcestershire County Council on that status is not expected for another four months.

If granted, any development on the land would be prohibited, immediately halting any work Cala had started, even if Monday's meeting went in its favour.

A CALA spokesperson said: "We are very grateful to the members of the action group for taking the time to meet us.

"We found the meeting very constructive and we hope to continue to work with them as the development proceeds.

"We believe that our new application addresses the reasons provided by Bromsgrove District Council for refusal, and we hope that this new application will be approved."

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