NEWS: Plan will strengthen protection against inappropriate development
Planning inspectors have confirmed the three South Worcestershire Councils will have enough land to resist inappropriate housing development in the future, offering greater protection to communities.
Inspectors scrutinising the South Worcestershire Development Plan Review (SWDPR) are satisfied Malvern Hills District, Worcester City and Wychavon District Councils would have a five-year housing land supply, with a 5% buffer, once the Plan is adopted. This means the three councils have identified enough land for the required number of homes over the next five years, with some additional land in case some housing sites aren’t developed as fast as expected. Inspectors were also happy for proposed development land at Worcester South, Rushwick, Worcestershire Parkway and Mitton to be included in the Plan as allocated housing sites.
The confirmation follows a series of public hearings to examine the Plan to ensure it is sound and legally compliant, along with additional evidence provided by the three councils about progress on the Worcester South Urban extensions.
The Plan can now move on to the next stage of the process, where all the changes proposed by the inspectors - known as main modifications – will be consulted on either later this year or early in 2026. They are mainly technical changes to fix any issues that could delay the Plan from being found sound and legally compliant. The consultation will give residents and organisations the chance to highlight any issues arising from the modifications only.
All comments will be sent to the inspectors for their further consideration, informing their final report. Once the inspectors' final report is received, the three councils can officially adopt the plan. It is expected the Plan will go before councillors early next year.
Cllr David Harrison, Chair of the SWDPR Joint Advisory Panel, said: “I’m pleased following the further evidence we provided to the inspectors, they have agreed we will have a five-year housing land supply upon adoption of the SWDPR. This will considerably strengthen our ability to resist speculative development in inappropriate locations that would harm our communities.
“I would also like to thank and congratulate all the staff for their work on this project over the last five years – well done all.”
Details about the main modifications consultation will be released soon. Visit www.swdevelopmentplan.org for details and to read the inspectors' latest letter.
Published: 16 October 2025.