DEVELOPER Kendrick Homes has returned with a new plan to build on land in Tunnel Hill in Upton after being knocked back last year.

Proposals to build 70 homes on farmland off Saffron Grove were rejected by Malvern Hills District Council’s southern area planning committee in December.

Councillors had raised concerns over the density of the previous plan and had told the developers to come back with a better proposal, saying 50 properties would be more suitable.

Kendrick’s new application is for 60 homes, plus access, car parking and public open space.

In planning documents, the developer says: “Fundamentally the scheme has been revised to a less dense development, with a more spacious layout with more generous plot sizes and reconfiguration of green infrastructure within the layout, including greater landscaped buffers to existing properties.

It also says the development “will still positively contribute to the supply of, and on-going need for, housing within Malvern and South Worcestershire which constitutes a significant and material planning benefit in favour of the proposals”.

One neighbour, Hayley Allen, has already responded to the planning consultation to raise concerns over the impact the development would have on roads in the area.

“Welland Road is already extremely busy and when flooding closes Hanley Road, which is increasing each year, the traffic becomes very bad especially at peak times.

“The addition of 60 homes, maybe two cars each property, will increase the traffic greatly. With traffic already bottlenecking through Upton town centre, getting through the town will become impossible.”

Residents had objected to the original proposals, claiming they’d been told the fields would not be built on when they had moved into their homes.

Others had questioned the strain more homes would put on existing services in Upton including GP surgeries and schools.

At a packed meeting in December, Cllr Paul Bennett said he was “horrified” at the density of the housing on parts of the proposed development.

He said: “There was no way this was ever supposed to be this big a site. I think we should say no to this and ask them to come back with something that actually meets the allocation and has a density that anyone can agree to.”