Plan to turn Malvern railway siding into storage yards rejected

Developers had wanted to convert redundant railway sidings in Howsell Road into a storage facility.

But members of Malvern Hills District Council’s planning committee were unhappy with the “inappropriate” plans.

There are a few storage containers on the site at the moment but the plans were to create a far more intensive series of storage yards, filled with containers.

EMPTY: Councillors rejected plans to place storage containers along the length of the site (Image: MHDC)

Cllr Neville Mills said the site lies within the Malvern Hills conservation area and was formerly used as a railway siding - but has been earmarked for parking in council planning papers.

“The land has remained derelict for a number of years and was designated as car parking in the current Malvern Town neighbourhood plan for 2019-30.”

He said this formed part of a long-term sustainable travel strategy.

“I will also draw the committee’s attention to the chronic lack of on-street parking in Malvern Link,” said Cllr Mills, “as indicated by the parking congestion on Redland, Osborne, Howsell and Pickersleigh roads caused in part by railway commuter customers travelling to places like Birmingham, Worcester and London.

“This also reduces shopper parking to the detriment of trade in the Malvern Link area.”

Cllr John Raine said he was disappointed with the application and the implications of it.

He said: “I think adding all those containers, potentially a huge number, in that strip will really be an awful blot on the landscape from parts of the hills and certainly won’t look very good if you’re in a high-sided vehicle coming over the bridge.

“I think it’s a poor use of our beautiful town, frankly.”

Cllr Paul Bennett said: “The last time we met we gave permission to a flat that didn’t have a parking space - in Malvern Link. The pressure on parking is going to get greater and greater.

“This use is almost vandalism. This is totally inappropriate.”

A member of the public, speaking at the meeting, said the existing storage yard backs onto his house.

He said a lot of noisy construction work has already taken place at the site.

“A bat box was knocked down, a badgers’ set was thankfully not disturbed, and I’m here to remind you all that people actually live in those houses,” he said.