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The South Worcestershire Development Plan

The South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) records the preferred areas for the building of property in the Malvern Hills area and further afield up to the year 2030. The plan has to be reviewed every five years and work began on SWDP2 in 2017.

Developers have proposed new areas for development and there will be an opportunity to view these at the Lyttlelton Rooms Great Malvern on 26th November between 2 pm and 6 pm. We expect the information to become available online circa March 2019.

Another influence on development is likely to be the Malvern Town Plan which we think is being put forward for 'ratification' in the first quarter of 2019.

Click to go to the SWDP website

Large housing developments

In recent years there has been a lot of in-fill development and refurbishment of older properties in the Malvern Hills area, including large developments at Welland and Malvern Wells. The other major developments in the pipeline are outlined below.

Malvern Vale

Persimmon Homes have built a large housing estate on the site of RSRE North Site, once the site of the Army Air Development and Research Establishment in WWII, which had occupied Pale Manor farm.

The development named Malvern Vale, now has a primary school, village hall, sports field and a small supermarket.

Part of the site remains to be developed.

Newland

The proposal to build about 800 homes at Newland has been very controversial and six years on work has not started. There are concerns that the road network will not cope and the developer seems to be trying to avoid having to build a school.

RSRE South Site

Most of RSRE South Site which was acquired by Qinetiq PLC is to be demolished in order to build about 300 homes.

Archived article

The old article below relates to the period when SWDP1 was awaiting approval:-

Articles published in the Malvern Gazette over the past three weeks indicate an emerging split within the Malvern Hills District Council.

The present South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) makes provision for about 700 new homes on the northern edge of Malvern, referred to locally as the Newland development.

Many people are upset about this and the targets being imposed by government, when there are not accompanying jobs, so Malvern would become more and more a dormitory suburb of Worcester and Birmingham with commuters blocking the roads at peak times of the day.

A Council Policy Group chaired by Councillor John Raine of West Malvern Ward has, at a late stage, produced an outline alternative  plan, the effect of which would be to reduce the number of new homes at Newland to 250, by building instead 100 homes on Lower Howsell allotments, 250 homes east of Mayfield Road, 150 homes at Meadow Sweet Court/Campion Drive, and up to 100 homes at Blackmore Park on the little used industrial estate. Tied in with this seems to be a plan for a possible extended distribution road running from the Countrywide Store roundabout at Malvern Link across fields coming out at Hall Green, crossing the Guarlford Road, then running across fields to join the road to the Three Counties showground near the entrance to Blackmore Park.

Papers presented at the MHDC Council meeting on 13th November 2012 strongly suggested that there was insufficient time to develop and consult on the alternative plan, which could involve ratepayers in considerable additional expense. District Councillors voted, against legal and special planning advice, to investigate the plan in more detail.

From March 2013, Councillors were being told that under new Coalition Government plans, developers could have carte blanche to build where they liked, in the absence of an approved local development plan.

Click to read notes on Council Policy Group proposals

Click to read agenda for Council meeting on 13th Nov 2012

Tip: to find agendas and minutes of meetings on the MHDC website you need to navigate Home > About the Council > Committee > Meetings

Watch the Malvern Gazette and MHDC websites to keep abreast of developments and if you have concerns or a point of view talk to your District Councillor(s).

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