A new plan to build more than 50 homes in a village has been revealed.

The move would see 53 new homes built in Drakes Broughton near Pershore under plans by housing developer Hayfield Homes.

Two homes at Thornleigh Farm off the village’s Stonebow Road would be demolished to make way for the new estate.

The fields were put forward as a potential site for new homes in the ongoing review of the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP) – the key planning document that sets out where thousands of new homes will be built in the next two decades, which still has not yet been approved after years of delays.

Hayfield Homes said approving the homes in an area already earmarked for housing would help Wychavon District Council ‘defend’ against future “speculative” applications.

“The site has been identified as a proposed allocation within the emerging SWDP, which can now be afforded significant weight in the planning,” a statement included with the application said.

“The approval of development on this site will help the council achieve development on its preferred sites and will deliver their housing requirement aspirations.

“Approving this proposal will help defend the council’s chosen development strategy against less sustainable, speculative development proposals which are contrary to policy.”

A controversial plan for 12 homes next to Drakes Broughton Village Hall returned earlier this year after being turned down a combined four times by council planners and government planning inspectors in the last five years.

Another plan would see 30 homes built on fields between Sanctuary Housing’s 110-home development known as The Orchards and the village’s Stonebow Road, close to St Barnabas CE First and Middle School.

More than 50 objections were made by villagers in Drakes Broughton near Pershore against the plan by Lone Star Land.

However, the land was then included as a potential site for new homes in the SWDP.

Alongside those plans, an application by Michelle Hubball was put forward in May which would see 25 new homes built on a paddock behind a home known as Freshfields off Stonebow Road.

You can have your say on the latest 53-home plan by visiting Wychavon District Council’s website. The application number is W/23/01681/FUL and consultation ends on October 12.