PLANS for one of the biggest extensions to urban Malvern for decades were given the green light this week

On Wednesday evening, members of Malvern Hills District Council's southern area planning committee voted 13-7 with one abstention to approve the plan by Gleeson Developments Ltd and Welbeck Strategic Land LLP, to build some 800 homes at Newland, on the northern border of the town

The scheme also involves land for employment development, a care home, community hall, shops and other facilities, as well as playing fields and green space.

The site, bounded by Lower Howsell Road, the railway line and Worcester Road, is allocated in the South Worcestershire Development Plan for building.

It has been discussed at a meeting in November, but members deferred it for further information about whether the access, off the existing Newland roundabout, was adequate.

They also wanted to know if there was a need for a primary school as part of the development and raised concerns about the closeness of some of the houses to the existing Newland cricket ground.

At the meeting, Malvern mayor Cynthia Palmer said that the town council was concerned about the lack of a school, and said it was completely unrealistic to expect mothers to walk their children to school at Malvern Vale and back every day.

During the debate, which lasted over an hour, several members said they were still dissatisfied with the access and school questions, although Worcestershire County Council, the highways and education authority, said that provision for both was adequate.

Cllr John Raine said: "Everybody agrees that people won't be walking to the school, they will be in private cars. The next best thing will be some form of community transport such as school buses."

Cllr Tom Wells said that the proposed access off the Newland roundabout would be completely unsuitable.

He said: "This is the main arterial route into Malvern, and all businesses in Malvern will be adversely impacted by this proposal. This is a very very very poor plan and should be thrown out."

Cllr David Watkins, who proposed approving the plan, nevertheless urged the county council to carry out a review of future needs for educational provision on the site.