‘A pivotal moment’ – Homes England submits outline plans for Wychavon
Government housing and regeneration agency Homes England has submitted the first formal applications for a planned new Midlands town, it says.
The plans for Wychavon will cover a 2,700-acre site near Worcestershire Parkway station, with the new town one of 12 planned new towns put forward by the government’s new towns task force last year.
Homes England, alongside developers Summix, says plans for the first 5,500 homes have now been validated by Wychavon District Council under two outline applications.
Also included are outline proposals for the town centre, along with planned employment and mixed-use developments, education and healthcare facilities, green and blue infrastructure, and integrated transport and active travel connections.
Ben Frodsham, head of planning and enabling at Homes England, said submission of the proposals was a “significant milestone” in building the new Wychavon town.
“It represents many years of collaboration with our partners Summix, the local councils, and Worcestershire County Council. This is an important step towards delivering a high-quality new settlement that will help meet housing needs over the next 40 years,” he said.
A public consultation on detailed designs for the project, where around 10,000 homes will be built between now and 2040, was launched last week, and is set to run into February.
“These two outline applications represent a pivotal moment in moving from plan- making to delivery,” added Peter Bateman, planning director at Summix.
“Together they establish a comprehensive framework for a new settlement at Worcestershire Parkway, now known as Wychavon Town, and demonstrate our long-term commitment, alongside Homes England, to delivering a sustainable, economically productive and well-connected new community.”
