REJECTED plans for a huge new housing estate in a Worcestershire village have gone to appeal.

Bloor Homes wants to build 90 homes on land south of Stourport Road in Great Witley.

The scheme, which includes 36 affordable homes, was refused planning permission by Malvern Hills District Council’s northern area planning committee in June.

Bloor has now appealed that decision, so a planning inspector will have the final say in whether the development goes ahead.

Committee members had raised concerns over the size of the development, saying it was too big for Great Witley and would spoil views of Abberley Tower.

READ MORE: Decision made on Bloor Homes' 90-home plan for Great Witley

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They also said the site is outside the village’s development boundary.

Council planning officers had recommended the plans for approval and in setting out its appeal case, Bloor says: “The housing and other benefits of the proposed development outweigh the adverse effects of the development.”

The developer also claims that the settlement boundaries being referred to are “substantively out of date”.

Bloor Homes said the development would bring a range of environmental and economic benefits, including publicly accessible greenspace, new routes to “enhance connectivity” and “expenditure by the future resident population”.

The developer argues that the housing benefits are “considerable” and outweigh any negative impacts of the development.

Appeal documents state that the appeal scheme itself is “locally controversial”.

“Representations made in response to the application challenge the need for additional housing and the role of Great Witley in meeting this,” they say.

“It is alleged that too much housing has already been built in Great Witley and that it has little by way of community facilities to support the resident population.

“Furthermore, they contend that the appeal site is unsuitable for housing and that it represents an important greenspace within the village and that development would cause unacceptable harm [to] the character of the village.”

The appeal will be heard in person by inspector Matthew Jones on Tuesday, March 11, 2025.