A DEVELOPER has hit out at the council for rejecting its plan to demolish a home and replace it with flats and bungalows and said it is "disappointed" to have to put the city's taxpayers through the expense of an appeal.

Lockley Homes said it will be going to the government's planning inspector over a decision by Worcester City Council's planning committee to refuse a plan to demolish a large two-storey detached home known as ‘Mayfield’ in Malvern Road and replaced it with six two-bed flats and three three-bedroom bungalows.

Joint managing director Karl Lockley said he was "disappointed" to have to appeal the plan, but the developer had worked hard with the council's own planning department to revise the scheme first put forward in June last year.

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“It’s a shame the councillors chose to ignore the advice of their professionally qualified planning department officers who had recommended approval of our scheme," he said.

“One of the reasons given was objections locally and a ‘lack of consultation’.

“Lockley Homes has worked tirelessly with the surrounding neighbours to evolve the scheme from the original design to something sympathetic to the neighbouring residents.”

“One of the reasons given for refusal by one councillor was that giving permission for our Malvern Road proposal would mean that any property in the city with a large garden could potentially be used for a development of several homes.

“Another councillor, who voted in favour of our proposal, said he would prefer to see existing space within the city used rather than concrete over green space around the edge of Worcester.

"Given the pressure on every local authority in the UK to provide space for development does it not make sense to use first the available space within a built environment?"