WORCESTER'S controversial 'super village' is likely to expand to more than 2,600 homes - with the entire concept coming under sustained attack.

Planning chiefs have admitted how the sprawling new estate planned next to St Peter's, known as the 'South Worcester Urban Extension', could be bigger than first envisaged.

A new council report, which will be noted by developers, has warned: "The figure is not a maximum".

It comes as:

- Councillors agreed to kick the scheme off by handing outline planning permission to developers for 81 homes on the Ketch car boot site, off Broomhall Way

- Plans for 98 properties on the Aston's Coaches depot, which also forms part of the super village, nears a decision

- Councillors have admitted serious concern about the 'super village' putting intolerable pressure on GP surgeries and school places

- Fresh calls were made for Worcester's Northern Link Road to become reality

- A new underpass could be built to connect the super village to St Peter's

Worcester City Council's planning committee met on Thursday to discuss the first two applications for the massive estate.

They approved the Ketch car boot scheme, and agreed to send Malvern Hills District Council feedback on the Aston's Coaches proposal after two long, very critical debates on the urban extension.

Councillor Roger Knight said: "We're now paying the price for the lack of a completed ring road around this city.

"What we've got here is the dense 'dumping' of houses - to have two-and-a-half thousand homes there is madness, we need a fairer distribution across the city."

He also hit out at a lack of infrastructure, claiming it was like putting homes "on a desert island", and said families trying to cross Broomhall Way would be on a "suicide mission", lambasting it as "madness".

Ledbury Reporter:

He also said with the Ketch car boot due to be built on, south Worcester would lose a "a significant gap", with almost the entire stretch from St Peter's to Kempsey filled in.

Councillor Alan Amos cited serious concerns over pressure on school places, GP surgeries and the roads, saying "it is simply not sustainable".

"Worcester is full, it can't take any more," he said.

Councillor Mike Johnson said: "The more development we get, the worse this is going to get."

During the debate planning and highways officers repeatedly told them developers will be forced to pay big money towards better infrastructure, including a 'trigger' of around 500 homes where they must help fund a new primary school.

Ledbury Reporter:

The entire development also includes a GP surgery, parks, retail units, a sports centre, open space and possibly a hotel, but it is set to be delivered on a piecemeal basis over the next 15 years.

Councillor Geoff Williams, a former planning committee chairman, said: "The urban extension is in the South Worcestershire Development Plan, which we approved almost unanimously some time ago."

'SUPER VILLAGE 'COULD GET BIGGER

PLANNING officers say the super village for south Worcester could get larger, depending largely on what interest comes forward from developers.

In a city council report it says the figure of 2,600 homes is "not a maximum", suggesting the authority is flexible on where it will end.

It states: "The figure is not a maximum.

"There is nothing to preclude additional development from coming forward, subject to consideration of the infrastructure capacity, and the impact of the development."

The acres of fields are bounded by the A4440, Norton Road, Broomhall, the M5 and the River Severn with developers Welbeck Land, Seven Capital and St Modwen all preparing to build on different sections of the site.

Ledbury Reporter:

Back in September last year Welbeck Land submitted an outline planning application over a whopping 2,200 homes on the site, which straddles across three district council boundaries in Worcester, Malvern and Wychavon.

BACKGROUND: Plans revealed for 3,600 new homes in £500m+ bid to 'change the face' of Worcester