Over 200 Residents Pack Kempsey Church For Housing Protest

8.28.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 2nd Oct 2008

Over 200 Kempsey residents packed Kempsey Parish Church last night for a public meeting to protest about plans to build 3000 extra homes on the outskirts of St Peter's that would 'join Kempsey to Worcester by the hip'.

The meeting was organised by Kempsey Parish Council in response to the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy proposals

Local Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt spoke at the meeting and said he supported residents' opposition to the proposed development.

Richard said: "We need a housing strategy and we need more houses, but not this strategy, and not these numbers.

"Residents in Kempsey have been sold down the river by the three Conservative councils who make up the South Worcestershire Joint Core Strategy review body.

"They all voted in favour of these numbers for housing development and now we are stuck with them.

"Instead of putting forward a robust argument for an alternative model, they have simply caved in to government demands."

On Malvern Hills District Council, the vote was forced through by a majority of one by Conservative councillors loyal to Council Leader, Serena Croad.