Dear Fellow-resident of Martley,
Do you still find it hard to believe that our fine Nubbins Escarpment will soon be virtually invisible, hidden by a housing estate, at least when looked at from the village centre?
Prepare yourself for even worse!
At April’s Parish Council meeting District Councillor Mrs. Barbara Williams reported bad news. District plans to put many of the additional new houses now required by the Government Planning Inspector in Categories 1, 2 and 3 Villages (Martley is a Category 1 Village, the top category). As before, the District propose to put these additional houses close to village centres, for reasons of “sustainability”!
This means that the face of the Nubbins Escarpment could soon be hidden – for ever! – not only from the Crown car park but also from most of Kingswood Lane and the footpath network. A further housing-estate could appear on the land beyond The Smithy on the Worcester Road.
If District had followed Government policy on rural housing valid since 2004 (!!), suitable housing sites could have come forward from any of the parishes that look to Martley’s schools and other facilities. District chose instead to destroy a part of our heritage, a fine landscape, a prime geological feature, a tourist attraction and best quality farmland – all for the sake, they said, of saving some car journeys.
If District had followed Government policy valid since July 2007 on preparing data sheets on potential building land sites, Martley and all Parish Councils would have been involved as partners around the same discussion and decision table as District planners and developers. Instead we were merely consultees, whose justified criticisms and suggestions could be (and were) ignored.
District are again treating us in exactly the same way as before. I personally am trying, at this late stage, to prevent this and to obtain for our Parish Council its proper say in how Martley will develop.
If you wish to do the same but lack the proof that the District is ignoring Government policy and common-sense, please feel free to contact me on (01886) 888739 or by email: yeltrameus@yahoo.co.uk.
Martin O’Brien 6 May 2014
I stumbled on the ‘Martley under attack’ post and whilst I agree with some of the comments about MHDC, is the writer actually proposing that other villages should take all the extra houses as a ‘payment’ for being allowed to use the Chantry or Martley Sports ?
Malvern already considers itself the ‘Jewel in the Crown’, surely there isn’t room for another ?
These are the figures. Martley’s allocation of new houses in the original SWDP was around 50, the number on the new estate. There is now outline planning permission for an extra 25 or so in various smaller sites.
The Government Planning Inspector told South Worcestershire councils to increase allocation by 10-15%. To help accommodate this increase, sites in Martley have been put forward which could accommodate up to 250 houses, or an increase on the original allocation of 500%. The 500% increase in Martley to accommodate a 10-15% countywide increase is why the present proposals are completely unacceptable.
dear martley residents
walking along ‘the nubbins’ a month or so ago we met two
very nice ladies exercising their handsome . It was a lovely day and we had a long chat. It came to the point when they asked us where we lived.
Embarrassed we admitted we were waiting for one of the new
houses – knowing the villagers were not all happy at this invasion into one of the loveliest areas of Martley.
However they seemed genuinly pleased and so with their promise to visit us once we moved we parted friends.
Visiting fhe village hall later for the flower show we received warm welcomes again from several kind persons.
We have been waiting since September sold our Tenbury home and are in temporary accommodation.
Several folks have now
Dear Martley residents
walking along ‘the Nubbins’ a month or so ago we met two
very nice ladies exercising their handsome pooches. It was a lovely day and we had a long chat. It came to the point when they asked us where we lived.
Embarrassed we admitted we were waiting for one of the new
houses – knowing the villagers were not all happy at this invasion into one of the loveliest areas of Martley.
However they seemed genuinely pleased and so with their promise to visit us once we moved we parted friends.
Visiting fhe village hall later for the flower show we received warm welcomes again from several kind persons.
We have been waiting since September sold our Tenbury home and are in temporary accommodation.
Several folks have now moved in – my 88 year old sister in law will be moving mid July with “our turn” a week or so after.
After a few difficult years we are looking forward to spending our remaining retirement years happily in your lovely village. We hope that all those unhappy with the estate will walk through once it is completed and see that as an estate it is an attractive one – with its lawns in front and the gardens in its middle. The Nubbins
are its backdrop and the many walks are still accessible.
Lastly to those nice souls who welcomed us so nicely thank you and you know where we are for a cuppa!
Shirley Hambelton.
I believe it would be helpful if a copy of the proposed new building could be put on line, including the number of houses on each site?