A CONTROVERSIAL new housing estate of nearly 500 homes in Bromsgrove has been give the go ahead, despite hundreds of objections.

But campaigners have vowed to fight on to try to amend the plan to demolish the old Greyhound pub and build 490 homes in the Rock Hill area of the town.

The proposal was given outline approval by planning inspector Richard Clegg after the developers appealed when Bromsgrove District Council failed to make a decision on the original plans.

More than 750 comments were lodged, the vast majority objecting to the scheme, mainly because of road and infrastructure fears.

The plans involved two parcels of land off Whitford Road, the major site, and Albert Road.

Campaigners and residents said local roads could not cope with the extra traffic, plus some were worried that the scheme would kill off the vision of a western by-pass.

But after a public inquiry the planning inspector says the plans to improve the local roads to take the extra traffic are good enough.

The council feared the traffic impact on local roads would be ‘severe’. But the inspector has concluded that ‘the proposed development would not have an unacceptable impact on highway safety.’

He says the heritage value of the old Greyhound pub, built in the mid 1800s, is too limited to halt the development.

And he says the new homes are in a part of Bromsgrove which is designated for new housing, so the plan fits the overall strategy.

He has granted approval, but with a long list of conditions, not just on roads, but also other issues, including sound barriers, landscaping, type of homes built.

But the Whitford Vale Voice community group say they will continue to oppose the ‘Perryfields development’ and campaign for a Western Distributor Road.

Spokesman John Gerner said: “Our concerns on traffic, highway safety, air and noise pollution, bus services and the sustainability of the development have not gone away. We will continue to hold the developers to account and make sure the promises that have been made are not broken.”

They expect the overall plan to now be split into three separate proposals, and they plan to fight each one to ensure land is kept for a new distributor road.

The appeal was brought by the developers, Catesby Estates Ltd & Miller Homes Ltd.