WORK to build 50 affordable homes on the site of a disused former BMX track can now begin after plans were signed off.

Lovell Homes has already gained permission to build a mix of one to four-bedroom homes on land off North End Lane in Malvern which has been vacant for a number of years.

Malvern Hills District Council’s northern planning committee approved the plan at a meeting in August despite some objections and the plans were signed off at the end of last year.

Work is expected to start in the spring.

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Malvern Town Council objected to the application saying the planned access road was ‘unsuitable’ and the increase in cars in an already built up area would be unacceptable.

The town council also said building new homes would exacerbate flooding problems in the area.

Several objections were made by neighbours to the plan with a ‘huge’ increase in traffic and the loss of green space the biggest concerns.

Worried neighbours said the entrance to the proposed development from Nightingale Road was “wholly unacceptable” as children regularly played in the area and cars driving through often exceeded 30 miles per hour.

The loss of green space by building the entrance road from Nightingale Road would also badly affect wildlife in the area including bats, owls, squirrels, hedgehogs, foxes and woodpeckers, according to residents.

Steve Ulfig, regional technical director at Lovell, said: “We are thrilled to have been given the green light to advance our proposals for this development.

“This is a well-positioned site that has been disused for some time and lends itself perfectly to a development of this scale. There is a high demand for new homes within Malvern, and we’re excited to be able to assist in meeting that need.”

The development would be a mix of one to four-bedroom homes and would be accessed from the south of the site from Nightingale Road.

The site has been allocated for new homes in the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP).