NO HOUSES WANTED IN CENTRE OF VILLAGE – Badsey protests against choice of Orchard Building Site
A largely attended pariah meeting at Badsey on Tuesday evening unanimously agreed that it was desirable that the centre of the village should be retained as an open space and not developed for housing purposes in view of the large amount of land available for development east of the village on a line running from Bretforton Road to the end of Sands Lane, the portion of land south of Bretforton Road opposite Horsebridge Avenue and other undeveloped land within the parish.
The meeting endorsed the petition of protest already sent to the Council against building on Wheatley's Orchard in the centre of the village. Mr G A King presided and welcomed Mr H A Ashwln (Chairman, RDC), who said there were two sites, one at the rear of Synehurst Council houses, which had been turned down by the Ministry of Agriculture, and the site under discussion at Wheatley's Orchard which the Ministry considered more suitable.
ALL THAT REMAINED
Mr H W King said that the petition which residents had forwarded to the Parish Council opposed the erection of houses of any sort on Wheatley's Orchard. This site was all that remained of the old village green and the only portion which could be restored to its original condition. If houses were built there it would prevent its restoration for ever. Neither of the sites were good ones, as each would allow the erection of only about 30 houses.
Mr G H Stewart asked if it was not possible to obtain an alternative site to take not only 30 houses but 130 houses, for example, Brewers Lane.
Mr R J P.Madge (RDC Surveyor) replied that the Ministry of Agriculture had turned down the suggestion. as they thought it unnecessary to go out into highly productive land.
Mr F E Jones said the Ministry of Agriculture had given an ultimatum that while unproductive land in the village was not developed, no agricultural land would be allowed for building. A site off Bretforton Road had been turned down by the Ministry of Transport.
IT WAS RIDICULOUS
Mr E L Mustoe said it was ridiculous and stupid to build in Wheatley's Orchard, as the villagers had more interest in their own village than did the Planning Authority, and Mr G H Stewart said it was “just dictatorship".
Mr M Savory asked if it would not be possible to continue building at the end of Synehurst Avenue and suggested that the Village Hall site on Horsebridge Avenue be taken back by the RDC for the erection of houses and the Village Hall erected in the centre of the village.
Mr S Gresty said people in the village needing houses should have these houses built, no matter at whose inconvenience, and they should cater for the majority not the minority. Mr Ashwin said he preferred the site at the rear of Synehurst, but it might take a long time to get it whereas the orchard would be the quickest.
In a follow-up in The Evesham Standard of Friday 27th April 1951, it was noted that agricultural objections had been withdrawn:
Following information by the County Planning Officer that agricultural objections had now been withdrawn to development of the field at the rear of Synehurst, Badsey for housing purposes, the Council agreed with the Housing Committee that consideration of the acquisition of other land in the village should be deferred until the next meeting and that in the meantime the Clerk should discuss with the Badsey Village Hall Committee the question of a site for a village hall.