Introduction
Following the grant of outline planning permission in March 2025, Bloor Homes is now preparing the Reserved Matters application in consultation with local stakeholders, statutory consultees, and the local community. The Reserved Matters application will be submitted to Malvern Hill District Council which will seek approval of the layout, appearance, scale, and landscaping of the development.
Prior to the submission of the application, Bloor Homes is inviting the local community to have their say on the emerging public open space proposal. Given the development is located in the heart of the village, it is considered the public open space has the potential to be a focal point of the village providing safer, and more direct pedestrian links between The Glebe, Bowen's field and the Village centre.
Options
Below you will find a series of informative tabs which will provide you with information on different components of the public open space, these should be read alongside the proposed POS plan. Further below is a questionnaire which will be open until 16th May.
Open Space Furniture
Furniture within open spaces including seating and bins create useable features for the local community.
They can also encourage users to sit in nature, interact with each other and enjoy views.
Bins contribute and facilitate people to be able to ensure the environment is kept clean.
Wildflower Meadow
Wildflower meadows provide habitats and enhance biodiversity. Wildflower seeding is made up of native flora which tend to be seasonal so are in bloom in spring/summertime.
Grass areas with seasonal wildflowers which provide food for insects, hold the flow of rainwater and capture CO2. Allowed to grow long and are only cut twice a year.
Natural Play Area
The opportunity for creative play is essential to the development of children. Through their play they acquire skills and abilities which can be learnt in no other way.
'Play space is vital in providing spaces where children can express and challenge themselves, be active, experience risk and develop life skills'. RoSPA advocates that playgrounds offer a more open-ended and stimulating experience, with attention paid to the quality and variety of play experiences on offer. Another term for this is play value. (RoSPA - The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents).
The proposal for this scheme is predominantly natural play equipment, such as timber logs and boulders to create a natural play area for children to enjoy. The play area will have a buffer zone between adjacent dwellings which allows for planting which also softens to play space.
This is an environment where safe but challenging activities can take place utilising equipment for all ages.
Defensible/Buffer planting
Often sites are surrounded by vegetation. For this site we aim to reinforce and retain any vegetation where possible preserving existing habitats and creating a strong boundary to neighbouring areas. Defence planting also deters misuse of land and promotes the use of the network of footpaths throughout the site.
Scrub and woodland planting will be a mix of vegetation with a wide range of biodiversity benefits.
Ecology
When it comes to the ecology and ecological enhancements we can provide, we take into consideration the type of species which are documented in and around the site in addition to retaining as much of the existing green infrastructure as possible.
Bloor Homes are committed to the Homes for Nature initiative which will see a bird-nesting brick or box installed for every new home built, as well as introducing hedgehog highways. Within the areas of public open space, we can also use planting to provide enhancement, for example we can create bat corridors and add aquatic planting in drainage systems, which can provide food and habitats for all sorts of species.
Each garden or open space in the UK can provide environmental benefits such as climate cooling, mitigating against flooding and providing plants for pollinators. The majority of the plants selected by Bloor Homes are on the RHS pollinator list. Hibernacula and log piles are created to provide homes for frogs, toads, lizards and grass snakes to protect them from cold in the winter. Bloor Homes is committed to providing bat and bird boxes and hedgehog highways to homes throughout this development supporting the Homes for Nature Initiative.
Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) is at the forefront of our development landscaping proposal.
Connectivity
The location of the site within the heart of the village, presents an opportunity to provide safer, and more direct routes from the existing dwellings to the village services.
Subject to securing the relevant permissions, new footpath links can be provided to the following locations: The Glebe, Glendower Way, Bowen's field, and the village centre - home to the primary school, village hall, and surgery.
Providing a new footpath route though the site, linking the Glebe and the village centre will reduce travel time by 42%.
Orchard
Orchard planting is often influenced by the varieties of fruits in the local landscape. In Great Witley there is the Mill orchard to the north which are well know for their apple juice so we may look to use apple varieties such as Malus domestica 'Bramley's seedling' as we know that this fruit is likely to thrive here.
Orchards are also great for wildlife, providing tree canopy, understorey grassland, fruit and blossom which is important for bees.