HUNDREDS of angry residents have protested against a developer’s plan to build 300 new homes next to ancient woodland.

Almost 200 people turned up in Pershore high street to rally against a move by developer Hollybrook Homes to build on Orchard Farm next to the ancient Tiddesley Wood.

Campaigners successfully fought off an attempt to build 450 homes on the land next to the 6,000-year-old wood less than a year ago, only to now see the plans reemerge.

Evesham Journal: PROTEST: Residents young and old came out to protest against the plans to build 300 homes next to

The protest, organised by the 1,500-strong Protect Tiddesley Wood Facebook group, was held outside the Bank House in Pershore High Street last Wednesday (June 14) at an all-day public exhibition by developer Hollybrook Homes.

Pershore county councillor Dan Boatright called the plans “ridiculous” and said it would do nothing to help already overloaded roads in Pershore.

“As usual, the developer has focused on building their houses, not the serious issue of road safety,” he said.

Evesham Journal: MESSAGE: A plan to build 450 homes next to Tiddesley Wood was fought off by campaigners only for a

“Accidents have happened in the past and will happen more frequently with an increase in vehicle manoeuvres - not to mention the severe flooding that happens along that road and all across the fields below that have caused properties to flood in Defford Road.”

Pershore district councillor Charles Tucker said locals had “fought tooth and nail” in 2019 to block the building and would be doing so again.

Evesham Journal: PROTEST: Residents and campaigners protesting outside the Bank House in Pershore High Street

He said: "Building houses near to Tiddesley Wood would have a disastrous effect on its ecology - by concreting over the feeding and nesting areas of birds, insects, bats and mammals and by dramatically increasing human and pet intrusion around the wood.

“Noise, pollution and streetlights would all play their part in disrupting wildlife as well.”

A planning application has not yet been submitted by Hollybrook Homes with consultation events usually one of the first steps taken by developers before a formal plan is submitted to the council.

Campaigners celebrated last year when the homes plan for the land next to Tiddesley Wood was cut from 450 to 112 in the most recent draft of the South Worcestershire Development Plan (SWDP), which set out where thousands of new homes will be built across the south of the county in the next 20 years.