Village gets land offer
A businessman is offering land as a "gift" to his home parish near Kidderminster as part of a £1 million development plan.
Farmer Roger Higgins wants to create a village green and play area, a car park and picnic area on his land in Chaddesley Corbett.
His family has owned the open land at the bottom of Brier Hill since the 1960s.
The plans also include 14 homes to help the elderly and disabled stay in their home village where house prices have soared.
He hopes to build six semi-detached bungalows for elderly or disabled people which he will run in partnership with a housing company and eight cottages for over-55s, which will be for sale.
The parish council has yet to discuss the application and councillors said it was not yet known if it would be controversial.
Mr Higgins, a former parish councillor, said he had put leaflets through all the doors in the parish so people knew all about the plans.
He said: "I wanted people to see what I intend to do so they do not get the wrong end of the stick.
"The village green could be used as a children's play area. It would be a gift to the parish, as would the car park for 23 spaces which is very much needed and there would also be a picnic area."
Mr Higgins said in return he would benefit from the sale of the cottages.
Letters of support have already been received, he said, but so far no letters of objection. A row broke out in the village when a previous application for affordable homes was made.
The plan was for 15 affordable homes at the back of Hemming Way and attracted 87 letters of objection and a letter from Friends of the Village Association, which represented its 137 members.
It was thrown out by planners on highway grounds.
