Office park plan with jobs could be refused

Plans to build a major new office park in Kidderminster, creating more than 300 jobs, are set to be refused amid fears it would endanger wildlife.

There are also concerns it would bring traffic chaos to the town.

Property developer Morbaine Ltd has applied to build the near 40,000sq ft site on land off Puxton Lane.

The development is to create around 20 individual office units.

Around 350 workers, many of them in new jobs, would be employed on the park as businesses move in.

But an outline plan for the scheme has been recommended for refusal by Wyre Forest Council officers.

They say the proposed site is next to Puxton Marshes, a designated site of special scientific interest.

Officers are concerned protected species on the land could be affected by the scheme and it could cause harm to a nationally designated area.

Under the scheme, access to the large site would be through Puxton Lane.

And officers said they believed the proposed access and surrounding roads would be inadequate to accommodate the traffic for so large a scheme.

Members of Wyre Forest District Council's planning committee will decide on the scheme on Thursday.

Alex Brodie, director of Morbaine, said the firm is awaiting the decision before deciding their next move.