Offices plan approved in Norton

A plan to build new offices near to Worcestershire Parkway railway station has been given the green light by councillors.

The three-storey office block will be built off Woodbury Lane in Norton near Worcester and forms part of larger plans for a major business park on the land.

The plan by Godwin Developments and Stennard Harrison is the first part of planned work to build a 10-acre business park on the site which will eventually see a quarter of the land converted into 40,000 square feet of office space across two blocks.

Wychavon District Council’s planning committee approved the plan at a meeting in Pershore on Thursday (October 14).

Matt Chandler, development director at Godwin Developments said: “We are delighted to have secured planning approval for this commercial scheme which will provide much-needed grade A office space in south Worcestershire.

“As a part of the local development plan, which is expected to deliver 5,000 homes and 50 hectares of employment land by 2041, it will provide much needed additional space for new and existing SMEs to grow and establish their presence in the West Midlands.

“It will also deliver flexible remote working opportunities for larger businesses who seek to create a suitable base for remote workers, living in the area. “We would like to thank IMA Architects for designing a scheme that fits well into the local landscape, and Wychavon District Council for their support throughout the planning process.”

It is the same proposal that was put forward earlier this year but withdrawn at the last minute before councillors had the chance to make a decision in April.

The three-part-four-storey building was reduced to three storeys, following discussions with council officers earlier this year, with the floor size reduced by more than a thousand square metres to just under 3,500 square metres and moved further away from Woodbury Lane.

Cycle parking has doubled to 80 spaces and the number of car parking spaces has been reduced slightly to 112 spaces.

Links between the new offices and Worcestershire Parkway railway station will also be created.