PLANNING chiefs have approved plans to build housing on a Kidderminster car park when they met on Tuesday.

The planning application for the residential development in Broad Street, also known as the Horsefair car park, will include two-storey houses and flats, three-storey flats and car parking, was considered and approved at Wyre Forest District Council’s planning committee on Tuesday (April 14).

Councillor Stephen Clee moved recommendation to approve the application to build housing on the car park.

Cllr Clee said: “I see the occasional car parked on that car park, normally at weekends, not in the week I must admit.

“This car park is underused, it is an asset we can encourage housing to be built on and we all want houses in this district.”

Councillor Marcus Hart added: “This is the decision as to whether we want to build houses on this car park or not. This is, in my view, at any time when I go to the location, I’ve only ever been the only car in this car park, so I am more than happy to approve for residential development.”

Traders in the Horsefair had previously spoken of their frustration with the decision, and Sue Smith, who owns Bigyeds in Blackwell Street, spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting to express her disappointment.

She said: “Parking over the years has already been drastically reduced from around 100 spaces to the current 35 spaces and now we are expected to accept that a handful of 20 minute parking spaces are adequate for us.

“We feel by approving this plan to close this vital local amenity it would appear that the council is abandoning this area in much need of support at this moment to an uncertain future and with the points raised we therefore ask the committee to reject the proposal.”