Homes England and property developer Summix have confirmed that two outline planning applications for Wychavon Town have officially been validated by Wychavon District Council.
The applications relate to the proposed new settlement, covering the town centre and a southern neighbourhood.
The proposals seek consent for up to 5,500 homes alongside a purpose-built town centre, employment and mixed-use development, education and healthcare facilities, green and blue infrastructure, and integrated transport and active travel connections.
It forms a significant part of the proposed allocation for 10,000 homes in the South Worcestershireregion.
“The submission of outline planning applications for 5,500 new homes, a new town centre and supporting infrastructure is a significant milestone in the delivery of Wychavon Town,” said Ben Frodsham, Head of Planning and Enabling at Homes England.
“It represents many years of collaboration with our partners Summix, the local councils, and Worcestershire County Council. This is an important step towards delivering a high-quality new settlement that will help meet housing needs over the next 40 years.”
Peter Bateman, Planning Director at Summix, said the two applications represent a pivotal moment in moving from plan- making to delivery.
“Together they establish a comprehensive framework for a new settlement at Worcestershire Parkway, now known as Wychavon Town, and demonstrate our long-term commitment, alongside Homes England, to delivering a sustainable, economically productive and well-connected new community.”
What to expect
The official name of the town has also been confirmed as Wychavon, as a way of ensuring the district’s identity continues after Local Government Reorganisation. It will initially be called Wychavon Town to avoid confusion with the district and the district council.
Some 10,000 high quality, energy-efficient homes will be built on the site, with 5,000 of them delivered by 2041. Wychavon Town will also feature a new town centre with retail, leisure and business opportunities. There will be four parks, primary schools in each neighbourhood, up to two new secondary schools, a sports hub and sports pitches, a GP and healthcare centre, flexible community spaces and 50h of employment land.
Neighbourhoods will be attractive, tree-lined, low-traffic, accessible places where people can live, play and work. Sustainable travel will be at the heart of Wychavon Town with the aim of keeping key services within a 10-to-15-minute walk of each neighbourhood, supported by a network of active travel routes. The town’s design is inspired by the area’s historic landscape with at least 40% of the place covered by green and blue spaces.
Crucially, the development will be infrastructure-led meaning the roads, schools, shops, community buildings and other infrastructure needed to support the new housing will be delivered alongside housing, not after.
Officers at Wychavon District Council are currently preparing an Infrastructure Planning Application to be submitted by December 2026 which, once approved, will allow funding to be sought to put in key infrastructure before major development starts.
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