PLANS to build over one hundred homes on the former Bluebird factory in Hunnington have been deferred amid concerns around affordable housing.

Housing developer, Seven Homes want to build 108 homes on the site in Bromsgrove Road which has mostly laid vacant since Bluebird left the factory in 1998.

The plan was heard by Bromsgrove District Council’s planning committee on November 1 where councillors chose to defer a decision to request confirmation of affordable housing provision.

In a planning report submitted to the committee, the proposals do not seek to make any contribution towards affordable housing.

The report states: “To support the re-use of brownfield land, where vacant buildings are being reused or redeveloped, any affordable housing contribution due should be reduced by a proportionate amount.”

Cllr Rob Hunter has requested that the applicant confirms that the application of vacant building credit removes the requirement for the development to provide affordable housing.

The proposals include the demolition of the existing industrial buildings and conversion of the retained Welfare and Administration buildings.

Nine units are proposed for the Administration buildings, 12 units are proposed for the welfare building and the remainder will be newly built.

The development of the new build dwellings proposes a mixture of two and two and a half storey dwellings, which are detached, semi-detached and terraced.

Hunnington Parish Council has strongly objected to the plans as it fears traffic will increase as there are no local amenities within walking distance of the proposed site.

A spokesperson said: “The number of vehicles on this site after such a dense development would be huge, the movement of vehicular traffic on and off the site would be massively increased.

“The only local small village is in adjoining village of Romsley, a long walk from the development and no regular bus route."