Note: This article has been updated with new dates for the engagement events. This is due to the postponement of the original sessions due to extreme heat conditions.
Residents are being invited to have their say on proposals for the key transport infrastructure that will shape how people move around Wychavon Town.
An online consultation on the roads, walking network, cycling routes, rail crossings and public transport links to support the 10,000-home new town around Worcestershire Parkway runs from Monday 22 June until 10 July.
Engagement events are also being held between 2pm and 7pm on Wednesday, 1 July at Norton Parish Hall and from 9am to 1pm on Thursday, 2 July at Stoulton Village Hall. Those who attend will be able to learn more about what’s planned and speak to experts from Arcadis who designed the proposals, as well as Wychavon’s planning team.
Pictured: A network of walking and cycling routes will be a key part of helping people move around Wychavon Town.
The proposals aim to create a community where walking, cycling and public transport are realistic options for everyday journeys. Neighbourhoods will be designed to be safe and easy to get around, with good links to the railway station, town centre and key local services.
Feedback from the consultation will be used to refine designs ahead of the submission of an Infrastructure Planning Application later this year.
Once approved, it will help ensure Wychavon Town remains infrastructure-led, meaning the roads, schools, shops, community buildings and other facilities needed to support new housing are delivered alongside it, not years later. It will also strengthen funding bids to help pay for major infrastructure.
The consultation link and proposals will be available from Monday 22 June at www.wychavontown.co.uk.
Cllr Emma Kearsey, Wychavon’s Executive Board Member for Planning, Infrastructure and Urban Design, said: “Too often people feel housing is built without the infrastructure needed to support it. We have been clear from day one we want Wychavon Town to be an infrastructure first development, with roads, transport links, schools and community facilities considered from the outset.
“This consultation gives people an opportunity to influence those plans before an application is submitted, so I would encourage anyone interested in the future of Wychavon Town to take a look at the proposals and get involved.”