Lib Dem councillors press Council Leader on unresolved Warndon Villages land transfers
Liberal Democrat councillors Sarah Murray and John Rudge questioned the Leader of Worcester City Council at Tuesday’s (14 July) Full Council meeting about the long-running unresolved land transfer issues affecting Warndon Villages.
The issue centres on public open spaces and landscaped areas across Warndon Villages, where ownership and maintenance responsibilities have remained unresolved for years, leaving uncertainty for residents over who is responsible for maintaining land, trees and drainage infrastructure.
Councillor Sarah Murray asked Council Leader Councillor Lynn Denham to provide “a public update on the current position regarding the unresolved transfer of public open space and landscape land in Warndon Villages, including ownership, maintenance responsibilities, drainage infrastructure, engagement with developers and the next steps towards resolving these long-standing issues.”
In response, Councillor Denham confirmed that a meeting had taken place with Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey on 3 June, where it was agreed that land transfers should proceed where there were no outstanding issues, with further work continuing on areas affected by drainage concerns. She said all parties remained committed to progressing the transfers, with the City Council continuing to liaise with the developers and their solicitors. She also confirmed that while the Council currently maintains the grassed areas, responsibility for the trees remains with the developers.
Councillor Murray then pressed the Leader on whether ward councillors and residents would receive regular public updates until the matter is resolved. Councillor Denham declined to make that commitment immediately, saying she wanted to understand whether there were any “commercial sensitivity and legal sensitivity” issues before doing so.
Following on from Councillor Murray’s questions, Councillor John Rudge highlighted the continuing impact the delays are having on local residents. He asked whether the Council Leader would take “a personal leadership role in driving this matter forward and ensuring the council actively pursues a resolution with all relevant parties.”
Councillor Denham acknowledged she was not yet familiar with all the details of the issue but said she was “happy to pursue the conversation with officers”. She added that the planned move to a unitary council provided “an additional push for good housekeeping” around the Council’s assets and land ownership.’
Councillor Rudge concluded by asking whether the issue could be resolved before local government reorganisation takes effect. Councillor Denham replied that she could not say, explaining: “I really don’t know… there are clearly three parties involved, it’s not just this council that is involved.”
The exchange highlighted the continuing frustration surrounding the unresolved land transfers, with Liberal Democrat councillors making clear that residents deserve certainty over who is responsible for maintaining the public spaces in their communities and a clear timetable for bringing the long-running issue to a conclusion.
See the exchange in council HERE