County blueprint latest

A detailed plan which sets out the use that land can be put to in Herefordshire has moved a step closer to becoming finalised.

Planners, developers and anyone interested in planning issues in the county are all awaiting the formal adoption of the Unitary Development Plan, likely to happen in March next year.

The Council has now received a report from a Government planning inspector, following the Public Inquiry into objections held last year, who has scrutinised the latest version and made recommendations.

Overall the Inspector endorses many aspects of the Plan. In particular, he supports the overall approach taken to the distribution of development in the County.

In line with the latest regional requirements, he recommends that housing provision is increased (from 11,700 to 12,200 dwellings over the period 1996-2011) and that the role of Hereford is further emphasised.

The increase in dwelling numbers is to be achieved without any new site allocations. He also recommends that the Plan’s employment land requirement is revised downwards (from 150 to 100 hectares).

Other key areas of the Inspector’s report include:

Rural areas

In the rural areas the Inspector supports the Council’s approach of focussing development in the rural areas in identified larger villages and smaller settlements.

Objectors to the Plan suggested a substantial number of alternative sites in the wider countryside.

The Inspector concludes however that such alternative or additional sites are not required.

Market towns

Leominster
At Leominster, the Inspector considers objections to the Plan proposal to identify a “zone of interest” for a future bypass to the south of the town – together with suggestions that land in this locality should be identified for housing purposes.

He recommends that it would be premature to include these provisions in the Plan and that the “zone of interest” should be deleted.

He also recommends that the capacity of the Barons Cross housing proposal should be increased from 360 dwellings to 425 dwellings. This reflects the current planning application for the site.

No additional housing or employment sites are recommended for the town.

Bromyard
The Inspector supports the Plan’s proposals for Bromyard, including those at Porthouse Farm (housing) and Linton Trading Estate (employment), with no major changes or additional sites being recommended.

Ledbury
At Ledbury, the proposals of the Plan for only limited further growth are endorsed by the Inspector.  Suggestions by objectors that land at the Full Pitcher/Football and Cricket Ground be identified for housing purposes are not supported. 

Ross-on-Wye
Planned proposals for housing development at Tanyard Lane, Ross-on-Wye, are supported by  the Inspector, together with the recommended inclusion of an additional site for housing purposes at Merrivale (21 dwellings) within a future review of the UDP.

The Inspector recommends that the proposed development for employment purposes of land at Model Farm is not confirmed.  Instead he recommends that alternative provision be made at Overross on a site included in an earlier draft of the Plan.  

Kington
At Kington, the Inspector concludes that the employment site proposed in the Plan north of the B4355 should not be confirmed, but that the potential of the Hatton Gardens industrial estate be further examined in a future review of the UDP. 

Hereford
The Inspector recommends that Hereford is identified as a sub-regional focus for development within the County. His main conclusions on Hereford are: 

• Support for the safeguarding of land for the Rotherwas Access Road;
• Support for the Edgar Street Grid proposals, and for the terms of the Plan’s policy on relocation of the Hereford Livestock Market;
• The housing site at Holmer, included in the first draft Plan and later deleted, should be re-instated.  The development is to be required to make a contribution to road improvements and rail crossing at the east end of Roman Road;
• The employment site at Holmer, also included in the first draft and later deleted, should not be re-instated;
• The housing proposal at Bullinghope should be deleted;
• That four new housing sites should be included in a future review of the Plan, namely at Broomy Hill waterworks (36 dwellings); Greyfriars (22 dwellings); land off Yazor Road and north of Whitecross School (148 dwellings); and land at Whitecross Road (47 dwellings);
• That land at Kings Acre Road should be included within a revised settlement boundary for Hereford within a future review of the UDP;
• That employment allocations at Rotherwas be reduced by some 7 hectares to 8 hectares.

“The Report is now subject to factual checking and will be published in due course,” said Cllr Phil Edwards, Cabinet Member (Environment).

“The Council will then decide whether to accept or reject each of the Inspector’s recommendations.

“It’s expected that changes to the Plan will be needed - these will be published in the Autumn for representations to be made.

“All objections made at this stage will be considered by the Council.  It is expected that the Plan will be adopted in March 2007.”

Cllr Tom Hunt, Chairman of the Council’s Planning Committee, welcomed the milestone.

“The UDP is a key document which sets out the framework through which all planning applications are viewed. It’s taken a lot of time and effort to get where we are and I’m delighted that we’re nearing the end of the process,” he said.

The Council will publish the report, when available, on this website, as well as other locations, including libraries through the county and reception areas of main Council buildings.