Ross-on-Wye Enterprise Park is a 17-acre employment site being developed by Herefordshire Council to support local economic growth and create new job opportunities in the county.

This page provides information for residents and local businesses about the development, including the works currently underway and any potential disruption.

About the development

The site at Model Farm, Hildersley, is located close to Ross-on-Wye and is being prepared to provide high-quality employment space for future business use.

The development is part of the council's wider programme to support economic growth, attract investment and create local employment opportunities.

Once complete, the site is expected to accommodate a range of businesses and support significant job creation over time.

What is happening on site

Phase One of the project involves creating a new entrance from the A40 into the site, together with an internal access road to serve the initial development plots. Four acres of employment land will be prepared during this phase, ready for businesses to purchase and construct their own premises.

A full range of utilities is being brought to the site, including electricity, gas, water, foul drainage and fibre broadband. This involves installing new infrastructure, diverting existing services where necessary, increasing network capacity and providing connections for future occupiers.

A new drainage scheme is also being implemented to carefully manage and control surface water discharge into the existing watercourses running to the north-east of the site, following their established routes.

A range of sustainable travel improvements are planned to better connect the new employment site with Ross-on-Wye town centre. These include a dedicated cycleway and pedestrian route linking the new development to the existing footway, controlled pedestrian crossings, two new bus stops, and reduced speed limits once the scheme has been completed.

Together, these activities represent a substantial programme of works involving major earthworks, construction activity on site and significant work along the A40. Traffic management measures are required to ensure the works can be carried out safely while maintaining traffic flow. These measures are overseen by the council's Highways Team.

As with any major development of this scale, some disruption may be experienced by nearby residents and road users during construction.

Traffic and disruption

We recognise that construction activity may have an impact on the local area. This may include:

• Increased construction traffic on surrounding roads
• Temporary road or lane restrictions where required
• Construction vehicle movements to and from the site
• General construction noise during working hours

We are working closely with our contractor, Fitzgerald, to minimise disruption wherever possible and ensure the works are carried out safely and efficiently. Normal working hours are 7am to 4pm on weekdays, with noisier activities not beginning before 8am.

The major earthworks and groundworks required to create the development platform and drainage infrastructure are expected to be completed by the end of July.

As the project includes the construction of a new junction, a right-turn lane into the development and several utility connections, traffic management will remain in place along this section of the A40 for a significant period. These measures are overseen by the council's Highways Team.

Temporary traffic lights have been installed to facilitate the works and are expected to remain in place for several months. Their location will change as the project progresses. Wherever it is safe to do so, the contractor will remove temporary traffic management when it is not required, helping to minimise unnecessary delays.

Benefits of the development

Once complete, the development will:

• Support new employment opportunities in Herefordshire
• Provide space for new and growing businesses
• Strengthen the county's economy
• Attract investment into the area

Duration of the works

The Phase One infrastructure works are expected to be completed by spring 2027.

Construction of individual business premises will then begin as developers purchase plots within the Enterprise Park. At that stage, work will be largely confined to the development site itself, with all works on the A40 expected to have been completed.

Keeping residents informed

We will continue to keep residents informed as the project progresses.

Towards the end of the programme, we will write to nearby residents with details of the full night-time closure of the A40 that will be required to lay the final carriageway surface, together with information about diversion routes. Residents will continue to have access to their properties throughout these works.

Frequently asked questions