DOCUMENTS and maps that appear to substantially redraw the layout of Ledbury have led to calls for greater public transparency when it comes to planning the town's future.

Far-ranging and bold ideas that appear to have been discussed by the recently disbanded Neighbourhood Plan working party include building housing on the Lower Road Industrial Estate; putting housing on the present location of the John Masefield High School and relocating the school to another site; putting housing on the existing cricket pitch and amenity land off Martin's Way; putting housing outside the bypass between Gloucester Road and Ross road roundabouts, and putting apartments in the police station, off the Worcester Road.

According to the leaked documents, the Neighbourhood Plan working party, in attempting to draw up a plan for the town's future, also discussed putting housing on amenity area/town trail land, off Little Marcle road, and moving Tesco's and using the land for car parking, for tourists.

Leaked papers also seem to show that a possible new supermarket for Ledbury, though not a superstore, has been discussed in a positive way.

A note apparently from a meeting, and seen by the Reporter states: "An Aldi/Lidl-sized store could provide a proportionate-sized choice."

The person responsible for the apparent leak, who has asked not to be identified said: "I and many other like-minded Ledbury citizens feel that it's time that the whole story about the neighbourhood plan and their proposals for the future of Ledbury is put into public knowledge."

The people behind the apparent leak fear there is too much emphasis on new housing and not enough on jobs, industry and provision for the young.

Town councillors closely involved with the development of the town's Neighbourhood Plan development have declined to comment on the authenticity of the proposals and ideas from the 'leaked' documents .

In any case, with the final development of the Neighbourhood Plan now in the hands of the full town council and the consultations, Foxley Tagg, no final version of the Neighbourhood Plan yet exists, and any proposals and suggestions can only be proposals and suggestions, at present.

Former town mayor, Cllr Bob Barnes, who chaired the Neighbourhood Plan working party, said: "All I can say is that sections of the leaked statement are factually incorrect."

Cllr Liz Harvey, a town and county councillor who was also a member of the Neighbourhood Plan working party said she would not comment "on material which has not been properly issued by the Neighbourhood Planning Group through the Town Council".

But she also called for greater public involvement when it came to planning the town's future.

She said: "I and others have been pressing for over a year now for a public debate on the options for development in Ledbury, and I shall continue to do so."

In fact, some of the ideas from the"leaked"documents have already been aired in public.

In July 2014, the Ledbury Reporter revealed that the idea of moving the John Masefield High School and putting housing on the site had been formally discussed by Ledbury town councillors at a meeting, as part of consultations with Herefordshire Council for its Core Strategy - the county's development framework for the next two decades.

In March this year, The Reporter announced that planning permission had been approved by Herefordshire Council for 100 new houses on the cricket pitch site, behind the Full Pitcher pub.

Ledbury Cricket Club will move to a new site, off the Ross Road.

Aldi has recently expressed interest in building a supermarket in the New Mills industrial estate, although no planning application has been submitted as yet.