A PLAN by the SAS to permanently close a public road will not only cause long detours for villagers but also leave communities stranded in times of flood.

That is the belief of many people living in Ewyas Harold who feel the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is using “national security” as a mere excuse as it attempts to stop people travelling along Elm Green Road.

The public road, which cuts through the middle of the Pontrilas Army Training Centre that is used by Special Forces, is the main link between Ewyas Harold and Wormbridge and is home to retained fire fighters.

Two alternative routes have been suggested by the MoD, but villagers fear that flood water could leave them stranded if the road is permanently closed.

Peter Jinman, Chairman of Ewyas Harold Parish Council, said a public meeting has been arranged for people to comment on the scheme with GVA, the agency responsible for the plans, at the village Memorial Hall between 3pm and 7.30pm tomorrow (Thursday).

“We have had a lot of concern expressed in the local community by people who are going to be affected,” said Cllr Jinman.

“It is a question of whether or not the response taken is proportional given the inconvenience and extra distance local residents will have to travel.

“There has been particular concern raised over flooding as that is the one route out of the village you can be sure to get through.

“We can get ridiculously big floods where the road through Ewyas Harold can disappear but we can still get through the camp road.

“The fire station is on the camp road too and they need to get their fire engines out.

“It might be negotiable to open the road at certain times of day and there are all sorts of suggestions.”

Cllr Jinman stated that if the road was closed the parish council would be pushing Herefordshire Council to solve the flooding issues.

Local resident Bob Davies said that the SAS will have to justify their “national security” reason for closing the road.

He added: “Some people wonder what has changed recently and why the threat is considered greater now than at the time of the IRA troubles.

“Had the MoD instead used ‘danger to personnel’ on the camp, for example local security not national, they would had a more sympathetic response.

“After all they chose to set up a training camp here 43 years ago knowing there was a road running through it. Incidentally nothing is visible from the road.

“Of course, if the MoD shows beyond doubt that the security threat to troops lives is very great everyone will accept the road closure. We all appreciate the great value of the soldier’s work for us.”

Local farmer Phil Davies is another to question the plans and fears that this is the latest part of the expansion of the SAS camp.

“It will affect me personally and I think it is terribly unnecessary,” he said.

“Personally I’m worried about what they are not telling us and what they are going to be doing on the site.

“They have expanded so much since they have came here and must have spent millions on the site.”

Some residents have complained that the road closure will add 12 miles a day onto their journey to work.

It is also thought that plans to build 40 new houses on the road leading to the SAS camp will bring added pressure on the roads through the village if the road is closed.

The Ministry of Defence, which in 2015 used lorries to transport a Boeing 747 to the Pontrilas site for training purposes, refused to comment on the plans when asked by the Hereford Times this week.