A NEW access road for Leominster Industrial Estate - which brings with it the promise of 500 new jobs - could be the subject of a public inquiry.
The Government has received two objections to the proposed road within the agreed deadline and the Secretary of State will now have to decide what course of action to take.
Duncan Forbes, Herefordshire Council's legal practice manager, is hopeful the scheme will still proceed.
He said: "One (objection) is from the Highways Agency, but the council anticipates that their objection will be withdrawn once further discussions have enabled the council to address their concerns."
He added that the council will shortly be making the necessary compulsory purchase orders to acquire the few remaining pieces of land that are necessary for the road scheme. There will also be a right of objection to this order.
"The Secretary of State will decide whether the objection to the road order and any objections made to the compulsory purchase order justifies the holding of a public inquiry or whether the orders can be confirmed," Mr Forbes explained.
"If a public inquiry is to be held, an independent inspector will be appointed who will hear evidence for and against the making of the orders.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article