THE Ombudsman is to investigate two complaints concerning the granting of planning permission last February for the new Ledbury Community Hospital.

Both concern alleged "procedural irregularities".

The complaints touch on whether the papers regarding planning meetings were made available to the public in Ledbury three full working days before the meeting, and whether the granting of planning permission for the Cattle Market site took account of the present County Structure Plan, particularly in terms of car parking spaces allocated.

Former town councillor Sylvia Pick said the fact that two separate Ombudsman's investigations were in hand should mean the planning permission being embargoed.

She said: "I won't be very popular but I think the planning application should be re-run."

But Herefordshire Council's solicitor Marie Rosenthal said: "Neither complaint, in my view, would justify not releasing planning permission."

News of the ombudsman's investigations come before an extraordinary general meeting of the Ledbury Markets of Fairs Company Limited, current owners of the Cattle Market site.

The meeting is to smooth the way for the developers Shaw Homes (HA) Ltd to take on the site and build the new hospital.

The meeting will take place in The Feathers Hotel, High Street, Ledbury, on Friday, July 21 at 3.30pm.

If planning permission were to be suspended, the shareholders would effectively be giving up the site to Shaw without the sale being subject to planning permission, namely for the hospital.