CONCERNS over social housing, land protection and sports provision gave Ledbury's draft Neighbourhood Plan a less than ringing endorsement from town councillors, at last week's full town council meeting.

Debate was particularly heated over the lack of the phrase "social housing" in the plan, which Cllr Tony Bradford called "a cop out".

He said: "I can't see anything on social housing in this document; nothing at all."

When hearing that 40 per cent of all new housing would be affordable, and around ten per cent of that would be social, to comply with Herefordshire Council's own new planning blueprint, The Core Strategy, Cllr Bradford said: "In practice, it's just not happening. Affordable housing is not social housing. Social housing is spelt with a 'S', not an 'A'. The phrase social housing is not in here. I'm sorry, but unless it is identified separately, it's a cop out."

Ledbury's mayor, Cllr Elaine Fieldhouse, said there was "no way" the town's Neighbourhood Plan could go against the aims of the Core Strategy.

She said: "If we go against the Core Strategy, the Neighbourhood Plan will never be passed.

"It has to comply with Core Strategy. We are being guided by that."

Cllr Bradford replied: "So we are being blackmailed. The Neighbourhood Plan is what the people have said they want, and believe me, the people want social housing. Talk to people with no roof over their heads!"

Other councillors were also concerned about the apparent lack of social housing provision in the plan.

Cllr Andrew Manns, referring to the ten per cent apparently allowed for social housing in the 40 per cent allocated for affordable housing said: "It's a very poor percentage. The people who need the housing are not getting it."

But he also understood to urgency of getting the plan sent to Herefordshire Council and out into the public area for further consultation, because of "predatory shark developers" eyeing up Ledbury.

The plan is one of the town's planning blueprints for the next two decades and, when fully in place, could serve as a legal defence when it comes to refusing any further unexpected developments in the town.

Under Herefordshire Council's Core Strategy, Ledbury was earmarked for 800 new homes, but the final figure is now likely to be in the region of 2000.

Cllr Matthew Eakin said: "In the situation we find ourselves, it would be foolish not to erect a cogent rationale for a legal defence, and that is what the Neighbourhood Plan represents."

Other councillors raised concerns about the apparent lack of land for new sports provision in the Neighbourhood Plan.

Cllr Bob Barnes said in reply: "There is no land allocated for sports facilities. No landowner in Ledbury would give permission. We cannot allocate land without the owner's permission."

Cllr Liz Harvey raised concerns over the lack of protected land around the town's boundaries, and she and other councillors asked for a separate meeting, so the Neighbourhood Plan could be discussed in more detail by town councillors, before being forwarded to Herefordshire Council.

Cllr Nina Shields said: "We need a focussed meeting specifically about this".

And Cllr Jane Hopkins said: "An urgent meeting would be really useful."

But Cllr Annette Crowe said this was "delaying tactics" and she added: "We need to protect Ledbury. This plan is the next tier that protects us against predatory developers."

Town councillors voted to submit the plan to Herefordshire Council, for 'Regulation 16 Consultation", with seven councillors voting in favour, seven abstaining, and two against.