WE urge residents to make their views known on Herefordshire Council’s farreaching plans for the urban expansion of Leominster.

The growth rate proposed over the next 20 years in the council’s Local Development Framework far outstrips the level of growth proposed for the other Herefordshire market towns.

The recently revised target of 2,300 new houses is equivalent to the future housing targets of Ross, Ledbury and Bromyard added together – an increase in the size of Leominster of more than 40 per cent.

Under the plan a substantial area of agricultural land between Barons Cross Road and Ivington Road would be developed along a new access road leading south west from Morrisons effectively placing the supermarket as a new urban hub.

The thinking behind this – similar to the scenario at Hereford – is that money generated by sale of the new houses will be used to fund the building of a relief road via a developer tax of £33,000 per house.

The weakness of this plan is that a development on the scale proposed would generate a large increase in local traffic for which the relief road/southern bypass will offer no relief.

Added to this the high cost of the new homes seems certain to put them out of the reach of local people.

We believe Leominster needs a manageable growth rate that focuses on affordable housing to meet local need. It does not need the kind of overkill development favoured by the county council leaders.

The deadline for residents to make their views known to the council is November 28. This can be done via email to ldf@herefordshire.gov.uk or by post to LDF, Freepost-Forward Planning, Herefordshire Council, PO Box 4, Plough Lane, Hereford HR4 0XH.

Leominster Town Council is to hold a public meeting on these issues on Wednesday, of which details will be publicised.

COUN FELICITY NORMAN and COUN JENNY BARTLETT,

Leominster.