IT has been called an eyesore and a green monstrosity; but Ledbury's new electricity sub-station looks set to stay, and the question local people are now asking is, - how can we hide it?

One strong voice raised against the sub-station, on St Katherine's car park, in the centre of the Ledbury conservation area, is that of former town mayor, Mary Cooper, a stalwart of the Ledbury Civic Society, who called the sub-station "a green monstrosity".

Miss Cooper, who has written a letter with her concerns to the town council, said: "It is in the wrong place, next to listed buildings. It is ugly and it's too big.

"This is a hideous thing, and something needs to be done."

Town councillors recognise that Western Power have a legal right to build sub-stations where they are needed, without planning permission.

Speaking at a meeting last week, Cllr Allen Conway said: "They have a right to build a building twice as big, without planning permission, because they do not need it."

Cllr Liz Harvey, a Herefordshire councillor for Ledbury, said: "We were assured it wasn't going to be obtrusive and a eye-sore.

"We feel thoroughly cross and let down and lied to. I can't believe we've been left with this tin shed, and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

"It is absolutely shocking."

The sub-station is close to the medieval St Katherine's Hall and it faces the fifteenth century Master's House, which has been restored as a £3m project and is set to re-open as the town's new library in the New Year.

Cllr Jayne Roberts said: "Let's find some decent screening, because the sub-station is horrible."

Cllr Annette Crowe suggested writing to Western Power to ask them "to pay towards the cost of screening this monstrosity."

This was agreed by the town council.

The former sub-station, next to St Katherine's Barn, also a medieval building, was closed when the barn was sold recently.

For several years, town councillors and the Civic Society raised concerns that water run off from the old sub-station was damaging the timber base of the ancient barn.

Michael Clarke, corporate communications officer with Western Power said: "The relocation of the substation at St Katherine’s Car Park, which delivers electricity to homes and businesses in the centre of Ledbury, was carried out upon request from Herefordshire County Council.

"The substation has been moved at no cost to the Council, to an area which the Council allocated to us. The vacated land, next to St Katherine’s Chapel, a listed building, has been handed to the Council. We have been liaising with them throughout this process."

He added: "We have accelerated our work to move the substation as quickly as possible to reduce disruption. The work also enabled us to upgrade some of the equipment within the substation to secure supplies well into the future.

"Any suggestions concerning visual improvements to the substation will be considered."