HEREFORDSHIRE'S first neighbourhood plan has been adopted.

Weston-under-Penyard has been praised for completing the plan, which has been hailed as a "significant achievement".

It follows a referendum in February where residents were asked whether they wanted Herefordshire Council to use the parish's plan when deciding on planning applications in the area.

More than 96 per cent voted in favour of adopting the plan.

Introducing the Neighbourhood Plan to full council, Cabinet member Cllr Harry Bramer said the project was the result of a great deal of hard work.

"It's the first of 97 to be adopted. This is a real achievement," he said.

The other communities in the county are receiving support from the council's neighbourhood planning team to draw theirs up.

Fellow Cabinet member Cllr Philip Price said: "I am delighted that the council has approved the Weston-under-Penyard neighbourhood development plan.

"It is the first of its kind in the county and is the culmination of over two years of committed work by the parish council, the neighbourhood plan steering group and the local community.

"I congratulate them on this significant achievement. This will now form part of Herefordshire's overall development plan and maintains momentum for other parishes who are playing a key role in supporting the sustainable growth of the county."

However, the plans were described in last week's Hereford Times as "futile" by John Bothamley, the chairman of Hereford Civic Society.

"Parishes of about 250 people are clearly too small to create a Neighbourhood Plan on where they might like to see housing and the community improvements that go with it such as schools," he said.