SAFETY fears have been raised over plans for a landmark development containing 500 new homes in a market town.

Mayor of Bromyard Fred Clark fears that lives might be in danger if the Hardwick Bank homes are built without a safe pedestrian route into town.

Bovis Homes Limited and Mosaic Estates has submitted an outline planning application for a sustainable urban extension on land at Hardwick Bank containing 500 homes, open space, allotments and landscaping; school expansion land; areas of children's play; sustainable urban drainage infrastructure; internal roads and link road; and associated infrastructure.

However, councillors met to discuss the development on Monday when they chose not to support the development until five hectares of employment land has been identified to accompany the plans.

Cllr Clark said that a bigger issue is the safety of pedestrians accessing Bromyard from the development from Tenbury Road.

He said: "Unfortunately the pavement from the development is not wide enough and this problem hasn't been addressed.

"The current footpath is only wide enough for one person and not a parent with a pushchair or children who might be pushed onto the road.

"We can't risk people's lives coming into Bromyard."

The development would have two main access points- one from the A44 which would see the building of a roundabout and the other off Tenbury Road which would have traffic lights.

Plans for the homes were first revealed at an exhibition in November when local residents first raised fears over whether the town's infrastructure could cope with the additional pressure.