A HEREFORDSHIRE Council decision to approve plans for 45 homes in Bromyard has been referred to the secretary of state for housing.

The county council approved Keepmoat Homes’ proposals last month to develop the former depot site on Hereford Road.

The scheme comprises 27 homes for sale on the open market and 18 affordable houses with open space and landscaping.

It was given the go-ahead on December 18, but a concerned resident contacted North Herefordshire MP Bill Wiggin who has referred the application to Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government James Brokenshire, the Land Registry and the council’s chief executive.

Bromyard and Winslow town councillors who object to the plans said the scheme was ‘unsafe due to evidence having been presented by two residents that the applicant does not control all of the land within the proposed development’.

They say this information was not brought to the committee’s attention.

Town mayor Roger Page said: “Solicitors acting for local residents sent evidence of land ownership prior to the committee, which was not reported to members.

“This, taken with the lack of employment land, tilts the planning balance against a change of use of existing employment land and under the 1947 Wednesbury Judgement a decision to grant consent under these circumstances cannot be regarded as being reasonable.

“In addition, because Bromyard requires 5 hectares of employment land under the 2015 Core Strategy it is argued that to give consent for housing on 1.6 ha of existing employment land is perverse and unreasonable.

“I am very sad the council did not take into account sound reasons for refusal.”

A spokesperson for Herefordshire Council said they had not received a challenge to the decision of the planning committee to grant planning permission for this development.

The planning committee approved the proposals with 11 votes in favour, two against and one abstention.

The scheme includes a large public open space that will include a play area, and a pedestrian and cycle route which will allow access to the high school.