A plan to build a 350-home estate alongside a sensitive Herefordshire nature reserve has provoked an outcry from the groups which own it.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust says the Lugg Meadows nature reserve, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI) and ecologically important floodplain meadow east of the city, would end up with a lot more visitors, along with “dogs and cats, noise, light pollution and traffic”.

The reserve is also home to rare animals and plants including the curlew, at risk of becoming locally extinct, and the striking snake’s head fritillary.

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The river Lugg itself, designated a special area of conservation but already under huge pressure from pollution, could also be threatened by runoff from the planned development, the trust warned.

Hereford Times: The rare curlew and snake's head fritillary would be threatened by the neighbouring development, conservationists warnThe rare curlew and snake's head fritillary would be threatened by the neighbouring development, conservationists warn (Image: Imran Shah; xhere.com)

Its nature recovery manager Sarah King said: “Lugg Meadows is an absolute jewel of Herefordshire’s natural history, and one of very few traditionally managed, ecologically rich floodplain meadows in the UK.

“To date, we have just about managed to balance the visitor access with conservation of wildlife. But having a major new residential area right alongside will be devastating for the sensitive plants, birds and animals that call the nature reserve home.”

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The trust’s concerns are shared by conservation charity Plantlife, which owns part of the reserve.

Its policy manager Jenny Hawley said the planned estate “would risk irreversible damage to this precious, sensitive ecosystem through increased water pollution, noise and light pollution, road traffic and footfall from visitors”.

Consultation on the estate plan, submitted by local developer STL Group, continues until April 13.