WOODEN fencing is now in place at Hereford's doomed Three Counties Hotel as demolition looms.

The fencing has now been placed around the perimeter of the site, behind the existing metal barriers.

Passers-by can no longer see much into the site, with most of the view now covered.

This comes after a lorry labelled with “plywood” appeared at the site on Tuesday.

Demolition crews are set to move in after planning permission was granted to build a Lidl supermarket on the grounds of the former 60-bedroom hotel.

So far, there have been no direct signs of demolition on the site, but activity has been seen as lorries and at least one workman were seen entering the site on Tuesday, which was surrounded by barriers.

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The final vote to approve the plans for the new supermarket came after more than two hours of heated debate by Herefordshire Council’s planning committee on March 14.

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The planning permission process received over 40 objections, and a previous larger plan submitted by Lidl for the site received over 1,100 signatures.

Local councillor Kevin Tillett told the meeting that locals’ big objection was the impact on traffic and said the submitted traffic studies “beggar belief” as the A465 “can't absorb the traffic at the moment”.

The hotel had also been “an iconic and much-loved social hub” before its closure a year ago, he added.

After the hotel's permanent closure last year, a contract was accepted with the Home Office to house asylum seekers, all of whom have since left the building.

The hotel was operated by Serco, a contractor of the Home Office, with Herefordshire Council working with local partners and the community and voluntary sector to support the asylum seekers coming to the county.

The asylum seekers, who were all men, were accommodated at the hotel on a full-board basis, with support on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week, along with security staff present.