Objections to plans for up to 250 homes in Withington A4103

Land promoter Gleeson Land has submitted an application (262949) seeking a screening opinion from Herefordshire Council on whether its proposed development on an 11.5-hectare area of farmland at Withington would require a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The council has since ruled that the scheme would not require a full EIA.

If brought forward, the development would provide up to 250 homes, including 84 affordable properties. Planning consultants Pegasus Group previously said the scheme would deliver a range of "high-quality and sustainable" homes aimed at families, first-time buyers and older residents.

However, the proposals have attracted strong opposition from local residents, many of whom have raised concerns about flooding, pressure on services, traffic and the impact on the character of the village.

In a joint objection, Liz Goodall and Martin Stanton, of Duke Street, said Withington "cannot take any more development".

They warned that further housebuilding could have a damaging effect on local wildlife.

"We have an abundance of wildlife here in Withington, but by developing our village more, we will be losing a lot of that wildlife," they wrote. "We should be protecting our wildlife instead of destroying it."

Marisa Waghorne, of Whitestone, said the area had experienced repeated interruptions to its water supply and questioned whether existing infrastructure could cope with a development of this size. She also highlighted concerns over flooding, increased traffic and noise.

Matthew and Hannah Collis-Long, who live near the proposed site, said they had "serious concerns" about both the scale of the development and its long-term sustainability.

Mr Collis-Long said he feared the plans would place additional strain on services that were already under pressure.

"I am deeply concerned that this proposal risks permanently changing the character of a rural village while placing further strain on infrastructure and services that are already struggling to meet the needs of the existing population," he wrote.

Similar concerns were raised by Paul Nicholls, of Whitestone, who said water leaks and power outages were already a regular occurrence.

"The infrastructure of the village is already stretched," he said. "We see on a weekly basis water leaks due to the pressure placed upon the system and power outages, simply because homes and businesses have been built and the support has not increased."

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Hazel Cooke, of Vine Tree Close, said she could see "no positives" in the proposal and feared it would cause "carnage" in the village.

Christine Saunders, also of Whitestone, said she was worried the area's water infrastructure was unable to cope with further development. Having previously experienced flooding, she questioned where additional surface water would go if hundreds more homes were built.

Nick Watkins claimed residents were being left with "more houses and less green areas", while Ash Vaughan cited flooding concerns and questioned whether developers wanted to turn it into a "council house haven".

Scott Dean described the plans as "outrageous", saying recurring water leaks and power cuts had left him concerned about placing further demands on local services.