A planning application to provide affordable social housing on wasteland close to Bridge Street is being opposed by Ledbury Town Council, as another example of proposed "infill" development.

The council has battled against a number of infill planning applications in recent months while waiting for the Unitary Development Plan to come into full force next year, which would give Herefordshire Council more power to say no to developers.

An application for four one-bedroom flats and two two-bedroom flats has been submitted by the Festival Housing Group of Malvern, the parent company of the Elgar Housing Association, which owns the 0.224-hectare site, to the west of Long Acres.

Simon Vick, development manager for Elgar Housing Association, said: "The land on which the proposed development would take place is currently used as an informal car parking area. This has been subject to continual nuisance problems, such as fly-tipping and abandoned cars.

"The association believes the development will make a much better use of this land by providing affordable and rented accommodation, while improving the existing car parking provision."

An amended application to turn the two two-bedroom flats into one big bungalow has just been submitted.

The town council objected to the first application on the grounds that the development would be too close to existing properties, that a proposed new car park would have an adverse effect on its surroundings and that a existing private drive would be unsuitable for vehicular access.

Coun Peter Watts, chairman of the town council's planning and economic development committee said of the amended plan, which would create five new dwellings instead of six: "I'm still not happy about it. It's still an infill site and I don't want it to go ahead."

Meanwhile, this week the developer who had his planning application for 12 new houses off Albert Road turned down in April, said he wasn't sure whether or not he would go to appeal over Herefordshire Council's decision.

Mr Barry Connally, of Rural Homes, wanted to demolish two existing homes and build 12 new properties and an access drive on the site.

He said: "Frankly, there may be better things to do than appeal. We have so much going on."