TWO Hereford councillors have posted flyers marked 'urgent' calling for objections to a proposed unit for recovering alcoholics.

Whitecross residents were contacted by Rev. David Short and Mary Bew, who have also circulated a petition opposing plans for Wooldridge Court, Pomona Place.

They decided to send the flyers and write a letter of objection to planners on residents' behalf when they discovered no representations had been made to Herefordshire Council.

Their petition asks Central Area Planning Committee to ensure 'the refurbished and re-modelled Wooldridge Court is not given planning consent for the proposed six self-contained units of supported housing for people recovering from alcohol misuse'. It has also been sent to Lord Scudamore Primary School, near Wooldridge Court.

Whitecross resident Graham Muldowney, who works in social care and has experience of alcohol misuse, objects to the flyer. In a letter to planners and The Hereford Times he asks if the councillors have expert knowledge of alcoholics who he says need support from society. He has pledged to do anything he can to support the development.

The councillors say they are in favour of the first part of the application, for 15 self-contained units of intensively managed or supported transitional housing for single homeless people, but are 'gravely concerned' about the units for people recovering from alcohol misuse.

They say recovering alcoholics shouldn't be near Sainsburys, which has an off licence, and fear relapsed alcoholics may embarrass parents with their children and nearby Jamieson Court's elderly residents.