Parkway residents are fighting plans for a storage park for up to 200 caravans at Noad Farm, off the busy A417, two miles outside Ledbury.

Eight people have expressed concern to Herefordshire Council, ahead of the northern area planning sub-committee meeting on January 29. If consent is granted, the caravans would be stored in three existing agricultural buildings and outside on hard surfacing.

Protester Mel Lockie, of Rose Cottage, Donnington, said: "This is next door to an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Also access to Noad Farm is on a blind bend of the A417."

Mr Lockie also called for the three buildings earmarked in the plan to be kept for agricultural use. He said information obtained from the Caravan Storage Site Owners' Association indicated a site of this size would lead to "up to 40 caravan movements a day".

Another protester, Jennifer Davies, of Park Barn Farm, said the A417 was a corridor for traffic to the M50.

"With caravans coming out a beauty spot could be turned into an accident black spot," she said.

Ledbury Town Council has recommended the plan for approval, subject to the highway authority being satisfied over safe access. Herefordshire Council planning officers visited Noad Farm on Tuesday, January 14.

Council chairman Peter Harling said: "I think the planning officers are recommending approval. The objectors have made a good submission and I accept that they are worried about access and accidents. I shall speak about that at the meeting."

John Heard, of Noad Farm, said the figures quoted for caravan movements by the protesters were inaccurate. He said the true figures amounted to "an average of two caravan movements a day, with a peak on one day over the May Day Bank Holiday of about 15".

He said: "As we live on the site, with no immediate neighbours, we are more concerned than anyone else that there is no perceivable environmental effect from this change of use."