The chairman of Herefordshire Council has said he would be "surprised" if Ledbury's Millennium Garden was demolished to make way for a new toilet block.

Coun Peter Harling said that although the garden was a possible location, but the authority was looking at other options.

He said: "It's been earmarked, but it won't be there. Nothing has been resolved yet. It was the preferred site, but I would be surprised if it was there."

His comments follow anger from Ledbury Town Council's chairman of planning, Coun Martin Eager, that the Millennium Garden, at the entrance to Bye Street car park, is even being considered.

The garden, which will also contain the town's Millennium time capsule, will be the final site visited by Britain in Bloom judges on July 14.

But Ledbury will be in need of new toilets when work begins on building the new hospital on the Cattle Market site, perhaps as early as the autumn.

Construction work on the hospital will mean the demolition of the existing toilets in Bye Street.

Coun Eager said he would fight "tooth and nail" to make sure an alternative was found to the Millennium Gardens.

He said: "This year, it will be a full garden. Next year, it could be a patch with a few flowers on. It cannot be allowed."

Coun Eager suggested that the recycling skips on St Katherine's car park could be moved to the waste site off Little Marcle road.

He said: "It's an ideal space for toilets, with no parking spaces lost."