PROTECTING the town's boundaries and making sure new housing developments are right for Ledbury are firmly on the agenda for the town council, which is taking the initiative.

One priority is to get the Neighbourhood Development Plan improved so that it includes a settlement boundary - something it lacks at the present time.

Clear boundary lines would help to limit future speculative development in Ledbury, because a Neighbourhood Plan has legal force as a planning blueprint for the next two decades.

Town Clerk, Angie Price said: "An approved settlement boundary would provide legal force to the types and locations of development – whether housing, business, infrastructure such as sporting facilities, medical centres and new schools – felt most appropriate by the people of Ledbury."

She added: "The current plan is undergoing a process of refinement with a particular objective to include a settlement boundary which meets the examiner’s requirements. The council’s Neighbourhood Development Plan Working Party has produced a proposal document, approved by council, to invite consultants to help with the technical aspects of this work.

"This is being sent out this week. As soon as firm details of how the working party will proceed, once tenders have been received, they will be published."

But Ledbury is already set to expand to the north, south or west, because developers have spotted possible opportunities.

And a proposed 635 home housing development to the north of Ledbury viaduct is actually in accordance with the Core Strategy, which is Herefordshire Council's planning blueprint for the next two decades.

The town council and many local residents are worried about this, because only one public access is proposed, off the busy Bromyard Road, where traffic jams are not unknown, particularly where the road joins the Hereford Road, by the railway bridge.

As a result, the town council will ask residents what they think about the planned single access point by calling a parish poll, probably in July.

And town councillors will be happy to discuss this issue on Saturday, June 8, during Community Day "when there will be plans and information available for residents to view".

But some Ledbury residents want progress not delays with developments.

Work is still stalled for the planned 275 home Hawk Rise estate in Ledbury, to the south of town, although developer Barratt says it has been working hard to respond to concerns raised about noise and drainage, and these issues could be resolved shortly.

Barratt stopped building work on the site last summer after Meadow Cheese won a judicial review, having raised concerns about the noise levels from its nearby factory.

Ledbury resident, Tessa Oakley, posting on the Voice of Ledbury Facebook site, said: "Personally I wish they would finish Hawk Rise as some will be affordable houses."

And Tina Lloyd said: "We need more housing unless you're going to stop the population breeding!"

But other residents are concerned about Ledbury expanding beyond its traditional boundaries and want to turn back the clock.

Jim Smith said of the Hawk Rise development: "It would be less of an eyesore if they just turned it back to green and abandoned it."

But wherever the new boundaries are drawn, other residents say that Ledbury's situation is not an isolated one.

Robert Greening said: " We've had 'boundaries' before; they mean bugger all.

Money talks,its the same all over the country, with housing estates being put up by the thousand.

"Ledbury is no different."