Town council objects to 3,500 new homes on border

2 hours ago

Gavin McEwanLocal Democracy Reporting Service

News image — The proposed Glynchbrook development would create 3,500 new houses near to Ledbury

PA Media Construction work ongoing at a building site for a new housing development — The proposed Glynchbrook development would create 3,500 new houses near to Ledbury

A Herefordshire town council have formally objected to plans for a new town on the county's border with Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.

Forest of Dean District Council is taking views on creating 3,500 new homes by junction 2 of the M50.

Ledbury Town Council agreed to formally object to the Glynchbrook development over concerns residents of the new town would rely "heavily" on its amenities.

The rural location of the proposed development would mean Ledbury would be the nearest settlement - sparking fears that it would limit public transport options and create more congestion.

Councillors debated the development at a meeting on Thursday, concluding that it would have "significant and potentially harmful impacts on the town and its surrounding area".

Their submission claims the scheme, to create what would amount to a town larger than Bromyard, is "developer and landowner-led", with "no evidence [of] strategic analysis and thought leadership" from authorities to assess the site's suitability.

The nearby villages of Redmarley d'Abitot, Playley Green, Lowbands and Pendock "are physically detached from the proposal site", it points out.

But a meeting in Redmarley last month drew around 200 residents largely opposed to the plan, which they urged the district council to drop.

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