Divided reaction to 1,600 homes plan near town

A shopkeeper has thrown his support behind plans to expand a Herefordshire town after claiming the area was "dying".

Simon Powell, owner of Motif in Leominster, told a public meeting that fewer people were using the high street due to online shopping and his business had lost nearly a third of its trade in three years.

He made his comments about plans to build 1,600 homes and a relief road on farmland to the south-west of the town.

But, at the same meeting, farmer Ben Andrews said, if the plans were approved, the area would lose grade one land which he used to grow "just about anything on".

Addressing the meeting of more than 200 people, organised by Leominster Civic Society, Powell said: "Our trading is down 10% year-on-year, so in three years we have lost 30% of our trade, and, at the end of our five-year lease, we will have lost half.

"The shop will close because it's no longer financially viable. When I am asked, 'would you like 4,000 more customers', I say, 'yes please'."

But Andrews countered his comments, adding: "The developers' own report says most of the land is grade one, meaning you can grow just about anything on it.

"There's very little of that in the West Midlands and it's less than 3% of all UK farmland.

"So we will lose some of the best farmland in the region."

Agricultural land is graded for its quality, with grade one being the most fertile and productive.

Those at the meeting were told a decision may not even be decided this year, by councillor Mark Woodall.

He told residents the bid for outline planning permission was alongside a proposal for full permission for an Aldi supermarket at the north of the site, which would not require extra new roads.

But if the Aldi part of the bid was refused, he said this could then jeopardise the wider plan for the eastern parcel.

Already more than 200 public objections have been published to each of the two planning bids, on which comments are still being accepted.

Leominster Town Council is expected to finalise its own submission at a meeting on Monday.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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