Plan for 350-home ‘urban expansion’

An application to build a 350-home estate on the edge of Hereford has been put forward.

The 25-hectare site, to the north east of Huntington and bounded by Three Elms Road (the A4110), Roman Road (the A4103), and the Yazor Brook, is currently farmland.

According to indicative figures in the outline bid, by the Church Commissioners for England, who manage the Church of England’s property assets, the 350 would be split between 24 one-bedroom homes, 73 with two bedrooms, 158 with three, and 95 with four bedrooms.

These are indicated on the application as being for market sale. But a Church spokesperson said that “up to 35 per cent” would be affordable homes in accordance with council policy.

“The affordable housing provision, along with any other developer contributions, will be secured via a Section 106 [planning gain] agreement,” he said.

Herefordshire’s core strategy, the county’s key planning document adopted in 2015, calls for a minimum of 1,000 homes within the Three Elms Western Urban Expansion, “comprising a mix of market and affordable house sizes and types”, with a “target” of 35 per cent to be affordable.

The masterplan for the site shows the homes split roughly equally either side of a new linear park running from Roan Road .to the Yazor Brook.

Described as “the first phase of an urban extension”, the plan also includes a transport interchange, open and play space, landscaping and infrastructure.

It would require a new roundabout on Three Elms Road south of Huntington Lane, and a new junction on the Roman Road between Tillington Road and Bovingdon Park.

Herefordshire Council’s planning page for the application, numbered 222138, states: “We are not accepting comments for this planning application.”

A consultation on the plan took place locally in November last year. But the website associated with this appears to have been taken down shortly afterwards.

The council has been approached for comment.