Plan for nine new homes along with industrial units in Eardisley dropped

A plan for nine new homes along with industrial units in a North Herefordshire village has been dropped, nearly a year and a half after it was put forward.

Commercial vehicle garage and recovery firm Tech Trucks UK submitted its plan to redevelop its three-hectare site at The Old Sawmills, Eardisley south of Kington in August 2022.

The seven two-bedroom and two three-bedroom detached and semi-detached houses were to “provide modest homes for local families”, its application said.

It also planned a new industrial unit, MOT building, wash bay and access road for its own use, enabling the business to expand.

But several residents objected that there was no provision in the proposal for a nursery and parking for it, as called for in the village’s development plan.

The Environment Agency objected over the flood risk, rated as “high” for the southern part of the site, asking for more evidence that the development would be safe over the 60-year lifetime of the industrial units given their proposed floor levels.

Eardisley group parish council backed the plan, as “reasonably priced accommodation is much needed by the local community”.

But it acknowledged residents’ concerns over the lack of a nursery, and felt the plan did not include enough room for drop-off and collection for the neighbouring primary school.

It pointed out that the site has changed hands several times since it was earmarked for development in the neighbourhood plan of 2016, “and intentions of successive developers have evolved”.

Herefordshire Council has now formally recorded the application as withdrawn.