Dear Editor,

I read with interest the report on page four of last week’s issue about an application for outline planning permission to build 14 houses at Castle End in the Lea. It is an application that is almost identical to one that was quite rightly rejected by the Planning Inspector last May, having first been scaled down from a more-ambitious scheme to construct 28.

The reason why the previous application was refused by the Planning Inspector on appeal was due to very real concerns over what is known as the Unilateral Undertaking. This is an agreement which binds all the parties involved in a planning application to the obligations it imposes and, in particular, to the payment of Section 106 money to Herefordshire Council - cash that the council can use to fund local amenities.

The Planning Inspector was not satisfied that a Unilateral Undertaking that could be relied on was in place, which was why he dismissed the appeal.

I stand to be corrected, but so far as I can see no dependable Unilateral Undertaking accompanies this latest application either. On this ground alone the application should therefore be rejected.

A further reason to oppose it is that if it is granted, the next step may be to revive a proposal to develop housing on the opposite side of the A40, next to Lea’s highly-regarded and much-loved primary school; a scheme that was firmly opposed by villagers the last time it was advanced.

I am sure it would be opposed with equal vigour were it to be brought back to life.

Steve Banner,

Lea