A HOUSING charity which won a planning battle to build 32 new homes on town grassland has put the 1.8-hectare site up for sale for £1m.

More than 50 residents protested to county planners about the Ross Alms House Charity’s scheme beside Cawdor Gardens.

And the Victorian society also opposed the demolition of the 165-year old Cawdor railway arch to provide access to the new homes.

But Herefordshire planners gave the go ahead in 2020, and now the charity has put the sloping Cawdor Arch Road site, which is surrounded by existing homes, up for sale, with agents Jackson Preece marketing it for offers in the region of £1m.

Full planning permission exists for one four-bedroom home, 10 three-bedroom homes, and eight two-bedroom homes for sale on the open market, plus six three-bedroom and seven two-bedroom affordable homes.

The Victorian Society described the railway arch as “a structure of quality…. that with its echoes of triumphal arches and Roman aqueducts shows the noble scale and ambition of Victorian engineering.

“It would be impossibly expensive to build today – once it is gone it is gone forever,” said the heritage group’s Christopher Costelloe.

But traffic safety concerns, including the difficulty of emergency and service vehicles accessing the site, which connects Greytree Road and Homs Road, led to its removal being approved.

Residents also protested the loss of an open space which supports wildlife, including protected species like slow worms, and is used by children to play on.

The charity, which can trace its roots back to the 16th Century, said the sale of the land for the development would help fund more accommodation for needy people in the town.

Financial benefits of £166,000 from Section 109 agreements include £48,200 for John Kyrle High School and £20,558 for a clubroom and changing facilities at Ross Rugby Football Club, plus dedicated junior football pitches and changing rooms at Ross Sports Centre.

Around £43,000 will go towards providing sustainable transport, while £16,964.79 will go to local health services.