A FORMER garage site in the centre of Ross-on-Wye could make way for 14 new homes if Herefordshire planners agreed to the scheme.

The Gardener Butcher Garage in Kyrle Street ceased trading just prior to the covid pandemic lockdown and has since deteriorated over the past five years.

The 0.26 hectare brownfield site comprised of a former MOT bay, garage and workshops, parking areas and outbuildings, but some of these have since been demolished.

The application, made by Mr Tuckwell, is seeking permission for three, three-bedroom terrace dwellings, eight two-bedroom apartments and three single bedroom apartments along with 14 off road car parking spaces.

The site drops considerably from west to east and north to south, with a large stone-faced retaining wall to the rear of the site.

The site had previously been granted planning permission for residential development in 2009, however this has since lapsed.

The buildings on the site had a mixture of distinctive styles ranging from brickwork and painted render properties, semi-detached and detached two and three storeys and all fronting directly onto Kyrle Street.

The layout of the proposed development has been carefully designed to be reflective of the development pattern of the existing surrounding area. It is suggested that the dwellings, which have been designed to exceed current building regulation requirements for thermal performance, will follow the existing contours of the land without need for major earth movements.

The dwellings will be highly insulated timber framed walls and roofs with continuous external insulation to eliminate cold bridges within the structures.

A number of objections have been raised by local residents with Herefordshire Council which reflect the problems of the town’s sewage system being at capacity.

Ann Harridence pointed out that the proposed new properties’ sewage will run into the drains in Brookend Steet which have already shown they do not have the capacity to deal with the current number of properties connected to the system, let alone an additional 14 properties.

Charmaine Danter added: “We already have insufficient drainage in the area. When it rains, the water rushes down Kyrle Street, into Broad Street and then floods Brookend Street. This results in sewage erupting from the drains.”

The application states that the proposal would delivers 14 new homes in a sustainable town location, which will help sustain the existing community and its facilities.

"The scheme is a high-quality design which is informed by its context and reinforces local distinctiveness."

Herefordshire Council is expected to make its decision by October 9.