A plan to expand Hereford by more than 500 houses has been given the green light, despite worries over flooding and traffic.

Councillors on Herefordshire Council’s planning committee voted to approve Bloor Homes’ bid for outline permission to create housing, employment land, a community hub and public open space on 44 hectares of farmland immediately south of the Lower Bullingham area, and west of the Rotherwas industrial estate.

The site “has already been allocated for strategic growth”, while the scheme can be accommodated within the landscape “without significant adverse effects”, planning officer Heather Carlisle told the committee.

Recommending they back the bid, she said the main issues “have been addressed to the satisfaction of key consultees”, both inside and outside the council.

These included flooding and drainage, with watercourses running through the site forming part of the green infrastructure network, while buildings will be kept to higher ground to the south, Ms Carlisle explained.

The main road access to the site would be from a new roundabout on the B4399 Rotherwas link road, while there would be more direct access into town for cyclists and pedestrians via Green Crize / Hoarwithy Road and Lower Bullingham Road, which otherwise would be stopped up to through traffic.

Bloor Homes planning director Nick Rawlings called it “an important proposal for Hereford” for which there was “support, though not always stated”, including from those seeking their own homes locally.

Local ward member Coun Dave Davies said streets to the north, up to and including Holme Lacy Road, are prone to flooding, “which can last for three or four days”, and would lose some road access when this happens, while new residents will “jump in their cars” to get to shops elsewhere, adding to traffic.

The committee voted to approved the scheme, with no objections and three abstentions.