THE Ministry of Defence is understood to be withdrawing from a firing range in Ross-on-Wye making the area safer and more accessible for its new Hildersley residents.

Town and ward councillor Ed O’Driscoll said recently that he had “been informed that the Ministry of Defence is exploring options to cease use” of Ross Ranges, also known as Tank Meadows, next year, “and is considering future opportunities for the land”.

Lying immediately east of the town beyond the former southbound railway track, now the Town and Country Trail, the range has been the source of gunfire and even helicopter noise, including at night, for many years, Cllr O’Driscoll said.

But its continued use conflicted with promises to residents of the recent 210-home Orchards development which homeowners believed that they would get a footpath linking the estate with the Town and Country Trail.

This route from Bedford Way “would provide a much safer pedestrian link to Ross, avoiding the need for residents to use the busy main road”, according to Cllr O’Driscoll, who has been pressing the issue on behalf of residents.

“At the moment there is just a path to nowhere and this news from the MoD may help unlock progress on the long-awaited footpath project,” he added.

When the Orchards development was first constructed by David Wilson Homes five years ago, a key condition of the planning approval was the creation of a safe pedestrian link from the Ross side of the estate across open countryside to connect with the town. This commitment was formalised through the monies paid by the developer to the local authority.

But despite the MoD objecting to the planning application, stating that noise from the firing range would generate complaints from the new occupants, which would ultimately impact on use of the range, the scheme was approved.

But the footpath ends at the development boundary because the MoD did not give permission for it to be built on its land, despite the path having planning permission.

But now Cllr O’Driscoll said he understood that once the firing range has been decommissioned, the site could itself become a candidate for housing development.

Cllr O’Driscoll said previously: “Sadly, the footpath has not been delivered and ends after just a few metres at the boundary hedge.

“For residents, the result is deeply unsatisfactory. They’ve moved into a development where a promised link, that’s central to how the estate connects with the wider town, simply does not exist.”

At a recent gathering of residents Len Blinston explained that he’d only moved to the Orchards development because it was going to have a direct footpath into town, avoiding using the A40.

He added: “It’s deeply disappointing that the promised footpath hasn’t materialised. I’m hopeful that it can be achieved if the various bodies agree a solution to the problem.”

Cllr O’Driscoll told the assembled residents that he didn’t believe this was an insurmountable problem and added: “With a bit of forward-thinking, we should be encouraging active travel, improving connectivity, and enhancing quality of life for residents.”