A decision about the development of five new houses on the site of the Chestnuts, the former care home in The Avenue, Ross, was deferred at the meeting of Herefordshire Council Planning Committee on Wednesday, October 30th.

The applicant withdrew their application after taking on board local residents' concerns. A new consultation will soon be starting with new plans for the site.

The Chestnuts is one of a number of large mansion style Victorian buildings in this road, which has a large post-war extension and a relatively large curtilage. It is within Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Ross-on-Wye Conservation Area.

All five proposed houses are the same size, with four bedrooms, they will front onto The Avenue and have an attached flat roofed garage and rear garden.

There is a stone wall covered in ivy on the southern boundary facing onto The Avenue which the Senior Building Conservation Officer considers to be a positive feature which should be retained.

For the full story please see this week's Ross Gazette.