Several planning applications have been lodged with Herefordshire Council, which one local resident believes would add up to the largest application, by area, that Herefordshire has ever seen.

The series of planning applications are based at Biddlestone Orchards, near Llangarron. The applications, although all separate are all inter-related and together form part of a comprehensive project to re-establish a fruit-growing enterprise at the former Biddlestone Orchards, which will become known as Biddlestone Farm.

Earlier this year a public exhibition of plans for polytunnels, a storage unit, accommodation for up to 240 seasonal workers, a pump house and a new access road at Biddlestone Orchards, Llangarron took place at Llangarron Village Hall.

The meeting on Tuesday, February 28th was organised by the planning consultants Aspbury Planning Ltd on behalf of the applicants and landowners, Frank and Mark Green, and there was a good attendance reported.

At the time they explained that the workers on the site will be housed in 120 two person units called ‘pods’. The developers say that the key to the successful establishment of the enterprise is the securing of planning permission for the erection of fixed (non-rotating) polytunnels over soft fruit grown on ‘table-tops’ (growing trays supported at a height of about one metre, which contain a bagged growing medium in which the soft fruit plants grow).

All the other development proposals, that is: the formation of the new surface water balancing ponds; the change of use of the land to create a seasonal agricultural workers accommodation facility; the upgrading of the access/egress to/from the A4137 and driveway; the General Purposes (GP) agricultural building; the Pump House and associated Water Storage Tanks; and, the lorry Loading Dock; are directly dependent upon, and required for, the soft fruit growing operation under polytunnels.The applications are as follows, P173780/F - P173779/F, P173778/F, P173777/F, P173776/F , P173775/F and P173774/F. To comment on a planning application visit Herefordshire Council website at www.herefordshire.gov.ukSee the full story in this week’s edition of the Ross Gazette, or subscribe to our online edition here