A planning application for nine houses at a site at Howle Hill, which is currently used as a nursery, has been submitted to Herefordshire Council. Peter Dowle’s proposals are for two semi-detached houses and a mix of three to five bedroom houses at Waters Edge on Sharman Pitch.

The site has very limited parking and there is no capacity for larger delivery vehicles to park or turn within the premises, so larger vehicles are forced to park on the road.

The applicant wishes to expand his business and, due to the constraints of the site at Howle Hill, has moved part of the operation to a new premises in Huntley. The aim is to completely relocate the nursery to the new premises.

Chartered Surveyor, Jonathon Preece, was asked to advise on the suitability of the site for employment use. He said that the principal access road is relatively steep so vehicles delivering to the site unload in the road, and he also believes that articulated lorries could have difficulty accessing the site due to the tree canopies over the lanes.

Mr Preece added that this is not land which he considers would be in demand for employment use as, he said there is an unusually large number of other potential sites available for consideration in the Ross area, including Model Farm, Broadmeadow, Alton Street and Wolf Business Park.

The applicant believes that this proposal for nine dwellings lies in a sustainable location within the village of Howle Hill and is a contemporary attractive scheme of mixed dwellings with opportunities for enhanced landscaping and ecological benefits. Residents have until April 18th to comment on the proposals which planners are expected to determine by May 6th.See this week’s paper for more stories like this, available in shops and as a Digital Edition now.