Despite officers recommending that developers Persimmon could start building a new housing development in Ross before installing a roundabout on the A40 the application was refused by Herefordshire Council Planning Committee.

Planning approval was granted by the then Southern Area Planning Sub-Committee in April 2008 for 87 dwellings on a site bounded by Tanyard Lane and a modern housing development which lies to the north, the A40 to the east, Rudhall Brook to the south and modern housing to the south-west.

However it was subject to a Planning Obligation/Section 106 agreement. One of the conditions being that a roundabout must be built on the A40 to access the site before work could start. At the planning meeting on Wednesday, March 14th the committee discussed a new application from the developers to start work on 40 houses before building the roundabout.

Ross County Councillors, Phil Cutter and Andrew Atkinson argued strongly against this. They were concerned about safety on the A40 and the unnecessary disturbance that would be caused to the residents of Chatsworth Close.

The developer was seeking to defer the construction of the roundabout for a period of 12 months to enable up to 40 dwellings to be constructed (not occupied) with a temporary construction access provided. The developer proposed using an existing farm gate entrance in the north-east corner of the site as the temporary construction access.

The dwellings erected would not be occupied until such time as the roundabout has been constructed.

At the meeting on March 14th Councillor Cutter held up a piece of paper with £148,000,000 written on it. He said the figure was the company's profits but the developers were asking for the change in permission to cut costs in difficult economic conditions. He argued that cost should not be an issue and that the roundabout had to come first.

Councillor Atkinson said:?"It is not right, aside from the many safety issues, the disturbance that would be caused to residents is completely unnecessary, they must build the roundabout first which is further away from residents' homes and will cause less disturbance."

The two Councillors started and closed the debate which resulted in a refusal of the new planning permission contrary to the Case Officer's recommendation.