Plans for three eco-friendly holiday cottages rejected

A bid to build three eco-friendly holiday cottages in the Herefordshire countryside has been refused.

Herefordshire’ Council’s planning officer had recommended approving the single-storey properties on a disused field by Haynall Lane, between Brimfield and Tenbury Wells.

But the application drew 13 objections from seven households, five of whom were represented and the council’s planning committee by nearby resident David Edwards.

Citing potential noise pollution, light pollution and privacy issues, he said: “They are not aesthetically pleasing, they are proposing wooden barns with tin roofs.”

Children on bikes from the holiday cottages would be a danger on the roads, while the proposed new trees “would block people’s views”, he said.

Brimfield and Little Hereford parish council warned that the field “is extremely boggy” adding: “Previous applications have been refused due to drainage issues. Nothing has changed.”

However, no objection was made from specialist consultees on drainage or ecological issues, planning agent for the applicant Ed Thomas pointed out, who said that pre-application advice from the council had given encouragement to the scheme.

The houses would be “exceedingly energy-efficient” and would “address the dearth of holiday accommodation in Herefordshire for those with mobility issues”, he said.

“High-quality holiday accommodation is crucial to the Herefordshire economy.”

However planning committee councillors were unpersuaded. Ward councillor John Stone noted that their location entailed “reliance on private car to access services, and would also bring traffic from delivery vehicles”.

Planning committee chairman Coun Terry James said: “I fear we will get a number of these sort of applications and they will eventually be turned into residential accommodation in open countryside.”

The proposal was unanimously rejected.