Views sought on plan for hundreds of homes in Hereford city centre

People in Hereford are being asked how they would like to see the city’s Merton Meadow area transformed.

Currently mostly car parks, the area to the north of the city’s historic centre is earmarked for large-scale redevelopment, expected to include hundreds of new homes for key workers and others.

Now Herefordshire Council is asking residents, businesses and visitors for their views, which it says will inform the design of this new “urban village” – including how it should look and what types of homes and other facilities it should include.

Ahead of this, work to create a series of nature-rich, publicly accessible ponds and wetlands to the north of the Merton Meadow, to address the area’s historic flood problems, is due to be completed by the end of this year, funded by a £2 million government grant.

“Addressing the flooding issues will unlock the area for future development (of) up to 400 new homes,” the council said.

The public consultation starts on Thursday July 17, with drop-in sessions at the city’s Maylord Orchards centre between noon and 8pm, where slots are bookable ahead of time.

It will then run online on the council website from July 18 until the end of August.

The council’s Cabinet member for economy and growth Coun Graham Biggs said: “I would encourage everyone, whether a local resident or visitor to Hereford, to share their thoughts and views on what this should look like and what’s needed for this pioneering new development.”

But he cautioned: “There is still a long way to go before any firm ideas for the regeneration of the area are developed.”

Initial proposals for the scheme, by a design team led by Manchester-based Buttress Architects, are due to be considered this autumn and will be guided by the consultation responses, the council said.