Social tenants to be used as ‘human shields’

Social housing tenants would be used as ‘human shields’ to protect privately-owned homes from noise pollution, if current plans for 275 houses in Ledbury are approved.

Herefordshire Council has so far deferred deciding the scheme for land south of Leadon Way.

The High Court quashed a reserved matters approval for the Barratt West Midlands scheme on a technical matter relating to noise last year.

Ledbury North councillor Liz Harvey raised concerns over the new design at last week’s planning committee meeting.

“If members look at the diagram in your report you can see that the residents in the affordable housing, in the way it has been laid out, are being used as human shields to protect the privately-owned houses from the cheese factory and bypass noise,” she said.

“Is this the sort of behaviour condoned by this new council?”

Ledbury town councillor John Bannister said the new estate would look like a walled fort and would be an insult to the local landscape.

Steve Humphry, speaking for Ornua Ingredients UK, who own the nearby cheese factory said they had to object to the plans because of its inadequate layout.

Simon Stanion, speaking for the applicant, said the balance was in favour of approving the plans and that the proposed mitigation meant the majority of the site fell below the noise level requirements.

“The environment officer has no objection to the proposals providing the mitigation is put in.”