Village housing bid threatens values

A bid to build affordable homes in a historic Herefordshire village faces opposition from locals worried about the effect these would have on their house prices.

The application has been submitted to build two “starter homes” and a four-bedroom house on a two-acre site, currently a livestock field, in King’s Pyon, near Weobley.

The houses would be “modest-sized” and “would resemble designs approved for the sites elsewhere in the village”, according to the application.

The plan takes into account the earlier recommendation from a council planner to provide a mix of house types including smaller dwellings, it says.

But it adds: “Unfortunately, little support was offered by the parish council, who sympathised with the local residents who considered that low-cost housing would reduce their house values.”

King’s Pyon is listed in the county development plan as a settlement “where proportionate housing is appropriate”, and this is acknowledged in the area’s neighbourhood development plan, the application states.

“There exists a serious shortage of affordable living accommodation in small Herefordshire villages such as King’s Pyon,” it adds.

It rejects local claims that there is no need for new housing in the village.

The application is also for a new road access, nine parking spaces, a sewage treatment plant and soakaway.

Though small, King’s Pyon is rich in built heritage, with 11 listed buildings.