A PLANNING application has been submitted to Herefordshire Council for the first phase of a 460-home development to the north of Hereford.

The council's planning committee approved outline planning permission last year for 460 homes off Roman Road to the west of the A49.

Bloor Homes Western has now applied for reserved matters planning approval (regarding the remaining details) to build the first stage of the development of 82 homes at the site known as Holmer West.

The application said: "The means of access into the overall site was considered and therefore approved as part of the outline application. Vehicular access into the site is to be taken from the Roman Road to the south and the A49 to the north east of the site."

Preparation work has commenced on the new highway access off the Roman Road, which will serve a new primary street through the site to the A49.

The first phase is for 82 new houses of various sizes and tenures incorporating affordable provision.

There will be six two-bed, 21 three-bed and 38 four-bed available on the open market.

There will also be affordable provision in intermediate housing, which are homes for sale and rent provided at a cost above social rent, but below market levels- there will be six two-bed homes and four three-bed homes.

Then there will be two one-bed, five two-bed and one three-bed available for affordable rent (affordable rent is subject to rent controls that require a rent of no more than 80 percent of the local market rent).

A green area around the edge of the site to the southeast is proposed to be kept in the plans.

The plan said: "The layout utilises the green corridor and landscape strip along the southern boundary to soften the development and in the case of the former also provides a visual corridor through to the open countryside to the north. Selective planting is again proposed within that area."

A Section 106 agreement has been made between Bloor Homes and the council, through which the developer said it will provide more than £3.5 million in funding for local services and community infrastructure.

Steve Roberts, regional managing director at Bloor Homes Western, said: "As well as delivering a wide range of much-needed new homes, the scheme will contribute towards significant improvements to the local transport network, including provision of a new park and choose facility for the city, and funding for the Western Relief Road.

"Holmer West has been designed to encourage and promote green methods of travel, and includes a network of new pedestrian and cycle routes through the green open space on the site."