The final part of our look-ahead to what's expected to be built in Herefordshire in 2023 looks at the developments in farming and the countryside.

A decision on a plan for an anaerobic digestion plant off the A417 near Newtown, capable of turning chicken waste in to gas for 6,000 homes, is expected by the end of March.

This could contribute to solving the problem of waste from the county's many poultry units polluting rivers and streams. But with over 120 objections lodged against the plan, it is far from universally welcomed.

Meanwhile two other controversial farming plans in Herefordshire will be decided on by government inspectors shortly.

A planning appeal will take place later this month on a previously refused bid to build six chicken sheds covering nearly two hectares and housing up to 312,000 broiler birds at a time at Green Farm, Lyonshall.

This originally drew over 150 objections before being refused permission last March on environmental grounds.

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And a plan to put up 30 hectares of polytunnels at Biddlestone Farm, Llangarron, has been passed to a planning inspector who will decide shortly on whether to overturn Herefordshire Council's refusal of the scheme in 2021.

The plans drew over 600 objections at the time, including from four parish councils, these focussing on the tunnels' likely visual, traffic and environmental impact.

Meanwhile a part-retrospective bid by Ledbury-based soft fruit grower Haygrove to install up to 6.5 hectares of new tunnels on fields at its Huntington farm by the Welsh border, with 18 workers' caravans to be placed between them, has yet to be decided on.

As we reported under infrastructure, several solar farm projects under way in rural Herefordshire are providing farms with a potentially lucrative alternative land use.

Meanwhile another trend of diversifying rural properties, by providing an intriguing variety of new “glamping” accommodation around the county, shows no signs of abating.

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