A plan to build five homes on a once-popular Herefordshire country garden have been refused for numerous reasons.

Aspire Enterprises of Walsall proposed building the homes in a courtyard formation on the garden at The Bannut, Bringsty, on the A44 east of Bromyard, which had previously been open to the public.

But drawing on various objections from council officials, planning officer Josh Bailey criticised the proposal’s “inappropriate scale, layout and appearance” and the houses’ “close proximity and general uniformity”.

This would affect the area’s landscape, including when seen from Bringsty Common, and on the setting of nearby historic buildings, he said.

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He was also concerned that, without evidence to the contrary, the planned new access onto the A44 would “represent an unacceptable risk to highway safety”. Nor were the submitted plans for waste water compliant with county policy.

There was a lack of an ecological survey setting out potential harm to protected species, nor had a statement on the likely impact on nearby trees been provided.

And the size of the houses, four of four bedrooms and one of three, “would not reflect the mix of development required to meet local need and demand”, Mr Bailey said.

Ward councillor Nigel Shaw had requested the application be decided on by the county’s planning committee, but this was refused.

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