MYSTERY remains after enforcement action over a driveway installed without planning permission was reportedly dropped.

September's meeting of Stoke Lacy parish council heard that planning enforcement action over a driveway in the parish has been discontinued by Herefordshire Council, according to minutes

But Herefordshire Council has not explained why the enforcement action was dropped, despite repeated requests for comment from the Hereford Times.

Draft meeting minutes said parish councillors had considered a recently communicated decision from Herefordshire Council's planning team to discontinue enforcement action over a driveway at Stokes Hill.

The property is currently accessed by an alternative, shared access off the Little Cowarne road.

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All members "strongly believe" that use of the access onto the A465 at Stokes Hill "presents a real danger" to other road users, the minutes said, with councillors resolving to submit a formal complaint to Herefordshire Council's planning team requesting they reconsider their decision.

A retrospective planning application for the retention of the driveway submitted in July 2021, was refused by planners in January 2022, with the refusal notice stating that the "continued presence of the track encourages the use of a sub-standard access representing a severe adverse impact to highway safety".

A previous application submitted in 2019 to retain the vehicular access and driveway, which had been built in 2018, was refused by planners and at appeal, save for retaining the historic access to the A465, which had previously been a gate into a field.

An enforcement notice was issued by Herefordshire Council in June 2020 over the unauthorised vehicular access and drive, with a design and access statement submitted with the latter application saying that the applicant had complied with the order to remove the gates, pillars, and wall at the A465 end of the drive, replacing these with wooden field gates.

"However, it is considered that the driveway is now so well established with the existing fields that to remove it would cause unnecessary ecological damage to the habitat that has formed there," the statement said, claiming that it has a "minor impact on the landscape character".

But an objection submitted by the parish council in 2021 said there had been a number of crashes and near misses in the area of the driveway due to poor road layout, reduced visibility, and regular speeding.

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Councillors said they felt the driveway poses an "unacceptable risk" to its users and drivers on the A465, and "significantly increases" the likelihood of serious crashes.

They further said the splays are not sufficient to ensure safe access to and from the A465 and that the driveway splay between the road and the gates is not deep enough to allow a long vehicle to move off the highway while opening and shutting the gates.

An October meeting of the parish council heard that the clerk had written to Herefordshire Council's head of planning to ask for a copy of the complaint procedure requested by members but has not received a response.