Locals in a Herefordshire town have had a first chance to see, hear and comment on a huge new housing development. But it appears few are entirely sold on the idea.

At the public consultation on the 1,500-home “land south of Leominster” proposal in the town’s Sports & Social Club, retired resident Cliff Bloomfield said the area around his home to the southwest of Leominster had already flooded extensively last winter, adding that the river Arrow, to the south of the proposed development site, “can’t cope”.

“We need new houses somewhere, we are grandparents and we get the issue,” he said. “But this will also bring two and a half, maybe three thousand more cars onto Herefordshire’s already busy roads.”

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Lecturer and nearby resident Heath Barclay wondered “who will buy all these houses” given that approval has recently been granted for a 350-home development at Barons Cross to the west of the town.

Health workers present also said they worried “who will look after” the thousands of anticipated new residents.

Kate Holden, associate at planning consultancy Pegasus Group which is leading on the bid, said the development “offers some good things – a park a school, a community hub, they will be lovely places”.

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She added: “We are committed to the affordable housing, and will be guided by what Herefordshire Council want.”

The development site “has been in the local plan for years, without anything coming to fruition”, but now with the “impetus” from land promoters Richborough and Satnam Investments, an outline planning application is likely to be submitted by the end of the year, Ms Holden explained.

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Even if successful, this could take up to a year to be decided on given the scale of the proposal, followed by further months while the details of the scheme are also approved, Richborough regional director Joe Jones said.

“So it could be early 2027 before building starts, and a decade before the final phase is complete.”

But a lack of recent building in the town has left “a backlog of demand” for housing, he said.