HEREFORD may have to take half of the 16,600 homes expected to be built in the county by 2026, according to a new draft plan for regional development.
Herefordshire Council’s cabinet has heard that those numbers would mean making a major investment in services the city offers, with members fearing for the future of “remote” rural communities as a result.
Cabinet was debating the latest draft of the West Midlands regional spatial strategy, which dictates future development patterns.
The strategy shows Hereford as one of its key regional growth areas over the next 20 years, and, as such, is expected to take at least half of the 16,600 homes expected to be built in the county in that time.
Council leader Councillor Roger Phillips told members that the “tremendous pressure” on the city’s existing infrastructure meant major investment had to be made in the kind of services needed to support so many homes, such as the new river crossing and outer distributor road already proposed.
*For full story see the current edition of the Hereford Times.
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