MORE than 100 homes and businesses could be built on the site of a Hereford trading estate.

Councillors will visit the site before deciding on the proposal for Holmer Trading Estate, off College Road.

If permission is granted, all buildings on the estate will be demolished and replaced with 18 one-bedroom flats, 68 two-bedroom flats, five three-bedroom duplex apartments and 24 four-bedroom town houses.

A section of the Hereford to Gloucester canal which passes through the site will also be re-opened.

This would directly assist in the reinstatement by Herefordshire Council of the canal at Aylestone Park and could provide further momentum for the inclusion of a canal and basin as part of the Edgar Street Grid (ESG).

The proposal also features over 7,000 square metres of office, industrial, storage and distribution space, 660 square metres of retail space and 70 square metres of café space.

Development of the site would also mean alterations to the road system which serves it. A new roundabout would be built to serve the site and traffic lights would be installed to control traffic flows on College Road north of the railway bridge and south of the site junction.

Members of the central area planning sub-committee said, although they had been shown an excellent presentation detailing the outline application, such an important and large proposal warranted a site visit.

Graham Preston, of Hereford Residential Developments, told the meeting the estate was "coming to the end of its life as a useful employment location."

"It is inadequate for use in the 21st century and needs to be changed sooner rather than later," he said.

Mr Preston said some firms would be offered new premises at reduced rental levels and that, when complete, the estate would compliment the proposed ESG.

The application is likely to reappear before councillors sometime in July.