AN EARTH barrier built without permission by a Hereford sport’s club is being removed by council workers today.

The 600-metre earth bund, which contains rubble and waste, was built by Hereford City Sports Club in 2005 without planning permission.

The Grandstand Road club later submitted two retrospective applications which were rejected by planning committees.

An appeal was rejected by an independent planning inspector and Herefordshire Council offered to remove the bund, and charge the club for the work.

Malcolm MacAskill, the council’s head of asset management and property services, said: “Finally, after actively working with the club to explore every option, the council has been forced to remove the bund itself and we will need to agree a phased repayment from the club for the cost of the work.

“At the end of the day, we have to uphold the law and because the bund was unauthorised and potentially a hazard, it had to go.”

Hereford City Sports Club President Tim Block said he would continue to work with the council to ensure the club had a future.