PLANS for new houses on a back garden in New Street are typical of what Ledbury can expect in the future.

That is the view of Herefordshire councillor Barry Ashton, who said builders will change the face of the town with infill housing unless a major site is made available.

Mr Ashton said the council's draft Unitary Development Plan (UDP) is unrealistic in trying to rule out any new major developments in Ledbury before 2011.

He said: "The demand for housing is there. You can't get round the situation.

"Infill will significantly change the face of the town, unless a significant area for development can be fed into the system. Otherwise, we will get six years or so of back garden developments."

Westbury Homes has already demolished a property in New Street and replaced it with a small housing estate and there have also been attempts to demolish and redevelop property in Albert Road as a 12-home estate.

The latest planning application for New Street is for three, three-bedroomed chalets to the rear of Elm Cottage, which will be retained. The application is from the Malvern developers Severn Vale Homes.

Peter Watts, chairman of Ledbury Town Council's planning committee, said that the Government's policy of recycling sites for development, using so-called brownfield sites, meant it had to refuse planning permission for infill developments.

"Infill sites will take-off and we are just at the thin edge of the wedge," he said.