A SHOPKEEPER has come under fire for drawing up home building plans that would double the size of his village.

Jim Yeomans of Almeley said he expected 'flak' over his scheme to build 110 affordable houses for young people on a 10-acre site - and he is getting some.

He has had protests from opponents - including two customers who cancelled papers at his shop.

But Mr Yeomans says he is delighted to have received a lot of support for his bid to prevent the rural community becoming solely the preserve of pensioners.

"I'm getting comments both ways. A lot of people feel quite joyful about it. The people who oppose the plan are retired incomers who don't want anything to change," he said.

A woman who telephoned the Hereford Times to protest about the scheme - but who declined to give her name - claimed some local people were being made ill with worry over the proposals.

Simon Withers of Herefordshire Council planning department said he had received telephone calls from concerned residents. But the council had not received a planning application.

Mr Withers said he was aware Mr Yeomans had been mooting such a housing scheme for some time. "A development of that scale would require some exceptional justification because it would be outside the village settlement boundary," he added.

Dave Long, planning agent for Mr Yeomans, said there had been a misunderstanding about the date for submission of plans between himself and his client. He expected plans would be lodged with the council in four to six weeks.

"Mr Yeomans is in deadly earnest. He believes there is a clear housing need," said Mr Long.

They so far had the names of 47 people in housing need, said Mr Long. Those on housing waiting lists who wanted to live at Almeley were being urged to specify Almeley on their records.