A MOTEL that 'looked like Lego' and was the colour of 'cold custard' got the go-ahead from planners because it meant business.

Any reservations the county's central area planning sub-committee had about the design of the 40-bedroom travel lodge at Grafton, just south of Hereford, were outweighed by benefits brought to Rotherwas industrial estate.

William Lyons, of Hereford and Worcester Chamber of Commerce, told the sub-committee that a motel built on to the Grafton Inn was ideally placed to serve the Rotherwas relief road and those 'customers and suppliers' using it.

That, said Mr Lyons, meant 'easily accessible' accommodation meeting 'constant business need'.

There was support, too, from area tourism groups. But not all future neighbours were convinced, their key concerns being location and necessity.

The committee broadly agreed to back the plan in principle provided officers worked with the applicants Barrington Inns Ltd over its key concern - design.

Councillor Polly Andrews (Lib Dem/Holmer) said the plan she saw on paper 'looked like Lego' and compared its colour scheme to 'cold custard'.