Ledbury Town Council has made history by voting to hold a local referendum on plans to rebuild Leadon Bank OAP home.

At a meeting on Thursday, members said this would be the first referendum in the town in living memory.

Shaw Healthcare Trust, which runs Leadon Bank on behalf of Herefordshire Council, plans to build a new home fronting Orchard Lane. Once this is completed, the existing home will be demolished to make way for a car park.

Opponents believe the new multi-storey development would be too tall, too dominant and too close to the road.

After a meeting at the Market House on Wednesday, August 3, they voted unanimously to ask Ledbury Town Council to call a poll.

Once a formal request has been lodged by the town council, Herefordshire Council has up to 60 days to call a vote.

Town councillors will now press the authority to delay a decision on Shaw's planning application for the redevelopment.

It is due to go before the planning committee on Friday, August 26, but the council wants that delayed until after the referendum.

However, in a statement this week, Herefordshire Council said it still intended to make a decision on Friday, when there would be time for public representations.

The referendum process will cost the town council around £3,500, but Coun Tony Bradford said: "I have not met anyone who wants this to go ahead, people I see on a daily basis and even those outside the community are horrified. Yes, it's a lot of money, but what about the morals of it."

Coun Peter Watts said: "I'm very pleased to see that the council is backing the public."

Concerns have been expressed that if permission to redevelop and upgrade facilities at the home is not given then it might have to close.

Stephen Crisp, of Shaw, said it was contracted by Hereford-shire Council to develop the scheme and it would be down to the council to decide what to do if the plan was refused.

"I've got every confidence a sensible decision is going to be taken," he said.