A COUNTY group which puts unwanted furniture, household goods and clothing to good use plans to take on a large new premises to boost its work.

Herefordshire Community Environment Group, which also uses the name Herefordshire Community Reuse and Recycling Group, is a community interest company (CIC) which diverts items away from landfill.

These are instead donated to those in need in the county, including homeless people and refugees, or sold to raise funds.

It is seeking the change of use (planning application (241195) of an industrial building, at Wye Valley Court on the Rotherwas industrial estate southeast of Hereford, with a floorspace of around 1,000 square metres, into a store and small shop for donated goods.

The first floor would meanwhile be used for offices and training. There would be no additions or changes to the fabric of the building, the group’s application says.

It changed its registered address to the Wye Valley Court building last month.

The council’s development manager Simon Withers had earlier said that planning permission would be required for a change to “storage use with ancillary retail”.

The application has already drawn nearly 30 messages of support, with no objections.

Comments can still be made via the planning webpage until June 14.