TWO large housing developments and a controversial energy storage plan are among a bumper caseload to be decided on by Herefordshire councillors.

Lagan Homes of Oxfordshire applied in June 2023 to build 44 houses, 18 of them classed as social or affordable, on four hectares of grassland, north of the A40 Gloucester Road and east of Weston under Penyard.

Recommending Herefordshire Council’s planning committee approve the scheme, officer Heather Carlisle says in her report that it has several points in its favour including being ‘well located’ on a site earmarked for ‘much needed’ local housing.

But the plan has drawn nearly 30 public objections, mainly over transport and its integration with the busy A40.

A rather different housing proposal has been made by Larkrise Cohousing, which sought approval in September 2023 for a 20-home scheme on a sloping site at Much Birch.

The mix of market-sale and affordable homes was also to include a ‘common house’ with shared facilities leaving the individual houses ‘slightly smaller than usual’, while orchards and allotments were to be provided outside.

Planning officer Ollie Jones is recommending approval, saying the scheme’s visual and landscape impacts are manageable and otherwise it has no identified adverse impacts.

But it has drawn a petition with 50 local signatories objecting, along with around 25 individual objections.

Also controversial locally has been the plan put forward in May 2023 by Novus Renewable Services to install an array of large batteries to store electricity from intermittent renewable sources, which has prompted over 60 objections.

Its location next to the Peterstow Gas Compressor Station west of Ross-on-Wye has been a particular source of concern.

But National Gas Transmission has withdrawn an earlier objection while the Health & Safety Executive does not oppose it either, it too is recommended for approval.

The meeting is scheduled for 10am on Wednesday, March 19.