Ewyas Harold New Town ?

[greenknight]

Ok so I'm going to pitch this because I'm keen to hear the views of Hereford Voice. I've given it some thought over the weekend and I just wonder whether it might be a better idea to create a new town not necessarily at Ewyas Harold rather than submit demands on existing villages or blow out the boundaries of Hereford.

What's your view?

[Roger]

What's your view?

 

My view is what you viewed on the Local News tonight! 'The Dog' pub made me remember the smoking ban publicity if I'm honest. 

 

If you want my honest answer then what do the local existing people want? Or what will they be prepared to accept re: any expansion? 

[greenknight]

Well I think if most people are honest with themselves they don't want to see any house building full stop whether that's in their village, town or city but this is not an option. I'm actually in favour of creating smaller new development villages rather than assimilating an old village into a new town.

If the right infrastructure is put in place people would move in based on the grand visions of a few archetypes and the Herefordian public could have a true say on how it should look.

[Denise Lloyd]

The locals might have a say but they are not listened to.  Most people accept there has to be houses and each village should bear the burden.  It was originally in the Core Strategy that houses would be built per pro the number of houses in each village.  What villagers get upset about is when developers move in with grand ideas of building say more than 20 houses in one lump with promises of how it will bring a village together and what wonderful things new houses will bring to an area.  When in actual fact it is probably the first time these people have ever been to the area  Proportional growth and gentle infill .  

 

I can see where JB is coming from but Ewyas Harold is a very prosperous successful village so I am not quite sure it is the right place.  

 

There are other links to this on other forums.

[Clarkester]

In my opinion, not that it counts for much, if this sort of development has to go ahead, then to make any sense it needs to be on existing decent travel links.

Which does make the Ewyas Harold / Pontrilas area very attractive - especially if Pontrilas's railway station is re-instated.  Good links to Hereford and onwards.  And also into Wales.

Another place worth considering would be between the roundabouts of the A40 and end of the M50 at Ross, good road links, but this time with no real chance of any rail links (highly unlikely that the Hereford - Ross line will be rebuilt!)

How about Moreton-On-Lugg/Wellington Marsh?  Again, decent road link and the potential of reinstating rail links from the old MOD land.

As I say, only my opinion...

[Cloudberry]

Spot on about the importance of decent road or rail links, Clarkester! You are right about the M50, it seems to be under-used at the moment, even though it also has access close to Ledbury.

 

To my mind the siting of any potential housing sites should first consider the exisiting assets. Once gone, that's it for ever. Don't build on top grade soils or irreplaceable landscape/wildlife sites, or sites with a particular heritage.

[Aylestone Voice]

If you use the argument about not building on high quality farmland or on any irreplaceable landscape/wildlife sites etc. then there will be no more development in the County other than on cramming up our already congested city, towns and villages.

[greenknight]

You see for me that didn't take long. A few comments down and by the time you have filtered out all the usual reasons not to build your left with almost no options as AV points out.

This forum site is littered ( probably the wrong phrase) with housing topics not least the southern link road, Three Elms etc but at the moment nothing happens pushing up values of existing property and the resulting difficulties for the young wanting to leave the parental clutches again as discussed on other threads.

 

Personally the Ewyas Harold ideal would be difficult to swallow for many however lower scale new village development would not, but it would involve possibly the acquisition of farmland. Yes a valuable loss for food production but regarding wildlife well sadly heavy use of fertiliser and pesticides reduce biodiversity and that system of agriculture exists in Herefordshire.

 

This A465 corridor between Abergavenny and Hereford will feature heavily on this site over the next few years as will possibly the road out to Ledbury. On the one hand there will be a requirement to improve both the national road and rail links to and from the west and on the other side a better route to the under used M50 as pointed out though I'm starting to see more traffic on this road.

So if there is a road and perhaps rail or maybe in even a tram system working an east west county route why not infill with smaller new villages feeding off this network. A system and lifestyle for the young that need these transport models for work and pleasure.

 

Having read some of the ideals laid down by the Hereford Civic Society I believe some of it might not be pie in the sky. It may push population growth to the South/SE/SW of Hereford however this might just give those true Herefordians who want things to remain unchanged a choice but one that might mean moving to the North or North West of its reaches. Seeking out retirement in the quieter parts of this beautiful county but at least being able to do so without be forced out of county or country!

 

Please don't get the wrong idea because I'm not and have never been a supporter of blanket concrete laying or cramped little boxes but we all need to give a little bit with our ideals.

[Denise Lloyd]

I understand what you are saying Greenknight and AV.  However the developers and HC have to learn to work with the locals.  The locals know the areas and know the need for housing in that area more than anybody - they know how long houses take to sell they know youngsters want to live in town where the night life is they know what the upside and downside of living in the area is.  For a developer to come along and do a 2 bit consultation having never spent any quality time in the area is also a bitter pill to swallow.  

 

Housing surveys are so out of date how any accurate facts and figures can be given out is a total mystery.  The last Housing Survey carried out in Kingstone was in 2008 - 7 years ago.

 

People want bungalows developers won't touch em they are not lucrative enough and should any be built other worthy causes are housed in them and so there is still a need for bungalows.

 

Sadly HC through no fault of us Joe Public (we've paid up our Council Tax) are so cash strapped a nice big planning application arrives on their desks and ching ching money money to get HC through another month.  Poultry Houses PA's HC charge at least £30000.00 just to look at them.

 

How many developers do you see planting 200 300 houses in their back gardens not too many.  This is what the village needs we'll get it pushed through people will get used to it - of course the locals fight against PA's and it is all because of the attitude of Herefordshire Council and the more the locals resist the more money it costs.  

 

One property expert is Kirstie Allsopp she knows what she is talking about and people should listen and act on what she says.

[greenknight]

Hi Denise..when Mrs Knight and I moved out of our North Herefordshire Village last year they had just about finished there plan for new housing in the parish yet as soon as an application came in for just a dozen properties there were complaints ...all the usual stuff. I found it embarrassing but it was really about being selfish and the complaints were coming from people who had retired into the County and village after all "accept me but not those that follow".

 

It was refreshing for us moving to Tupsley to find out that our local Councillors and residents agreed on a plan for housing near the school yet here we go again the developer all be it a new one wants to add a few more..

[Cloudberry]

So it sounds from what Denise says, that the process goes like this. HC would like to encourage as much building as possible because each planning application brings them loadsamoney. Therefore they are happy to propose 16500 houses across Herefordshire whether we need them or not.  We are told it’s the only way to bring jobs and prosperity to Herefordshire. But if the jobs go to the construction industry and the prosperity is split between constructors/solicitors/etc. and HC, how does that help the ordinary person? How can we be sure the extra dosh will go to Libraries etc.? And when the construction phase is finished, what then? -  how do you sustain the “prosperityâ€?

 

The new homes at the Furlongs off Roman Road seem still very slow to sell, so is there really such a demand? Nor is the Enterprise Zone expanding very quickly.  Are we at risk of having many homes built that are not actually needed in this location, like happened in southern Ireland?

 

I stand by the importance of not ruining nationally rare top grade soils and our unique wildlife, (which does not include all of the the rural County).  In most counties no-one ever hears a cuckoo anymore and many people don't realise how special Herefodshire is. On the edge of the city I hear cuckoos, skylarks, yellowhammers, etc. every year, but once gone, they are likely to be gone forever.

[dippyhippy]

Where are the "up to 800 homes" that were supposed to be on the "Urban Village" development???

 

A mix of housing, from 1 bed flats, to 4 bed town houses, and a 60 bed care home.

 

Are these coming after the extortionately priced link road to nowhere has been completed???

 

The plans for this "village" are dire. A complete lack of imagination or innovative design. It really stands for what urban development SHOULDN'T look like.

 

However, planning was granted back in 2013, I believe..... and apart from a few on Conningsby Street...... very little has happened.

[Maggie May]

I think the proposal by the Civic Society was at least refreshing in that it was actually looking at different ideas. I think Clarkester makes some really good points about transport infrastructure, and I think looking at the rail network is very interesting as there could easily be railway stations at Pontrilas, Tram Inn and a friend tells me that there is an operational freight station at Moreton-on-Lugg - could this also become a passenger point? Add the Rotherwas Railway station and these proposals could really make a difference to new and existing residents to Herefordshire.

Rail travel means that the local council doesn't have to subsidise services, it is much more sustainable (you can take your bike on the train - think how this would help promote sustainable tourism to the areas around Pontrilas and the Black Mountains) and journey times are not affected by car congestion.

With more and more older people moving to Herefordshire for retirement, if the Council are determined to build the 16,500 houses mentioned by Cloudberry, then surely this will make the Council's budget much worse as Cllr Johnson keeps saying all of our Council tax goes on adult care and that is why there is no money for libraries, maintaining the existing roads, and for bus services.

I must admit I think that the proposals make as much sense as the ideas from Herefordshire Council and so there should be a proper debate. As it is it seems that developers are deciding where all the new housing is going as apparently the Council keep saying they dont have a "5 year housing land supply" and so new houses can go anywhere in Herefordshire. 

I see a property developer from Pontrilas is busy proposing building all over Hereford City (I think he was behind the 100+ houses on the edge of Aylestone Hill) and is now proposing a big older peoples development at Whitestone, near Withington. How this will help these new residents get to doctors; shops; hospitals I dont know, unless he is also looking at opening up the old railway station at Whitestone? Perhaps with his knowledge of Pontrilas and Ewyas Harold he could design more developments in his local area rather than putting them on other villagers doorsteps!

[greenknight]

So it sounds from what Denise says, that the process goes like this. HC would like to encourage as much building as possible because each planning application brings them loadsamoney. Therefore they are happy to propose 16500 houses across Herefordshire whether we need them or not.  We are told it’s the only way to bring jobs and prosperity to Herefordshire. But if the jobs go to the construction industry and the prosperity is split between constructors/solicitors/etc. and HC, how does that help the ordinary person? How can we be sure the extra dosh will go to Libraries etc.? And when the construction phase is finished, what then? -  how do you sustain the “prosperityâ€?

 

The new homes at the Furlongs off Roman Road seem still very slow to sell, so is there really such a demand? Nor is the Enterprise Zone expanding very quickly.  Are we at risk of having many homes built that are not actually needed in this location, like happened in southern Ireland?

 

I stand by the importance of not ruining nationally rare top grade soils and our unique wildlife, (which does not include all of the the rural County).  In most counties no-one ever hears a cuckoo anymore and many people don't realise how special Herefodshire is. On the edge of the city I hear cuckoos, skylarks, yellowhammers, etc. every year, but once gone, they are likely to be gone forever.

 

Herefordshire is probably the least populated County in England, South Worcestershire alone is minded to look for twice the number of houses. The development at Roman Road is a shining example of how to cram things in and it doesn't matter where you go this is the current ideal that developers work towards after all the land costs but going upwards i.e. three stories, ultimately gives you a better return on your investment. I'm not saying it's right but that's how it goes. Why would you buy one of these, I wouldn't when there is currently choice in Herefordshire but this will change. An even worse development can be found near Ross on Wye but let's be honest that's about it the whole county over the last eight years. More houses have probably gone up in Worcester alone during that time.

I beg to differ about Rotherwas because there is development here and its growing.

As I'm writing this I can hear a Raven and your right Cloudberry Herefordshire has a lot to offer but it could be far better. Yellowhammer and Skylark numbers are in decline and we can't blame that on development and as for Cuckoo well we have no control over its destiny because as a migratory bird it has issues at its other address and falls victim to persecution during migration as do many summer visitors. It's funny how we can have people who believe that Fox hunting is a right yet some of the same set will bemoan the fact that the swallows have not returned to their barn or a silence has now fallen in the wood where a Nightingale once sung and the reason well ...the Maltese believe they have a traditional right to shoot songbirds or those that fill the sky during migration! They should all get together and thrash out whose rights are the most important as should we though unless we all move just a little nothing will be accomplished.