Housing on Shropshire border Roman finds site approved

The plans for 10 houses off High Street in Leintwardine, near the south Shropshire border, have been approved by councillors.

It comes after several housing projects put forward in the village were thrown out in recent months – some due to their proximity to historically sensitive artefacts buried underground. In each case there had been strong opposition from local residents.

The village was a Roman settlement named Bravonium and the high street runs along the route of an old Roman road. Members of Herefordshire Council's planning committee approved outline plans for the site next to Mortimer Medical Practice at a meeting on Wednesday.

Leintwardine Group Parish Council had objected to the Saxonby Homes plans put forward by Saxonby Homes, which it said would have an "adverse impact"on the small village.

They also said there was no pavement planned for pedestrians at the estate entrance, which would be on the brow of a hill without clear visibility for traffic.

Carole Gandy, Herefordshire county councillor for Mortimer Ward, which covers Leintwardine, said: "It was outline application so in fact it was just deciding if that land would be suitable for housing and that number of houses.

"I think the committee was in favour of it because it includes plans for four bungalows which they thought there was a shortage of in the area. They are not strictly 'affordable' houses, they will be on the open market, but they will be less expensive than the kind of houses you tend to get in Leintwardine."

She added: "The parish council was concerned about the view coming into the village and that these houses might be quite prominent, but the committee took the view that Leintwardine, in the local plan, has to have a certain number of houses over the coming years."

She said county councillors including herself did share concerns over the access.

"It will be through the car park that serves the doctor's surgery. Very few residential developments normally have entrances through a public car park and there may well be elderly people coming and going there.

"Vehicles leaving in the morning will not be likely to slow down if they treat it as just a normal turning onto the road, so I was keen for there be some traffic calming measures such as a speed bump and sign saying elderly people crossing."

But she said agents for developers Saxonby Homes had taken note and such measures would be addressed when the specifics of the scheme come back before the committee for approval at the next stage of the planning process.

As part of the scheme Saxonby will pledge about £75,000 towards education and transport infrastructure in the area.

A total of 28 homes planned for further down High Street were refused permission in March because they would be too close to protected Roman remains.

With the Saxonby site, however, council archaeological advisor Julian Cotton said he had no objection to building as, although there had been ancient artefacts found in the area in the past, there was nothing to suggest the site was of "particularly high" historical significance.