A CONTROVERSIAL scheme for 21 new homes in Leominster has been approved – but there are claims that the town's neighbourhood plan steering committee may have been 'duped'.

Herefordshire Council's planning committee approved the proposal for the homes to be built on land at Pinfarthings, off Mappenors Lane, at a meeting last week.

Concerns were raised about the impact the scheme would have on traffic in the town – on the already polluted Bargates and on the narrow Green Lane – as well as the loss of green space for nearby residents.

But members of the committee were told that although some of the development required for Leominster within the adopted Core Strategy had been found – a minimum of 2,300 new homes for the town – it still had more to do.

In April this year, Herefordshire Council said the Leominster Area Neighbourhood Plan (LANP) – submitted to the council for consideration last year, having already been approved by the town council and scrutinised by residents – could not progress to inspection by an independent examiner.

This was because the plan did not conform with the Core Strategy and because a policy insisting a relief road linking linking the A44 at Barons’ Cross and the A49 south east of the town must be built ahead of any development was considered ‘unrealistic’.

However, members at last Wednesday's meeting were told by a planning officer that the LANP had now been re-submitted to the council for consideration and that the proposed development was on 'unrestricted' land within the settlement boundary.

Speaking after the meeting, Leominster councillor, Jenny Bartlett, said the steering committee had been working with Herefordshire Council to make some changes to the plan in good faith, including changes to the settlement boundary.

"We are at a consultation stage with Herefordshire Council – as far as we are concerned we are still seeking their views about how we go forward," she said.

"My question is have we been duped? Are we now being manipulated into producing a neighbourhood plan that satisfies Herefordshire Council's need to meet its five-year land supply instead of one that Leominster residents wanted?"

She said that the LANP committee's confidence had been breached as it was not yet ready to make the changes public.

"We have taken more than 70 per cent of the target that we have to hit by 2030 so I think we are holding up our side of the bargain," she added.

In a statement, Herefordshire Council said all neighbourhood plans need to conform with the Core Strategy in order to meet the basic conditions and be successful at examination.

"This has been continually advised to the Leominster TC/Steering Group," it said.

"The lack of a five-year housing land supply has never been a determining factor in requesting Leominster to expand their settlement boundary.

"This is on the need to find the level of housing land indicated within the adopted Core Strategy.”