A DEVELOPER has asked to meet with town councillors to discuss building on the Lawnside Road area.

Town clerk Karen Mitchell confirmed the approach this week but declined to name the developer and she could not say whether or not the developer’s plans included the recreation ground, a war memorial park which is owned by the town council.

The Lawnside Road area, which includes the town’s swimming pool, community centre and fire station, has been earmarked as a possible site for retail development.

Yvonne White, of Bye Street, a high-profile former Ledbury retailer, summed up the views of many when she said: “Now the truth is out – no more speculation about the future of the Lawnside Road area. Bye bye Fire Station, bye bye swimming pool, bye bye community centre, bye bye recreation ground along with Queen’s Walk and the Youth Centre.

“Let’s build more shop units that will forever sit empty as future generations will do all their shopping online. Where is the forward thinking for our town? Eight hundred more houses, thousands more residents, no services, no jobs, no toilets and no recreation.”

We reported in April that surveyors had been into the Lawnside area, including onto the Recreation Ground, with the knowledge of Herefordshire Council.

Last night, Thursday, town councillors were set to gather in the Market House and debate whether or not to meet with the developer, as requested.

Mrs Mitchell said: “The councillors can decide if they want to talk to the developer.

So far as I am aware, the developer will not be there, unless he wants to sit in the public gallery.”

Coun Peter Watts, a Herefordshire councillor for Ledbury, and town councillor, said: “I recommend that town councillors do not meet the developer, unless a Herefordshire Council planning officer is present too. We are not trained enough to do this.”

But Coun Tony Bradford said: “We would be idiots not to meet with these people, because we need to know what’s going on. They need to come and tell us what this means. They have come out of the woodwork.

“You can deal with people better if they are open and honest.”

The move follows a long history of Herefordshire Council pointing to the Lawnside Road area as possible site of significant future re-development.

The authority’s own Core Strategy document states: “An area near to the edge of the town centre at Bye Street/Lawnside Road is identified as a possible location for additional convenience retail”.

Herefordshire Council's Locality Master Plans were discussed at cabinet level as early as October 20, 2011.

This report says of the Lawnside Road area: “This site comprises of several publicly owned buildings and there is considerable private sector retail interest in the redevelopment of the entire site.”