NEW Street in Ledbury appears to be the location of choice for developers, with new properties going up and former eye-sore sites being transformed.

The latest application is for Ellenscroft, where developers hope to build seven new homes in place of an existing chalet.

Coun Peter Watts, a Herefordshire councillor for Ledbury, said he had been in talks with planning officers and expected amended plans to come back soon, so that the proposed properties would not be so close to existing property walls.

But with the former the Ring of Bells pub currently being transformed into homes and a fourbedroom detached house going up on the site the former Elm Cottage, it signals another example of intensive, ongoing and planned re-development for the important residential street.

Coun Watts said: “I think it’s just co-incidence. For a long time, not a lot of new-build has happened in New Street, and now the applications are coming through.”

He particularly welcomed the Elm Cottage site redevelopment, because the site had been vacant and empty since the demolition of Elm Cottage, four years ago.

He said: “It is going ahead very well, and I welcome it, because the site was an eyesore before.”

He had similar praise for the former Ring of Bells pub, which had stood boarded up and empty since 2009.

Now work is well advanced to turn the pub into a four-bedroomed town house, and two new three bedroomed houses are also being built on the site.

Work here is set to be completed by Christmas.