PLANNING approval for 72 homes in Weston-under-Penyard has been granted, which objectors say will increase the size of the village by 50 percent.

At the Herefordshire Council planning meeting councillors agreed to two separate developments off the A40 in the village near Ross-on-Wye.

The village is one of seven parishes in the county which has submitted their Neighbourhood Plan to the council and is awaiting approval.

The plan outlines detailed areas for development and, although both sites were included, the plan wanted fewer homes on one of the sites.

Chairman of the village's parish council Susan Lewis told the committee they thought 18 houses would be appropriate for land to the west of the A40, instead of the 35 homes proposed.

There are 155 homes currently in the village itself and she said the 35 homes would damage its character.

Objector Christopher Morris said the application needed to be considered alongside the other plan for 37 homes opposite this site.

He said: "72 is a 50 percent increase in the village in a short time scale and all in the same area."

He also raised questions about safe access to the site off the busy A40.

Planning officer Andrew Banks said the density of the development is 27 per hectare which is almost identical to the neighbouring estate.

He said there are direct links to the village, primary school and playing fields through proposed pedestrian access and transport measures will include an extension of the 30mph speed limit and a pedestrian crossing on the A40.

The emerging Local Plan – Core Strategy requires a minimum of 65 dwellings to be built in the village by 2031, but he stressed this is only a minimum target.

Cllr Jim Kenyon said: "It is not an overdevelopment at all. 11 houses could be affordable- that's 11 people who would never be able to get a house in and around where they were brought up."

Councillors all approved the application and later approved the application for 37 homes on land to the north of the A40 and east of Hunsdon Manor- 13 of which would be affordable.

An archaeological evaluation revealed the survival of a density of buried Roman archaeology in the northern and eastern part of this site. Developers have agreed not to build here and to leave it as public space.

The density is lower at nine dwellings per hectare and matches the neighbourhood plan recommendation of 37 dwellings.

Cllr Bruce Baker said: "I commend the developers on this particular one- nine dwellings per hectare. It is nice to see they are not greedy."

Councillors said they would like the developers to liaise with the parish council when they need to discuss the details of the two developments.