COUNTY planners have approved proposals to build 95 homes north of Hereford.

Taylor Wimpey will build the new estate on 9.3 acres of open countryside on land to the east of Canon Pyon road.

Burghill and Holmer and Shelwick parish councils objected to the proposals along with 64 residents.

And locals fear the site will lead to road safety and traffic problems and they also object over the impact the homes will have on local services.

However, councillor Bernard Hunt proposed approving the scheme and this was backed by coun Polly Andrews.

“We have no good grounds for refusal,” she said.

“I would ask that when the reserved matters come that as we are in a climate change they consider putting in electric charging points, solar panels and some other form of heating.”

However, she warned that the local Holmer CofE Academy was on a very cramped site and there is no room to expand the buildings.

And coun Yolande Watson said she was concerned about the proposals.

“The parish council has met its housing allocation and the proposed allocation is outside the settlement boundary and does not have a public right of way,” she said.

“It’s a car dependent development.”

She also said it had a severe impact on biodiversity.

But coun Terry James also said there were no real grounds for refusal because the county was not meeting its housing targets.

“We are dropping way behind our targets and it makes the neighbourhood development plans irrelevant,” he said.

Coun Paul Rone said he wasn’t keen on the plans as children from the new site could go to Burghill Community School which would mean more traffic on the county’s roads.

“I wonder how many cars are going to make their journeys at peak times?

“This site is going to be car dependant, I’m not that keen on it.

Coun Toni Fagan said she didn’t feel houses should be built on open countryside.

And coun Tony Johnson said he echoed coun Rone’s feeling.

“It would equate to 500 cars a day,” he said.

“I have discomfort about it but I don’t believe there are sufficient grounds on which to refuse it.”

The committee approved the scheme with seven vote in favour and five against.