Revealed: 110-home plan for Kington on Powys border

An outline planning application (number 251919) by Dorset-registered Kington LVA proposes “up to 110” houses on five hectares of undulating farmland east of Kingswood Road, Kington, of which 30 would be for social rent and a further nine for discounted market sale.

The applicants were told in a “positive” pre-planning response from Herefordshire Council planners that this, along with the proposed open-market mix of one- to four-bedroom homes, would be “acceptable”.

The plan would “integrate pockets of public open space throughout the development”, which would be linked by paths to the modern estate off Old Eardisley Road to the east as well as to Kingswood Road, where the main road access would be.

The proposed new homes would make up over half of the “around 200” new homes by 2031 which the county’s local plan commits to building in the town. But this figure is expected to rise as the plan is redrafted following pressure from the government to build thousands more homes in the county.

Aerial view of the proposed development site In March a leaflet explaining the proposal was distributed to 218 nearby properties, which drew 49 responses.

Most of these “were not supportive”, with only three backing the development, a report on the exercise says.

It adds that residents’ narrow rejection of a proposed neighbourhood development plan for the town six years ago had been largely down to whether this site should be earmarked for new housing – and that several residents felt that for this reason it should not now be built on.

Respondents’ main concern was over the extra traffic it would bring – though the report says that “would not give rise to a highway safety impact”.

Comments on the application can be made until August 14.

The details of the house design, layout and surrounding landscaping would follow in a later application if this one is approved.