Historic England have shared their concerns over plans for 350 new homes to be built on land to the East of the city of Hereford, near the River Lugg.
A planning application was submitted earlier this year, for ‘Outline planning application for the demolition of existing buildings and structures and the erection of up to 350 dwellings (including affordable housing), a farm shop and café, employment workspaces, and land for a potential primary school, along with associated parking, access roads, walking and cycling routes, public open space, landscaping, sustainable urban drainage and other associated works, site clearance and infrastructure. All matters reserved except for the primary vehicular site access via the A438.’
The application has already received a number of objections from local residents, with a campaign group set up to oppose the plans.
Historic England are the latest organisation to raise concerns over the planned development.
A spokesperson for Historic England said:
“The proposal is an outline planning application for the demolition of existing buildings and structures and the erection of 350 dwellings (including affordable housing) and other associated works.
“The east side of the development site is located c.250m west of the scheduled monument known as ‘Ring Ditches and rectilinear enclosures E of Tupsley’ (National Heritage List for England 1005348, https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list- entry/1005348).
“This monument includes the buried remains of a nationally important multi-period landscape including a double ditched enclosure, successive rectangular enclosures and a series of ring ditches that indicate a range of human activity over Prehistory and the Roman period.
“The remains within the scheduled monument are likely to be indicative of a wider area of prehistoric and Roman period activity and it will be important for your authority to be satisfied that the potential for this has been robustly tested prior to determination as guided by your archaeological advisor.
“We note in particular, in the geophysical survey report provided as part of the submission, a linear feature with parallel ditches that crosses the site in a broadly east- west alignment. The feature is described in the Archaeology and Heritage Assessment as a possible trackway of prehistoric-Roman date and being up to low/moderate value.
“No additional work has been undertaken through field evaluation to better define character or contribution to the significance of the scheduled monument.
“This linear feature is on an alignment that would pass through the scheduled monument and therefore it has the potential to have an association with, and contribute to, the significance of the scheduled monument.
“The proposed development would result in the loss of this feature within the proposal site and therefore lead to a degree of harm to this heritage asset and any contribution it makes to the significance of the scheduled monument.
“Paragraphs 200, 201, 205, 206 and 208 of the National Planning Policy Framework apply this application due to the potential impact the proposal has on this linear feature and the contribution that it may make to the scheduled monument.
“Historic England considers that the application does not meet the requirements of NPPF 200.
“This is because the assessment of the linear feature is limited to the evidence provided by the geophysical survey.
“To meet the requirements of NPPF 200 further assessment work is required to better characterise this feature and understand its association with, and contribution to, the scheduled monument.
“This will require archaeological field evaluation, review of available aerial photographs and ideally further geophysical survey to the east of the proposal site subject to available access.
“In the absence of this information the application cannot sufficiently understand the potential impacts of the proposal on the significance of the scheduled monument.
“It cannot therefore also demonstrate that it has meet the requirements of NPPF 201, 205, 206 and a determination in accordance with NPPF 208 is not achievable.
“The further assessment, if your authority is minded to approve the application, has the potential to assist in amendments in the illustrative masterplan to secure the conservation of this heritage asset, and any contribution it makes to the significance of the scheduled monument, within areas of green space.
“Historic England has concerns regarding the application on heritage grounds.
“We consider that the issues and safeguards outlined in our advice need to be addressed in order for the application to meet the requirements of paragraphs 200, 201, 205, 206 and 208 of the NPPF.
“Your authority should take these representations into account and seek amendments, safeguards or further information as set out in our advice.
“If there are any material changes to the proposals, or you would like further advice, please contact us.”
You can view the planning application by visiting the Herefordshire Council planning portal and searching for planning application reference number – P240422/F.
