A proposal to demolish a large six-bedroom house near Ross-on-Wye and replace it with 11 new homes has been denied planning permission. Butler Wall Homes of Pontypool sought approval to tear down Bridruthen, a property set on two acres off Bannuttree Lane in Bridstow, and construct a mix of two-, three-, and four-bedroom houses and bungalows for market sale.
The site lies within the Wye Valley National Landscape (WVNL), close to essential amenities such as the village primary school, bus stop, village hall, and church. However, the WVNL planning officer criticized the application for its inadequate assessment of the development’s impact on this protected landscape.
Bridstow Parish Council opposed the plan, primarily citing concerns about increased traffic on the “very narrow” Bannuttree Lane and its junction with the busy A49 and A40 roads. The parish council also referenced previous transport worries raised during an earlier development plan process. While Herefordshire Council’s transport officer found the plans acceptable provided certain conditions were met, around 30 objections were submitted by local residents highlighting multiple issues.
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Longtime neighbours Allen and Susan Maunders expressed their desire for Bridruthen to be preserved as a single large dwelling or converted into smaller attached homes, emphasizing its status as one of the oldest properties in the area.
A further critical sticking point concerned drainage. Despite pre-application advice, no infiltration testing was conducted to assess how surface water would be managed. A drainage engineer from Herefordshire Council’s public realm contractor, Balfour Beatty, stated they couldn’t comment on the drainage proposals until testing was completed.
Planning officer Heather Carlisle underscored this issue, noting that the benefits of adding new market homes would be more persuasive if an acceptable drainage strategy was in place.
Ultimately, full planning permission was refused. Butler Wall Homes now has the option to appeal the decision.