Herefordshire grants go-ahead to Church Commissioners for England

A resolution to grant planning permission has been secured for 350 homes in Three Elms, Hereford, the first phase of a proposed 1,000-home community.

The outline consent represents the latest planning win for the Church Commissioners organisation, which has this year secured approvals for nearly 5,000 homes across England.

Lichfields leads a professional team also including Fabrik, JTP, Frischmann, and Hoare Lea.

“Today’s announcement marks an important step in delivering a new community in Hereford,” said Victoria Barrett-Mudhoo, asset manager, strategic land, at the Church Commissioners for England:

“The scheme will help meet a local need for housing of all tenures and types, including providing land to the council to deliver a new affordable care home. The Church Commissioners worked closely with Herefordshire Council and consultees to ensure the scheme is of the highest quality.”

Weighing in at close to 62 acres, the site is bordered by Roman Road to the north, Three Elms Road to the east, and Yazor Brook to the south.

Located 1.8m from Hereford city centre, the plans are intended as a sustainable and sensitive extension to the city and surrounding neighbourhoods.

The scheme includes 96 affordable homes and land for a new care home.

The site will also feature a ‘park & choose’ facility, providing parking space for bicycles and cars for onward travel into the city, while a network of walking and cycling routes – including off-site improvements – will underpin promotion of sustainable transport.

The application was considered at Herefordshire Council’s 19 November planning meeting. The application was originally submitted in 2022 and has undergone revisions including an extension and the addition of the care home provision.

Existing social infrastructure, including health facilities, primary schools, colleges, and leisure and sports pitches, is close by, said CCfE, with further infrastructure to be delivered through future phases, which are expected to include a new primary school and local centre facilities.

CCfE’s site, currently agricultural, is the first phase of a wider western urban expansion strategic allocation. This allocates the land for a minimum of 1,000 homes and 25 acres of employment uses, along with 210 new primary school places.

The masterplan forms part of the Church Commissioners for England’s wider strategic land portfolio, with capacity for around 30,000 homes across England. More than 9,000 of these homes are subject to live planning applications.

More than 200 objections were logged by the council, with two parish councils among those raising concerns. The plans can be viewed on Herefordshire’s planning portal, reference 222138.