Published 3/09/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

Ross-on-Wye Town Council has strongly rejected a proposal to build up to 156 homes on land at Marsh Farm, following a packed public meeting last week.

During the debate, local resident Gwyneth Gill warned that the speculative development by Landra Developments would cause serious harm to residents of The Glebe and the surrounding area.

She questioned the reliability of the developer's drainage report, noting it incorrectly named Severn Trent Water instead of Welsh Water, and referenced plans for 250 dwellings, raising concerns of a larger, multi-stage scheme.

Ms Gill said: "Knocking down good houses to smash a main access road through the middle of a small quiet cul-de-sac is a dangerous precedent for Ross residents."

Fellow resident Jan Nesaratnam raised further concerns over access and flood risks, noting that runoff from Marsh Farm flows toward Brookend Street, an area already prone to flooding.

Residents have formally constituted an action group and hired an independent consultant to review the plans. Action group co-ordinator Carole Soble explained that the application was premature ahead of the new housing plan. She quoted their consultant as stating he could not envisage how the scheme could service the proposed number of dwellings from a technical standpoint.

Town councillors unanimously backed a motion to strongly object to the application. Councillor Linden Delves highlighted that the site lies outside the current settlement boundary, while Councillor Bev Pope warned that approving the scheme would worsen existing town sewage issues.

Planning committee chairman Councillor John Winder confirmed the council’s strong objection, citing the intensity of local opposition and numerous discrepancies in the developer’s report.

Ed O’Driscoll, ward councillor for Ross East, has requested that the final planning decision be referred to Herefordshire Council's elected planning committee rather than determined by planning officers.