City's £2m flood prevention scheme approved

The scheme will enable the construction of up to 400 new homes, says the council

A £2m flood prevention scheme that will enable the construction of up to 400 new homes in a city has been approved.

Herefordshire Council's planning committee gave the green light to use government funding to install attenuation ponds along the Widemarsh Brook around Merton Meadow in Hereford.

Planning officer Heather Carlisle told councillors there were no outstanding technical objections to the plan and there was "sufficient spare capacity" to accommodate the parking spaces lost to the scheme.

Councillor Polly Andrews said that "given the recent history of flooding in the city, any flood alleviation measures should be welcomed".

Councillor Robert Highfield suggested a wetland in the middle of the city would be "spectacular and almost unique" and could become an attraction in its own right, making access to it an issue.

Councillor Matthew Engel noted that it was "already impossible" to park in the area after 07:30 BST.

He said the scheme's impact on parking could negatively impact Hereford Football Club.

But Ms Carlisle said the club's financial viability was "not a material planning consideration", as the club premises were not affected.