COUNTY planners have called for a flood risk study before making any decisions on plans for four new homes in a village near Hereford.

The Diocese of Hereford wants to build on land north of the B4348 next to Worm Brook in Much Dewchurch.

However, dozens of local residents are strongly opposed to the scheme as they say it poses a serious flooding risk.

Much Dewchurch parish council has also called on Herefordshire Council to reject the scheme after so many lives were ruined across the county due to flooding last winter.

Speaking at today’s (August 26) planning committee meeting, ward councillor Christy Bolderson said: “The parish council and local residents strongly object to this application.

“And the majority of their concerns revolve around access and drainage.

“We are experiencing more heavy rainfall events and the planning committee needs to be cognisant of this fact.

“Local residents have provided demonstrable and unequivocal evidence that the site is subject to flooding.

“One resident indicated that the site had flooded at least a dozen times since the application was submitted.

“The residents believe the Environment Agency flood maps are out of date and indeed this site should be registered as within flood zone three rather than flood zone one.”

Councillor Toni Fagan proposed deferring the plans for a flood risk assessment to consider the most recent flooding data from 2019 and 2020.

“I don’t think that we can honestly proceed until we have that flood risk assessment,” she said.

“The evidence is too great on this site. Personally, I think the application is contrary to several policies.

“There are so many issues here around water that I feel we really can’t proceed until we have that flood risk assessment.”

This proposal was seconded by councillor Jeremy Milln and was unanimously approved.