The latest opposition to the 350-home estate planned for between the east of Hereford and the Lugg Meadow comes in a densely argued submission from the county council’s environment team.

The outline plan put forward by local developer STL Group for land to south of the A438 Ledbury Road also foresees a farm shop and café, employment space and potentially a new primary school.

But now a 24-page response bringing together views of landscape, ecology, trees and open space officers sets out a multitude of objections to it.

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In landscape terms, the scheme would “encroach onto a valley that is formed by wildlife, water, farming, and historic parks features”, of “high cultural, heritage and ecological value”.

The “open and tranquil” view over the Lugg valley would impacted by “a mass of roofs and facades, and associated noises of traffic, people and pets”, the landscape officer writes, while it would also take “excellent” agricultural land out of use.

In ecological terms, noise and lights from the planned estate could “sensitive” wildlife including otters - one of the reasons for the meadow’s “site of special scientific interest” (SSSI) designation.

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Already the neighbouring nature reserves “struggle to maintain their conservation status” due to “high footfall and significant disturbance” from dog walking, which the new estate would worsen, the council’s ecologist said.

And harmful pollutants could reach the meadow via the proposed natural drainage system and from sewer discharges from the estate, they added.

An environmental impact assessment submitted by the developer with its planning application claimed there would be “significant biodiversity net gain” from the scheme, thanks to the numerous environmental measures it proposed.

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Separately, Welsh Water has said the area’s water supply system “has insufficient capacity to serve the development”, which “will also cause detriment to existing customers’ supply”.

The plan has also drawn over a thousand objections from nearby residents and other concerned individuals.

Herefordshire Council has yet to update the deadline it originally gave for determining the planning application, of April 17.

The Hereford Times' Our Precious Meadow campaign calls for the scheme to be thrown out because, among other reasons, we believe it compromises the meadow, which is an important asset to Hereford.