New market plans given go-ahead

Plans for a new home for Hereford's livestock market have been approved, after a decade of consultation.

The new site would be along the Roman Road to the north west of Hereford, between the Bobblestock area and the village of Stretton Sugwas.

Moving the market from its current site would release "prime development land" for a new retail and leisure quarter, Herefordshire Council said.

Work has been planned to start on a new market later this year.

More landscaping

The new market would contain a covered building with a sheep ring and cattle ring, with loading docks.

There would also be more than 300 car or car and trailer parking spaces, articulated or trailer lorry parking facilities and lorry wash stations.

Offices, a café, toilets, landscaped areas of decorative native trees, a wildflower meadow and a wildlife conservation area would also be at the site, the council said.

The authority's main planning committee approved the plans on Friday.

The committee asked for more landscaping to the site and more consideration to the access from the main road and this work was delegated to council officers.

The current market is on a seven-acre site near the centre of the city.

The new retail and leisure quarter would include a multi-screen cinema and "high-quality, household name stores", the council said.