MoD fears new housing could undermine SAS base

A proposal to build up to 250 houses next to the national headquarters of the SAS could undermine security at the base, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has warned.

The new housing estate, more than a third of them affordable, could be built on a 26-acre field opposite Stirling Lines, an Army garrison in Credenhill, Herefordshire.

This "is an operational defence site of national importance", the MoD said in a letter setting out its concerns, adding the proposed scheme would mark a "significant cumulative increase" in properties next to it.

While the current proposal was for outline permission only, the MoD said it should have a say before any final layout of the scheme is approved.

The MoD in their letter refer to the SAS base as the Hereford Garrison, without naming the regiment.

The defence ministry also raised concerns over the A480 Jellicoe Way, where the estate would be accessed from.

In the letter, a spokesperson said the area was already a traffic hot spot, with vehicles including school buses backing up as far as the roundabout with the A4103 Roman Road at Stretton Sugwas, causing "20-30 minute delays".

Besides the inconvenience, "service personnel, their families, and other individuals working at the garrison can be put at risk in static traffic", the MoD warned.

Given ongoing noise at the garrison from helicopters, firing ranges, alarms and generators, their spokesperson added that complaints over this from future residents "could put pressure on MoD to amend activities on the site".

Herefordshire Council planners were also urged to make sure the problem of flood water from the A-road running into the garrison was not made worse by the planned development.

More than 100 individual objections to the scheme were also been published with the application, which the council said it intended to decide on by 22 October.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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