Nunnington polytunnel plans could see 90 jobs

2:00pm Monday 29th September 2008

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A PLAN has been drawn up for a new soft fruit enterprise which could bring 90 jobs to Herefordshire.

Applicants JS & CP Hawkins, from Withington, hope to erect 14 hectares of polytunnels over a two-year period on land just off the A465 Hereford to Bromyard road at Nunnington.

Should the application be approved, it will open the door for 90 part-time workers.

They will be housed in 14 temporary accommodation units on a site, which will also feature a recreation area for workers’ use.

Agents AMS Ltd, also based in Withington, say six hectares of polytunnels will be put up in the first 12 months, with a further eight hectares the year after. The land is currently used for arable crops.

The polytunnels, containing raised bed or table top growing beds, are expected to house raspberries and strawberries in what AMS Ltd describes as an “environmentally sustainable system”.

The maximum height of the polytunnels will be 5.2 metres with a top lowered height of 3.4 metres.

There are also plans for improved vehicle access and a balancing reservoir to manage surface water discharge.

Residents in the Nunnington area were invited to have their say on the plans during a meeting at the beginning of August. Concerns raised included worries over ecology, transport and effect on the landscape.

The application will be considered by a Herefordshire Council planning committee in due course.