Plans unveiled for Merton Meadow ‘Urban Village’ in Hereford

Ambitious plans to transform Hereford’s Merton Meadow into a vibrant “urban village” have been revealed by Herefordshire Council.

The council aims to deliver up to 400 new homes for key workers, older residents, and others on land north of the city centre—currently a mix of car parks and unused scrubland. However, flood prevention work must take place before any construction can begin.

To tackle long-standing flooding issues, the council will install a series of attenuation ponds, designed to handle a one-in-100-year flooding event. The work will be funded through Government money that must be used this year.

Council housing director Steve Holland said water flowing into the area from the north via culverts and waterways will be diverted into these new ponds.

According to initial plans:

The first pond will replace a little-used car park just north of the Yazor Brook near the A49 Edgar Street.

A second, smaller pond will be built on a strip of land near the city medical centre.

The third will be created on part of the former Essex Arms site across the City Link Road, alongside new public boardwalks. The rest of that site is now set aside for private housing.

A planning application for the flood scheme is expected by the end of April, with work potentially starting in September.

Once flood mitigation is in place, the council will launch public engagement to help shape the future development. Mr Holland said future schemes would likely be “high-density and complex” and delivered in partnership with developers.

He added that parking capacity won’t be lost immediately, and discussions are ongoing around a potential multi-storey car park at the County Bus Station.

Meanwhile, the council has dropped earlier plans to include student accommodation in a new south stand at Hereford FC’s Edgar Street stadium, saying the proposal was no longer financially viable.