Herefordshire eco-mansion plan to be considered by council

Plans for a futuristic eco-mansion on a 12-hectare hillside have been re-submitted to a council.

The Flow House, in Herefordshire, would include six bedrooms, a gym, wine room, swimming pool, jacuzzi and carp pond.

A new application by local residents Phil and Jackie Perry seeks to give more information about the design which was rejected by Herefordshire Council last September.

It would be built near Ullingswick, between Hereford and Bromyard.

National planning policy generally prevents isolated new homes being built in open countryside unless they are of "exceptional quality", the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The revised application says it has addressed the "lack of information demonstrating the outstanding nature of the design".

The plans have been seen by Design Midlands, an independent review panel of design experts, who confirm "that the design is outstanding", the application said.

Design Midlands said it was "now an exceptional design bringing so many things together well", praising materials used in the project and its sustainability.

During the earlier council debate on the proposal, the house was called an "intrusive building", while local councillor Jonathan Lester said: "Its sheer scale means it cannot respect the character of adjoining listed and historic developments."

However, the council's historic buildings officer has raised no objections on heritage grounds, saying "no harm has been identified to the nearby conservation area or the setting of nearby listed buildings".

Comments on the plans can be made until 20 May.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]