Aside from those acting in an official capacity for a government institution, names have been redacted from this email thread, for privacy reasons.
We have added highlights, and footnotes at the end, to draw out key points that you might find useful.
2026-05-13, from a Credenhill resident to Credenhill Parish Council clerk
Good morning Lee,
[…]
I understand at the meeting on the 20th there will be the opportunity for members of the community to speak at the pre-application stage, regarding the proposed development in Credenhill.
Please can I ask for a 3 minute slot here. Younger members of Credenhill community, in particular, are interested in having a voice.
Many thanks,
2026-05-14, Credenhill Parish Council clerk to the resident
Hi [redacted],
At present there is no planning application, the land owners agent/developer is attending the meeting to give a short presentation about the proposal. Once the consultation starts on the official application then the Parish Council will formally engage as a consultee.
Can you confirm who wishes to speak and in what capacity so that I can assess if it requires an allocated slot on the agenda or if it would be more appropriate under public question time?
Kind Regards
On behalf of Credenhill Parish Council
Lee Harper-Smith
Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
2026-05-14, from the resident to the clerk
Hi Lee,
Thank you for your email.
To clarify, I myself (not as part of an organisation), would like the opportunity during public question time, to ask three short questions at this early stage, relating to heritage assessment, and the setting of the Credenhill Hill Fort in relation to the proposal.
Kind regards,
2026-05-15, the clerk to the resident
Ok that doesn’t need me to include an agenda item, all members of the public will have a chance to speak during public questions.
Kind Regards
On behalf of Credenhill Parish Council
Lee Harper-Smith
Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
2026-05-21 (after the meeting), the clerk to the resident
Hi [redacted],
Would it be ok to pass on your email address to James so that he can provide you with responses to your questions?1
Kind Regards
On behalf of Credenhill Parish Council
Lee Harper-Smith
Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
2026-05-21, from the resident to the clerk
Hi Lee,
I would prefer not to correspond on an individual basis. The questions were submitted in a group context for inclusion in the public record. Could all responses please go via yourself as Parish Clerk, and be included in the Parish Council minutes, so, for the sake of transparency, they are made available to all.
[…]
2026-05-25, from the resident to the clerk, with Charlotte Taylor (Herefordshire Council councillor for Credenhill) CC’d
To the Parish Clerk and Members of the Council,
This correspondence is submitted […] to ensure an accurate, factual record of the public consultation held on 20 May 2026. It is requested that the following points, and the six technical questions, with responses from James Spreckley (as per his email sent to yourself on 21 May) be formally logged in the meeting minutes.
Factual Admissions by the Developer:
- Consultation Status: The developer (James Spreckley Ltd) confirmed that Historic England has not been consulted regarding the 250-home proposal.
- Heritage Impact: No data was provided regarding the definition of the ‘setting’ of Credenhill Camp (Scheduled Monument) or the mitigation of increased physical pressure (erosion/footfall) on the monument.
- Policy Disconnect: The developer cited a ‘presumption for development’ under the NPPF; however, it is noted that NPPF Paragraph 11(d)(i) explicitly disengages this presumption when a Scheduled Monument is at risk of harm.
It was noted that there there was a lack of clarity as to who Mr. Spreckley was representing. Was the final explanation, The Eckroyd Trust, correct?
Alternative Sites: The Group notes that the Planning Department has received a Call for Sites submission for land to the West of Credenhill. Although discussed, no comparative information on alternative sites was presented during the meeting.
[…]
Many thanks.
2026-06-09, from the clerk to the resident
Hi [redacted],
Can you forward the 6 questions as I have not been sent these electronically previously just the hand out in the meeting, it will save me typing them up again.
I am happy to include the 6 questions that were presented at the meeting and record the response received from James.
I note the additional points raised below, once the formal application is submitted only the submissions to Herefordshire Council on the planning application will be considered – I will share the details as soon as they become available – attached is a letter giving you all the information needed.
James attended the meeting on behalf of the Trust that the land is in the ownership of, I am unsure of the exact name of the Trust however you are correct that it relates to the Ecroyd Family.
Kind Regards
On behalf of Credenhill Parish Council
Lee Harper-Smith
Parish Clerk & Responsible Finance Officer
2026-06-09, from the resident to the clerk
Hi Lee,
Thanks for your email. Here are the six questions put to James (and understand that his responses will be included in the minutes – thank you)
1. Have Historic England or the council archaeologist been asked about impact on the hillfort, and will their advice be shared before submission?
2. What evidence is there about increased pressure on the hillfort from more people, such as walking, cycling, erosion? How will its heritage be protected?
3. When will the hillfort’s ‘setting’ be defined, and will that be agreed before impact reports are finished?
4. What guidance is being used to define the hillfort’s setting and is this based on Historic England’s official guidance?
5. Is there written evidence of Historic England being consulted already?
6. What reports show how the impact on the hillfort’s landscape setting, views, and overall experience has been assessed?
We appreciate your clarification re: James’ representation of the Trust which relates to the Ecroyd family (someone mentioned he is married to an Ecroyd, so he is part of the family and the Trust?). It would be useful to have this point also made clear on the record, as it caused quite some uncertainty in the May meeting, at a time when building trust was critical.
We understand that any future planning application will be determined by Herefordshire Council and that representations will need to be made through the formal planning process once an application is submitted.
Separately, could you please let us know if a representative of our Children and Young People’s Group could be included in the agenda of the June meeting?
Many thanks for your help.
Kind regards,
[…]
Our notes
- Mr Spreckley, the landowner’s representative, was unable to answer a number of questions from residents at the parish council meeting, so the parish council clerk is asking, here, whether Mr Spreckley could answer them after-the-fact, by direct email. In their response, the resident makes it clear that Mr Spreckley’s answers should be made public, as addenda to the meeting minutes. ↩︎