LEDBURY is aiming for a high-tech future with more than a foothold in higher education.

An advisory document for Herefordshire Council, giving details of the progress of Ledbury's Neighbourhood Plan, has set out a vision of future where the market town could even have its own university campus.

Details of the ambition for Ledbury to have a campus for the prospective Hereford University were given in a 'vision' statement for the report.

The report has been submitted by the town council to Herefordshire Council, for consultation.

The report also reveals Ledbury Town Council's intention for the town to be a focus for high tech and/or research and development businesses, and the two ambitions are linked.

A so-called "scoping report" concerning the plan's "strategic environmental assessment", contains the statement: "Ledbury will be a willing partner in the development of higher education facilities in Herefordshire and will look to develop a research and development facility and, if plans for Hereford University go ahead, a campus."

The statement recognises the need for "the employment base to be widened, in order to develop a diverse economy".

The aim is to make Ledbury part of the so-called "technology corridor, from the Midlands via Malvern, in order to attract high-tech and research and development businesses to Ledbury."

The hope is that this will encourage more Ledbury residents to actually work in the town, instead of having to commute.

Statistics for the Neighbourhood Plan show that 65 per cent of Ledbury residents currently travel to work by car or van, and this is higher than the national average of 57 per cent.

At present, Ledbury's main source of employment is listed as "industrial" - accounting for over 50 per cent of employment in town, which is "slightly higher than the average for Herefordshire, while the proportion of office-based employment is lower than the county average".

Concerning residents with higher educational qualifications, statistics reveal that only 16 per cent of Ledbury's population currently hold degrees, such as the BA, BSc, MA, PhD or PGCE.

This is lower than the national average.

Government figures from December 2012 found that 27.2% of the population aged 16 to 74 had a degree or equivalent, or higher.