More Misinformation about the proposed Hereford Relief Road – this time from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and its draft Strategic Economic Plan
Why does Herefordshire Council refuse to live in the real world, and acknowledge the evidence of its own recent surveys that the proposed Hereford Relief Road will not solve the City’s transport problems? See ‘Transport Modelling…’ posted on 30 October 2013.
The answer to this question might lie with the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership and their draft Strategic Economic Plan. The economic ambitions of this Plan are cast as relying on an A49 trunk road, described as a ‘spine’ through the Marches LEP counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin. The spine connects the ‘opportunity town’ of Ross-on-Wye with Hereford (an ‘urban powerhouse’) then Leominster, and Ludlow (both ‘opportunity towns’), then Shrewsbury, and (via the M54) Telford (both ‘urban powerhouses’). In order to substantiate the Plan and argue for public monies that might support the Plan, the LEP advances grandiose transport schemes, such as the Hereford Relief Road, with scant regard to environmental legislation which would scupper the plans. Its SEP exaggerates the housing and economic forecasts which form part of Core Strategies, which, in the case of Herefordshire’s draft CS, may not pass public examination. Recent Department for Transport national forecasts show that the volume of car traffic is no longer increasing, as compared with earlier forecasts. In terms of climate change and public health outcomes, this is surely a good thing, but the Marches LEP has an old-fashioned view of the power of the motor car, and of the road haulage business.
The consultation period on the Marches Strategic Economic Plan ended last month (February 2014). Here for Hereford submitted a response expressing concern that the infrastructure requirements had been misrepresented; for example: failure to emphasize that the Rotherwas Access Road (B4399) had already been delivered, and that it provided Trunk Road access to the M50 and M4 Motorways; misinformation regarding the Hereford Enterprise Zone, stating its job creation opportunities were contingent on extending that access road in a westerly and then northern direction, over the SAC River Wye, to join the A49 beyond the Roman Road (A4103). It beggars belief that the LEP, and its partner, Herefordshire Council, are staking their all on this proposed but unfunded road, scheduled for completion, if at all, some time around 2031.
Regarding the strategic issues facing the Marches SEP, Here for Hereford commented that the SEP had not addressed the key issue of ‘Plan B’ (the ‘no road’ alternative to the Hereford Relief Road) as urged on the Council by the Planning Inspectorate in its ‘Front Loading Visit’ (8 March 2010) and endorsed by various statutory bodies. The Marches SEP appears not to accept that working with environmental bodies to deliver sustainable development while still protecting biodiversity and heritage assets is a key strategic issue for the SEP. Here for Hereford asks the Marches LEP to think again about their commitment to costly road building, and to adopt a more affordable and deliverable Strategic Economic Plan.
