Just to advise you that less than a week after a full council meeting, the Cabinet of Herefordshire Council are going to consider a new preferred Option for Hereford as part of the Local Development Framework on Thursday 28th July 2011 at 2pm at Brockington. The proposal is that Cabinet alter the whole LDF timetable that full council just agreed in March 2011. Full council will not have any opportunity to consider or even debate this new consultation timetable as no further full council meeting is scheduled until 18th November 2011. By then the new consultation, along with a community poll, costing over £75,000, will have been completed, so it seems that Cabinet are not interested in what full council think, despite only having a majority of one.
Full details of the agenda and background reports can be found at
Please note that there is to be a community poll and another consultation, to start in September, on the revised options and a new Local Transport Plan .
The main Revisions to the Preferred Options for Hereford are:
1. The new plan will run to 2031 (not 2026);
2. Housing will be for 6,500 new homes in Hereford City (previously 8,500) and surrounding areas,retaining the proposed development on the key sites identified in the earlier option;
3. Holmer East employment site has been removed;
4. A western relief road, with a minor amendment to the preferred route corridor at Grafton;
5. Increasing housing in the rural areas by 800 homes giving a growth in dwellings of 16,500 for the whole county.
Please note that in respect of the western relief route officers state that “western options are considered unlikely to result in significant adverse effects on the integrity of the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC)”. They also hope that the A49 can be detrunked. This goes against the submission made by the Highways Agency that they are not involved in discussions with Herefordshire Council over detrunking the A49 in Herefordshire.
Please note the following points which are not mentioned in the reports:-
1. There is still no plan as to where £130million will come from to pay for a western relief road. Submissions by Bloor Homes and the Church Commissioners just state that they would want to build the houses first and build the road in stages as and when funds became available. In addition the council will need to fund new primary schools; 3 new health centres; mains water upgrades and sewerage upgrades to support the proposed developments, of which 35% are supposed to be “affordable”.
2. A western relief road WILL NOT improve journey times and will INCREASE congestion as Hereford is set to grow by over 26%. I know a “relief road” is of particular interest to residents in Belmont and the surrounding areas who need to travel in to Hereford on the A465 and who often face heavy delays.However, the proposal is to build a road through the middle of the new housing estates (like the A465 is now). Elsewhere in the country councils are being more sustainable and creative in addressing traffic issues, and in particular London and Bristol have increased the number of people cycling within their cities.These other councils show that the biggest and most immediate impact on congestion can be sustainable transport solutions such as buses, cycling and walking. In Hereford, the school run accounts for up to 52% of traffic at peak times according to Herefordshire Council’s own documents in April 2011 and yet school bus services are facing cuts and/or increased charges.
3. The new LDF timetable proposed to Cabinet has removed the need for any plan to be considered by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. This is despite the fact that the LDF has been due to be considered by this committee since 2010!
Please contact your ward councillors and all party leaders to let them know your feelings on the matter, preferably before the Cabinet meeting next week. Many councillors may be unaware of the proposals as they will not be briefed until Monday 1st August. Please act now so that councillors know your views and can raise your concerns. If you are available I suggest you attend the Cabinet meeting so that you can hear first hand whether this council is prepared to properly debate and scrutinise the future of Hereford.
