Councillor's plea to ditch Hereford's £30m link road plan (From Ledbury Reporter)
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Councillor's plea to ditch Hereford's £30m link road plan
10:00am Friday 28th December 2012 in News By Bill Tanner
THE leader of Herefordshire’s main opposition party is urging the local authority to ditch plans for its multimillion pound link road.
Councillor Bob Matthews says the proposed £30 million project linking Commercial Road with Edgar Street would achieve “limited benefits” and should be ditched.
The Independent party head said the money should instead be spent on improving infrastructure to service the impending Enterprise Zone at Rotherwas.
“The £30 million saved by abandoning the link road could be readily available to construct the new highway into Rotherwas and would be far more economically beneficial for the people of Herefordshire,” said Coun Matthews.
“At the same time it would save a considerable sum, bearing in mind the council is already in debt to the tune of approximately £145 million.”
Coun Matthews has also asked the Conservative-led administration to consider installing a covered overhead walkway for shoppers to cross Newmarket Street towards High Town from the soon to be built Old Livestock Market development.
He said Newmarket Street should continue as the main thoroughfare for traffic travelling from the west of the city – Whitecross, for instance – to the east.
“This type of link would be far more user-friendly and would go some way towards sustaining the existing city centre businesses,” he said.
- Hereford’s £27 million link road "in the hands" of Royal Mail
- Hereford Futures - Link Road (external site)
Comments(43)
Bromyard.Drifter
says...
12:38pm Fri 28 Dec 12
A.Non01
says...
12:49pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Perhaps if Herefordshire Council had been more proactive in providing the bypass that Hereford has blatantly needed for many years then we wouldhave less need of the link road.
All Legs
says...
1:12pm Fri 28 Dec 12
bobby47
says...
1:19pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Well done Councillor Matthews. You are now on my list of Councillors I like and i'll not forget you stepping forward and communicating your views.
From hereon I want you and your colleagues to please us more. We aint greedy for pleasure. On the contrary, we need very little pleasure to sustain us. All I ask is whenever this chaotic Councillor Leadership do something that is crazy and deluded, which sadly for us all is frequently, I want you and your colleagues to write a letter to the Hereford Times and express your concern.
I used to read your letters in the Times and Journal and they were full of critisism and common sense. Rediscover your youth and zeal and start saying it as it is. This Council Leadership are an incompetent gathering of fools and you and your colleagues must do the right thing and rid us of Jarvis and his gang of colleagues who grasp onto the levers of power.
This road they intend to build? Its a dog buddy. Its a dog with fleas, these fleas bite and we cant afford this madness. Not now and not for some considerable time. We are fiscally skint. Bereft of any hope for the future and we all have to rid ourselves of this group who are as mad as a bag of rabid rats.
My very warmest regards to you.
leftofmoorfarm
says...
1:35pm Fri 28 Dec 12
William Rudd
says...
2:49pm Fri 28 Dec 12
What a ****
littlewhitebull
says...
3:56pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Gillian1961
says...
5:47pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Gillian1961 wrote:Bob Mathews is a pain in the Butt he complained about the new cattle market, and even tried to stop it being built went to stretton sugwas school to try and get the children on his side i would of throught that some of the children that attend this school are from farming familys and the market would be Educational to them ,any way he did not get his way because it was built and as there were talk of have a second corporation Tip at Burghill which he did win because he told the council that he did not want it on his door step, so we have to travel all the way to Rotherwas,
its alright mr Bob Mathews complaining now after Rockfield as already closed down the sorting office as campained from the begining and any other bussness that is involed why did he not fight in the begining when the preposial was put through
Bromyard Boy
says...
5:49pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Hereford needs a bypass badly as total continual gridlock is only a few years away at most.
If it had been built in the 1960's it would have been paid for by now.
Bromyard changed over night from being a congested fume-filled town, to one of freedom and, guess what, better shopping facilities and increased turnover by the retailers there when it was bulit in the 1960's.
A by pass should be Herefords one and only goal for the immediate future.
TwoWheelsGood
says...
5:56pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Vic Vomitello
says...
6:10pm Fri 28 Dec 12
wyesider
says...
6:31pm Fri 28 Dec 12
TwoWheelsGood wrote:I quite agree with you TwoWheelsGood, the allegation of "vote rigging" by William Rudd is a very serious accusation. Vote rigging is illegal and people in the UK have gone to prison for this election fraud. Mr. Rudd should withdraw these remarks, or substantiate them.
Wm Rudd - vote rigging is a serious - and litigious - accusation - can you substantiate this or is it just council fed hyperbole?
RogerLFC
says...
7:45pm Fri 28 Dec 12
Bromyard.Drifter
says...
10:31pm Fri 28 Dec 12
wyesider wrote:Get a life you two!
TwoWheelsGood wrote:I quite agree with you TwoWheelsGood, the allegation of "vote rigging" by William Rudd is a very serious accusation. Vote rigging is illegal and people in the UK have gone to prison for this election fraud. Mr. Rudd should withdraw these remarks, or substantiate them.
Wm Rudd - vote rigging is a serious - and litigious - accusation - can you substantiate this or is it just council fed hyperbole?
Vic Vomitello
says...
10:44am Sat 29 Dec 12
William Rudd
says...
11:56am Sat 29 Dec 12
What a load crap again.We are not paying for the development.
wyesider
says...
12:19pm Sat 29 Dec 12
Bromyard.Drifter wrote:We still await the "evidence" of alleged "vote-riggers" from William Rudd. Presumably, he does not have any as he has failed to respond. This is very strange as he usually berates others for imprecise information, or false information.
wyesider wrote:Get a life you two!
TwoWheelsGood wrote:I quite agree with you TwoWheelsGood, the allegation of "vote rigging" by William Rudd is a very serious accusation. Vote rigging is illegal and people in the UK have gone to prison for this election fraud. Mr. Rudd should withdraw these remarks, or substantiate them.
Wm Rudd - vote rigging is a serious - and litigious - accusation - can you substantiate this or is it just council fed hyperbole?
William Rudd
says...
12:24pm Sat 29 Dec 12
Regarding the bullying and votes this happened at the Hereford theatre one night around 18 mths ago.A group from IOC were waving their plackards &
asking people to sign a petition in a bulling manner.Some people signed it.
Putting your name on that petition is exactly the same as voting for them and their cause.When you have people signing a petition when they have not been given the full facts is wrong and totally un acceptable.
sutton11
says...
12:29pm Sat 29 Dec 12
The road is going to be built so why cannot people get over it and let it get built (I am not saying its right, but its going to happen).
Also I have heard that a Cllr is wanting a full legal review of the old market site and the process that has been followed (so probably another possible delay). Why cannot people get over this as well - if its going to happen let us happen and building works to start.
I do agree though we need a new bypass and lets get on and sort this out as a priority.
I know everyone moans at the Council, to be fair to them a lot of what happens is not their fault they are forced into by Central Government.
William Rudd
says...
12:36pm Sat 29 Dec 12
Candi date & Harry Williams and Vic Vomitello Hereford futures facebook.
How sad that you need three different profiles to put your thoughts across.
littlewhitebull
says...
12:42pm Sat 29 Dec 12
William Rudd wrote:Thank you for backing up your previous response. I signed a petition against the war in Iraq - even though ex-military. However, this did not mean I supported the political party that instigated the petition. A parlous point, I agree.
I don't spout bull on here like some here.
Regarding the bullying and votes this happened at the Hereford theatre one night around 18 mths ago.A group from IOC were waving their plackards &
asking people to sign a petition in a bulling manner.Some people signed it.
Putting your name on that petition is exactly the same as voting for them and their cause.When you have people signing a petition when they have not been given the full facts is wrong and totally un acceptable.
Biomech
says...
1:45pm Sat 29 Dec 12
More importantly, it won't even put a dent in the traffic congestion issues on Edgar Street that will be unimaginably magnified when the OLM complex opens.
Build a huge shopping complex on one of Herefords most gridlocked roads - what could possibly go wrong.
Biomech
says...
1:53pm Sat 29 Dec 12
sutton11
says...
2:46pm Sat 29 Dec 12
Just fed up with people moaning and not taking action. I agree with comments about not needing the road just fed up with the moaning after decisions have been made and that people don't get their facts right before commenting on here. Hereford needs a future and investment in it (I.e a bypass and decent shopping) People leave the city centre as its rubbish for shopping, for example the old subway and the shop next door are becoming another charity shop - why oh why so we need another one. The cllrs should be getting our there, esp IOC cllrs and get some key shops into the town
Biomech
says...
3:00pm Sat 29 Dec 12
If you've lived here that long, you'll remember the multplex cinema, ice rink and laser quest we were promised on the whitecross site about 20+ years ago.
What we need never gets done. What gets done are expensive, badly executed wastes of time.
sutton11
says...
3:07pm Sat 29 Dec 12
bobby47
says...
3:33pm Sat 29 Dec 12
If that idea catches on fools like me who rant, rave and moan and groan about anything and everything, well, I'll be done for. Nothing I say is based upon facts and sane reasoning and I'll be damned if the screaming mob that I am associated with have their voices silenced simply because we've no idea about facts.
Welcome to our band of ranters and ravers but please, from hereon, say no more about sane and reasoned argument.
We are simply folk. The salt of the earth. You know! Deranged and bottom feeding morons.
My warmest regards to you.
Biomech
says...
5:44pm Sat 29 Dec 12
Fact is the complex is due completion by Easter 2014 - that's about 15 months to finish demolition, lay foundations, build an entire complex, fit it out and open it.
Fact is the council led the public to believe that the contract had been signed years ago when it was only done several weeks/months ago.
Fact is Hereford has some of the most expensive car parks in the country.
Fact is more shops have closed down while street traders are on the increase.
Fact is that Hereford needs a bypass.
Fact is that the link road will not alleviate congestion on Edgar Street - which will, in fact, get worse due to the ESG/OLM or whatever they are calling it this week.
Fact is flood defences were put in and only succeeded in keeping the water out of the one place that only flooded once in the last 20 years while all areas that flood yearly were once again underwater.
Fact is that corners are cut on filling potholes meaning they fail within days and have to be done over and over.
Fact is Hereford has some of the worst quality roads between here and Scotland.
Fact is....
.... Here We Can't.
Vic Vomitello
says...
12:44pm Sun 30 Dec 12
William Rudd
says...
2:21pm Sun 30 Dec 12
The link road will serve the new development and the 300 houses being built on the merton meadow.
A new lane will be added from Newmarket roundabout to the enterance of the link road.This will take traffic direct to train station,hospital,mor
risons,bus station, so taking a huge amount of traffic from other routes taken to get there.
Also construction has already began on the multiplex cinema.
You can scream n shout about the Council,stanhope and hfd futures and all the **** that has come with it.I for one like so many don't give two bloody hoots what has gone on in secret meetings or how much people make or will make from the development,it happens all the time.
Fact is the City without this will remain dead and stagnant.
William Rudd
says...
2:25pm Sun 30 Dec 12
You see this is the type of utter nonsence that people read and take as fact.
Biomech
says...
2:54pm Sun 30 Dec 12
Are you really that naive that you think stuffing a huge shopping complex PLUS 300 new houses on top of the most gridlocked roads in Hereford is going to be fixed by, essentially, updating a road that is already in place?
....wow.
You are right about one thing, Hereford will die (even more so than it has). No one comes here, no one wants to come here. It will die at the hands of the inept council and their ridiculous schemes.
However, let me make this perfectly clear, I'm not against the development in the slightest, it should have been done 20 years ago. It's simply a case that it's being done incorrectly causing problems and costing extortionate amounts of money that's wasted more than it's used.
megilleland
says...
3:43pm Sun 30 Dec 12
I for one like so many don't give two bloody hoots what has gone on in secret meetings or how much people make or will make from the development,it happens all the time.
Fact is the City without this will remain dead and stagnant.
A lot of secret meetings and secret courts are already being held without the public's knowledge with lots of people being taken off our streets and locked up the same day. Interesting to note that Jesse Norman MP is holding an evening on this very subject at The Starlight Rooms, Hereford United FC on 10th January. Maybe an idea to go along and find out why the government and local authorities want this to proceed unless of course you are above the law.
probono
says...
4:16pm Sun 30 Dec 12
Or maybe let Bob build the houses in Credenhill.
Answers in a plain brown envelope please
p157
says...
11:24am Mon 31 Dec 12
I don't think things will ever improve
Gillian1961
says...
5:59pm Mon 31 Dec 12
probono wrote:I glad some one else knows Bob Mathews for what he realy is
Good Old Bob - see a bandwaggon and jump on it. Why not make it through Stretton Sugwas and Credenhill ? Mmm ?
Or maybe let Bob build the houses in Credenhill.
Answers in a plain brown envelope please
JudSawyer
says...
6:37pm Mon 31 Dec 12
Regarding the 300 homes to be built on Merton Meadows -- wasn't it going to be 800 homes originally, in the Urban Village? Sadly the old ESG website no longer exists to check.
The extra road means extra junctions, which means extra bottlenecks. Traffic on Aylestone Hill already crawls at snail's pace and cars cannot get in and out of side roads.
Also, the link road will (would?) be a major road for my kid to cross on her way to school. Will there be a pedestrian crossing where it meets Widemarsh St? A lollipop lady or man?
bobby47
says...
10:47pm Mon 31 Dec 12
This Councillor has done what we've asked so lets give him some credit.
I want other Councillors to come on here and join in our protest against this chaotic and deranged thinking Council Leadership.
Lets not lose sight of what we want!
littlewhitebull
says...
12:33pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Happy New Year to you and all other posters.
megilleland
says...
1:02pm Tue 1 Jan 13
Regarding the 300 homes to be built on Merton Meadows -- wasn't it going to be 800 homes originally, in the Urban Village? Sadly the old ESG website no longer exists to check.
Here is the ESG Herefordshire Ltd original master plan:
http://www.herefordf
utures.co.uk/Content
/files/Hereford_Futu
res_Master_Plan.pdf
The project started out as a £280 million pound project and envisaged 1100 homes being built. This design brief proposed 1013 units:
http://www.czwg.com/
images/uploads/CZWG_
Blackfriars_Urban_Vi
llage.pdf
However this has come down over the years to a £90 million pound project and possibly 800 houses.
The preferred options in the Place Shaping Paper identified the strategic housing locations to enable the growth of Hereford. A common location within ESG is the urban village area, where it is estimated that 800 dwellings could
result. Other housing option sites are urban extensions to the built up area of Hereford. All strategic sites will be required to include affordable housing and be of high quality design.
This option was raised as an alternative to those within the Place Shaping Paper but is considered to be unrealistic. The Edgar Street Grid proposals are a commitment of the Council and include a variety of uses to regenerate
the city centre. The Urban Village will provide 800 new homes in the city, a third of which will be affordable. There is limited land available within this area to increase the numbers of housing already identified. Therefore, placing more homes within the scheme is not a viable or realistic option.
This document Herefordshire Council's Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA) 2011 lists housing sites in the county. The ESG site is on p265 & 266 of this document.
http://www.herefords
hire.gov.uk/docs/Her
eford(4).pdf
Vic Vomitello
says...
4:25pm Tue 1 Jan 13
nickt2635
says...
9:49am Wed 2 Jan 13
Gillian1961 says...
11:48am Fri 28 Dec 12