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.