PLANS for two Hereford link roads are included in a £102m funding package pitched to the Government by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

The LEP confirmed today (Thursday)  that it had submitted its Strategic Economic Plan (SEP) to Whitehall with a £33.5m Hereford City Centre Transport Package, including the Commercial Road – Edgar Street link.

Also in the bid is a further £34.7m for a transport package specific to South Wye.

A public inquiry into compulsory purchase orders Herefordshire Council needs for the Commercial Road-Edgar Street scheme gets underway later this month.

The council has an overall budget of £27m for this road – including compulsory purchase – funded through a combination of capital receipts from the sale of council owned land, third party contributions including external grant funding and further borrowing.

A road linking the Hereford Enterprise Zone (HEZ) to the A465 headlines the South Wye package, pedestrian crossing improvements and cycling schemes make up much of the rest.

Major congestion on the A49 is recognised by the bid as a “significant blocker” to further development at the HEZ and other employment sites and holding back the development of 3,000 houses within the city boundary.

The extent of that development is outlined as in a reference to “strategic sites” including Lower Bullingham (1,000 homes), Three Elms (1,000 homes) and Holmer West (500 homes).

Ross-on-Wye is part of the plan as an “opportunity"' town, with much of that opportunity existing in development at the Model Farm site.