Businesses across Hereford city centre have launched a petition this morning stating that they have no confidence in Herefordshire Council.
The petition page says:
We the undersigned local businesses believe Herefordshire Council have used their power in an ill-judged , prejudicial and draconian way at one of our City’s most vulnerable times to drive through a programme of works which has resulted in our streets being ripped apart to make them Inaccessible to motor cars using the excuse that our National Government is funding new cycle lanes.
Whilst we all want and need to see our Hereford become a greener place live, work, shop, visit and enjoy with far more cycling and walking , we simply have to implement these radical changes in a more coherent and consensual way and our Council should take account of the simple fact that our City’s commercial future is on a knife edge and that it only works when respect is paid to the fact we are a market town and we need good roadways , easy access parking for goods and people or the concept of sound commercial business is lost.
We are all well aware of the many millions of £s that the authority has spent over these past few years on so many grandiose and vanity led projects with precious little to show for it , but this latest example of ill-considered activity for what must be possibly and hopefully a relatively modest spend has the capacity to have the most catastrophic and deleterious effects on our commercial and enterprise culture in the City , we are a market town , pretty soon we won’t have a market.
Many of our businesses were starting to manage the changes as a result of Covid19, then this latest little project that someone thought would be fun to try comes along and kicks them in the commercial teeth , this cannot stand , if this goes on unchallenged , and not reversed so many of our local businesses will simply give up.
WE simply ask that those in political power grasp the nettle and instruct officers to change the policy, reverse the changes made and then properly consult with the people who trade and live here and who make our City work and then perhaps we will have a coherent and workable strategy.
Andrew Morris Estate Agents, Blooming Temptations, Blue Bell Properties, Cafe Bodega, Chave & Jackson’s, Cherry Savage, FIT, Flint & Cook, Great British Florist, Hat Trick, Hereford Framing Centre, Hi Fi Gear, Jackson’s Property, King Street kitchen, Moka Bar, Pritchard’s, Rees & Co, Rococo, Sarah Janes Joy of Flowers, School Uniform Shop, Stooke Hill & Walshe, The Spread Eagle, Wiggly Wigglers.
You can sign the petition by visiting – https://www.change.org/p/uk-government-the-ministry-of-housing-communities-and-local-government-s-vote-of-no-confidence-in-herefordshire-council?recruiter=1142783898&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=fecd9ab0-e2a5-11ea-8361-9101464dcd75&utm_content=fht-24206107-en-gb%3A0
