Herefordshire Council Councillors are set to vote on whether to scrap the proposed Western Bypass of Hereford when they meets tomorrow.
Over recent months, groups such as Wye Ruin It? and The Hereford Issue have ramped up the campaign against a Western Bypass, with both groups favouring alternative options such as a electric buses, improved cycle routes and other schemes. They also believe that a bypass will actually increase congestion levels in Hereford with motorists from surrounding counties using the route as an alternative when heading north or south.
Herefordshire Council is currently controlled by an It’s Our County, Independent and Green majority and the majority of these councillors are expected to vote to scrap the bypass.
Over 1,300 members of the public have backed a petition calling for the bypass to be scrapped. The petition was launched by campaign group Wye Ruin It? two years ago. You can check out the petition by visiting – Petition · petitions@herefordshire.gov.uk: Stop Hereford Council’s Bypass · Change.org
However, despite increasing calls from certain groups to cancel the bypass, the Herefordshire Conservatives recently published a press release demanding that Herefordshire Council goes ahead and builds the bypass.
The Conservative press release said:
Conservative Councillors are disappointed and dismayed that Herefordshire Council’s Coalition cabinet has decided to cancel the planned congestion-relieving western bypass, and this decision now threatens Herefordshire’s economic future.
After wasting a staggering £483,000 of council taxpayer’s money on a bypass review concluding what we already knew – that the best way to ease congestion in Hereford is to build a western bypass – typically they defy all logic and want to cancel it anyway. That is council tax money down the drain.
This financially reckless Coalition of Congestion has already lost the guaranteed government funding to build the southern part of the bypass.
Now they want to rob Herefordshire of a sound economic future. We need a Council dedicated to creating a modern thriving city with new homes and jobs and a transport infrastructure that can accommodate this economic growth. We need to de-trunk the A49 through the middle of Hereford.
This is a sad day for the people, businesses and economy of Herefordshire. This backward- looking decision shows a lack of vision with no sense of direction. If this Coalition actually listened to most who comment on the bypass – they would hear the cry – JUST GET ON AND BUILD IT!
