New cycle shelters to be installed in Gaol Street car park, Hereford City.

Cyclists will soon have more options for where to store their bike when they visit the City, with two new Sedum (hardy, small water storing plants) cycle shelters being installed in Gaol Street car park.

Your Herefordshire previously covered the decision being made to spend close to £30,000 on the purchase and installation of the shelters. https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/news/news-around-30000-to-be-spent-on-purchasing-and-installing-green-cycle-shelters-in-hereford-city-centre/

With room for 16 bikes, the new shelters are located close to the historic City centre offering cyclists a covered place to leave their bike during their visit, while they work or shop.

The new cycle shelters, which will have lighting, have Sedum, herbs, grasses and plants on the roof, known to have many benefits for the environment. The plants will help absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen while their flowers are a great food source for bees and other pollinators. The living roof will also help to filter fine dust particles from the air and help to capture rain water.

Work on the new cycle shelters is starting this week and is due to be completed by end March.

The shelters are part of the improvements taking place in Hereford to further enhance the City Centre environment thanks to investment of £6million over the next two years.

The investment, funded jointly by the council and Marches LEP, comes following a difficult period for local traders due to government covid restrictions, and aims to encourage people to spend more time in the City when they visit, helping to boost the local economy.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for Infrastructure and Transport, said:

“The new cycle shelters will match the Sedum roofed bus stops we brought in last year and will do a little but significant bit towards making the City air a little cleaner, absorbing CO2 and particulates. More significantly they will hopefully encourage people to travel to the City by bike instead of by car, knowing their bikes will be kept safe and dry, and the attractive living roof on the shelters will encourage bees and other pollinating insects.

“The new cycle shelters are part of our continuing investment in our beautiful and historic City, so that everyone who visits or works there has the best possible experience and enjoys spending time there.”