Success at last we have saved the hamlet of Warham and the haven of Breinton Springs from the bulldozers. Belmont Abbey and historic Belmont House, in heritage landscapes of Humphry Repton, lay safe south of the Wye. Our treasured historic organic orchards of the Pippin Trust will grow for another 100 years in peaceful serenity. Indeed the River Wye SAC SSSI, in all its glory with remnants of the ancient forest, has been protected from over development.
The new Coalition Council has stopped the destructive plans to expand road capacity for the 7% of passing traffic to focus on improving transport for the 93% of local traffic.
Accentuate the positives. The future is far better with a balanced approach.
Three and a half years ago we set up this campaign to stop the so called bypass because we saw through the deception of the road development proposals.
We noted the plan was not a bypass at all. It was road to enable National house builders access to farmlands to build thousands of houses. (6,500 In Hereford and another 10,000 across the County). We noted the lack of affordable houses in the plans as developers wriggled out of initial planning conditions. The Three Elms site for 1,200 houses owned by the Church Commissioners is a case in point, where representatives indicated affordable housing was uneconomic if the developers must pay towards the access roads.
We noted the planned developments on a large floodplain upstream of the City that threatened both the water supplies and therefore jobs of two key City employers. A development of 1,000 or more houses that surrounded Huntington Hamlet, a peaceful historic conservation area. A development that would require giant land drains and thousands of tonnes of infill to raise land levels. We noted the growing uncertainty over water flow modelling after floods and inadequate planning for climate change.
We realised the Core Strategy was fundamentally flawed because it only paid lip-service to modern sustainable transportation but we saw how vociferously defended it was during public meetings and a public enquiry. Some thing had to change and urgent action was required.
We were astounded to see almost £12 million of capital was drained from the Council coffers by consultants, much without prior tenders or independent scrutiny. We saw the so called scrutiny committee rubber stamping reports without independent advice. These conflicts of interest were tantamount to giving the consultants a blank cheque book. It had to stop, after all, millions of our taxes have been misspent on bias reports for road designs.
We saw first hand how budgets were set then exceeded with no recourse. Consultants were running the Council for their own benefit, not the County residents. The tail was wagging the dog and a corperate culture of complacency pervaded the administration. Key leaders were not reading reports thoroughly, just signing them. Something had to change.
We hope the old plans for Hereford's car based urban expansion will be stopped or at least put on hold while new modern sustainable transport options are designed and constructed first. All this would be in accordance with stated government principles, ignored by generations of Councillors and myopic developers, guided only by shareholder returns.
This County deserves a better future. No more houses without a plan for well funded public services including transport, education and health. Infrastructure fit for purpose, not just to enable a giant car dependent housing estates. No more car dependent shopping complexes in the center of urban development. No more petrol stations or retail parks on roundabouts at key gateways to the City. (Like ASDA, TESCO AND WAITROSE). It is these designs that choke the City with local traffic. 93% of traffic is local but less than 4% are HGVs.
We urgently need an INTERGRATED transport plan for the whole County, not just bits and pieces of expensive concrete and tarmac. That means a plan for school transport to reduce car trips, plans for key business workers transport. A scheme to address the declining mobility of our younger generation. Improved public transport in the form of clean modern buses. We look forward to the reopening of train stations, like Pontrilas, to improve County transport links for growing satellite towns. Perhaps even a modern city tram service for commuters, students and tourists, not forgetting shoppers.
We are looking forward to a new Core Strategy designed for a modern University City. One that embraces clean transport technology and innovative solutions to reduce car dependency. A Core Strategy that reflects the current Climate Emergency. A plan to grow in a sustainable manner, without the destruction of our finest natural resources.
The new Hereford transport hub is key to this development and should take form by the end of this year. It's already budgeted but the ambitions of the past administration were sadly lacking. The wilfull neglect of public transport options for the aged in-part disabled population was a shocking omission. We expect to see integration of all services; the future train, bus, tram, cycling, walking and car sharing technologies.
When plans are completed for charging stations at a new hub, a fleet of subsidised electric buses would help take the pressure off the current roads. By then we hope to see a better park and ride system implemented with intent to reduce pollution and congestion.
We are looking forward to a safe cycling network, not just painted lanes on busy roads.
We anticipate positive developments to protect the environment and begin integrated transport planning shortly.
By the way, we could not have succeeded in changing things without you. The professionals, villagers, towns folk, city dwellers, the students, school kids. We all support the Herefordshire Coalition.
Thankyou for all your support and help.
Herefordshire has a heart of gold......
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