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Southern Link Road Preferred Route


megilleland

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  • 3 weeks later...

A letter in the HT from young Phillip -

 

I REFER to the letter from R Williams (Bypass not SC2 is proper way forward, Hereford Times, July 30).

Herefordshire Council has taken this “bull by the horns†and put forward evidence-based policies that form the Local Development Framework – Core Strategy, which is now with the planning inspector for approval as a sound plan, for adoption by full council in early autumn.

The policies in the Core Strategy are well-known and have been through considerable consultation. To keep Herefordshire viable, we must grow the economy through enabling business opportunities, meeting the demand for housing and the road infrastructure to support it.

R Williams’ views of the value of the Lugg Meadows may be shared by others, but the meadows are protected by statute and we will never be able to build there under current regulations. For Herefordshire to have an A49 trunk route bypass, it can only go to the west of the city.

Residents and businesses are demanding a bypass for the city and to this end we have regular meetings with senior representatives from Highways England to ensure this route becomes a project for national infrastructure priority.

 

The SC2 – South Wye Relief Road – has been largely funded by the government through a successful bidding round through the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership. This was gained against tough competition from other projects because of the value-added benefits to the economy and travel sustainability.

When built, SC2 will become the next phase of the western bypass. The funding to build it cannot be used for any other project and will be released to us in phased stages throughout the build.

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However long it takes to choose the route, gain planning and achieve funding for the rest of the western bypass, it is our only option.

COUNCILLOR PHILIP PRICE Cabinet member for infrastructure Herefordshire Council

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If the Core Strategy or Local Plan is with a planning inspector for approval as a "sound plan" why hasnt it been approved? I thought the Inspector had the public enquiry back in February so if it is so good why hasnt the Council adopted it by now? 

 

Why is a Western Bypass the only option? 

 

Sorry but has Cllr Price bothered to read any of his own consultants reports? I am sure someone told me that the whole claim of the Southern Link Road as opening up Rotherwas was actually a lie and the Council's own consultants have admitted this in their report on the planning application. The Council apparently misled everyone over the need for this road in the South Wye Transport package. Where is the rest of the South Wye transport package such as extra bus services?Surely this is more "sustainable" than a road with no footpaths or cycle paths/lanes.

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I notice that the number of comments/letters on this planning application are now greater that the Council's original quantity of documents. 110 letters vs 107 Council documents. Apparently people can still make comments and objections as not all the evidence required to support this application is available and so you can still write in and have your objection registered. In view of some of the excellent comments posted by local people I hope more folk against this road will write to the planning officer and highlight that the road is highly damaging and a huge waste of our scarce public money.

 

I cant find reference to this road being cut from the Council's costs in their Budget consultation- cant the money spent on consultants such as Parsons Brinkerhoff be better spent on our local libraries and bus services? 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well done Woodland Trust for objecting to Herefordshire Coujncil about the Southern Link Road and writing about it in their latest Midlands Broadleaf magazine.

 

post-900-0-60136400-1442571781_thumb.jpg

 

Who knew that rare barbastelle and Nathusius' pipistrelle bats live in Grafton Wood, with other bat species too?  They are not mentioned in the Council's environmental reports to support their plans. What else has been ignored?

 

The proposed path of the SC2 route is straight through the middle of Grafton Wood. Still time to object, see https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/development-control/planning-applications/details?id=151314&search=southern%20link%20road

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Well done Woodland Trust for objecting to Herefordshire Coujncil about the Southern Link Road and writing about it in their latest Midlands Broadleaf magazine.

 

attachicon.gifP1080586 - Copy.JPG

 

Who knew that rare barbastelle and Nathusius' pipistrelle bats live in Grafton Wood, with other bat attachicon.gifP1080586 - Copy.JPGspecies too?  They are not mentioned in the Council's environmental reports to support their plans. What else has been ignored?

 

The proposed path of the SC2 route is straight through the middle of Grafton Wood. Still time to object, see https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/planning-and-building-control/development-control/planning-applications/details?id=151314&search=southern%20link%20road

 

That's a relief because it's a bit quiet and the clock ticks closer to the day that the money offered for this project is withdrawn..Hopefully.

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I'm against this road for a variety of reasons the main being if we are to build a by-pass we should start with building a bridge first.It's all very well objecting to something but when the woodland trust who have not even visited this wood or even been no where near it object with that statement then it's obviously going to be thrown out.

The bat report states otherwise.Only two trees with roosting bats and they won't be directly affected by the road. I think all trees anywhere have the potential to have roosting bats

Tree surveys identified over 40 trees potentially suitable for roosting bats within the survey area. The majority of these trees were considered to have high or moderate potential to support roosting bats. Emergence surveys confirmed two trees which supported soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) roosts at the time of survey. No other tree roosts were identified during the roost surveys, however several trees within the survey area continue to have moderate to high potential to support roosting bats. The two tree roosts would not be directly affected by any of the alignment options under consideration; however indirect effects should be considered. Impact assessment and mitigation measures will be detailed within the subsequent Environmental Statement

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How do you know the Woodland Trust haven't visited Grafton Wood, Ragwert? I wouldn't have thought they would object in such strong terms if they had not. Anyway, it's rubbish to say that tree roosts in Grafton Wood would not be affected, because bats (and lots of other wildlife) are very sensitive to light, air and noise pollution, and they would get plenty of that.

 

Unfortunately the National Biodiversity Network is very reliant on volunteers providing wildlife records. Councils have not had resources to collect data and monitor wildlife on a consistent basis for many, many years. So these days just because there are few records listed does not necessarily mean something is not present.

 

This road would do a lot of damage to wildlife and mitigation is not possible. The National Planning Policy Framework states that ancient woodland is irreplaceable.

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How do you know the Woodland Trust haven't visited Grafton Wood, Ragwert? I wouldn't have thought they would object in such strong terms if they had not. Anyway, it's rubbish to say that tree roosts in Grafton Wood would not be affected, because bats (and lots of other wildlife) are very sensitive to light, air and noise pollution, and they would get plenty of that.

 

Unfortunately the National Biodiversity Network is very reliant on volunteers providing wildlife records. Councils have not had resources to collect data and monitor wildlife on a consistent basis for many, many years. So these days just because there are few records listed does not necessarily mean something is not present.

 

This road would do a lot of damage to wildlife and mitigation is not possible. The National Planning Policy Framework states that ancient woodland is irreplaceable.

Because I asked them  :Happy_32: .

They got their info from........environmental assessments and surveys carried out by Parsons Brinckerhoff for Herefordshire Council, as part of the planning application for the South Herefordshire Relief Road  Which I posted above.

 

No part of the assessment talks of barbastelle bat

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I see that even the report by Parsons Brinckerhoff in support of the SLR for Herefordshire Council, December 2014: Bat Activity Report does talk about rare barbastelle bats quite a lot, for example:

 

“Some of the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre records are located less than 500 m from the SLR. Lesser horseshoe bat, barbastelle, serotine, Leisler‟s, noctule, long-eared spp., Natterer‟s, soprano pipistrelle and common pipistrelle were all recorded as present (not roosting) in 2008 approximately 300 m north of SLR, adjacent to the railway.â€

 

"Of the Annex II species, barbastelle was recorded during the transect surveys on 14 occasions. Five of the calls were recorded during the July dawn survey (in the vicinity of stops 3 and 13 of transect 2). Four of the calls were recorded during the August dusk survey (in the vicinity of stops 9, 11 and 12 of transect 3 and stop 6 of transect 1). The remaining calls were recorded during the April, May, July and October dusk surveys."

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Things seem relatively quiet in the SLR at the moment but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. PB have been bore holing for water levels and a Dendrologist has been engaged to look at the oak tree. There are obviously some concerns in this field, which is on the link road between the A465 and B4349. Your report for the Hereford Transport Alliance is requested.

 

On another note I went to a planning meeting at the Shire Hall on Wednesday. After a lot of discussion the committee approved outline planning permission for 80 houses on land adjacent to the 7 Stars Clehonger. Perhaps they are trying to justify the need for the SLR. All it will mean is over 100 extra cars will be travelling into Hereford.post-1156-0-15327100-1442611991_thumb.jpg

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I see that even the report by Parsons Brinckerhoff in support of the SLR for Herefordshire Council, December 2014: Bat Activity Report does talk about rare barbastelle bats quite a lot, for example:

 

“Some of the Herefordshire Biological Records Centre records are located less than 500 m from the SLR. Lesser horseshoe bat, barbastelle, serotine, Leisler‟s, noctule, long-eared spp., Natterer‟s, soprano pipistrelle and common pipistrelle were all recorded as present (not roosting) in 2008 approximately 300 m north of SLR, adjacent to the railway.â€

 

"Of the Annex II species, barbastelle was recorded during the transect surveys on 14 occasions. Five of the calls were recorded during the July dawn survey (in the vicinity of stops 3 and 13 of transect 2). Four of the calls were recorded during the August dusk survey (in the vicinity of stops 9, 11 and 12 of transect 3 and stop 6 of transect 1). The remaining calls were recorded during the April, May, July and October dusk surveys."

But not in the woodland which the woodland trust say they were and also another five species which were also not seen or heard.

Don't get me wrong I'm not being nit picking with this but when you get big organisations writing false info they need to be asked why.

 

Response from Woodland trust to my question.

 Hi William. We were able to access this information in the form of environmental assessments and surveys carried out by Parsons Brinckerhoff for Herefordshire Council, as part of the planning application for the South Herefordshire Relief Road; we'd suggest you get in touch with the council who should hopefully be able to give provide you with access to the appropriate documentation

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cannot work out how to comment on this topic, hence opening a new one. I find Hereford Voice very difficult to get your head around

 

Just to let everyone know that the PA 151314 will be discussed at a special meeting on Monday 23November. Consultation will be from 8 Oct to 5 Nov. Jean Harris

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cannot work out how to comment on this topic, hence opening a new one. I find Hereford Voice very difficult to get your head around

 

Just to let everyone know that the PA 151314 will be discussed at a special meeting on Monday 23November. Consultation will be from 8 Oct to 5 Nov. Jean Harris

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This email has been sent to me so I'm going to share it with all you beautiful people on the voice!

 

Hope it's of some use? & don't worry it is in the public domain.

 

I write to give you, that were originally consulted on this application, to provide an update on the progress of the above application and how this will be progressing to committee.

 

 

 

We have provisionally booked a Planning Committee specifically to deal with this application for Monday 23rd November 2015. The meeting will be in the afternoon (2pm) and will follow a site visit by members of the planning committee in the morning.

 

 

 

The applicants agents are preparing some amended plans / supporting documentation and updated information that will need to be subject of a re-consultation. It is my intention that this consultation period will start on the 8th October (letters to those that have submitted representation to date / site notices and newspaper adverts) until 5th November (28 days).

 

 

 

The reason for my email is so that you have advanced warning and are able to schedule special meetings or time so to ensure that I have any additional comments by the 5th November. It is also to give you advanced warning of the committee date if a Parish or Cllr wishes to attend.

 

Details in respect of Public Speaking have yet to be finalised and we will write again nearer the time in the normal way.

 

 

 

Please feel free to share this provisional dates with members of the public, and I will advise those that I speak to / correspond with regularly as well.

 

 

 

Please note that this date is all based on the information being submitted in time to allow a full 28 day consultation period, so it is provisional at present. From the feedback received to date, I am fairly confident that this can be achieved.

 

 

 

I trust that this is of assistance to you all at this time. Any queries please email or give me a call,

 

 

 

Kind regards

 

 

 

Kelly

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