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Here is a link to the Old Market Website, I thought that they would of come up with a more modern attractive name other than 'Old Market' and I was expecting new modern glass fronted buildings, but it looks like it's mainly bricks..

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Why on earth has nobody had the sense to built a glass roofed 'footbridge' from the new 'Old Market' complex over the main road directly into Maylord Orchards or somewhere near Tesco's? Thus having the best of both worlds and connecting the City Centre, instead of possibly isolating it. (This is what they have done at Cabot Circus in Bristol and it works perfectly) This would also be safer for pedestrians, and would also not interfere with the traffic flow by having pedestrian lights stopping the traffic.

 

Anyway, you make up your own minds and have a look at the animation Old Market Hereford - Check Out The Animation

 

You can also view the webcam

 

 

I think that we certainly need a proper link. Colin is right I am impressed with Bristol with the new shopping complex, it is also fully covered by a lovely glass roof, it feels like outside but in the dry nice and bright.

 

I have also suggested this idea for a glass covered roof for the Maylord Shopping along the back of the Butter Market as this will give a feel of a covered area, this would create a nice covered shopping area connecting this to Widemarsh Street.

 

The Local Councillor tells me he is not on the working group for the Butter Market and has no say.

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I honestly can't see a footbridge being the answer. How is it going to serve the needs of the elderly, the disabled, or mums with buggies/prams??

I just don't think it ticks enough boxes, access wise! The subways weren't great - but at least everybody could use them!!

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I honestly can't see a footbridge being the answer. How is it going to serve the needs of the elderly, the disabled, or mums with buggies/prams??

I just don't think it ticks enough boxes, access wise! The subways weren't great - but at least everybody could use them!!

 

It works in Bristol. It will work if they want it to work or would you prefer disabled or mums with buggies/prams crossing the main ring road as it stands ?

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Colin James said

 
More importantly, why on earth has nobody had the sense to built a glass roofed 'footbridge' from the new 'Old Market' complex over the main road directly into Maylord Orchards? Thus having the best of both worlds and connecting the City Centre, instead of possibly isolating it. (This is what they have done at Cabot Circus in Bristol and it works perfectly) This would also be safer for pedestrians, and would also not interfere with the traffic flow by having pedestrian lights stopping the traffic.

 

Here are some images and videos of the bridge to give posters an idea of what it looks like.

 
 
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It works in Bristol. It will work if they want it to work or would you prefer disabled or mums with buggies/prams crossing the main ring road as it stands ?

 

I have seen fully covered footbridges in other cities and it's a no brainer in my opinion, Colin is smack on with this idea and why Hereford never adopted this I will never know, the city is disjointed for sure. Thank you to megilleland for providing the images.

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But surely the "footbridge" would need to be a ramp, if its to be accessible to all??

Think about the gradient.....it would have to go on...and on...and on....!!!!

 

Surely the shared space idea is more pedestrian friendly for the able and not so able bodied???

Yes, I am all for shared space but you get wet when it rains etc a footbridge would come out of the 2nd level, Debenhams or something, most places have these coming from the 2nd floor which these days always has disabled access across into the top floor of Tesco (and yes there is one) or directly into Maylords and this is fraction of the distance they have at Cabot Circus

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Yes, I am all for shared space but you get wet when it rains etc a footbridge would come out of the 2nd level, Debenhams or something, most places have these coming from the 2nd floor which these days always has disabled access across into the top floor of Tesco (and yes there is one) or directly into Maylords and this is fraction of the distance they have at Cabot Circus

 

I totally get this, it's about making your shopping experience attractive to come to Hereford and right now the most attractive part is leaving Hereford. By the time people have managed negotiate the terrible traffic and then manage to find a parking space (because for some reason this administration seems to think that 65-70% of people in Hereford are disabled by the amount of parking bays allocated) a lot of people are fed up and frustrated and all they want to do is get their shopping done as quickly as possible in an attempt to avoid the traffic in order to get back home. 

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TwoWheels has it right. There will be no walkway in the sky. Two years ago I went on a trip organised by the Maylords owners to look at the glass link in Leicester. Various Councillors went along for the ride but there was never any positive follow-up from the Council. Why not? The answer is purely financial. The Council have convinced themselves that the OLM will work and that it will provide a thousand jobs (not counting, of course, the ones lost in the old centre); arrest the 'retail drift' to other centres; stimulate our youth by means of the new cinema and its restaurants to the point they will wish to stay in Hereford; and generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in business rates. All of this (they believe) can be achieved without spending on a glass walkway.

 

The only considered concession to connectivity the Council are prepared to make is the down-grading of Newmarket/Blueschool Street to a 'leafy boulevard' with traffic moving at glacial speed. However, that cannot happen until the Council have the money to build The Road To Nowhere Link. Instead, we are now getting a dumbed-down, half-baked version of the original Hamilton-Baillie proposals in Newmarket Street.

 

Let's face it, the OLM is here; it's happening. I am very fearful of the effect it will have on the historic centre but I believe the connection between the new retail mall and the historic centre must be made to work. The Council missed a massive trick by not forcing Stanhope to pay for a proper connection, implementing the Hamilton-Baillie design for Newmarket/Blueschool Street. So now we are left with the Council's own improvements to Widemarsh Street as the only gesture towards connectivity.

 

This link can be improved and that is one reason why a huge number of people feel that the OLM tree-planting scheme must be extended into the historic centre.

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Yes Harry, it was Two Wheels post that I was thinking about when I stuck my two pence worth in!

When you think that neither Maylords, nor indeed Tesco, are going to want a footbridge that will inevitably take shoppers AWAY from them....then that pretty much removes all options for "connecting".

So that leaves.....well, a bridge!! Which just won't work!

(Apologies to whomever gave me the red vote, no offence is ever meant in any of my posts,unless you happen to be called Patricia Morgan!)

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 Harry said...Various Councillors went along for the ride but there was never any positive follow-up from the Council. Why not? The answer is purely financial

Purely because was a stupid idea and would of been a complete waste of money.
I say it again what about people with walking disability ?

 

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Yes Harry, it was Two Wheels post that I was thinking about when I stuck my two pence worth in!

When you think that neither Maylords, nor indeed Tesco, are going to want a footbridge that will inevitably take shoppers AWAY from them....then that pretty much removes all options for "connecting".

So that leaves.....well, a bridge!! Which just won't work!

(Apologies to whomever gave me the red vote, no offence is ever meant in any of my posts,unless you happen to be called Patricia Morgan!)

 

So how come John Lewis in Bristol don't mind then? Too many negatives, if they really wanted it to work there would be no obstacles, lets just leave the new shopping centre isolated then and give up. 

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I went to a meeting yesterday about the old livestock market with the developers, and I asked the question as to why the covered footbridge that was in the plans for the development had not been built their excuse was the expance of area was to big between the old market and high town, and shared space in newmarket street would have crossings, I asked what about the visualy impaired their answer was there would be sensors telling them when traffic was coming, and the traffic would be moving at 20mph. I then said it would be safer to have the underpass as well, open them back up the answer "they are filled with concrete". Many councillors asked questions and got the same answer, only one councillor from the oposition agreed with the developers together with the Conservatives. The meeting lasted just an hour in total, and in my opinion it was a sheer waste of time!

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Are you referring to a footbridge when you ask about people with a walking disability? What's the difference to a footbridge to a footpath for people with difficulties please explain? Have you looked at the photographs in the links above? You can use electric buggies on these footbridges and lifts either end, have you never used one?

You would have to have steps for a footbridge with that sort of span also most people would still walk from Widemarsh St to the new shopping mall

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It's incredible. If it was built out of town completely I would agree with any complaints.

 

We aren't Cardiff or Birmingham. Neither are we Worcester or Cheltenham. We are Hereford and boy can't you tell. Complaining about having to cross a road is simply clutching at straws and one of the reasons why this city is so far behind and miles off the rest.

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Newmarket Street plans

http://newsroom.here...ket-street.aspx

"A new right turn will be introduced at Widemarsh Gate allowing motorists approaching the junction from Blue School Street to turn directly onto Widemarsh Street. Additionally a new right turn will be introduced at the Wall Street exit from Tesco’s car park, relieving pressure on the Edgar Street roundabout".

 

Introducing more traffic movements isn't going to help at this junction, unless a shared space scheme without traffic lights is used, similar to Poynton in Cheshire. Will the council revoke its traffic regulation order on Widemarsh Street to allow cycling both ways along it length?

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Introducing more traffic movements isn't going to help at this junction, unless a shared space scheme without traffic lights is used, similar to Poynton in Cheshire. Will the council revoke its traffic regulation order on Widemarsh Street to allow cycling both ways along it length?

I completely agree and a footbridge/tube would have had NO EFFECT on the traffic below either, so win win. I am going to Bristol Cabot Circus later today so will try and get some shots of how a proper shopping centre integrates with the older original shopping centre works!

 

cabot01.jpeg

 

cabot02.jpeg

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The last time I checked, the new development was just a road crossing away from the city centre?

 

Some people really are clutching at straws here. A bridge isn't needed.

 

Only the "just a road crossing away" you refer too is the cities major ring road and dual carriageway, great if your 75 years old or a mum with kiddies trying to cross over into town, what planet are you on? A tunnel or enclosed footbridge from the new centre over the main road makes perfect sense and like Colin has said would have no impact on the traffic underneath, the traffic would not need to stop for pedestrians at all which keeps the traffic MOVING, furthermore it keeps the town united not disjointed as someone has already pointed out.

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