Maggie May

Thank you twowheelsgood as this explains the design behind this new building - to me it looks like it is an electricity generating/transformer station converted to be student accommodation! Why would you put any accommodation on this junction with trains/cars surrounding it? Surely this should be where a low level multi storey car park should be along with bike racks/hire and the transport interchange between buses/rail, etc? What has happened to the transport hub we were promised as part of the City Link Road scheme? Weren't the University going to make it compulsory that to attend you had to live in their student accommodation? Student accommodation can be a big earner for many Universities so perhaps the Council provide the land, Engie build the Blott on the Landscape & then they cream money off the students who have to live in the accommodation throughout the year. This is not like other UK Universities which have long summer breaks/reading weeks (do you even have to read to attend Hereford?) but where you study full time and for over 40 weeks p.a.

I understand that Sharpe Pritchard are the solicitors acting for Herefordshire Council in the Public Inquiry into the compulsory purchase orders for the land the Council need to build the Southern Link Road. A friend has sent me a link to the home page for the papers for the Public Inquiry HERE. There are some very interesting objections that have been submitted and I must admit the Council dont seem to be saying anything new. What for example is happening about all the extra buses and safe cycle routes/20mph residential areas South Wye was supposed to be getting? Is it like the City Link Road where they blew most of the money on a big road scheme and spent the balance on sandwiches/pop and back handers?

My friend has told me that this public enquiry is due to start on 30th October and last for 7 days. Apparently something like 20 objectors to the scheme.

Probably that the Council website wasn't working for this planning application at times last week? Also, if you dont know the link how would you know where to find it on the Council website? It has only been made easy for Hereford Voice readers because of the link kindly provided earlier in the post.

I do think it is important that we remember what was promised for this area of Hereford City by councillors/ESG/Hereford Futures etc, as the Hereford Area Plan is supposedly being developed to determine the future of what was our "fair city". The promises of the last few years seem to have been completely empty (should I be surprised?) and instead this administration with its transport officers have well and truly created a mess of this important regeneration area and "once in a lifetime opportunity". Instead they have created further congestion/gridlock without actually building any new homes in the area and still spent £millions over budget. Where are all the cycle ways promised over the years (e.g. Broad St; St Owen St, City Link Road, etc.) ? The canal trust were talking of a great sounding scheme using the tunnel under Aylestone Hill (at my age avoiding cycling up that hill would be a bonus) into the Canal basin by the train station, linking into Withington, etc. They cant do it without the money (the development at Holmer Trading Estate came back and negotiated out this funding for the canal trust) but now it seems that they cant do it as the canal basin seems to be another car park/mass of tarmac. WE have been promised replacement trees in High Town for those taken down for the bull (Where are they?) Trees promised for lots of areas, including the tree lined boulevard that Blueschool Street is to become with its cafe culture and all the traffic moved to the link road. WE must remember this in the next local elections as all the promises are empty and this Herefordshire Council has sold us all out and delivered nothing of the masterplan that didnt line the pockets of developers that are not in the least bit interested in the future of Hereford. I see that the landscape officer has written a brief email supporting the historic buildings officer and querying the mass of this building. I agree with all that this officer has said. The existing GP surgeries have been around for such a long time, I dont think a delay of 6 months to get the City scape/masterplan for Hereford is that much of an issue when this opportunity is a "once in a lifetime" to make a huge difference to our city. The GPs dont even know where the 5,000 university students and their "campus" is going.

What has happened to the University accommodation going inside the City walls as originally proposed? I thought they were looking at the buildings around West Street and East Street in particular. The sites shown above were supposed to be new homes with 35% affordable housing. These sites are ideal for our aging population who need to live closer to the services they regularly need such as GPs and hospitals, as well as shops. Surely it is better for the students to live on sites a bit further out of the centre as they should be fit and able enough to walk/cycle to where their lectures/training with local employers takes them. Aren't they all supposed to be studying engineering on a practical basis at local employers, such as those based at Rotherwas? As said on another post Hereford needs a proper Masterplan so the City is planned coherently for all of us and the services, transport, etc all put in place to support such a plan. No other business would go ahead piecemeal selling off bits and pieces here and there, with no thought for the long term future - but then this is Herefordshire Council.

I do think it is important that we remember what was promised for this area of Hereford City by councillors/ESG/Hereford Futures etc, as the Hereford Area Plan is supposedly being developed to determine the future of what was our "fair city". The promises of the last few years seem to have been completely empty (should I be surprised?) and instead this administration with its transport officers have well and truly created a mess of this important regeneration area and "once in a lifetime opportunity". Instead they have created further congestion/gridlock without actually building any new homes in the area and still spent £millions over budget. Where are all the cycle ways promised over the years (e.g. Broad St; St Owen St, City Link Road, etc.) ? The canal trust were talking of a great sounding scheme using the tunnel under Aylestone Hill (at my age avoiding cycling up that hill would be a bonus) into the Canal basin by the train station, linking into Withington, etc. They cant do it without the money (the development at Holmer Trading Estate came back and negotiated out this funding for the canal trust) but now it seems that they cant do it as the canal basin seems to be another car park/mass of tarmac. WE have been promised replacement trees in High Town for those taken down for the bull (Where are they?) Trees promised for lots of areas, including the tree lined boulevard that Blueschool Street is to become with its cafe culture and all the traffic moved to the link road. WE must remember this in the next local elections as all the promises are empty and this Herefordshire Council has sold us all out and delivered nothing of the masterplan that didnt line the pockets of developers that are not in the least bit interested in the future of Hereford.

This is not just a surgery it also includes a retail element (could be a pharmacy?) and an area for "expansion". The plans also claim that this application will "increase green infrastructure" to the City Link Road. To me there is minimal "green infrastructure" being proposed when they are seeking so many car parking spaces albeit it is an improvement on the industrial expanse of tarmac where the canal basin should have gone! Another opportunity lost - this proposal bears no relation to what was being proposed as part of the whole ESG plans we were told about when this area was all to be developed ESG Proposals here. These proposals were for a 21st century development putting cyclists/pedestrians above cars and providing park & ride and bus services, from a new bus station alongside the railway station. Can nothing of this vision be salvaged? The entrance to this large car park will also sever what was supposed to be a protected cycleway. The design does nothing to enhance the setting of the railway station and the proposed "transport hub" in the pictures in the design and access statement make this look no more than a few modern bus shelters - what about bike hire? Taxis? AS the application says "the transport hub (design unknown)" Why? I thought the transport hub was an integral part of the City Link Road project and was supposed to be delivered if not designed by now. Whilst I welcome in theory this larger health centre I still believe it is in the wrong place, is an unacceptable design and will mean even more of the opportunities that Cllr Roger Phillips waxed so lyrically. AS the ESG says "Roger Phillips, Leader of Herefordshire Council, which instigated the development scheme, said, “Herefordshire Council recognises the important economic, environmental and cultural impacts the project will have, both on the city and the county. Opportunities to redevelop a major part of an historic market city are very rare and I urge everyone to examine and comment on the Masterplan, the success of which is so vital to the future of our county.” I see that a Jeremy Milln has made a very detailed objection, making reference to the Historic England report and condemning the design and location.

When the proposed student accommodation is built on the old Rockfield store site it does not appear to me that there will be much room left for a well designed bus station to allow them to turn/park and avoid conflict with passengers/cyclists/taxis, etc. I choose to disagree on the location of this surgery and the quantity of car parking spaces (96). If located next to rail, bus, bike, etc why so many car parking spaces required? Morrisons is opposite so why yet another car park in this urban area? The height of this building next to the Victorian railway station just overwhelms the listed building and gives no sense of place. If this height is needed for a new GP surgery and is such a square modern box design, build it where the current bus station is by the new hospital (another modern design building). That way you wont need the ambulance parking bays either. Where is the canal basin etc we were promised in the ESG masterplan? If that plan is no longer a template for the redevelopment of our city why dont we plan this area as part of the Hereford Area Plan? That way a proper urban transport network can be designed not the swathes of tarmac and no safe cycling delivered at vast cost by the City Link Road. This area has already been destroyed at huge public expense by the City Link Road which has been correctly damned by Historic England for anyone arriving as a visitor to our city (Historic England Urban panel review Oct 2017 ).

Sorry but I thought this area was to be a proper "transport Hub" . The bus station would relocate here, along with bike hire and a possible multi storey car park. This way buses, rail, bikes and cars would form a complete interchange. I have heard this week that the County bus station on Commercial Road is to go, but to be replaced with a multi storey car park instead. Surely this site, next to the hospital would be a much better and safer location for the new GP surgery, with easy access to the hospital (you could push a wheelchair quicker to the hospital from there than to get an ambulance to the Link Road and out of the junctions to the hospital). The decision this week (16.05.2018) seems to show this Decision details here . What has happened to the Masterplan for this part of the City? The Canal basin with houses; trees, cycle paths, an excellent transport hub/interchange to make transport accessible and easy for all and reduce car use, etc? The Railway station is grade 2 listed and it is now facing onto a massive expanse of tarmac for no consideration of anyone outside of a car. The proposed buildings do nothing to enhance the setting of this listed building and welcome visitors to what was a beautiful city. Hereford Voice you did such a great job on rescuing the Bath Street offices from destruction and getting a development that enhances the area and delivers much needed housing. Can you mount another campaign to rescue this part of Hereford and get some sort of joined up thinking happening for our City? These facilities are needed but they should be delivered in a properly planned way not a complete hotpotch of bits here and there and destroying our heritage rather than repurposing and enhancing it.

Looking at the still of the video at the top of this comment it appears that the different routes all pass through the area coloured red. Apparently that is all new housing proposed for the area through which this "bypass" goes. Can anyone please explain, why is it called a "bypass" if it goes through a large new housing estate? Who would want to by a house right next to a 60mph(?) road or dual carriageway? If this new road is to take 6,000 cars a day of the roads in Hereford why don't the Council build it well outside the residential areas. It would also allow more homes to be built for future generations inside the road area over the longer term.

I agree that cyclists should be considerate when sharing space with pedestrians as they are the faster moving object. Logically cars should then be considerate to cyclists on the road. In my experience cycling around Hereford many road users are considerate (grey haired lady lit up like a Xmas tree) but you only need a few drivers passing too close & at speed to knock the confidence of a cyclist, and even worse knock them over. I have had a number of close passes and it can really shake you up. Along a straight stretch of flat road like the City Link Road cyclists can easily be cycling at over 10mph, and good cyclists much faster. The cyclists at this speed should really cycle on the road to protect pedestrians, and yet motorists will complain, (as in many other posts) that cyclists aren't using the "cycle path" provided for them! This is not the fault of any individual it is just really bad transport design and planning, especially on such a wide stretch of new road. I understand Herefordshire Council apparently promised the Government that there would be a safe cycle path along the length of the road, and yet it has not been built. I love getting around on my bike and it is much better for me and everyone else if I do so rather then use a car. However, my transport needs seem to get squeezed out just because I choose to cycle and yet I pay my taxes the same as everyone else. :(

Well I hope no one here will complain about me cycling along the footpath here as the whole pavement is "shared space" - not ideal for either pedestrians or cyclists and very poor on a brand new road construction. I understand that despite the cost of the road there is no dedicated, safe protected cycle path along the length of this road despite the Council claiming that there would be one. An opportunity lost if Hereford is to become a University City - as students are very happy to walk and cycle everywhere.

Wow Denise you really have a grasp of following the money! Is this teemin and lading legal when it involves public money?

How can the Council afford this road? The other City Link Road was apparently going to cost £27million but ended up costing £34million, and that road is less than half the length of this new road. What is the point of it?