Years more congestion ahead for the people of Hereford
The It’s Our County Notice of Motion on making early improvements to the city’s transport infrastructure was defeated this week, thereby condemning Hereford people to years more of traffic congestion.
The It’s Our County proposal was that the Council implements the sustainable transport measures set out in its own Place Shaping Paper 2010 before starting work on the relief road.
Following consultation on the Place Shaping Paper back in 2010, Council officers reported good public support for far reaching sustainable transport measures. It was argued that these would be essential in conjunction with a relief road if Hereford’s traffic problems were to be improved. This shows Hereford people would not object to moving around the city in new ways – if only they could be given the chance.
The Conservatives gave no good reasons for rejecting the motion.
Said Mark Hubbard, Leader of It’s Our County:
“Only last week Cllr Jarvis wrote in the Hereford Times that his reputation rested on having planning permission for some of the bypass in place by the time of the next election. This is three and a half years away, and only for planning permission. Meanwhile he refuses to act now putting changes in place which would have an immediate effect on traffic congestion. I can only conclude that he is putting his reputation before the needs of the County.”
“The Conservatives have made it clear by their behaviour in Council this week that they intend to hold the travelling public of Hereford hostage to their unpopular road-building scheme.”
Notes for Editors
It’s Our County is the largest opposition political party in Herefordshire. It has nine Councillors plus one Green member in its political group in the Council.
It’s Our County stands for independence, openness, accountability, fairness and sustainability. While recognising Herefordshire is part of a global economy it rejects fashions in national political and works on local solutions for local problems. For more information go to www.itsourcounty.org
The defeated Notice of Motion proposed by It’s Our County in the November 2011 council meeting was “This Council resolves that all sustainable transport options set out in the Place Shaping paper for Hereford City are implemented and integrated with improved traffic management systems prior to any work commencing on the outer distributor road”.
The sustainable transport options are set out in the Place Shaping Paper at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/housing/planning/43195.asp, second file, Section 6, page29-30 (as shown on the actual document) Option 3.
The notices of motion for November 18 2011 are published on the council website http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/g3557/Agenda%20frontsheet,%20Friday%2018-Nov-2011%2010.30,%20Council.pdf?T=0