Decision details
Hereford City Centre Improvements – Mill Street Traffic Regulation Order
Decision Maker: Corporate Director – Economy & Environment
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Is Key decision?: No
Is subject to call in?: No
Purpose:
• Hereford City Centre Improvements are
designed to support the local economy and enhance the retail
environment. The refurbishment scheme is contributing to the
delivery of the Herefordshire Streetscape Strategy to create an
attractive, vibrant city centre to help support existing businesses
and create new opportunities to encourage more visitors and
retailers.
• The Cabinet Member decision dated 7th October 2021 set out
the budget for the St Owen St Cycle Contraflow Scheme. Decision -
Hereford City Centre Improvements (HCCI) - Herefordshire
Council
• The Herefordshire Council Local Transport Plan 2016 –
2031 includes the HCCI as a package of works to make the city a
more attractive place to visit and to provide a pedestrian and
cycle friendly environment. It is intended that there will be a
benefit to wide range of people and groups within the business and
resident community.
• The HCCI proposals also contribute to the County plan (2020
– 2024) and to the Herefordshire Council Delivery Plan
2020-2022.
• Transport and transport infrastructure are currently
significant contributors to carbon emissions in both embodied and
operational carbon. The St Owen St improvements, of which the
extension of the cycle contraflow on Mill St form part, provide an
opportunity to support a mode shift from cars to public transport,
walking and cycling through enhanced provisions for these
alternative modes. This will make the access to and circulation
within this area more attractive for non-car modes, whilst
maintaining provision for those for whom car use is
essential.
• The St Owen St cycle contraflow, of which the extension of
the cycle contraflow on Mill St form part, will provide a key
element of improved cycle access into the city centre from the
north east quadrant, thus supporting the reduction on short journey
car trips in this area.
• An increased modal shift to walking and cycling for trips to
and from the city centre will also support an improvement in air
quality in this area. The Mill St cycle contraflow together with
the St Owen St improvements provide a direct cycle route into the
city centre which will reduce cyclists exposure to air pollution on
the current the high volume routes on Bath St and Blueschool St
within the air quality management zone.
• The recent TRO consultation for the main St Owen St scheme
TROs included comments on the benefits to connectivity of extending
the contraflow on Mill St to cover the section between Green St and
Cantilupe St. Following consultation with legal this was not
possible to implement as a minor amendment to those orders and as a
result has been brought forward as a separate TRO.
• Contraflow cycling is a well established approach to
providing cycle routes within urban environments and features
within the new LTN 1/20 cycle infrastructure design in line with
the DfT guidance. The traffic flows in this section of Mill St are
low for the majority of the day and lower than on St Owen St, and
the volume of cycles, given the alternative routes from Cantilupe
St and Green St, are also anticipated to be lower such that an
informal contraflow provision in this section is appropriate as
laid out in LTN 1/20.
• The delivery of the Mill St cycle contraflow will form part
of the St Owen St project commissioned through the Balfour Beatty
Living Places (BBLP) public realm contract. This procurement route
was selected as it achieved the timescales associated with the LEP
funding agreement and for continuity through knowledge of the
scheme that BBLP already had.
Contact: Ross Cook, Corporate Director - Economy and Environment Email: ross.cook@herefordshire.gov.uk.
Publication date: 19/01/2023
Date of decision: 17/01/2023
Accompanying Documents: