The report seeks Cabinet’s agreement to the revised priorities within the Hereford Transport

Strategy and to agree to draw down investment in new road infrastructure to improve

network resilience and support the growth and development of Herefordshire in accordance

with the current Local Transport Plan and Core Strategy policy frameworks.

That Cabinet:

a) Agrees to recommence progress within the existing policy frameworks of the

Hereford Western Bypass linking the A49 north and south of the city.Consisting of the Southern Link Road as Phase 1 and the Western Bypass as Phase 2 to realise the county’s strategic housing and employment land growth critical to the Herefordshire economy, as set out in the report;

b) Acknowledges the Strategic Outline Case report for the Eastern River Crossing

and Link Road;

c) Agrees to draw down and spend £10.3m of approved capital funding for Phase

1 of the Hereford Western Bypass (HWB) and £760,000 of revenue funding for

Phase 2 of the HWB as included in this report at para 102 to 107; and

d) Delegates authority to take all operational decisions during the development of

the schemes to the Corporate Director for Economy and Environment in

consultation with the Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure and the

Section 151 Officer.

1. Continue with the Eastern River Crossing and Link Road. This is not recommended,

while offering a possible option by providing a second river crossing and some city

centre traffic reductions, does not have the same merits as the Hereford Western

Bypass for a number of reasons, including the ability to detrunk the existing A49,

levels of traffic reduction and the associated benefits, support for proposed housing

and employment development sites. Further details are set out elsewhere in the

report.

2. A do-nothing option is not considered a practical alternative to progressing a bypass

of Hereford. This is not recommended. Traffic congestion and delays in the city have

led to the designation of an Air Quality Management Area centred on the A49 corridor,

makes everyday journeys for local people unreliable, and places local businesses at a

competitive disadvantage. Lack of capacity on the current road network is limiting the

development of key housing and employment sites around the city.

3. Options for transport initiatives to address traffic and transport issues in Hereford

were last considered as part of the Hereford Transport Strategy Review produced in

November 2020. The review considered several packages of road and non-road

measures that were assessed against a set of objectives covering the climate

emergency, the economy, the environment and society.

4. Packages including new road infrastructure were shown to provide the greatest

congestion relief to the city and increased resilience through the provision of an

additional road crossing of the River Wye. Pack