To receive any written questions.

Councillors may ask questions of Cabinet Members and Chairmen of Committees so long as a copy of the question is deposited with the Head of Legal and Democratic Services at least 24 hours prior to the meeting.  A list of questions, set out in the order in which they had been received, was circulated at the beginning of the meeting.

Councillor D.J. Fleet had submitted two questions.  The Chairman ruled that the second of these could be dealt with at Item 1.2 of the Cabinet Report to Council - Revenue Budget 2006/07 (see Minute No 77).

Question asked by Councillor D.J. Fleet.

"Is the refurbishment of Eign Gate now complete?   If so when will Members be informed of the final total cost of the works together with the cost of street lights, furniture etc."

Councillor Wilcox, Cabinet Member (Highways and Transportation) replied that the Eign Gate refurbishment scheme was substantially complete.  He said that although final accounts for the scheme were yet to be confirmed, the current costs were £662,427, against a capital budget allocation of £680,000.  He did not expect that the final costs would be significantly different and would arrange for Councillor Fleet to have the details as soon as possible.

In response to a further question from Councillor Fleet, Councillor Wilcox said he was unaware that the lighting columns were lit for 24 hours a day and would investigate the matter with a view to them being lit during periods of darkness only.

Question asked by Councillor W.J. Walling

"In the light of the considerable amount of disquiet that has been expressed by very many members of the public to me and my colleagues concerning the proposals for the refurbishment of High Town, disquiet which I and my colleagues share would this Council please consider deferring the much reduced and disappointing plans for the refurbishment until next year, leaving the Widemarsh Pedestrianisation scheme time to settle and avoiding all the highly disruptive stop-start refurbishment work, which will be caused by the Mayfair and the Three Choirs Festival?"

Councillor Wilcox advised that future uncertainties regarding local authority funding made it imperative for this refurbishment work to be done by the end of the 2006/2007 financial year, or the opportunity to fund the work may be lost.  High Street was now open and would stay open until after the May Fair, when work would start in High Town. The scheme would be done in five stages to minimise disruption but still allow the work to proceed as quickly as possible. The work in High Town would stop for the Three Choirs Festival, when the works compounds would be removed, and continue afterwards until expected completion in mid November. 

In response to another question about the wisdom of continuing with this work during the Three Choirs Festival and the effect that would have on the image of the County and on the Council, Councillor Wilcox stated that a considerable amount of funding would be lost if the works were not carried out during the proposed period.  He said he was conscious of the effect of works on the A49, and the Victoria Footbridge, but these works could not, safely, be put off any longer.  He restated the intention to minimise any inconvenience during the Three Choirs Festival itself.

Question asked by Councillor Mrs. M.D. Lloyd-Hayes

"Due to the proposed temporary closure of the Victoria Footbridge, has the Council investigated the erection of a Bailey/Temporary Bridge across the River Wye to accommodate the hundreds of people who cross the bridge on a daily basis?"

Councillor Wilcox stated that the refurbishment of Victoria Footbridge was a complex engineering operation requiring closure of the bridge during the whole of the summer (May to October). 

He said that the feasibility of providing a temporary alternative during the works had been investigated but, quite apart from the fact that a suitable site would have been difficult to find, the costs involved would have been in the region of £250,000. This would have had a significant impact on the funding for the Council's bridge maintenance programme across the County.

Councillor Mrs. Lloyd-Hayes said that her investigations had led to her believe that a temporary bridge could be provided for £56,000 and she would be willing to approach businesses south of the river for contributions in return for advertising, to off-set the costs.

Councillor Wilcox said that the works required would have to comply with Environment Agency regulations and although £56,000 may be the initial sum quoted for a basic crossing, it was not a realistic figure for the whole scheme.

Question asked by Councillor W.L.S. Bowen

"Can the Council be informed as to the recreational activity that is to be permitted and encouraged on those parts of the River Wye that flow through Herefordshire and perhaps, in particular, through the City of Hereford?"

Councillor Wilcox replied that, in relation to 'permitting' proposals for recreational activities on those parts of the River Wye running through Herefordshire, the Council's regulatory powers included certain boat licensing and those that fall within the category of 'development requiring planning permission'. Where they fall within that category proposals would be considered in the light of policies set out in relevant Local Plans and the Unitary Development Plan, other material planning considerations and the Habitats Regulations 1994.  He advised that if a use resulted in a 'statutory nuisance' then the Council had powers to take action against this.

The Council's current policy was contained in the Unitary Development Plan. The Council was developing a policy in relation to the use of River Wye which includes recreational and leisure activities, being mindful that it can only seek to influence other bodies and organisations who may wish to undertake such activities.

Question asked by Councilor W.L.S. Bowen

"Are there any plans to make use of the flow of the river for the generation of electric (or any other) power?  Are there any plans for the commercial use of the river that would also respect the environmental integrity of the river?"

Councillor P.J. Edwards said that the Council was not aware of any firm proposals for using the flow of the River Wye to generate electricity, but was aware that a number of groups were looking at opportunities for utilising weirs or traditional water mills for this purpose.  He was not aware of any specific plans or proposals for commercial uses that combined with measures to respect the environmental integrity of the river.

In response to a further question Councillor Edwards said harnessing the flow of the River Wye may not be practical but he would be happy to discuss best practice with neighbouring authorities.

The Chairman spoke of the Environment Agency's efforts to assist migratory fish and the effect this might have on the ability of the River Wye to generate power.