1) The council entered into a grant agreement with the Marches LEP on 15 December 2020 and varied on 20 December 2021 to jointly fund a package of improvement works throughout Hereford City Centre. This scheme of works must be completed by 31 March 2024.
2) The report for the Cabinet Member decision of 7 October 2021 set out that this work will be commissioned through the Balfour Beatty Living Places public realm contract. This procurement route has been identified to achieve the timescales and utilising continuity of knowledge through the works and schemes that BBLP have already provided.
3) It was noted in the above report that the budgets were high level and that there was significant risk that these would vary.
4) The existing Widemarsh St design scheme completed in 2011 has been subject to a number of specialist technical design and safety reviews. All have concluded that the scheme is fully in line with design guidance and best practice.
5) The 7 October 2021 Cabinet Member decision set out the HCCI programme with a budget to enhance Widemarsh St, in recognition that some members of the public continue to experience difficulties in traversing the street despite the scheme compliance.
6) A wide variety of options for improving the street have been explored and discounted.
7) The key factors to consider were:
• The visual impact of the street
• The ease of use for pedestrians in terms of the pavement
• Safety of pedestrians regarding the use of the street by vehicles
• Cost
• Drainage
8) Taking all of these factors into account the recommended option is a full lift of the road surface to remove the 50mm upstand with replacement of the kerb and provision of a linear drainage system.
9) The estimated total budget envelope for the scheme design and construction/delivery is £1.3m. This will include full design including any additional surveying, drainage modelling etc and the construction including the lifting of 690m² road surface, incorporating new porphyry sets, replacement of kerbing, provision of drainage, traffic management, communications and contingency. It is estimated that the construction works will be an approximately 16 week programme.
10) It should be noted that the use of new porphyry sets is more cost efficient that lifting the existing sets, cleaning off of mortar and relaying. The old sets will be recycled.
11) The re-profile of HCCI budgets as set out in the Record of Officer Decision dated 6 October 2022 increased the initial provisionally estimated budget to account for the anticipated spend required for this Cabinet supported scheme. ie there is sufficient capital budget to carry out this scheme within the HCCI package of works.