Contractor sought for city bypass

A contractor is being sought to start work on a new bypass proposed for Hereford.

Plans for the "Western Bypass" around the city were shelved by a coalition of the Green Party and independents on Herefordshire Council in 2021.

But the Conservative group, which regained control of the authority last year, has said it intends to revive the scheme, in a bid to cut congestion.

Phase one would see a link created from the A49 south of Hereford to the A465.

The council has said it aims to start work by 2026, with consultants employed in February to redraw the plans.

The scheme - which could cost more than £300m - has been talked about for decades. Its opponents have argued that addressing congestion issues would be better served by investing in public transport and other alternatives to cars.

Jeremy Milln, a Green councillor on the authority and also chair of Hereford Civic Society, said the current proposals had unanswered questions over their funding and lacked agreements with landowners and authorities such as Network Rail.

"It is wildly premature to be proceeding with this scheme at the moment," he said.

Mr Milln also argued building extra roads would "worsen traffic" and said the city needed "viable alternatives to driving which are attractive and affordable for most people".

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