A NEW short-cut will make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to get from Hereford Railway Station to the city centre.

The new route through a well-lit path linking Station Approach and Canal Road will ensure those on foot no longer have to cross Morrisons car park and walk up Commercial Road to reach the city's heart.

Built on land the council will acquire from Jewson builders merchants as part of the Link Road project, the route was backed by Herefordshire Councillors at a planning meeting last week.

Canal Road was initially planned to fully join up with Station Approach – via a side road that serves Morrisons loading bay – until it was decided motorists would turn it into a ‘rat run’ instead of using the Link Road that will run further north and across to Edgar Street.

Running at around 100 metres the cycleway and path will be lit using LED lights, and join up opposite the proposed new entrance to Royal Mail.

However there is no start date currently in place for the path, and it will likely be built at the same time as the nearby Link Road – which is the subject of a planning inquiry that concluded earlier this month.

A decision on the land deals the council needs to build the road is not expected to be made for another month.