Fast track for Hereford's £25 million southern link road plan

Herefordshire Council’s cabinet is ready to fast-track a recommended route towards a planning application as soon as next month.

The route selected - with a project name of SC2 – leaves the A49 to pass through the centre of Grafton Wood and continue westwards over Grafton Lane and Withy Brook before veering north-west to a proposed new roundabout near the A465/B4349 junction.

Cabinet is expected to back SC2 when it meets next week. That support, should it come, would delegate authority over  design and land acquisition to a council officer at assistant director level.

SC2 is recommended on the basis of a route options appraisal by the council’s consultants Parsons Brinkerhof.

The resulting report found four of the initial eight options represented “feasible  solutions” with the other four sifted out due to environmental considerations.

Public consultation took place in July / August where the results of the four route appraisal of these four routes were set out and feedback was invited.

Following consideration of  this feedback detailed appraisal of  a number of alternative alignments took place.

Cabinet will be told that that the council’s project team has reviewed the resulting report and is “satisfied” with its conclusions and the highest score being given to SC2.

SC2 also scored highly in the public consultation and legal advice suggest the appraisal process - to date - is sound enough to go up against objections.

The route is also a projected £1 million-£1.6 million cheaper than the other options.

With a go-ahead from cabinet, a planning application for the road is expected next month for a Spring determination date.

The construction timeline sees the road built by early 2018.

BACKGROUND

SC2 – HEREFORD’S PROPOSED SOUTHERN LINK ROAD

Cabinet is being asked to back a route pitched as improving connections between the A465, A49 and the Rotherwas industrial estate/enterprise zone.

As proposed, SC2 would be a single carriageway connecting the B4349, the A465 and the A49.

Environmental factors were crucial to the determination of the chosen route with designated ancient woodlands like Newton Coppice and Hayleasow Wood within the development area.

Four route options were rejected as affecting ancient woodland.

Leaving the A49 at the Rotherwas access road roundabout, much of SC2 passes through farmland but a section does cut through the centre of Grafton Wood - which has no environmental designation and a low tree density – to cross over the Hereford-Cardiff rail line and under Haywood Lane in reaching a new roundabout near the A465-B4349 junction.

An impact is recognised on the significance of Grade II* and Grade II listed buildings at Haywood Lodge and the setting of Grade II listed buildings at  Clehonger Court, a Grade II listed milestone and potential effect on buried archaeological remains in four fields.

FUNDING SC2

THE cost of SC2 is covered by a provisional allocation of £27m in government secured through the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership to support the overall South Wye Transport  Package (SWTP).

Any match funding required to deliver the overall package is anticipated to come from private sector contributions and existing transport capital  allocations.

The £500,000 costs of carrying out route appraisal and consultation have been met through council’s revenue budget.

A confirmation of SC2 as the preferred route means the council could capitalise the costs of a planning application and detailed design, land and construction.

Capital costs associated with the scheme are estimated at £1.6 million funded through council’s transport capital allocation.

That allocation is estimated to be £600,000 this year and £1 million in 2015/16, pending the drawing down of government funding.

The current estimated cost for SC2 is £25 million. Any remaining funding goes into other initiatives identified in the SWTP.

SC2- THE RISKS

Residents and statutory bodies could lodge successful objections if the council’s appraisal process is not seen as robust - though legal advice suggests the process so far is sound.

Funding could be withdrawn if a preferred route is not selected and a planning application submitted in accordance with the project programme.

Whilst a provisional allocation of government funding has been made to fund the SWTP, the council will be required to complete further funding  submissions to the Department for Transport.

Delays to funding  being released by the Department for Transport could see in a delay to the delivery of the scheme and the need to continue covering costs from existing funding.

THE OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED

SC2A - a variation on SC2 with the road crossing underneath the Hereford-Cardiff rail line.

SC5 - a route located further north of SC2/SC2A and south of Merryhill Lane crossing underneath the railway line and Haywood Lane.

SC7 - similar to SC5 but more twisted in nature to avoid environmental constraints.