Hereford Livestock Market scheme could be scaled down to help pay for animal sculptures (From Hereford Times)

Hereford Livestock Market scheme could be scaled down to help pay for animal sculptures

8:00am Friday 8th January 2010 in News By Bill Tanner

Councillor Phil Edwards. 091322-1 Buy this photo »

Hereford’S £7 million new livestock market scheme could be scaled down to help pay for a series of animal and farm street sculptures throughout the city.

The idea comes from Councillor Phil Edwards, chairman of Herefordshire Council’s strategic monitoring committee, which oversees authority policy.

He sees such sculptures as a unique way for the future “revitalised” city to salute its roots.

Savings on the new market scheme can be found by cutting it back to its original cost, said Coun Edwards.

In re-igniting the market debate, Coun Edwards is fired up by a need to restore the “charm and distinctiveness”

he says Hereford has lost in reaching 2010.

“Why not revitalise the city with its true agricultural status, supporting livestock breeding through the market, providing genuine local food and drinks in its restaurants and creating the right streetscape culture to link the past and future?” said Coun Edwards.

“Why do we have to travel to Birmingham to see a bull in the street? Hereford cattle used to be bought and sold in Broad Street many years ago so why not allow their sculptured return now?”

To ensure this revitalised Hereford can be achieved, Coun Edwards pledges his support over the coming year for the city’s proposed new river crossing, something else he believes savings on the market scheme could also be ploughed into.

Herefordshire Council has made the new market off Roman Road a matter of policy, with planning approval passed in principle, while a new river crossing is included in the overall bid for a Hereford relief road currently waiting on a Government go-ahead.