ONCE again Herefordshire Council claim that constructing a new road in Hereford – this time from the A465 to A49, at a cost of £27 million – will reduce congestion in Hereford and journey times.

We are all told that without this road the development at Rotherwas Enterprise Zone cannot continue.

Sadly, this money will do nothing to tackle congestion in Hereford and as the council’s own report to Cabinet shows “there is likely to be increased traffic along the A49 in some time periods, but the level of delay at the A49/A465 junction is proposed to remain at existing levels.” Also “journey times along the A49 are expected to remain at existing levels.”

So the Southern Link Road will not deliver the promises that officers claim for this huge spend of our money, and as such will not promote the creation of jobs at Rotherwas.

For a fraction of £27 million the council could really tackle congestion and other issues in the South Wye area by: l Improving bus services.

l Providing “safe routes to school” (which could reduce traffic volumes by as much as 57% at peak times if parents did not have to make the “school run” in cars).

l Creating safer road crossings of the A465 and A49 for both cyclists and pedestrians.

l Planning east/west cycle and walking routes.

Such measures would not only reduce congestion, they would provide cheap, safe travel routes for the 45% of the population who do not travel to work by car and also tackle the health/obesity issues faced in Herefordshire.

Instead, this Southern Link Road proposal actually increases CO2 emissions, increases vehicle speeds, increases accidents on the A49 and severs a national cycle trail.

Will the Cabinet just throw more taxpayers’ money at new road schemes that do not deliver or really consider all the alternatives and the benefits these can bring to Herefordshire?

MRS E MORAWIECKA Breinton