IN response to R Williams (Bypass not SC2 is proper way forward, Letters, July 30), the argument for an eastern route for a bypass running through the Lugg meadows has long been lost.

Evidence for the multiple impacts of this scheme have been in public debate for over 18 years, culminating in the omission of this potential route within the current draft Herefordshire Local Development Plan.

The case is closed for the following reasons – the route would need to cross the River Lugg on multiple occasions with serious impacts to this legally protected river of European importance (a Special Area of Conservation). The Lugg meadows are also a Site of Special Scientific Interest, enshrined in UK planning legislation, and designated upon sound scientific criteria that set a high bar for nationally significant habitats.

Thirdly, the whole area is a floodplain, and can be under water for months at a time. The expense of constructing a road on stilts to mitigate for huge flood risk renders the project financially untenable.

The Lugg meadows are far from ‘poor’, but are the largest surviving Lammas meadow in the British Isles. This stunning wildflower meadow is a beacon for wildlife and recreation, and is a living historic landscape that links us intimately with a rich past including Hereford Cathedral and commoners who still enact their ancient rights to graze and harvest the meadow.

Oxford and other UK cities have lost many of their ancient Lammas meadows, all too often succumbing to the tarmac that so often befalls this habitat exclusively found on river floodplains.

At Herefordshire Wildlife Trust we call for residents and councillors alike to stand strong in the face of demands to reignite support for an eastern bypass route – the argument is over.

Thousands of visitors every year flock to the Lugg meadows seeking access to green space, and to marvel at the endangered snakes head fritillary flowers in spring. As a community we must be forward thinking, seeking solutions that do not destroy a thousand-year pedigree of natural and cultural heritage.

JOHN CLARK Development director, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust