LETTERS

However, I bet he has never tried going shopping alone in a wheelchair or on a mobility scooter. I am very grateful to those shops which don't have automatic doors but prop their doors open for the likes of myself, who uses a mobility scooter and my daughter, who uses an electric wheelchair.

VINEY HILTON, Hopton Road, Hereford.

A real fear of two shopping centres LAST month, I visited the exhibition of the models and illustrations prepared by the three developers competing for the Edgar Street Grid.

I was amazed by what I saw, not in the proposals from the developers, but in a larger model showing the surrounding area. I had not realised there had been any suggestion that Newmarket Street, one of the few stretches of dual carriageway in the county, would be turned into a single carriage service road and replaced by a new link road running from Commercial Road, past the railway station, across Widemarsh Street and ending, presumably at a roundabout, near CRW Carpets in Edgar Street. What is more, I was told this new road would be built some time in the next 20 years.

I only hope I was misinformed, because for many years the dual carriageway would divide the shops around High Town from the new development. The net result would be two completely separate shopping centres in the city, which cannot be good for either.

Surely, what is needed is a pedestrian bridge over Newmarket Street, preferably with something like a two-way travelator, to entice shoppers to travel between the two. It could be located anywhere between Widemarsh Street and the A49 roundabout and could be ready for use before the new shopping centre was opened.

I was pleased a new food store has been proposed as part of the new development, because this could well make the existing town centre Tesco supermarket surplus to requirements.

Why not, therefore, take the opportunity to replace the existing store and bus station with a modern multi-storey car park, with a bus station on the ground floor. The new bridge/travelator could then be located next to the building and shoppers could proceed on foot to either High Town and its surrounding shops, or to the new shopping centre in the Edgar Street Grid.

I know the car park would add to the ever-present road congestion in the city centre, but if a flyover could be built over the roundabout, it could take the A49 through traffic, leaving the roundabout to contend with shoppers and traffic going on to the Brecon and Ledbury roads.

As for finance, the new link road would cost a fortune, whereas the bridge and flyover would be much more cost effective and could be completed in a much shorter time. If the price to pay is a Tesco, rather than Waitrose foodstore in the Edgar Street Grid, I for one would accept it. On the other hand, if John Lewis rather than Debenhams or House of Fraser, could be persuaded to take the anchor store on the Edgar Street Grid, then Hereford would have something which would really make the city the shopping centre of the region.

PAUL STEPHENSON, Staunton-on-Wye.

This important plan needs exposure I AM really surprised to find the exhibition showing the three main designs for the Edgar Street Grid development were shown at the Left Bank Village on only three days in the middle of the week and, I am told, only open late one evening of the three.

This is the most important development to happen in the centre of Hereford for years and people need to have a chance to see the plans and express their opinions. This is a 100 acre site in the centre of Hereford which could change the whole feel of the city. Could we end up with two city centres?

The publicity for this exhibition has been poor. A friend of mine went so far as phoning the council to find out details of the exhibition and they said they could give her none.

I attended the Civic Society meeting held at the Courtyard and was a bit concerned about what I heard. Do the inhabitants of Hereford really just want the ultimate retail experience'' from this development and 1,200 homes (not with 1,200 parking spaces)? Or do we want something different from other cities to make Hereford individual to encourage people to visit because we are different and not just a retail experience.

I do not pretend to hold the answers of what we need and it is also very obvious that the area needs developing but I do think people have to have a proper chance to see the proposals and have a say and three days at the end of November in the middle of the week is not enough and those responsible need to do better.

SUZIE COX, Canon Pyon.

Wonderful news but walkers must beware THE news of a possible Wye bridge at Rotherwas for walkers and cyclists is wonderful and I was surprised but pleased to see Herefordshire Council support from Councillor Brian Wilcox, cabinet member for highways and transportation.

However, in my experience, its supporters will need to be extremely vigilant. Initially the council saw our county's long distance footpath, the Herefordshire Trail, as a partnership project. But now, paralysed by financial considerations I suspect, they refuse to publicise its existence, as they do the Worcestershire Way, Offas's Dyke Path and The Wye Valley Walk, by putting it on the public transport map.

In the booming and ever expanding long distance footpath world, The Herefordshire Trail is of international importance and can proudly claim to be the longest trail in the UK contained within a single county.

There is plenty of room on the public transport map for it in its location and this would encourage the trail's linear use, in conjunction with the thankfully already heavily subsidised buses in country areas.

This joined up thinking, with its encouragement of exercise, has never been more important as, in April with the national Over 60s free bus pass scheme, there will hopefully be many more bus tourists in our county.

Allan Ricketts, Falaise Close, Ross-on-Wye.

Concrete gulpers could dredge rivers RICHARD Morley, writing on flood alleviation, describes his knowledgable experiences working for the former Wye River Authority so is well qualified to describe the huge impact dredging of the riverbed has on wildlife.

The unusual weather patterns we are experiencing, with global warming, are likely to continue. So, if Man is to reduce flood damage such as we had with three days heavy rain last summer, it is important to face up to the problems and difficulties of engineering solutions which are so considerable.

Like many other laypeople I have watched fascinated as, in difficult access situations, ready-mixed concrete is sucked or carried noisily up overhead gantrys, to be poured accurately some considerable distance away from the delivery lorry.

It seems logical to me that deeply plunging the input nozzle of this powered transportation into the riverbed silt, would be worthy of experimentation and development as a method of dredging, which might work while causing minimal disruption to aquatic wildlife.

JOHN GAUNT, Wigmore.

Free advice pack to help spot symptoms I WRITE regarding the recent article "I didn't think he was going to make it" in the Hereford Times.

I was delighted to hear about the remarkable recovery of little Sol Jennings after contracting meningitis. I hope Sol and his family enjoyed spending Christmas together, and wish them all the best for the New Year.

Meningitis and septicaemia - the blood-poisoning form of the disease - are extremely serious illnesses that can often be difficult to spot. To help people learn the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia, the foundation produces a free symptoms mini-pack which can be requested by contacting our freefone helpline - 080 8800 3344 - or visiting our website at www.meningitis.org.

The foundation's helpline is available to anyone who has questions or concerns about meningitis and septicaemia, and is a source of support for individuals and families affected by these diseases.

Julia Warren, Meningitis Research Foundation Thornbury, Bristol.

Terrible conditions are man-made IT was very heartening to hear of the generosity of Herefordshire residents, responding to your Christmas appeal on behalf of the children of Gaza (Hereford Times, December 20).

However, I was surprised that there was no hint in the article of the reasons behind the terrible conditions in which these children live.

They are not due to some natural disaster, but to the total siege imposed on the area by the Israeli army. Basic foodstuffs, fuel, medical supplies etc are not allowed and the people are imprisoned; even NGO workers, and UN officials, find access extremely difficult.

The UN has called for a lifting of the siege on many occasions and world figures as diverse as Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former president Carter have compared the Israeli regime's policies throughout the Occupied Territories to those of South Africa under apartheid.

The gifts generously donated in the UK may or may not be allowed through. But a real difference can only be made if Israel is made to respect international law and abide by the UN resolutions which have, over the decades, called for the return of refugees, withdrawal from the illegal Israeli settlements, and the dismantling of the wall on Palestinian territory.

Hilary Wise, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Breinton, Hereford.

What's happened to our carol-singers?

FOR several years, on October 31, I have been inundated with knocks on my door by children and youths, some accompanied by their parents, celebrating Hallowe'en trick or treating. This I believe is an American custom we have now adopted in Britain.

During December, for the past couple of years, I have been waiting for knocks on my door by young children wishing to sing a Christmas carol. This is a British tradition, which seems to happen no more.

Surely I am not the only person who would like to see it restored, so come on parents, accompany your children and encourage them. Please bring back our Christian custom and help children realise that we are celebrating Our Lord's birth at Christmas and this is one way of bringing the Christian message to everyone.

Helen Oliver, Barrie Road, Hereford.