ESG row continues (From Hereford Times)
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ESG row continues
9:30am Friday 30th July 2010 in
HEREFORDSHIRE Council has “declared war” on the city centre by making the old Edgar Street Grid’s (ESG) shopping centre scheme essential to the all-new Hereford Futures, it was claimed this week.
The council has confirmed that, despite the demise of ESG as a company, its retail quarter project remains a top priority for Hereford Futures.
Council leader Councillor Roger Phillips shrugged off calls for the suspension of the scheme saying the city risked being branded a “basket case” if the quarter and associated development on the current cattle market site was pulled now, with some £10-£15 million spent and millions more being sought.
Councillor Mark Hubbard, chairman of Its Our City (IoC) – which opposed the old ESG in its outline form – said this renewed commitment to the quarter was effectively a declaration of war on the existing city centre where, he said, the money spent by ESG would have already made a real difference.
“All the quarter can do is pitch Hereford into competition with itself. If anything, this so-called change reinvigorates our campaign to keep a remarkable historic city centre well worth fighting for,” said Coun Hubbard.
“Had all those millions been spent on that centre, Hereford would have regenerated itself by now.”
The council’s line is that with so much committed to the quarter so far, both the city and county have too much to lose if it doesn’t go ahead.
The authority accepts, though, that the quarter and its intended surrounds now depend on private sector funding with little, if any, more public money coming.
Coun Phillips said pulling or suspending the quarter would see Hereford branded a basket case unfit for any future public or private sector funding.
Last week the Hereford Times exclusively revealed that ESG as a company was over.
In its place, the council created a new company called Hereford Futures to go after more millions in private sector funding for regeneration projects citywide.
Hereford Futures was intended to absorb all of ESG’s ongoing operations, including financial functions, project contracts and top management.
IoC called for an immediate five year suspension of the quarter so cash can be pumped into the existing city centre.
Comments(5)
William Rudd
says...
7:15pm Sun 1 Aug 10
Also access & exits to existing car parks in the City.
Part of the ESG plan was to give better access & exits to Tesco car park and the Maylord Orchard car park.
look around at other places like Worcester.Gloucester etc and see how awful this City really is for shopping in.
bonerparte
says...
7:25am Tue 3 Aug 10
I have lived in Hereford all my life and have made lots of observations over the years but we never get the opportunity to make suggestions that will be listened to.
I think the time has come for the people of Hereford to get together and put the council back in their place. It is OUR City and we elect these people to represent our interests. We have the power to remove their power but it will take strong will and determination to achieve it.
apdor
says...
5:51pm Tue 3 Aug 10
What good will that do? Even when you get to them they are already full.
Park and ride Schemes are no good either, who wants to buy stuff and then have to lump it all back on a bus. A simple 500-700 vehicle underground car park, and a bypass to get rid of the vehicles that dont actually stop in Hereford should be the top priority.
Then we need to encourage the businesses/ shop owners to firstly tidy up there Frontages as most of them look filthy and un inviting !
A few new pavements are not going to bring in any new visitors
mrsimon
says...
4:59pm Wed 4 Aug 10
a) Bugger the people who are too lazy to walk - make setups for people who aren't fat gits - McDonalds et al. has a drive throughs for that kind of person.
Other than that, the current setup is perfectly fine, shortish walk from under maylords or a longer one with cheap parking behind the football ground - this has sufficed so far - and should do so in the future.
And before anyone tries to suggest they are full - the football ground is only full because most people want to park at the top, 300 metres is such a long way, oh woe is me.
We need less cars in Hereford, not more - parked or moving.
b) already answered - £1 a day behind the football ground. As for paying before in a time based, best to complain to the car park operators.
c) yes we need a bypass, but not so people can still drive in and around the town... maybe you are talking about some crazy dedicated way to the car parks? I think they're called park and ride.
There is no point developing a second site at stupid costs (as always) when shops lie empty or have high turn over in the current centre.
All having 2 separate "centres" will do is annoy people with having to 1) walk between them, 2) drive between them.
Money would be better spent on a bypass.
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davidtphillips says...
5:00pm Sat 31 Jul 10
a) There must be car parks close to the shops. If this means putting them underground and at high building cost then so be it.
Many people will not walk anymore, and they will not purchase lots of goods or large goods and then carry them half a mile to the car park in the rain or snow.
b) The current car park policy of expecting people to know how long they want to park before they go shopping has to stop. People should pay for the time they park. This will encourage people to spend longer in the city.
b) The roads in and out of the city must enable shoppers to reach the inner car parks without the current traffic queues.
This means that we need a bypass for the through traffic.
In my view this is why the supermarkets are taking trade away from the city centres. You park close, its free, and you load everything straight from a trolley into your car. Simples...