For 30 years the controversially accepted view has been that a north/south bypass on the A49 around Hereford was desirable.

This was in spite of the fact that traffic surveys showed the majority of traffic was local rather than through.

The bypass would only link market towns and sparsely populated areas namely Ross, Monmouth and the Forest of Dean to Leominster, Ludlow and the Long Mynd.

Jim Kenyon’s article in the Hereford Times (July 11) encouraging preservation of the route from Rotherwas, crossing the river then continuing to the A38 Ledbury road, makes good sense and has my full support.

If the Southern Link Road is also preserved with the two new sections extending from each end of the Rotherwas Relief Road, it would create an excellent Hereford bypass from A465 near Clehonger junction to the A438, ie from the south west to the east of Hereford.

The Rotherwas Enterprise Zone containing the Skylon Business Park, Cyber Security Centre, Old Shell Store and the many already existing businesses is expanding rapidly to become Hereford’s industrial engine for jobs and wealth creation.

It needs good access to the large populations and industries of the Midlands and South Wales. New cycle routes, electric buses etc could be incorporated.

The new Rotherwas river crossing would be far more accessible than at rural Breinton and go a long way to solving Hereford’s traffic problems, particularly when accidents block Victoria and Edgar Streets. 

The Herefordshire residents would have easier access to their many Rotherwas jobs and in town facilities (shops, station and hospital etc.).

Councillor Elizabeth Foxton
It's Our County
Eign Hill ward

Tony Geeson (Letters, July 25), commenting on my support for the bypass, points out that opinions are not facts.

I agree but would  point out that neither are projections.

The facts are that between 1981 and 2017, Herefordshire’s population grew by 30% compared to 17% for the UK.

Thus, if there was a strong case for the bypass in 1983, that case must be stronger now.

Mr Geeson correctly points out that there have in recent years been fewer births than deaths in the county but fails to point out that this deficit is far outweighed by migration from elsewhere in the UK and international.

For 2016/17, Herefordshire’s population is estimated by the Office for National Statistics to have grown by 1,500 or approximately 0.8%.

Even allowing for reductions post Brexit, the forecast of 0.35%  growth per annum quoted by Mr Geeson looks questionable.

Taking the figures Mr Geeson quotes, the population of Herefordshire is expected to rise by nearly 13,000 in the next 20 years.

That means more people, more houses, more jobs and more traffic, all adding to the case for the bypass.

I welcome Mr Geeson’s challenge but feel that my opinions are very well supported by the facts. 

Mark Franklin
Bromyard

A BYPASS is needed to reduce pollution and congestion.

A vehicle can take as much as 30 minutes to travel from one side of the city to the other, on a bypass 10 minutes.

When a vehicle is queuing in the traffic the catalytic convertor ceases to work.

Pollution is more readily absorbed in the countryside than at Steels Westgate.

Ron Williams
Peterchurch