THE man in the middle of big money moves to make Hereford’s Edgar Street Grid (ESG) happen says the current “crippling” £200 million project should be scrapped because the city simply doesn’t need it anymore.

Leading commercial agent Jon Turner, who has been handling millions of pounds worth of potential land and property deals for clients with interests vital to the grid, has ended all his on-going negotiations.

This week, he saw talks collapse with ESG over a 25% price cut it wanted to an agreed seven-figure land sale.

Clients were also told that compensation for the re-location of their businesses might not be coming.

But Jonathan Bretherton, chief executive of ESG, said the project was now far too important to be knocked down by “knee jerk” reactions.

Mr Turner told the Hereford Times that uncertainty around the grid was now crippling the very economy which the project was pitched at reviving. In that vein, he could no longer enter into or continue talks with ESG or the council. He would, he said, be advising all his clients not to continue or enter into talks either.

“Vested interests and previous investment should no longer stand in the way of stopping the grid, in its present form, from a fresh assessment of its relevance to Hereford.

“Given what’s going on, all my current negotiations are at an end, and I am advising clients not to enter negotiations relating to the grid until its future is sorted out,” said Mr Turner.

One alternative doing the rounds, and backed by Mr Turner, links any development of the cattle market site to the progress of Hereford’s proposed outer distributor road – a bypass by any other name – that hasbeen made a priority project in the latest regional transport plan for the West Midlands.

Last month, the Hereford Times revealed that ESG had put its £200 million retail quarter on hold as the economic downturn deepened, with the site becoming a temporary car park while the focus shifted to projects like the link road and new housing.

Since then, ESG has been negotiating with a client of Mr Turner for a 25% reduction to the seven- figure price agreed on an essential land deal. Those talks collapsed on Monday.

This week it emerged that businesses having to re-locate or close down because of the grid might not get compensation because the delay to the project gave time for their current site leases to expire.

Jonathan Bretherton, chief executive of ESG, said that with public money being committed to the grid, ESG had a responsibility to pay the correct market value for any land purchased.

“All such deals have to represent best value to the public purse. The (present) situation is a direct result of the collapse in the economy. Any offers made will continue to be fair in view of the price at the time,” said Mr Bretherton.

The recently announced phasing of the project meant that some businesses on the grid did not have to be moved so soon, but ESG would still consider buying premises earlier than needed if that is what individual owners preferred, he said.

Herefordshire Council leader Roger Phillips said neither the council nor the county could now afford to risk losing the “level of commitment” that the grid had drawn.

“It may never happen in our lifetime again. The grid will not only affect the city itself, but will impact on the huge investment in public infrastructure which comes as part of the package,” said Coun Phillips.