Herefordshire Council has issued the following statement in light of CABE's review of the Edgar Street Grid masterplan:

"THE masterplan for the Edgar Street Grid has been presented to the Government's advisers on urban design, the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE).

"The scheme was discussed at CABE's design review committee in London in May, and the committee's views have now been published.

"Overall CABE welcome the ambition to regenerate the area with major mixed use development and link it to the city centre. They have suggested several areas for improvement:

"Setting proposals such as the food store within an 'urban grain' which relates clearly to the existing medieval street pattern.

Better definition of the roles of the many open spaces within the scheme.

More attention to the pedestrian and other routes within the scheme, such as historic Widemarsh Street, and to the role of the proposed new road to relieve Blue School Street and Newmarket Street.

"CABE point out that the scheme needs to be able to respond to future potential, as well as current requirements, and that the key principles underlying the scheme should be set out more clearly so as to produce a convincing masterplan."

And reesponding to CABE's comments, Councillor George Hyde, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for economic development, said: "I very much welcome CABE's involvement in the development of the masterplan.

"Their comments on the scheme at this early stage of its evolution are very timely and will be addressed as the scheme progresses.

"It's great to see a body such as CABE taking an interest in Hereford and I look forward to continuing the dialogue as further details are drawn up."