A NEW 40-acre park will soon become a reality in Hereford.

If consultations go according to plan, the mixed-use recreation park, off Aylestone Hill, could be open as early as next year.

A neighbourhood public meeting is being planned for March and some local people have been given a glimpse of draft plans.

But a spokesman for Herefordshire Council said these were not carved in stone and public opinion would be taken into account before final plans were considered.

The preliminary plans show the lower half of the site devoted to sporting activities including a cricket ground, football pitches, bowling green, a sports pavilion, a children's play area and an informal meeting place for teenagers.

The top half will remain as natural as possible with grass slopes, informal recreation areas and a network of footpaths. Provision has also been made for a cycle way.

The main access to the park will be off the main A465 Hereford to Worcester road.

A vantage point on the high ground is also planned to take advantage of views to the north.

The land lies to the west of Aylestone Hill and encompasses the large area between the Worcester road, Holmer Trading Estate and Victoria Park housing estate.

The area was included in an early Local Plan by the former Hereford City Council, being scheduled for open space and recreation use and protection of the Hereford - Gloucester canal.

Much of the land was owned by members of the Bulmer family, who failed in attempts to get planning permission for housing development.

The Pegasus Football Club was also unsuccessful in getting permission to use part of the land for their football activities HQ.

Compulsory purchase of the land was started by the city council and the process completed after the new Herefordshire Council came into office.

It is believed the purchase price to all the owners of the land was round £300,000 and it is expected the cost of the project will be in the region of £500,000.

The leader of the council, Councillor Terry James, described the venture as exciting. Herefordshire Council was one of very few local authorities to be opening a park of such scale.

But he was not optimistic the council would qualify for financial grants to help cover the cost because the park was council-owned and used for recreation and informal sport.