No relief road for at least five years

It emerged this week that the project to link the Porthouse Farm Industrial Estate and Station Trading Estate direct with the A44 will not be included in the capital programme of Herefordshire Council.

Bromyard's mayor, Bill Gibbard, said not building the new road would cripple growth and future job opportunities.

"Bromyard and district is facing discrimination," he said at this week's meeting of the Town Council.

"We are being left behind the whole county," he added.

Coun Gibbard said the idea of the relief road had been discussed by the old Malvern Hills District Council five years ago, before being taken up by Herefordshire Council.

"The development of the Porthouse Farm Industrial Estate is imperative for Bromyard.

"The old Malvern Hills District Council and Herefordshire Council should be ashamed. It's a disgrace," he said.

Coun Gibbard said building of the relief road would attract more businesses onto the Porthouse Industrial Estate and assist in the development of a further 12.5 acres.

He added that the pressure of lorries on Sherford Street and Church Street in the Conservation Area was "colossal" and another argument for the relief road.

County councillor Richard James said he was saddened to see there would be no relief road for five years, particularly as the county was trying to find the money for a by-pass in the village of Pembridge.

Coun Chris Grover, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for the environment, said Pembridge had a worse problem than Bromyard with heavy lorries.

He said a relief road "should be built" in Bromyard but he estimated that it might cost £1.5m, paid for by the Government and Herefordshire Council.

"I can see no prospect of it for the next five years," he warned.

He said: "Do you build the road first, or encourage more people onto the industrial estate and then build the road?"