A REFERENDUM could decide whether the battle for a Hereford bypass goes on or gives way, writes BILL TANNER.

Plans to poll the city over the future of any Rotherwas relief road have been proposed this week. The result will dictate whether or not Herefordshire Council pursues the bypass as a policy commitment or abandons the idea.

"After so many mixed messages we need to find out what the public actually want," says council leader Terry James.

A referendum is seen as the best assessment of opinion. It may be run along the lines of an election campaign, with pro and anti activists fighting for their cause.

But the actual framework for any eventual decision-making process has yet to be decided. Cost will play a large part in what is eventually offered.

The bypass can count on business backing, with the prospect of companies quitting Rotherwas unless access issues are resolved. Many also regard a relief road as the only solution to city congestion.

Eco-minded opponents have, however, long argued for other options to be examined, and a strong Green showing in city wards at the recent local election will be a boost to their cause. The relief road effectively follows the course of an eastern bypass proposed in the late 1980s and rejected after a public inquiry some years later.

Last week The Hereford Times revealed that the route would require 'green' credentials to get Government approval.