HEREFORDSHIRE Council has “declared war” on the city centre by making the old Edgar Street Grid’s (ESG) shopping centre scheme essential to the all-new Hereford Futures, it was claimed this week.

The council has confirmed that, despite the demise of ESG as a company, its retail quarter project remains a top priority for Hereford Futures.

Council leader Councillor Roger Phillips shrugged off calls for the suspension of the scheme saying the city risked being branded a “basket case” if the quarter and associated development on the current cattle market site was pulled now, with some £10-£15 million spent and millions more being sought.

Councillor Mark Hubbard, chairman of Its Our City (IoC) – which opposed the old ESG in its outline form – said this renewed commitment to the quarter was effectively a declaration of war on the existing city centre where, he said, the money spent by ESG would have already made a real difference.

“All the quarter can do is pitch Hereford into competition with itself. If anything, this so-called change reinvigorates our campaign to keep a remarkable historic city centre well worth fighting for,” said Coun Hubbard.

“Had all those millions been spent on that centre, Hereford would have regenerated itself by now.”

The council’s line is that with so much committed to the quarter so far, both the city and county have too much to lose if it doesn’t go ahead.

The authority accepts, though, that the quarter and its intended surrounds now depend on private sector funding with little, if any, more public money coming.

Coun Phillips said pulling or suspending the quarter would see Hereford branded a basket case unfit for any future public or private sector funding.

Last week the Hereford Times exclusively revealed that ESG as a company was over.

In its place, the council created a new company called Hereford Futures to go after more millions in private sector funding for regeneration projects citywide.

Hereford Futures was intended to absorb all of ESG’s ongoing operations, including financial functions, project contracts and top management.

IoC called for an immediate five year suspension of the quarter so cash can be pumped into the existing city centre.