IN a recent article it was implied I might be in support of current plans for a western bypass for Hereford plus its associated housing. I would like to place on record that this is not the case.

In fact, I have commissioned and vigorously promoted a paper entitled East is Best, which is on my website jesse4hereford.com. This expresses concerns about the western bypass-plus-housing, and argues that the county’s main priority ought to be on building a bridge and short spur road connecting Rotherwas to the Ledbury Road. This would have two huge benefits. First, it would open up access to the eastern half of Hereford city, including the hospital, the railway and coach stations, Herefordshire Sixth Form College, the colleges of arts and technology and the new rugby club.

At present the Edgar Street roundabout bears the brunt of traffic going to the east of the city from the south. The ambulance service has to keep ambulances permanently available north of the river, because access to the hospital from its base on Red Hill is too slow.

Secondly, a new spur road would connect the new Rotherwas Enterprise Zone directly with Malvern, Worcester and Birmingham. The new zone is specifically aimed at the security and defence sectors and hopes to lure some 250 high-value businesses. It could greatly undermine the long-term success of the zone if these businesses are not directly connected to the broader UK economy. We badly need to raise the levels of business activity and wages in Herefordshire – this would be a step in that direction.

As the East is Best paper sets out, there are real concerns about a western bypass, which cannot be evaluated apart from its associated housing. These concerns focus on the financial cost, the social costs from the new housing and its impact on existing infrastructure, how those costs are shared and whether or not the plans are in fact implementable.

It is accepted on all sides that a western bypass with housing would not relieve current traffic problems in the city. We need new housing in this county. But these are serious and proper concerns, which need to be fully addressed in light of the public consultation. In short, there are two proposed projects here: a re-routing of the A49 to the west, and a second river crossing with an eastern spur road. These are separate projects, and they need to be separately evaluated. The eastern spur road is likely to cost between a quarter and a third of the bypass, and on a significantly shorter timescale. It should be the priority.

To its credit, the council has included the eastern road in the local development framework consultation and is commissioning new feasibility work on it. This work includes the issue of how any environmental issues may be fully addressed, as I believe they can be.

Whatever the final verdict on the western bypass, the eastern spur road is a huge opportunity for this county. The Government’s door is wide open to new infrastructure projects.

With a positive and can-do spirit, we can make it happen.

JESSE NORMAN MP, Hereford.