Or how did we get to here …
Update: 23rd September 2006
In 1992 the extended line or the Rotherwas ‘Access’
Road incorporating a river crossing was turned down for
a bypass by the Inspector on grounds of detriment to
the environment and that the chosen route would not
take sufficient traffic away from the city. The
proposed line of the road cuts across Dinedor Hill,
Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV), that provides a
beautiful setting for Hereford City.
Since then the Council have tried to re-instate the road in stages, the 3.3km Rotherwas Access Road being a first stage. As they granted themselves planning permission (in Feb 2003) there was little that could be done about it. At this time the Council strenuously denied that housing was part of the plan.
Since planning permission was granted the proposed access road has been turned down for funding by the Department for Transport three times in the past five years, most recently in July 2006. The reasons given were poor value for money.
When first proposed it was costed at £3m, by Feb 2003 it was quoted as £6m, by 2006 it was £13m, now (Sept 2006) a ‘package’ of £20m is proposed.
The Council are now trying to obtain funding using planning gain and an Advantage West Midlands (AWM) loan. They switched 300 houses in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) in the last three weeks of the consultation process last year from north of the river to south of river at Bullinghope, adjacent to the proposed line of the RAR. Bloor Homes have bought the land and apparently are prepared to part fund the road.
Since then the Council have tried to re-instate the road in stages, the 3.3km Rotherwas Access Road being a first stage. As they granted themselves planning permission (in Feb 2003) there was little that could be done about it. At this time the Council strenuously denied that housing was part of the plan.
Since planning permission was granted the proposed access road has been turned down for funding by the Department for Transport three times in the past five years, most recently in July 2006. The reasons given were poor value for money.
When first proposed it was costed at £3m, by Feb 2003 it was quoted as £6m, by 2006 it was £13m, now (Sept 2006) a ‘package’ of £20m is proposed.
The Council are now trying to obtain funding using planning gain and an Advantage West Midlands (AWM) loan. They switched 300 houses in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) in the last three weeks of the consultation process last year from north of the river to south of river at Bullinghope, adjacent to the proposed line of the RAR. Bloor Homes have bought the land and apparently are prepared to part fund the road.
Since then the UDP inspector recommended against the
houses at Bullinghope in June this year on the grounds
of detriment to Dinedor Hill AGLV and because proposing
a large development in a green field site upstaged the
Regional Spatial Strategy currently being developed.
Herefordshire Council at first decided to accept the Inspector’s recommendations but when they were turned down by the DfT for funding the Rotherwas Access Road, changed their minds and put the homes back at Bullinghope, in order to obtain part funding for the road via planning gain.
According to Agenda Item 9, Cabinet Papers 28th September 2006, the Council now intend building the road and Rotherwas Industrial Estate improvements by:
£9.5m Advantage West Midlands loan – to be repaid in part using rents from the estate
£8m developer funding
£5.5m Herefordshire Council money drawn from capital expenditure (on all other items)
Work will start in January 2007. The AWM money is only available for 18 months. If developer funding is not forthcoming the money will come from ‘recyling capital receipts’ (?).
Herefordshire Council at first decided to accept the Inspector’s recommendations but when they were turned down by the DfT for funding the Rotherwas Access Road, changed their minds and put the homes back at Bullinghope, in order to obtain part funding for the road via planning gain.
According to Agenda Item 9, Cabinet Papers 28th September 2006, the Council now intend building the road and Rotherwas Industrial Estate improvements by:
£9.5m Advantage West Midlands loan – to be repaid in part using rents from the estate
£8m developer funding
£5.5m Herefordshire Council money drawn from capital expenditure (on all other items)
Work will start in January 2007. The AWM money is only available for 18 months. If developer funding is not forthcoming the money will come from ‘recyling capital receipts’ (?).