City shares timeline for transport hub build

The project is expected to be completed within 12 months of starting, councillor Philip Price said

Work on a new multi-million pound transport hub in Hereford is expected to start in December, it has been announced.

The council granted itself planning permission for the project in May, though criticisms remain about the project including how it will connect with the wider city.

Philip Price, cabinet member for transport and infrastructure, shared the date for the £9.8m project's start at a full council meeting on Friday.

Herefordshire Council has said the scheme, in front of the existing railway station, would significantly enhance the transfer between rail, bus, bicycle, taxis and other forms of travel.

The project was expected to be completed within 12 months of commencement, Mr Price said.

He added a £2m package of “active travel” measures, covering connection between the hub, Commercial Road and the A438 Blueschool Street and Newmarket Street, “awaits completion of car parking review for the city to inform (its) final design”.

A local transport plan, setting out the county’s aims for the next five years for all forms of transport modes including bus and rail, was being worked on for consultation within the next six months, he said.

Up to £3m had already been invested in the scheme when it emerged in January that the budget had surged by more than £70,000 because of “numerous delays”.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.