Plans for river fishing platforms withdrawn

There are 22 fishing "pods" already in place on the stretch of river

Plans to install 28 fishing platforms along the River Wye in Hereford have been withdrawn.

The bid by Hereford and District Angling Association (HDAA), put forward in April, would have added to the existing 22 "pods" either side of a nationally significant stretch for coarse fishing west of the city's main Greyfriars Bridge.

It drew messages of support from anglers locally and around the country, as well as objections.

The HDAA declined to say whether the move marked the end of its plans.

Dave Roberts, a volunteer angling event coordinator in the county, said the impact of angling-related tourism on the area was "massive, especially in autumn and winter".

But he claimed the river's status as a special area of conservation led to "over-sensitive scrutiny on the ecology side of things" compared with schemes on other rivers.

Fellow angler Richard Coggins added: "Angling will continue on this stretch and the platforms simply make it safer and more accessible."

Objections came from people including some who use the river for walking and kayaking, who claimed that the current number of fishing platforms was "already excessive and precludes enjoyment of this stretch of the river by other users".

Government agency Natural England said the anglers' proposal "does not provide enough information and/or certainty to enable adverse effects on site integrity to be ruled out" – which would have made county planners unlikely to approve the proposal.

Another plan to install steps and a boat crane on the same stretch of river was rejected by county councillors in October, following an objection from Natural England over its potential impact on the river habitat.