Category: Transport

‘Southern Link Road’ Planning….

Built environment, Transport Leave a comment

Many members of HGN will have submitted objections in 2015 and 2016 to Herefordshire Council’s planning application (and subsequent amendments) on the SLR – and many of you are taking the time to do it again now.

The latest application from Herefordshire Council is for numerous additional developments – accesses, culverts, diversions, haul roads etc. This new application takes more agricultural land out of use, firstly for the permanent access track, and secondly for an enlarged flood attenuation pond. The latter extends the ‘corridor’ of the SLR beyond what had previously been consented. This also suggests that initial assessments of flood risk may have been incorrect.

 

For more information please go to Herefordshire Council planning website.  Enter 182314 in the search box, and have a look for yourselves.

Deadline for comments and objections is 2nd August.

Seeing Red in Hereford

Built environment, Transport Leave a comment

The residents of Kings Acre Road and people from all over Hereford turned out early on Wednesday morning this week to voice their protest against the proposed Hereford Bypass route.

They were supported by experts in town and transport planning who joined members of Wye Ruin It to articulate why they think the Bypass is a huge mistake and will impact negatively on Hereford’s levels of pollution, lives and livelihoods – and increase city congestion.

For those seeking more information:
Agenda papers for Full Council https://tinyurl.com/y8ff5ett
Scrutiny Committee https://tinyurl.com/y738eehk
Cabinet https://tinyurl.com/y7ppjmuj
The Scrutiny Committee met this week on 18 July and Committee members were able to ask questions of Council Officers and their consultants from WSP and Balfour Beatty. The Chair, Cllr Sebastian Bowen, concluded that the Red Route “does least damage” and Cabinet will meet to “approve” the Red Route on 27 July.
More information here from Wye Ruin It.

Changes ahead for EVs

Transport, Uncategorized 2 comments

This week Green Shropshire Xchange (GSX) today have supported the launch, for public consultation, of the draft strategy and action plan to deliver an electric vehicle charging network across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin.

The document is available at www.greenshropshirexchange.org.uk/

The initiative responds to the reality that existing electric vehicle charging points in the Marches area are both low in numbers and limited in geographical coverage.

The strategy and action plan is intended to develop a cohesive,widespread, and reliable infrastructure.  Voluntary effort has created the draft and will subsequently identify potential charging point hosts and begin the development process.

It is often assumed that most electric vehicle users will charge up at home, but around 43% of existing car owners do not have access to off street parking.

The proposed network should extend to locations where there is a high density of vehicles including workplaces, business and retail parks, public car parks (including Park & Ride), hotels and leisure facilities.  The initiative is especially important to the local tourism sector to ensure visitors with electric vehicles have access to the facilities they need while visiting the Marches area.

Robert Saunders, leading the work on behalf of Green Shropshire Xchange, said;

‘This is a bold venture in the absence ofany other strategic initiative.  We are looking to develop partnerships with the private, voluntary and public sectors, the visitor economy and wider public.  We are looking for comments on the draft strategy and action plan to allow us to improve it further.  Working together, we can help bring forward the future of electric vehicles to the Marches.’

This initiative has the support of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce; Shropshire, Herefordshire & Worcestershire Federation of Small Businesses; Herefordshire and Worcestershire Chamber of Commerce, BESST (Business Environmental Support Scheme for Telford) and the Telford Business Board.

The deadline for responses is 5.00pm, Monday 17 September 2018.

Electric Vehicles of ALL Shapes and Sizes Welcome at this year’s h.Energy – it’s likely there will be a showcase in both Hereford and Leominster – please be in touch if you’d like to be involved! events@hgnetwork.org.

Wye Ruin It…

Transport Leave a comment

Many people are under the impression that the proposed Hereford Bypass will reduce traffic congestion and journey times. ‘Wye Ruin It’ is a group in Hereford that aims to make people aware that traffic will increase as a consequence of the Bypass. As an alternative the group advocate modern transport solutions including electric buses, electric bikes, a tram loop and mobility service apps with  electric mini buses – solutions that are already used to reduce traffic in similar sized cities (details on the Herefordshire Transport Alliance website).

Meet / join Wye Ruin It:

  • Sat 16th June, 2pm at Belmont Abbey Fete,
  • Sat 23rd June at Hereford Castle Green Summer Fayre
  • Sunday 8th July at Breinton Fete 2pm
  • Or join the Shire Hall Protest on 19 July.

Hereford is best known for its natural beauty, tourist attractions, historic landscapes, horticulture and highly productive agricultural qualities. Read more via the links below…

https://www.wyeruinit.org/news/2018/6/8/the-numbers-for-expected-traffic-volume-if-the-bypass-goes-ahead

www.wyeruinit.org

facebook.com/wyeruinit

twitter.com/wyeruinit

Breinton Walk

Events, Transport Leave a comment
For those of you interested or concerned about the proposed bypass, there is another Sunday walk this weekend around Breinton highlighting the threatened route.
Meet on Sunday 13th May at 2.30pm at Breinton Springs N.T. carpark.
And for more information on the bypass issue generally check the Wye Ruin It website:  https://www.wyeruinit.org/news/

Upcycling Cycling

Transport Leave a comment

The Hereford University Centre in association with 
Hereford Civic Society invite you to our annual public lecture: Upcycling Cycling

A comprehensive consideration of cycling and cyclists in this country compared with Europe by cycling experts:

  • Brian Deegan – one of the UK’s leading street design engineers
  • Jess Read – healthy transport engineer and urban designer
  • Jesse Norman MP – Highways Minister

Let’s get Hereford integrating cycling into our everyday lives!

 

Hosted at the Hereford University Centre, Folly Lane
, Hereford HR1 1LS on Thursday 17th May 2018. Arrival from 7.00pm for 7.15pm start, 8.30pm close

 

Bookings to Julia Davis: DavisJulia@hlcollege.ac.uk / 01432 365431

ALL WELCOME AT THIS IMPORTANT EVENT:
 
HEREFORD COULD BECOME THE EXEMPLAR CITY – HOW TO TRANSFORM OUR TRAVELLING HABITS!

Charge Points for EVs

Transport Leave a comment

The government are offering Local Councils funding for installation of electric vehicle charge points but still only 5 Councils have so far taken them up on it! This may be something that local groups would like to encourage their councils and others to consider, and here are some links to help with that process:

Please do pass this on – and thanks to John Rhymer from Transition Worcester for the info.

Building roads…

Built environment, Local Groups, Transport Leave a comment

Herefordshire Council will have a public consultation on the Western “bypass” routes and other Hereford Transport Package measures between 6 February and 20 March 2018.

The public exhibition will be available to view on 6,7,8 February, between 11am and 8pm, in the pod next to The Coffee Corner at Old Market. And/or go to an evening session on Tuesday 13 February from 6pm to 9pm at Whitecross High School. The exhibition will move to Hereford Library on Friday 16 February where it will remain until Tuesday 20 March. The exhibition can be viewed during normal library opening hours and staff will be available to answer questions on Saturday 24 February and Saturday 10 March between 11am and 2pm. The exhibition and film showing the route corridors will be available to view at Herefordshire.gov.uk/HTP from Tuesday 6 February.

Click here for a document with information and thoughts from Herefordshire Transport Alliance and Wye Ruin It? about why they think a new bypass for Hereford won’t solve current traffic problems. Find them on Facebook for more news: Herefordshire Transport Alliance & Wye Ruin It

Please do respond to the consultation, and also send the Council any other comments or suggestions you may have.

 

What Jesse said…

Transport Leave a comment

Apparently ministers Jesse Norman and Claire Perry have called for local authorities to do more to help reduce carbon emissions and tackle air quality after it emerged just 5 councils in the whole of the UK have taken advantage of an electric car scheme.

In 2016 the Department for Transport launched the On-Street Residential Chargepoint Scheme, offering funding for local authorities to buy and install electric car charge points. The scheme makes available up to 75% of the cost of procuring and installing charge points, however local authorities have to fund the remaining costs through public and private sources.

… and it seems there has been a huge failure of uptake at local government level.

Read about it in full on the gov.uk website.

 

Cabinet Meeting..

Transport Leave a comment

For those of you who are interested, the next Herefordshire Council Cabinet meeting will consider feedback on Hereford Transport Package Phase 1 consultation and confirm scope of Phase 2 consultation and progress, including the publication of the proposed bypass routes.

More details here: http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=251&MId=6245&Ver=4

 

 

1 2