The compulsory purchase order (CPO) and associated side roads order (SRO) for the Edgar Street to Commercial Road Link scheme have been confirmed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Secretary of State for Transport. The Link Road, once constructed, will also facilitate the regeneration of certain key sites along the route of the road.
The CPO has been confirmed without modification and the SRO has been confirmed with only those modifications relating to it that were requested by the council at the public inquiry, which closed on 1 May 2014.
Steps will be taken to serve and publish the necessary notices relating to the confirmation of both orders so that the powers now secured by the council can be exercised. The council is now in the process of drawing up its programme for construction of the Edgar Street to Commercial Road Link scheme and will also look to progress its proposals for the regeneration of the land along the route of the road, which will be released for development.
The Council will also take steps to implement the powers granted to it under the SRO, to make necessary changes to the highway network in the vicinity of the route of the road, including the stopping up of affected private means of access, and the creation of new means of access where required, to meet its intended timetable for construction of the new road.
Cllr Price, cabinet member infrastructure said, “this is great news for the people of Hereford, the construction of the new road will help to alleviate some of the traffic volumes from the newly refurbished Newmarket Street, allowing for even easier pedestrian access to and from Old Market and High Town, which in turn will make the area an even more attractive shopping destination.
The road also opens up much needed development land for the construction of the new Urban Village. We look forward to the development of some 800 new homes on the site. The Edgar Street to Commercial Road Link Road is key to the full city centre regeneration that we have been working so hard and so long for.”
In association with the proposed Link Road, the council is also looking to take forward proposals for a new transport hub and to improve other highways in the area. The road construction and improvements to the surrounding highway infrastructure is being funded from the government’s Growth Deal with £12m allocated to the Edgar Street to Commercial Road Link scheme.
It is anticipated that work to construct the link road will begin in Spring 2015. The council has now secured a number of sites required for the link scheme and regeneration by agreement. It is
anticipated that the council will take steps to compulsorily acquire the remaining sites needed to facilitate its proposals later this year.