Hereford supporter Colin Butler is concerned about the proposed development on the Merton Meadow Car Park which is next to Edgar Street.
'As a season ticket holder of Hereford United/ Hereford FC since 1970 I have great concerns regarding the proposed housing development on the Merton Meadow car park. I find the idea baffling and have done so ever since the council first announced their intensions many years ago. It is a well used,well located and an affordable car park which is used by football supporters, workers and shoppers. It's also a cheaper option to the more expensive Old Market car park.
Taking the parking away would have a massive impact on the football club and the footfall in our city centre shops. We are not a big city where the majority of shoppers and supporters could use a regular public transport to travel from different urban areas in to the centre,a large percentage live outside of the city and rely on their cars to get in to Hereford and of course decent priced parking. Supporters address details with season ticket holders and Trust membership would confirm just how many do live outside of the city. The car park is well used throughout the week but on Saturday matchdays it is sometimes difficult to get a space even in the bottom end car park over the bridge.
We have been told that to offset the loss of this car park space there will be a multi storey car park built on the County Bus Station,it will located away from where people need to park i.e near to the football ground and the Old Market shops. Access will also be off Commerical Road which many know can be manic at the best of times, whereas the Merton Meadow car park has much easier off the link road. I believe the new multi storey will have 400 spaces but the council have stated that spaces will be allocated to hospital workers. So how many spaces will there be for those who can longer use park the Merton Meadow? Not nearly enough that's for sure.
Also the Old Market car park spaces have been reduced during the week as M & M employees have been allocated 150 spaces on the very top level. The numbers don't seem to stack up. The council seem to working on figures that less people will be shopping in Hereford in the future and not encouraging more. It's very brave of the new shop arrivals in Hereford like Pro Cook and Matalan who have put their confidence in Hereford and possibly wouldn't have known that the council were to make it more expensive and more difficult for their customers to park in the future. It would be good if as many Hereford FC supporters and the rest of the Herefordshire public could object to this daft proposal as possible and perhaps enquire what are the thoughts of their councillor and local MP about this plan. I'm sure many local business's will have their input and not forgetting Hereford FC and Hereford United Supporters Trust.
The council are no strangers to building on well used long stay car parks. Remember there was once a very useful car park next to the railway station, excellent when you were travelling by train and the station NCP was full. The council then built student accommodation on it and recommended that the alternative would be it to park in the Merton Meadow car park.'