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| The weland that will be created in Merton Meadow car park. Picture: MOOWD/Herefordshire Council |
The loss of car parking in Hereford as a bold wetland vision for the city comes to life has been addressed - but there are concerns over how it will affect The Bulls.
Plans to turn the northern section of Merton Meadow car park - often used as overflow parking on matchdays - into a wetland have raised concerns about a loss of spaces near the MandM Edgar Street Stadium.
On matchdays, the overflow section of Merton Meadow does fill up - and is also used for lorry and coach parking, with larger vehicles banned from the main southern section.
During Herefordshire Council's planning committee on Wednesday (July 30), which ultimately green lit the scheme with a raft of conditions, Independents for Herefordshire councillor Matthew Engel (Golden Valley South) said he was "very dubious" whether the parking could be replaced.
He said it was impossible to park at the train station after 7.30am, and losing spaces at Merton Meadow would only making that worse.
He was also worried it could hamper Hereford FC, adding: "We have to take into account that Hereford United FC were, in their day, the most famous thing this county had. I think this will have an adverse effect on them ever being such a thing again."
Planning officer Heather Carlisle pointed to her report which said that although parking will be lost, there is capacity within Hereford's system to cope with the displaced vehicles.
Recent survey data in the report showed the car park averaged just 38 per cent occupancy between April 2022 and April 2024.
She also told the committee there would be some land left to the north of the link road for coach and lorry parking.
However, with work due to start as soon as September - just weeks into the new National League North season - that will be little consolation to the football fans wanting to park near Edgar Street.
Merton Meadow is also among the cheapest Herefordshire Council car parks in the city, with alternatives such as Garrick House multi-storey costing £1.80 more for a three-hour stay for a Saturday afternoon match.
With three sites in total, the "essential infrastructure" scheme - which the council has government funding for and will unlock land for up to 400 homes - aims to cut flood risk as Widemarsh Brook runs through the area.
Lib Dem ward councillor for Widemarsh Polly Andrews said any flood alleviation work was a good thing, while Conservative councillor Bruce Baker admitted the city would face problems with parking in the future. Separately, Herefordshire Council has mooted the idea of a new multi-storey car park on the County Bus Station site, off Commercial Road.
Fellow Tory councillor Richard Thomas (Wormside), a former farmer who said he'd once been stood in the Merton Meadow car park in a foot of water, was concerned about causing flooding being made worse elsewhere.
Councillor Robert Highfield (Con, Castle) also raised concerns about parking, but he was worried about the wetland becoming a visitor attraction and it being a victim of its own success.