Report finds issues with Hereford bypass
Herefordshire Council's being urged to look at six problems with the project
Six major headaches for Herefordshire Council have been revealed in a report on the first phase of the Hereford bypass, on which work is due to begin by the end of the year.
Ahead of a meeting of the county’s ruling Cabinet a week today (September 24), officials’ Western Bypass Phase One Update Report makes some stark warnings:
The council “has received confirmation from the remaining landowner that they do not wish to negotiate with the council any further”. This appears to be homeowner at the western end of the route and bypass opponent Jean Harris.
As a result, the council’s option of a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) “must now continue to ensure that all necessary ownership rights are obtained”. But the final decision on this by the Secretary of State could take 12-18 months.
There is also an outstanding need for some seasonal pre-construction works including ecology surveys, pushing back the time for vegetation clearing and fencing, and preventing construction in those areas starting before May 2027.
Running from the A465 round to the A49 southwest of Hereford, and intended ultimately to replace the A49, a National Highway, through the city, the proposed stretch of road will also pass over the Hereford-Abergavenny railway line.
But recent changes to national road and bridge standards have required alterations to the bypass design. And while details of these are still being worked out, these will add to the total cost.
To accommodate this, “value engineering” had been proposed to bring down the cost of the project in other ways. But the new report says these proposals are “not achievable” as the need to revise new and existing planning permissions “would erode the savings being sought”.
Meanwhile the project faces “significant construction inflation” due to global factors. And while the council is still to conclude and announce a deal with its main contractor for the work, this must be “within the agreed governance and budget” – otherwise it could still award a new construction contract.
The report also reveals that the council has already spent £4 million on the scheme, nearly a tenth of its total budget.