Spending on bike shelters in Hereford to double

Spending on Hereford’s green cycle shelters is to double, after savings were made on trees and their planters in the city.

Herefordshire Council announced yesterday that it would “realign the individual budget allocations” within its Hereford City Centre Improvement (HCCI) plan, raising funding for the shelters from £30,000 to £60,000.

Spending allocated for the trees and planters along the City Link Road drops accordingly from £178,400 to £148,400.

The council announced earlier this month that two green-roofed cycle shelters  accommodating 16 bikes were being installed in the central Gaol Street car park.

As well as their own lighting, they have plants on the roof intended to absorb carbon dioxide and dust, capture rainwater and benefit bees and other pollinators.

In early January the council opted for the slightly more expensive of two quotes for these, put at £22,070, “on the basis of quality, consistency with other street furniture materials, lower maintenance requirement and extended life cost”.

They were procured and installed through the council’s public realm contract with Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP).

The council said at the time that installation costs for the shelters, including the concrete base and electricity connection, “are expected to exceed the remaining budget for this element of the programme, which will result in additional budget being required”.

The £6 million total spend for the HCCI programme is split evenly between Herefordshire Council and the Government’s Getting Building Fund, administered locally by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

However the shelters come out of the council’s share; the planters, from the LEP’s.

“A letter to be sent to the Marches LEP advising them of the amendments to the budgets seeking their urgent agreement,” the council’s decision said.