Hereford bypass ‘will boost nature and respect landscape’

The Hereford bypass will bring a “net gain” for nature, the county’s environment chief has pledged.

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet member for environment Coun Elissa Swinglehurst told guests at the launch of the Back the Bypass campaign that it will mean an extra 3km of hedgerow and 3.3 hectares of “species-rich” woodland.

“To compensate for the loss of two acres of ancient woodland at Grafton, we will plant 13 acres contiguous to it,” she added.

“There will be an impact, but it will be minimised and over-compensated.”

Contractors have meanwhile committed to minimising their carbon footprint, along with waste, during building work, she said.

Meanwhile there will be “on-site ecological oversight, to protect water courses, hedgerows, species and the wider landscape”.

“It’s about ensuring the project enhances our environment over its whole life, supporting our ambition for measurable biodiversity net gain, and reinforcing the character and natural beauty of Herefordshire for generations to come,” Coun Swinglehurst said.

A booklet accompanying the new campaign adds that the route and its structures “will be designed to respect local character, heritage settings and cherished views”, while protecting archaeological and heritage sites.

Cabinet member for transport Philip Price added that council officers “are having to survey moss species, Saxon burial pits, bats and dormice” ahead of construction work.

Herefordshire Green Party has claimed the project will be “environmentally disastrous” as well as “totally ineffective in fixing Hereford’s congestion”.