Claims Herefordshire has ‘UK’s worst cycle infrastructure’

Herefordshire has “has some of the weirdest and worst” cycle infrastructure in Britain – but putting this right will benefit even non-cyclists, a city representative has said.

Herefordshire Council has just adopted a Local Cycling, Walking and Wheeling Infrastructure Plan (LCWWIP) for the county as urged by the Government, and following extensive consultation with local organisations and the public.

Welcoming it on behalf of the Liberal Democrats group, College ward and city councillor Ben Proctor, a keen cyclist, told colleagues it was “really important to engage in identifying schemes, but also in the design of schemes.”

“Herefordshire has some of the weirdest and worst cycle infrastructure I have ever cycled on around the United Kingdom, and a lot of that could have been addressed if there was better engagement in the detailed design,” he said.

“I hope that that will be a practice that we can encourage.”

If the county gets this right, “these investments will benefit not just the walkers, wheelers and cyclists, but everybody in the county”, he added.

“If you can create an environment where more people in my ward feel safe to walk or cycle, then fewer of you will be sitting on Aylestone Hill because we will be cycling past you, not sitting in cars.”

For the Green group, Coun Toni Fagan said cycle routes in the city “are completely disconnected from each other”.

“Whilst we understand that Hereford is the focus of effort and resources, we feel the market towns are missing out a bit, especially on cycling investment,” she added.

Ledbury, Bromyard and Kington in particular “are almost entirely disconnected and absent from the plan, but are important not only for residents but also for tourism”, she claimed.

Cabinet member for transport Coun Philip Price said: “If you’re a motorist, you don’t like the cyclists and if you’re a cyclist, you don’t like the motorist – mostly because of the infrastructure isn’t adequate.”

Yet Government-funded cycling projects in Hereford “have largely been implemented to within the budget we had”, he added.

But the fact that “16,000 people who live in Hereford, drive to work in Hereford” was “an appalling figure, so, we’ve got to encourage more (alternatives)”.