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The Society's Chair, with effect from

October 2024 is

Jeremy Milln

Contact details

Tel: 01432 357085; Mob: 07779 034457

E-mail: Jeremy.Milln@gmail.com

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​​The Society’s Chair, at the invitation of the Editor

of the Hereford Times contributes an occasional

“Opinion Piece” for Herefordshire’s principle

weekly newspaper of record.

 

Previous articles see Topics Tab E-K

Hereford Times Opinion Pieces​

 

TALKING POINT HEREFORD TIMES - 5th June 2025  

 

Herefordshire's draft Local Transport Plan 2025-41 is currently under public consultation and is available, with its Strategic Environmental Assessment, on the Council's website. Like the Local Plan Core Strategy the LTP has to comply with national standards set by Government which, put simply, are to support a shift to 'sustainable' travel as the best way to address the health, climate, nature and cost of living crises, and to alleviate traffic congestion. The objectives are admirable: support the economy, enable healthy behaviours, reduce emissions, improve accessibility, inclusivity and safety, and protect the natural and historic environment.

 

What do we make of it?  First thing to say is the SEA, while listing numerous smaller transport infrastructure projects in its assessment of impacts, fails to identify the priority Pontrilas station project or the  proposed Western Bypass, a motor-only road with no provision for sustainable travel, let alone the 14,000 additional car-dependent houses it would be expected to serve, anywhere in its 57 pages. Therefore the scores it gives for most of its objectives cannot be relied upon, let alone can it be considered to give a clean bill of health to the new LTP.

 

It is the policies which matter because these shape development decisions.  The previous (2016-31) LTP has 44, divided into 13 themes while the new one has just seven. Gone are the policies for public and schools transport, for the prudent management of resources, for speeding, parking, PROWs, air quality and many other things. And those which remain are weak. Where a policy might say that development should comply with best practice principles; weaselly the LTP's policy TN3 merely requires 'evidence' that development 'aligns' with such principles. Where we would expect Policy TN5 to commit to Healthy Streets design principles and the DfT's cycle standard known as LTN 1/20, as obviously it should, it says they only need to be 'considered' and if 'appropriate'.

 

 Herefordshire deserves better; watch this space.