KEETCH MEETS BUSINESS AND LANDOWNERS OVER ROTHERWAS ACCESS ROAD

6.00.00pm GMT Tue 6th Jan 2004

Hereford Lib Dem MP Paul Keetch met with businesses and landowners from the Rotherwas Trading Estate yesterday to discuss the proposed Rotherwas Access Road.

"I wanted to meet with the businesses myself to brief them on recent developments and to plan a strategy for the future", said Mr Keetch.

"The Herefordshire Council now has effectively two options for the scheme. It can wait until next December and submit the proposal to the Government as a major road scheme, which may or may not be approved, or it can find imaginative ways of funding the scheme now by some other means.

"Understandably the business leaders I met felt that the scheme was vital for the long term economic future of Hereford and the county, and therefore all avenues should be explored.

"I have not called for any other schemes to be shelved or abandoned - only that all schemes should be reviewed to see if savings could be made to help build the road as well. At the very least that would demonstrate to Government that the Council is serious about the Access Road and also show just how important it is to the economic future of Herefordshire.

"Rotherwas employs almost 2,500 people, and the development of the site is being seriously hampered by poor access. Frankly this Access Road should be the Council's number one priority and people need to know that it is well within their scope to deliver."

Mr Keetch also announced that he will be organising a petition calling on the Council to consider alternative funding ideas for the access road.