KEETCH GETS ASSURANCES FROM DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

10.02.46am GMT Tue 15th Feb 2005

Advantage West Midlands has assured City MP Paul Keetch that it remains committed to supporting major development projects in Hereford such as the Rotherwas Access Road and the Edgar Street Grid. It comes after they committed over £2 million of public money to purchase property in Station Approach, Hereford.

During a visit to Westminster senior executives of AWM briefed the MP on the schemes they are involved with in Hereford and discussed a range of options for funding the Rotherwas Access Road.

"I am glad to have the personal assurances that Rotherwas remains high on the regional programme", said Mr Keetch.

"From my discussions with civil servants and Ministers it seems to me clear why the Government rejected the recent Council bid. Firstly it is clear that they did not believe Herefordshire Council's assertion that an access road would somehow magically create 1,000 new jobs. I too found this hard to believe and queried the figure. But it's also clear that Government felt that a more imaginative funding partnership was required. What was lacking was any private money to add to the package of public monies that was requested.

"I hope that the Council will examine whether the release of land that the road would create could attract private investment in the road to complement public funds. This could either be from housing or sale of industrial land.

"It is also not inconceivable that this could fund a bridge across the Wye probably between Hereford and Hampton Bishop. AWM understood the attraction of a public/private partnership approach.

"I am not saying that this could achieve the road or bridge but it should be fully explored.

"I was also keen to hear more about proposals for the Edgar Street grid. Unlike my Conservative opponent I do not want another supermarket here. Instead I would like to see a combination of civic and cultural buildings. A new police HQ is required; a new Library and Multi Screen cinema is long overdue. And if Herefordshire Council closed some of the dozens of offices they have dotted about and relocated into one new block, I believe this could save thousands of pounds of revenue costs every year. It would also bring workers in to the centre of the city.

"We need a public debate on Edgar Street. This development will be a once in a life time opportunity for Hereford - we must not squander it".

Ends