Herefordshire Council invested close to £1 million developing a comprehensive masterplan for Hereford’s future growth, only to abandon the project and begin again under new political leadership.
In early 2023, just before the local elections that led to a power shift in the county, the council—then led by a coalition of Independents for Herefordshire and the Greens—released a draft city masterplan for public consultation. This ambitious vision aimed for a quieter, greener Hereford by 2050, with reduced traffic in the historic city center, more one-way and pedestrian streets, and transforming car parks into housing or green spaces. It also proposed low-traffic neighborhoods in surrounding areas.
A Freedom of Information request revealed that between 2021 and 2024, about £981,000 was spent on developing this plan. The funds covered evidence gathering studies, transport planning, surveys, and data analysis to better understand the city’s opportunities and challenges. The council noted that the information collected also fed into other planning documents, including the Local Plan consulted on during the summer of 2024.
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However, after the Conservative minority administration took control, the council abandoned the original masterplan, describing it as too “anti-car.” Instead, they relaunched the masterplan process in late 2023, focusing initially on the Merton Meadow area with hopes of creating a new “urban village,” an idea that carried over from the previous plan.
The council sought public input again on the draft Hereford 2050 City Masterplan during December and January, but with minimal publicity, the consultation drew only 11 responses. Both the Hereford City Council and the Hereford Civic Society reported they had not been informed of the consultation.
When questioned about the cost of this second round of consultations, Herefordshire Council said it was conducted using internal resources, making separate costs impossible to identify.
Councillor Graham Biggs, Cabinet member for economy and growth, stated that the council is still in the early phases of developing the masterplan and emphasized a renewed strategic focus, including a commitment to advancing plans for a Hereford bypass.