Alarm at planned loss of big Hereford city car park

Plans to build on a central Hereford car park will “kill” local trade, the owner of a business in the city has said.

The Herefordshire Council-owned Merton Meadow car park is currently one of the city’s largest, with by one estimate around 600 spaces.

Having appointed an architect to work up plans to enable over 200 new homes along with business units at the site, the council says it must now spend a £2 million government grant for the scheme by the end of this year, and to start work on-site by November.

But Heather Smith, who co-runs outdoor clothing shop Home and Country Store in nearby Widemarsh Street, said: “I don’t know where cars will go. It will kill the town.”

She explained: “The car park was rammed here at Christmas, more and more people use it.” Even on a midweek morning in January it was still around two-thirds full, she pointed out.

“I use it when I’m bringing in stock. You can’t take an HGV or even a van into the multi-storey car park,” she said. “I know a lot of retailers share these concerns.”

Retired bus driver Roy Yarnold of Credenhill said he used the car park each Wednesday for reunions with colleagues, and thought losing the car park would be “hugely impractical”.

“What will happen during home games at the football ground?” he added.

Dental receptionist Lisa Thomas said Merton Meadow was both cheap and convenient for her part-time job, where on-street parking isn’t an option.

“Most city parking has a time limit,” she said – though added she had previously had to retrieve her car from flooding at Merton Meadow, where it is a recurring problem.

Stuart Davies from Marden to the north of the city said: “I park here once or twice a week, mostly for the shops. The price and convenience make it the best choice – I suppose the next best is the Garrick multi-storey car park.”

Hereford Business Improvement District (BID) declined to comment on the loss of the car park, as did Hereford FC, whose Edgar Street ground is right next to it.

Herefordshire Council was also asked about the car park users’ concerns but had not responded by the time of publication.

Meanwhile the council appears to be in no rush to implement a large planned “park-and-choose” scheme on the north edge of the city, even though the ground for this has been prepared.

“Exact details about (its) ownership and operation continue to be explored / discussed,” a council spokesperson earlier said.