Published 10/10/2026 By William Turtle-Clark

Debate over the proposed Hereford Bypass has resurfaced at Herefordshire Council, with transport campaigners warning the new road will fail to reduce congestion while council leadership insists the scheme is essential for economic growth.

A formal question submitted by Amanda Martin of the Hereford Transport Alliance challenged the council’s claims, citing the established economic principle of "induced demand", where creating extra road capacity generates additional traffic over time.

Mrs Martin stated "Where the local network is at or near capacity, it is impossible to reduce urban congestion with peri-urban road building due to the phenomenon of induced demand." She added that traffic levels in Hereford would likely return to pre-bypass levels within 5 years of the road opening, urging the council to implement a "Dutch-style traffic reduction strategy" to promote walking, cycling, and public transport for the estimated 88,000 daily journeys that start and end within the city.

In response, Councillor Philip Price, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, defended the bypass, arguing that alternative transport strategies could not support the county's housing and employment targets.

"A Dutch style traffic reduction strategy is unlikely to deliver the infrastructure needed to help build 27,000 new homes in a planned and sustainable way as well as being able to open up employment land that will create thousands of new jobs," Councillor Price stated. "Our aim, when fully realised, will."

Preparatory work is already underway on Phase One of the scheme, which includes site clearance, ground investigations, fencing, and drainage surveys to create a link between the A49 and A465 southwest of Hereford, improving access to the Rotherwas Industrial Estate and Hereford Enterprise Zone.

Herefordshire Council maintains that the full bypass project will relieve traffic pressure on Belmont Road, Walnut Tree Avenue, and Holme Lacy Road, while unlocking land for up to 14,000 new homes and approximately 10,000 jobs.