A HEREFORDSHIRE housing estate could finally be set to get a decent footpath into the nearest town, years after it was built. 

The footpath along the busy B4214 Tenbury Road, which links the out-of-town Porthouse Rise development with the town, has been a frequent cause for concern in Bromyard, with several locals airing their worries about the path between the estate and the town's 'big' Co-op.

Eunice Taylor, who lives in nearby Winslow Road, previously told the Hereford Times that the footpath is "an accident waiting to happen", warning that it is "impossible to push a pram and hold onto a toddler as the path is so narrow and the hedge is growing over it".

ALSO READ:

Outline plans for the development were approved in 2014, after a number of previous rejections, with the homes since constructed. 

But a transport assessment submitted to Herefordshire Council's planning department in 2014 noted that the footway on the eastern side of Tenbury Road between Bromyard and the site was narrow at only one metre wide and overgrown by the adjacent hedge. Despite this being noted a decade ago, the footpath remains narrow.

Now plans are well underway for works including widening existing sections of the footpath, with a budget of more than £100,000.

April's meeting of Bromyard Town Council's traffic management committee heard from the S106 senior project manager that the budget for the works now stands at £119,933.90.

What are your thoughts?

You can send a letter to the editor to have your say by clicking here.

Letters should not exceed 250 words and local issues take precedence.

Design tenders for the project are expected by the second week of April, minutes from the meeting said, with work set to start on the designs as soon as possible once the successful tender has been selected.

"The project manager is confident that construction work will be carried out by the summer and, if possible, during the school holidays to minimise disruption," the minutes said.

Any left over funds may be used on small access improvements including dropped crossings and tactile paving, as well as a road lining refresh.

The Porthouse Rise development is currently separated from the town by an area of wasteland, but that could be set to change soon, with plans to develop the site announced by developer Opulent Property Group late last year.

Developers are hoping the land could house extra care apartments, medical facilities, and more according to a dedicated website for the site.