A NEW-look Royal Mail service yard in Hereford will be first class, the communications giants claim.

Plans have been submitted for changes to the existing yard on Station Approach to make way for the new £25 million city link road due to run from the bottom of Aylestone Hill to Edgar Street.

The new-look yard will include land formerly owned by neighbouring Jewson which has been acquired by Herefordshire Council as a result of a Compulsory Purchase Order to allow construction of the road.

"The service yard will provide parking for operational vehicles, staff and the general public using the customer collection point facility, a storage area for rubbish, a vehicle wash and fuel distribution facilities for the Royal Mail operational fleet based at the site," said Royal Mail in a planning statement submitted to the council.

"The existing mail lobby canopy area will be in-filled to allow the relocation of the customer service point from its current location in the south-east corner of the building.

"The existing mail lobby area will be relocated to the western side of the building. A freestanding canopy supported by columns will be constructed over the new lobby area.

"The existing public post boxes facility for late post collections, currently off site, will be brought within the boundary of the site and situated at the customer collection point."

Access to the site will be by a 150-foot road extension to the current Station Approach entrance.

Preliminary works to make way for the link road will begin next month when part of the Merton Meadow car park is set to be cordoned off, reducing its capacity.

Herefordshire Council has defended the part closure saying "there is sufficient space at other city car parks to compensate for this".

Construction of the road will begin in the autumn and is expected to take about 18 months.