Main road outside school near Hereford to get a zebra crossing

For a number of years, people living in Lugwardine, outside Hereford on the A438 Ledbury road, have wanted a new zebra crossing near St Mary's RC High School.

But that now looks imminent as Hagley ward councillor Paul Andrews said work could start as early as the end of July as the school, with around 700 pupils, breaks up for the summer holidays.

He said he had been sent a plan of the crossing from Herefordshire Council's highways team.

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He said the start date for the work is around July 28, but that would be confirmed in due course.

"I apologise for previous start dates mentioned but nothing happening," he said.

"This has been a long, drawn-out process and has taken longer than I thought."

But the work will only be for a zebra crossing near the entrance to the school and Traherne Close, and not a footpath down to the bus stop in the direction of Hereford.

He said that the path is still "highly important and not forgotten", but it needs to be designed.

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Herefordshire Council documents from May 2021 said a private wall would reduce the footpath width and it needed to acquire land.

Then in March 2022, Bartestree with Lugwardine Group Parish Council minutes show there had to be a review into costs.

With £150,000 previously set aside from Section 106 money, those from housing developers who build in the area, high preliminary costs led to a review.

“The preliminary costs for the scheme have been submitted to the council, these were high and as such the council and BBLP (Balfour Beatty Living Places) have undertaken a task to review before committing to deliver," meeting minutes said.

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"This work has now been completed and the costs returned are more realistic though due to current circumstances, fuel prices will continue to influence.

"The council is progressing and will provide and update on the programme as soon as this is confirmed."

The same minutes also said that the work would not have been able to been finished over the Easter holidays, so the next available window would be from July 21 as the summer holidays start.