Political leaders have pledged to support a publicly accessible wetland in the middle of Hereford.

At an event last week in Hereford’s Kindle Centre, organisers made several environmental “asks” of a cross-party panel of councillors, including to support the Essex Arms wetlands project west of the city’s railway station.

Head of the county’s Green Party Coun Ellie Chowns said: “Any administration involving the Greens will support this in any way possible. It is clearly not an area that should be built on.”

But she questioned the proposal that the council “create” the wetland as “local government hasn’t nearly enough money to do what it wants to”.

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It would have to work instead with local voluntary and other groups, which would be able to access outside funding unavailable to the council. “But this is an open door,” she added.

For the Greens’ coalition partner the Independents for Herefordshire, council leader David Hitchiner said: “We are working collaboratively with organisations to see what social value we can get out of it.”

The Essex Arms plan “would be a nice thing” but would still need “an options appraisal, business case and all the usual kerfuffle”, Conservative councillor Elissa Swinglehurst cautioned.

The Liberal Democrats were invited to attend but did not participate.

The city’s draft masterplan, published for comment earlier this year, foresees the wetland as one of a number of new uses for largely derelict, flood-prone land between Hereford’s railway and the football stadium, which it calls the Station Quarter.

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“An urban wetland public space here will provide part of a strategic, nature-based solution to flood risk,” it says.

The plan proposes boardwalks, viewing platforms and seating to “support sensitive interactions with nature and create an informal active travel route”.

The Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, one of the evening’s organisers, says the site “is already being colonised by wildlife such as kingfishers”, and that it could serve to filter pollution, improve health, attract tourists and locals, and increase value of nearby properties.

A spokesperson for the trust said: “We have expressed how keen we are to manage the site for wildlife and people, and we appreciate this may well mean we ourselves will need to fundraise to transform it into our vision.

“We are still waiting for the council to make a firm decision and allow us to progress with plans.”

The site's name comes from a pub which previously stood on Widemarsh Street. After it closed in 1969 the building was taken down and moved to Queenswood Country Park north of the city, where it is still in use as a café.