THE trial pedestrianisation of Widemarsh Street came under the spotlight at a special meeting arranged to hear the views of city centre retailers and representatives from Hereford Cathedral.

Councillor Chris Chappell, chairman of Herefordshire Council's community services scrutiny committee, called the meeting to gauge the initial impact of the trial, which runs until the end of the year.

Representatives from the Cathedral and local retailers painted a mixed picture.

Coun Chappell will feed comments and issues raised at the meeting into the major consultation exercise that will continue during the trial, before a decision is made in December.

Throughout the summer and into the autumn, extensive and detailed surveys will take place to gather as detailed a picture as possible of the impact of the trial pedestrianisation.

Retailers, shoppers, bus companies, taxi drivers, representatives from a number of organisations and tourism managers will all be able to have their say.

"I'd like to thank all those who attended the meeting and I'd also like to thank the Dean for hosting the meeting," said Coun Chappell.

"The trial pedestrianisation of Widemarsh Street represents the single biggest opportunity to change the heart of the city centre - it's that big an issue."