Herefordshire Council has been urged to think again about putting a supermarket at the centre of the proposed 100 acre Edgar Street grid development, writes LIZ WATKINS.

It was a long term project and there was no rush to go down the supermarket route, said Virginia Taylor, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Hereford.

She understood a sound business case needed to be made for any future development which was not a drain on the ratepayer.

"But I simply do not believe it is necessary at this early stage for Herefordshire Council to be wooed by the lure of 'match funding' from a Government agency by allowing a large supermarket with its financial clout to take over part of the site without any competition from anyone else,'' said Mrs Taylor.

"Maybe I am wrong and only a supermarket will pay the sort of sums we need for the cattle market site to ensure we build a vibrant new city centre site with leisure, some civic, (not council offices), residential, retail and commercial facilities that will bring in tourism, enhance the existing city centre and bring in new jobs for our young people who are leaving Herefordshire in droves,'' she said.

She urged the council to give it another go and try and sell and market the development to a wider range of business and commercial interests.

Mrs Taylor was making her views known after discussing the future economic development of Hereford with council leader Councillor Roger Phillips, Geoff Hughes, the council's head of economic development and Jane Jones, director of policy and community.