Hereford MP Paul Keetch has slammed talk of a Rotherwas relief route being approved by autumn as 'too much too soon'.

But the man who says otherwise stands squarely behind his statements. Chris Chappell, charged with energising the area's economy, hits back to warn 'watch this space'.

Claims that the bypass battle may soon be over put the pair on a collision course.

Councillor Chappell, council cabinet member for economic development, said Whitehall was willing to move matters forward, with the go-ahead for a relief road expected sometime around late summer early autumn.

He does concede that his initial assessment of work underway within 'the next couple of years' may have been over optimistic.

"There is a lot of rumour around, but the messages I'm getting suggest we should hear something positive soon."

But Paul Keetch, Hereford's MP, sees things differently - a bypass is not on any agenda and talk otherwise is 'too much too soon'.

"It doesn't do any good to think that this is going to happen in the short term."

What is needed, says Mr Keetch, are schemes supported by the whole community. Had other options been analysed earlier, he says, a bypass may well have been backed by now.

"A new road is not an all-purpose panacea and individual initiative won't help Hereford's traffic problems. We have to look at the wider picture and offer alternatives; that's the way to get Government attention."