A NEW shopping estate is rapidly taking shape on the former farriery site in Newtown Road, Hereford.

The £3.4 million construction by the Midlands office of Allenbuild for Grantchester Retail Parks will accommodate PC World, Currys, Carpet Right, Harveys and Pizza Hut.

Building is expected to take 34 weeks.

The firm, which constructed the new College of Farriery last year, plans to rebuild the old Hereford-and-Gloucester canal beneath the access road to the retail park.

Meanwhile, work was underway this week to provide a new access road off the Newtown roundabout in Hereford.

The work, which is expected to take around 18 weeks to complete, will be carried out on Mondays to Fridays between 8am and 6pm and on Saturdays from 8am until 1pm.

Temporary traffic lights will be in operation and at off-peak times there may be a convoy working with a speed limit of 10mph.

Highways Agency project manager Bill Birkett explained: "We are enlarging the existing roundabout to provide an additional arm for access to the new business park being built alongside the A49 at the site of the former farriery school.

"This improvement will cater for increased traffic in and out of the development. The private developer of the business park is paying for the improvement work.

"Advisory diversions will be signposted for those motorists wishing to avoid the works and details will be published."