Hereford cycle and footpath in running for £50 million TV vote

A major project to get millions of people walking and cycling in Hereford came a step closer today as Sustrans' Connect2 Lottery bid entered the ultimate stage of the Big Lottery Fund's: The People's £50 Million contest.

The final shortlist was announced today and TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and former minister Charles Clarke will lead the charity's bid to transform local travel opportunities in Hereford and across the UK. Adam Hart Davies, Wayne Hemingway and Ken Livingstone are among other high-profile supporters.

Hereford's Connect2 scheme is a proposed footpath and cycleway which would link the east side of the city with Rotherwas and Holme Lacy, avoiding having to cycle through the city centre itself.

Four organisations, including 'Sustrans' Connect2 project, are competing for the £50 million grant to be decided by public vote on ITV1 in December. Each project will be the subject of a television programme on ITV1 in the week starting December 3. Sustrans' Connect2 will be featured on Tuesday, December 4.

Full programme details will be released in mid November. Voting will take place online and by phone vote following the TV shows. Online voting for The People's £50 Million Lottery Giveaway will open at 9am on November 26 at http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/ Telephone voting will be over the weekend December 7 to 10.

Connect2 will improve local travel in 79 communities across the UK by building walking and cycling bridges and tunnels, developing links, and even re-instating a ferry. Connect2 will also bring people closer together by making journeys quicker, healthier and more convenient.

From cyclists and leisure walkers to commuters and schoolchildren, everyone will have a better quality of life thanks to Connect2. Across the UK six million people live within a mile of the proposed schemes, including one million schoolchildren. It is estimated that 79,000 tonnes of carbon emissions could be saved annually once the schemes are completed.

Television presenter Lorraine Kelly, who will be fronting the Connect2 bid, said: "I meet so many people from all walks of life and I find one thing affects us all, travel. How many times have we stood on the edge of a busy road waiting for the traffic to ease or had to travel miles out of our way to get to the one bridge over the river? Connect2 deals with just these daily challenges and gives us the option to do the
journey in a way that helps the environment. And, of course, it gets us fit - forget the gym, Connect2 is the answer to our obesity problems."

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "This planned footpath and cycleway will provide a much-needed link avoiding the city centre and help to reduce congestion.

"Now the scheme has been finalised as competing for the £50million lottery grant, I would urge all of the county's residents to register their support and vote online from November 26," he added.

To find out more about Connect2, and to register support, visit http://www.sustransconnect2.org.uk/ or text Connect2 to 80010.

To find out more about The People's £50million Lottery Giveaway, log onto http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/