Students back Connect2 bid for Hereford

Students from Wyebridge Academy were out in force for the opening of Shaw's Path, a new footpath and cycleway giving access to one of the city's "best kept secrets".

An extension of the Great Western Way, Shaw's Path serves the playing fields and Belmont Meadow Nature Reserve.

It will also provide a link to the city's Connect2 scheme for a Rotherwas River Wye Crossing, a scheme being promoted by ambassador prefects at the school as part of their community studies.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: "One of our main priorities in Hereford is to reduce congestion and we can achieve this by encouraging more people to cycle to work instead of travelling by car.

"In Hereford city we already have a good network of footpaths and cycleways which are highlighted on our popular mini map but the Connect2 scheme offers a real opportunity to help commuters travelling to one of our major employment sites at the Rotherwas Industrial Estate," he added.

The Connect2 scheme will link Hereford's city centre with the industrial estate at Rotherwas and beyond, exploiting an underused bridge across the river and, once in the estate, will follow the disused railway line as far as possible.

Councillor Wilcox added: "Five hundred cycle trips a day are already recorded along Holme Lacy Road and this link would offer the 30 per cent of the estate's commuters who come from the north east of the city a quicker, healthier and environmentally friendly alternative to driving through the city, while at the same time helping reduce traffic.

"If Connect2 wins the ITV vote for £50million of Lottery funding, we will receive £350,000 for the Rotherwas scheme which will really help towards making this route a reality," he added.

You can register to vote for Connect2 online now at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly will be presenting the Connect2 case after the ITV1 late evening news on Tuesday, December 4.

Telephone voting begins on Friday, December 7. To register for a reminder to vote text Connect2 to 80010 or go online to www.sustransconnect2.org.uk where there are also ecards you can send to friends and family to spread the word.

Only one online vote per email address will count. Telephone voting, which will be at the local call rate, will be verified by the caller's ID so to be sure your counts please check it is not hidden. Because of this, calls from switchboards will count as one vote. No money will be made by the Big Lottery Fund or ITV1 from the calls.

All voting will close at noon Monday, December 10.

The winning scheme will be announced on Wednesday, December 12.