Topic ID 396
About ten years ago there was talk of tentative plans for a Hertford bypass, running from Hertingfordbury to the roundabout at the top of London Road as I recall. However, due to opposition on environmental grounds the plans never got any further. Is it time to revisit this idea?
Reply ID 3026
I like the theory of the idea in terms of taking the long lines of traffic out of Hertford, but thinking about the countryside in the section the bypass would need to go on, I really wouldn't like to lose that. If we could build a very long underground tunnel to link up the two sections of road that would be great! (sorry, dangerous to start the subject of tunnels on this forum again [;)]) Also, how would the town's traders feel about this? If there were fewer people driving through the town would it result in less people being aware of it as a place to come and shop, eat & drink?
Reply ID 3028
quote:Probably true, but there's another way of looking at it - think of all the people who avoid Hertford all together because of the traffic. Personally I'm not in favour of a bypass - our countryside is too precious. Many of Hertford's traffic problems can be solved by making better use of the roads we have (e.g. sorting out the mess at Old Cross etc.)
Originally posted by Kate
Also, how would the town's traders feel about this? If there were fewer people driving through the town would it result in less people being aware of it as a place to come and shop, eat & drink?
Reply ID 3034
How much countryside would actually be lost if the bypass was built? Surely free traffic flow on a bypass is better for the environment than traffic clogging up hertford. eg. Fast traffic = good fuel economy = lower emissions Slow Congested Traffic = bad fuel economy = higher emissions in the town itself. the down side may be that it encourages more traffic to use the road. But as it will no longer clog Hertford that might not be too bad.
Reply ID 3037
quote:I am not sure how many people stop in Hertford that are just passing through - I suspect that people regard Hertford more like "That place with the traffic jams" rather than coming over especially to go out for a meal etc.
Originally posted by Kate Also, how would the town's traders feel about this? If there were fewer people driving through the town would it result in less people being aware of it as a place to come and shop, eat & drink?
Reply ID 3038
btw, just to make sure everyone knows, from fri 14th jan - sun 16th jan, the road from old cross to hartham lane will be closed, to sort out the old cross problems.. got a letter through the door yesterday.
Reply ID 3039
quote:Let me guess - they have a new and brilliant scheme to ease congestion at the old cross - that probably won't work anyway. Maybe they are going to put the mini roundabout back and take away the traffic lights (just so they can put them back again in a few months/years time.
Originally posted by Bengeobabe
btw, just to make sure everyone knows, from fri 14th jan - sun 16th jan, the road from old cross to hartham lane will be closed, to sort out the old cross problems.. got a letter through the door yesterday.
Reply ID 3041
think its something about subsidence - will have a look at the letter properly when i get home tonight.
Reply ID 3043
quote:I agree that a bypass is a good idea, but how does the idea get re-visited. Do you know if there is any stomach for this in any of the councils - who does one lobby?
Originally posted by Steve
About ten years ago there was talk of tentative plans for a Hertford bypass, running from Hertingfordbury to the roundabout at the top of London Road as I recall. However, due to opposition on environmental grounds the plans never got any further. Is it time to revisit this idea?
Reply ID 3045
Perhaps it would be part of infrastructure upgrades required to support East Herts housebuilding.
Reply ID 3058
I would be anti-bypass and would definitely be up for compaigning against one should the idea be seriously floated again.
Reply ID 3060
quote:You are entitled to your opinion, but it would be interesting to know why you are against a bypass - It may fuel the discussion further.
Originally posted by CityBird
I would be anti-bypass and would definitely be up for compaigning against one should the idea be seriously floated again.
Reply ID 3061
Im FOR a bypass.....and then a public flogging if the idiots that thought putting 4 lanes of traffic through the centre of a town..effectively cutting it in half, was a good idea...
Reply ID 3063
quote:That kind of thinking is usally to do with Money
Originally posted by Frenchie
Im FOR a bypass.....and then a public flogging if the idiots that thought putting 4 lanes of traffic through the centre of a town..effectively cutting it in half, was a good idea...
Reply ID 3064
A few years back I was helping at a jumble sale and came accross an old road atlas circa 1970. There was a Hertford Bypass shown projected then so the idea is more than 30 years old.
Reply ID 3066
quote:Do you remember the route of the bypass? And was that before Gascoyne Way was built?
Originally posted by jez_p
A few years back I was helping at a jumble sale and came accross an old road atlas circa 1970. There was a Hertford Bypass shown projected then so the idea is more than 30 years old.
Reply ID 3067
quote:And those involved in decision making must be thoroughly scrutinised at the time to ensure there are no conflicts of interest.
Originally posted by jez_pquote:That kind of thinking is usally to do with Money
Originally posted by Frenchie
Im FOR a bypass.....and then a public flogging if the idiots that thought putting 4 lanes of traffic through the centre of a town..effectively cutting it in half, was a good idea...
Reply ID 3316
There were two by-pass proposal if I remember correctly. I was living with my parents in Highfield Road at the time and we were consulted. The most serious one ran from the A414 roundabout near Essendon, where the gypsy site is, and went way out behind hertford heath, joining the existing roundabout below the A10 by Anwell. It was a great route, as the A414 continued as one road, rather then detouring through Hertford and onto the A10 for one junction. It was rumoured to have been strongly objected becasue a council member lived at the back end of Hertford Heath. The A414 through Hertford was lovely when it was a single lane road, with lovely houses along it that were pulled down. I remember cycling past many of them as a kid.
Reply ID 4560
Looks like the planners have been reading the forum!!! Hertford To Get Bypass? Hertfordshire Mercury Friday 18th February 2005 (I'll post a link once the story appears on the Mrcury website)
Reply ID 4590
I know friends of mine who want to shop in Hertford don't because its "too difficult on the roads to get in and out of Hertford due to traffic". I think there must be an "environment friendly" way of bypassing Hertford without upsetting the countryside and it would mean people working/living and shopping can get into it and park easily and spend more time. I am for a bypass.. Gascoyne Way is a 24/7 carpark these days and the fumes...
Reply ID 4591
I dont think that there is such a thing as an environmentally friendly bypass, where ever you put it it will smash through the country side. I do belive we need a bypass to bypass our bypass though!
Reply ID 4603
I believe there a few "Bypass Now" signs available to borrow in Wadesmill.
Reply ID 4604
The resurrection of the bypass might be part of a bigger plan. I read something recently about the possibility of a new A414 link road/bypass around the north side of Harlow (from Eastwick to M11) in connection with the housing development plans for that area. This would connect nicely to the new A120 dual carriageway at Stanstead Airport. This would complete a fast east-west dual carriageway to/across 'Prescottshire', and an outer alternative to the M25. Removing the bottleneck in Hertford might be related? (Taking off my conspiracy hat now!)
Reply ID 4605
I have also heard that they have plans to link the A10 at Puckeridge to the A1, which might explain the need for that WHACKING great big round about they have there!
Reply ID 4608
Yep.............feels like early steps to prepare for Prescottshire.
Reply ID 4614
Does anyone know if building a bypass on green belt land will require the green belt classification to be removed? If so, it frees up the opportunity for houses to be built near the new bypass when its built. I think that green belt land is now classified by area, so as long as the total area of green belt land remains constant, it can be "moved around".
Reply ID 4616
If we get the by-pass it will inevitably mean yes to thousands of new houses. If environmental issues were cited as the reasons for this plan being abandoned 10 years ago then surely they are still valid now, if not more so given our greater knowledge of the impact pollution is having. I for one would be willing to campaign against this plan.
Reply ID 4619
One suspects the decision has already been made......
Reply ID 4621
Yep. It answers the obvious questions about how the area would cope with Prescotts lego city.
Reply ID 4629
Better proposal, Reinstate some of the pre-Beeching rail lines sod the cars but only if provision is made for QUALITY public transport..just do not build more roads, they are a cancer. every alternative, trams , dedicated bus lanes, monorail, must and should be discussed in full before anyone is allowed to even mention road expansion.[:(!]
Reply ID 4630
quote:This might equally have been said back in 1994 and it would have been as true then as it is now. I think Hertfordshire Highways have simply come to the same conclusion as me when I originally posted this thread, ie that maybe we need to rethink the issue of a bypass. With regard to the environmental issues, they still remain of course. However there is a consideration as to the environment in the town centre as well and I doubt that anyone would argue that it hasn't got alot worse in the last ten years. I think that the improvements we would see in the town centre and the attention paid to environmental issues would hopefully ensure that the impact of any new road would be minimised. You only have to look at the A10 north of Ware to see how this might be handled. Should any proposals become firm plans, I doubt whether we would see a new road for five or ten years.
Originally posted by Spotty Dog
One suspects the decision has already been made......
quote:Prescottshire faces alot of opposition and is not certain. This is demonstrated by the fact that the [unelected] authority that put forward the plans have withdrawn their recommendation on account of inadequate funding of infrastructure improvements by the government. Stansted Expansion too still faces uncertainty. Government policy on both of these is flawed and needs reformulating.
Originally posted by Ewoowar
Yep.............feels like early steps to prepare for Prescottshire.
Reply ID 4633
So, we have a problem with farmers fields being taken back for use by the community? What did the farmer do for the town?
Reply ID 4638
Hertford the way it is definately needs a byepass. However, once reen belt land has been reclassified, it would be a perfect opportunity to infill the land between the byepass and Hertford with Prescottshire, I think a very dangerous precedent would be set. On balance, Hertford would very much lose out by the introduction of a byepass, and if we want to preserve Hertford's character then we should definately fight against a byepass, I will certainly be in opposition. I understood that the Gascoigne Way atrocity happened because the byepass was not to go over Haileybury land. The A414, went over the church ground of All Saints, and graves had to be moved, roads such as West Street and Castle Street were ruined, and Hertford was effectively cut in half. My experience in Hertford, is that people need to be very active in matters such as this, should never accept what they hear as they think the 'decision has already been taken'. This forum would be a wonderful place for people to voice their views and protests, and organise opposition. If this bye pass was a serious proposal, then it would be healthy to encourage more and more people to log onto Hertford Online to express their views and put pressure on the Planning Department.
Reply ID 4641
quote:Some of those posting are in favour of a bypass.
Originally posted by wizkid
Hertford the way it is definately needs a byepass. However, once reen belt land has been reclassified, it would be a perfect opportunity to infill the land between the byepass and Hertford with Prescottshire, I think a very dangerous precedent would be set. On balance, Hertford would very much lose out by the introduction of a byepass, and if we want to preserve Hertford's character then we should definately fight against a byepass, I will certainly be in opposition. I understood that the Gascoigne Way atrocity happened because the byepass was not to go over Haileybury land. The A414, went over the church ground of All Saints, and graves had to be moved, roads such as West Street and Castle Street were ruined, and Hertford was effectively cut in half. My experience in Hertford, is that people need to be very active in matters such as this, should never accept what they hear as they think the 'decision has already been taken'. This forum would be a wonderful place for people to voice their views and protests, and organise opposition. If this bye pass was a serious proposal, then it would be healthy to encourage more and more people to log onto Hertford Online to express their views and put pressure on the Planning Department.
Reply ID 4645
Some of those posting are in favour of a bypass. I am aware of that, that is why it is essential that a full debate should be held so that the consequeces can be given full consideration.
Reply ID 4653
We need to consider all of the issues, blanket statements like "I would be against a bypass" are not exactly helpful without stating the reasons. I am all for a debate on the whole situation.
Reply ID 4659
But is it the case that putting in a bypass redesignates the land? And even if it does, does that automatically mean that we get thousands of homes built on that land? People tell me this but the case for a bypass to free up Hertford is pressing. Would the character of our town be destroyed with more houses and people or would it be enhanced?
Reply ID 4661
quote:Well we could cut out the middleman...by all moving to Stevenage[:)]
Would the character of our town be destroyed with more houses and people or would it be enhanced?
Reply ID 4662
A new by-pass would inevitably mean houses being built around it. After all once you've destroyed the enviroment with the new road it would be very hard to argue against housing. Consequently I feel that a new by-pass would just about finish off Hertford as we know it today. If it happens I for one will not be sticking around. I grew up in Cheshunt, the character of the place has been completely destroyed by overdevelopment and I'd hate to see Hertford a place I have come to love be similarly overdeveloped and it's unique character destroyed. Why for example are there only two trains an hour at peak times from Hertford East into London Liverpool Street. Improvements to public transport must be undertaken before resorting to such drastic measures as destroying the countryside.
Reply ID 4665
I don’t agree that a bypass means “destroying the environment”. For a start, its farmland, not woods and rivers. Big difference. It is extremely arguable that the pollution from the cars clogged up in the town is far worse for the children, adults, animals and environment than the loss of an arable field or three.. The argument for improved public transport is commendable, but a joke. It will never happen. The public transport generally only supports a strong north to south route, whilst the A414 caters for the east to west traveller. To get people onto public transport from east to west would require whole new railways systems to be effective, and that will tear up more countryside than any bypass. A friend of mine commutes by car from Church Langley to Hemel Hempstead, via Hertford everyday. It takes him an hour by car. What should he do? Get a bus to Harlow Town, train to Liverpool St, take the tube to Euston, train to Hemel, and walk the remain 4 miles to his industrial estate? Should be about 8 hours each way. Unfortunately, in rural areas, public transport will NEVER get the finance it needs to make sense. A careful and considerate road building scheme is the only way. If Hertford doesn’t tackle I now, it’s going to be in big trouble in 10 years. The idea of public transport is admirable, but no government could come anywhere close to being able to fund it, or do it, without tearing up more countryside that roads do already. [B)][?]
Reply ID 4673
I agree 100% with everything that Dude has written - all very good points that I would have made myself had Dude not made them first!
Reply ID 4675
There is a simple solution, your friend in Church Langley could move to Hemel Hempstead ....
Reply ID 4678
What about burying the Gascoigne Way and running it under the roundabouts? If the through traffic doesn't need to use the roundabouts then it would have a more steady flow. It would be more expensive but compared to the cost of buying new land, building the road from scratch (that route will have to cross two rivers and a few streams as well as other, N/S roads), etc. Also, wouldn't many people want Gascoigne Way altered once the bypass was completed? There's plenty of land there to increase and improve the multi-storey car park and improve that situation - all of which would cost. So once you take everything into account, burying the road might well closer to the cost of a bypass. The White Horse could get a beer garden, even. [;)]
Reply ID 4679
Something definitely needs to be done.I would welcome a bypass as long as it did not mean more houses being built. I travel from the Hertford North end of town though Hertford every day at 8.00am and what would take 2 minutes traffic free can take up to 15! Coming home is even worse. I leave Hoddesdon at 5.30 and can be at the Lancaster Garage by 5.40 and sometimes I am still not home before 6pm. Public transport is not an option, as I need my car for work,oh and I dont want to use public transport. It would be very sad to see a lot of the countryside that I have ridden through ruined by a road, but they seem to have done a reasonable job north of Ware on the A10. Will they be building houses in between the new road and the old A10 there?
Reply ID 4680
I suggested a tunnel but Admin removed my mail obviously thinking i was being flippant.
Reply ID 4685
The costs, resources and disruption involved in a tunnel would be highly prohibitive.
Reply ID 4693
I agree with the comments made about housing - It would be devestating to the local area if the bypass became a boundary to the newly expanded Hertford, Prescottshire. Surely the idea of building more houses in the overley populus south is ridiculous. The government should be encouraging businesses to relocate more evenly to the other parts of the country.
Reply ID 4724
Surely the idea of building more houses in the overley populus south is ridiculous. The government should be encouraging businesses to relocate more evenly to the other parts of the country. I agree Jez, but as you know, they have got plans to build a vast number of properties down here. In fact they are demolishing houses up north... it is crazy.
Reply ID 4850
quote:In an ideal world, yes. But Jobs for life don't exist anymore, so you can't keep changing your life to suit the company. Besides, his wife runs a business in Harlow. Either way, one has to commute through Hertford.
Originally posted by CityBird
There is a simple solution, your friend in Church Langley could move to Hemel Hempstead ....