Herefordshire Council has joined the Engineering Education Scheme which is designed to help young people achieve their full potential through careers in engineering, science and technology.

Engineers from the council, together with their colleagues from Amey, will be working with Year 12 students from Hereford Cathedral School on a five-month project which will look at a real problem which needs solving.

The problem the students will be looking at is summarised below:

There have been many reports identifying the need for better cycle and pedestrian infrastructure supporting the Rotherwas Industrial Estate.

At the end of 2007 , thanks to overwhelming public support, Sustrans were successful in their bid for Lottery funding for a scheme to provide a new pedestrian and cycle route, which is to be delivered by the Council’s e
ngineers. The proposed route exploits an existing pipe bridge over the River Wye.

The students will be designing a means by which pedestrians, cyclists and maintenance vehicles can gain access to this pipe bridge enabling the use this new route.

Richard Ball, Herefordshire Council’s interim head of highways, said: “We are excited to be able to share our passion with students who, we hope, will be inspired by the project and look at taking up careers in engineering as a result.

“Students will be working with one of our professional engineers, using problem-solving techniques to design this access route, and it will be interesting to see what ideas they come up with.

“At the end of the project, there will be a presentation of the team’s efforts and findings and the chosen solution will be unveiled at a regional celebration and assessment day,” he added.