THE county's coalition council has hit back at North Herefordshire's MP after he questioned their commitment in tackling climate change.

Herefordshire Council, a three-way coalition between Herefordshire Independents, It's Our County and the Green Party, said while it's delighted Bill Wiggin listened to residents' concerns, it argued the £4.5 million spent on buying Maylord Shopping Centre has proved popular with locals.

Mr Wiggin said the money would have better been spent on maintaining the county's roads, at a time which he said was right to reassess how people travel around the county.

READ MORE: MP slams council for spending £4.5m on shopping centre and not roads

"We're delighted that our North Herefordshire MP listened to residents' concerns about protecting our living world, and agree with him that we must make the best of this time to reassess our priorities," said council leader David Hitchiner, on behalf of the coalition.

"We look forward to seeing how the government will 'deliver an economy which is stronger, greener, more sustainable and more resilient'. At county level we are already walking this path alongside local businesses to ensure that our countryside and economy survive and thrive as we emerge from this crisis.

"Mr Wiggin - the environment and the economy are not in opposition to each other. This is particularly clear in a county like ours, which is why we created a cabinet role for environment, economy and skills."

They added: "As for the Maylord site, the decision to purchase it has been popular with local people, who understand why we grasped this once in a generation opportunity to take back control, on behalf of all residents, of a site in the heart of Hereford.

"Its potential for adding social, economic, and cultural value to the city is huge, and we invite everyone to send us their ideas.

"In response to his indignation that the money wasn't spent on 'fixing existing roads and improving public transport links', we ask Mr Wiggin when will the government deliver the money you promised was available for the flood damage?"