Mayor Jim Kenyon has put forward his idea's of additional river crossings for Hereford to help reduce the city's congestion problems.

See HT article below:

The city's Mayor Jim Kenyon is bringing forward a motion tomorrow (Friday) to Herefordshire Councillors for an eastern river crossing to be built in addition to the favoured western option.

 

The bridge, costing £30 million, would act as a fundamental link to go between Ledbury Road in Tupsley and the B4399 at Rotherwas.

 

Despite the eastern bridge failing to form part of Herefordshire Council’s Core Strategy, Cllr Kenyon wants it be considered along with a western route via Breinton.

 

He said: “This bridge would ease traffic in the city and is not instead of the western bypass but as well as.

“The former city Mayor said 50 years ago that within 10 years we would need one or two more bridges.

 

“So let's not settle for one bridge. Let's get both of them as that’s what we need.

 

"The national government says that in Hereford we need more housing so if that’s the case we need money for the western bypass and at a local level for the eastern bridge.”

 

Cllr Kenyon said that a new road leading to the bridge would be built through the middle of the joint housing and rugby development off Hampton Park Road.

 

The Mayor says that this ‘protected road route’ has always been earmarked for an eastern link and would be built alongside the Hereford Rugby Club development.

 

He says that the need for two more bridges in the city was proven only last Thursday when Greyfriars Bridge was closed due to safety fears at Asda petrol station.

 

“An hour after the bridge was re-opened nobody was in the city centre or the shops which cost businesses money,” he added. “Everytime the city centre is gridlocked people hear about it and simply don’t come.”

 

Herefordshire Council has given its backing to a western route near Breinton but the smaller city council agreed in January to start a pressure group pushing for an eastern crossing.

 

Cllr Kenyon’s motion requests that the council’s ‘executive’ support his idea and to bring it forward to the Board of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with the view to it being included in the LEP’s funding bids to government. 

 

“We need the eastern bridge to be in Herefordshire Council’s Core Strategy and I think that’s it’s ridiculous that it is not already,” added Cllr Kenyon â€œThis isn’t a bypass but a bridge to ease congestion and it will act as an alternative for traffic around the city.”

I was unable to attend the meeting on Friday due to work commitments however I understand that only 11 voted in favour with 34 voting against it and 1 abstention.

Okay let's start naming those who objected for a start! 

Both articles in The Guardian this week:

UK Mail driver who was unable to work after car accident charged £800

Delivery company accused of ripping off workers over costs passed on for finding drivers to cover for sickness absences

Delivery company UK Mail has been accused of “ripping off†workers and using “inhuman†practices after it charged a courier nearly £800 when he was unable to work as a result of a car accident while on duty.

The £250m business, which delivers for retailers including Tesco, Homebase and O2, billed 47-year old Emil Ibrahimov £216 on the days he could not work after a car drove into him while he was carrying parcels from the rear of his van in east London.

and
 

Sick Parcelforce couriers can be charged up to £250 if they can't find cover

News of policy at Royal Mail-owned firm, which delivers for M&S, John Lewis and Hamleys, emerges after criticism of DPD

Parcelforce couriers who deliver packages for Marks & Spencer, John Lewis and Hamleys can be charged up to £250 a day if they are off sick and cannot find someone to cover their shift.

Details of the policy applied by the Royal Mail-owned business emerged days after rival courier company DPD was criticised for charging some drivers who take time off for illness. And it will fuel concerns about precarious working conditions in the “gig economyâ€, amid a series of disputes about the employment status of people who work for firms such as Uber and Deliveroo.

About a quarter of Parcelforce’s 3,000 couriers are self-employed owner-drivers, meaning they are paid per delivery and must fund their own vehicle, fuel, insurance and uniform. It has emerged that some owner-drivers who take a day off due to illness, but cannot find cover, are being told they must pay Parcelforce £250 per day missed.

It won't be long before we all pay to go to work! This on top of the Conservative government trying to increase self employed taxes in the Budget.
 

Anyone know what's going on in Sherborne Close?
Seems all the fire brigade,ambulance & police service are there

There seems to be a lot of chatter about this: h , mentioned during the Budget, because it mentions a Hereford bypass.

The document is odd - and very repetitive. For example, the only mentions of tourism as an industry are in relation to Stoke on Trent (people visiting ceramics manufacturers) and the Lincolnshire coast. No mention of Stratford upon Avon, Warwick Castle, Alton Towers -to name just the three biggest tourist destinations outside London - let alone little Herefordshire.

It is clear, though, that the authors see the purpose of a bypass as a relief road for the M6/M5. 

Is this a case of be careful what you wish for?

From today's Daily Telegraph:

"Authorities in England and Wales saw their surplus from parking rise to £511.6 million in 2010-11 from £489.4 million a year earlier, according to an analysis of local authority accounts by the RAC Foundation.

Local authorities were warned by Mike Penning, the road safety minister, last year to stop treating motorists as an easy target to raise funds.

Town halls are supposed to use their powers to control parking to improve traffic flow and prevent gridlock on their streets.

They are prohibited from using these powers to bolster their income. However, many councils seek to get round this by earmarking the cash raised for other transport projects.

Westminster came top with a surplus of £38,196,000!

Herefordshire Council was listed at 148 out of 371 authorities with a surplus revenue of £863,000 from parking charges. How long would it take to pay for a ring road at this rate.

The Freedom Church submitted a planning application for signage consisting of 4 nos banners; 4 nos signs and 3 nos advertising boards. 

Planning application P170081/A

Here are just a few of the examples

Planning was refused. 

Dunelm on Holmer Road is undergoing a complete refurbishment, which will include a larger coffee shop as well as many other new improvements.

New replacement signage is also part of the works which have already begun.

Planning application P170131/A

Also 

KFC on Brook Retail Park, Commercial Road have applied for planning permission for a single storey extension as part of their restaurant refurbishment.

The proposal is to extend the building at the rear to provide additional floor area in the kitchen for new & future kitchen equipment to supply the increased menu selection. The proposal also includes to alter the external appearance of the building to bring it into line with the latest KFC brand standards.

Planning application P170616/F

I noticed that the Treacle Mine Pub is closed. There is a paper sign in the window that just states 'closed until further notice' Can anyone throw some light on this?

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/15134196.

Hereford_FC_match_abandoned_due_to_crowd_trouble/

Maybe started by Hereford "fan" who entered the pitch and goaded the Didcot goalie after Hereford scored in 87 minute - score 2 - 1 to Hereford

A request to my fellow members. Has anyone purchased domestic white goods from an independent Hereford store with the benefit of a "free for life" labour offer?

I'm not naming names at this stage, and there is more than one store making such an offer in our city, so please don't draw any conclusions as yet.

I'm just wanting feedback from other members who may have experienced the same issues as me.

I've always tried to support local independents, even if it means paying a little more.

Furthermore, I've praised these retailers to family and friends, and posted positive reviews online.

However, over the last few months, I've formed the opinion that I've been stitched up. I've written on several occasions directly to the retailer and asked them to explain, all to no avail.

Briefly, this is what happened.

Washing machine broke.

Needed new bearing.

Quoted nearly £300 for the part!

Told, don't bother trying to order it yourself on the internet, it won't work.

Not being one for doing as I'm told, ordered part on internet for under £30 and fitted it myself (took me, as a novice, over five hours!!!).

Machine working well nearly five months later!

Let me know if you've had similar experiences please. I think I've been misled.

Thanks all in anticipation.

They are saying over on Facebook that The Matabeau Hereford has today shut up shop.  Speculation is that they have gone bankrupt.  This I find incredibly sad it was the one cafe that I would have a cup of coffee in(they served coffee in a cup and saucer!) and their food was always pretty good.  Great shame.

The Chadds staff used to congregate there in the morning prior to going to work - sad old times

Saw this on Facebook very surprised none of the city dwellers on here have picked up on this

The Spread Eagle is to open up as a Fish & Chip bar but we've heard reports that people who had bookings for Christmas meals at the Spread Eagle haven't been contacted despite menus being sent out.

UPDATE: The Spread Eagle is now a fish and chip bar. The current owners decided on a new venture. Customers who booked Christmas lunches however weren't notified of the likely change. We are led to believe this will happen over the coming days as the bar is expected to still serve a Christmas menu.

 

 

Even more surprised that they can get away with that colour of paint is it really in keeping with the rest of the street?

ourHerefordshire â€@YourHereford1  30 mins30 minutes agoHereford, England

The Spread Eagle in #Hereford is to become a fish and chip bar. What do you think of the change?

 

The Traffic Officers were down Hollybush walk today. pity they werm't here last Wednesday.

I am quite certain there are not many of us who don't know somebody who has spent time at Ross Community Hospital.  This is another vital resource under threat and if anybody feels strongly about trying to preserve the number of beds offered here is the link to a petition

https://www.change.org/p/nhs-wye-valley-trust-keep-ross-on-wye-s-community-hospital-beds?recruiter=71054929&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink

Totally off topic can it please be warmer tomorrow!

On April 15th last year there was this accident on the Asda (A465) junction Belmont Road Hereford in which a cattle trailer carrying sheep overturned, killing all 20 sheep onboard. 

I took this photograph this morning and as you can see, we are 9 months on and NOTHING appears to have been done with regard to replacing the broken lights?? How long does it take to put things back as they were?

Mill Street has been closed due to residents saying that a tree on Castle Green side was slanting after

Storm Doris.
I don't know who in Mill Street would report this tree as I remember it being on the same slant some 40 years ago

when I was a kid.

Don't know much but there are a lot of police at three Counties hotel including forensics van.
Anyone know anymore?

Update police have cordened off the hotel

High winds causing problems with roof