Following the 'Breaking News' article from Hereford Voice 👉 https://bit.ly/Hfd3Counties and also on our Facebook page here https://bit.ly/hc3chotel that the Three Counties Hotel in Hereford is going to be used to house asylum seekers, Sir Bill Wiggin, Member of Parliament for North Herefordshire, has called on the Government to remove the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office.

The Government has promised to pass new laws to swiftly detain and remove illegal migrants. 

However a Bill has still not been brought before the Commons.

 

Sir Bill Wiggin said,

“The recent incident in Knowsley shows that the criminal gangs and people traffickers who are exploiting illegal immigrants are exposing these people to the kind of horrible violence that we have seen.

“Filling hotels in England with illegal migrants is encouraging extreme right-wing groups and putting police officers at risk.

“I will not accept it in Herefordshire.

“In addition to meetings that I have had today I have also recently met with the Prime Minister and so I know that stopping the boats is his number one priority, as it is mine.

“So I wonder why this Bill is being held up.

“I will support the Government and this Bill wholeheartedly but in the meantime genuine asylum seekers are being let down.”

"I am keenly aware of the plans to use a hotel in Hereford to house Asylum Seekers. I have issued a public statement on matter which is included below.

Jesse Norman said:

"I have been made aware of correspondence between the Home Office and Herefordshire Council regarding the potential location of asylum seekers in Hereford. I have requested an urgent meeting with the Immigration Minister so that all the facts can be established.

“There is a national need to address this important issue, and Herefordians will naturally want to play their part. But there are also real concerns about the extra pressure which this could create on local services which are already stretched.

"Herefordshire Council is currently under review by an independent Commissioner in relation to Children's Services; the Hospital remains under huge pressure in A & E; access to GP and dental care is limited at present.

"It is essential that these fragile but crucial public services should not be further burdened."

This additional statement follows the previous statement that we received and published and also in direct response to our 'Breaking News' article on Friday regarding the Three Counties Hotel https://bit.ly/hc3chotel

Hereford Voice have in the last few minutes received a reply from MP Jesse Norman in response to our 'Breaking News' article on Friday regarding the Three Counties Hotel 👉 https://bit.ly/Hfd3Counties and also on our Facebook page here https://bit.ly/hc3chotel

MP Jesse Norman 

Mr Norman told Hereford Voice;

"I have been made aware of correspondence between the Home Office and Herefordshire Council regarding the potential location of asylum seekers in Hereford. I have requested an urgent meeting with the Immigration Minister so that all the facts can be established.

“There is a national need to address this important issue, and Herefordians will naturally want to play their part. But there are also real concerns about the extra pressure which this could create on local services which are already stretched.

"Herefordshire Council is currently under review by an independent Commissioner in relation to Children's Services; the Hospital remains under huge pressure in A & E; access to GP and dental care is limited at present.

"It is essential that these fragile but crucial public services should not be further burdened."

'Remember Where You Heard It First'

Hereford Voice 'Leading The Way For Others To Follow'

In January 8 schools competed in seperate boys and girls semi finals. After some tough close games Weobley and Fairfield qualified for the boys finals and Wigmore and Fairfield qualified for the girls. 

Eli Jones led Weobley to the title after 10 tough matches against Fairfield. The team consisted of Alek King, Tom Dyer, Eli Jones, Rubyn Dimond and George Stevenon who was absent for the finals. 

Wigmore then went on to beat Fairfield in the girls final with captain Bethany Preston lifting the trophy. All the Fairfield players are in year 10 so aim to come back stronger next year after this first taste of the finals. 

The schools were lucky enough to have Phil Preston from Herefordshire Badminton Academy to present the trophy. 

Phil commented on how impressed he was with the standard of badminton and invited all high school aged pupils to HBA every Sunday 3-5pm at The Acadmey School on Ross Road. 

"HBA is always open to new members and wants to work closely with the schools association to increase the numbers of young people playing badminton in the county."

That's the view of local Councillor Polly Andrews who wrote to us over the weekend saying;

"I understand that the hotel has been commandeered( if that is the right word ) directly by the Home office - the council has no input into this. I know that city councillors, especially those that represent the area are very worried about the proposal - but so far we have been given no further details"

Following on from our 'Breaking News' article HERE and on our Facebook page HERE

Hereford Voice continues to lead the way by revealing import local news, which is in the public interest.

Three Counties Hotel, Belmont Road Hereford 

Councillor David Summers told us;

"It is my understanding that the CEO and multi-agency partners will be meeting with Government Officials next week to discuss the matter and like others I await the outcome of those meetings."

Councillor Tracy Bowes told us;

"At the moment we have very limited information from the government and a meeting is being held on Thursday with representatives from Herefordshire Council and the government to discuss those concerns."

Councillor Ann-Marie Probert told us;

I've had an email from our chief executive……

At this stage we have no further information than that contained in the letter. The next step is a meeting with Government Officials and local multi agency partners (including Police and health) which is due to be held later next week. We will then update all members on progress and any next steps.

I'll speak with other councillors to advise me what we will be doing to get it stopped.

Cllr Probert"

There is currently a live hybrid planning application submitted on behalf of Lidl to demolish the Three Counties Hotel and build a new supermarket, Hereford Voice also broke that news last year in this article - https://bit.ly/HVLidl

And apparently at the time another local social media page said our story was just a rumour, before realising it was actually fact then ironically 'jumped on the bandwagon'...

Hereford Voice once again leading the way for others to follow..

We will continue to provide genuine updates on this story and other local news.

Following a decision taken by Full Council on 10 February, Herefordshire Council will apply an inflationary increase to its parking charges from April this year.

Residents and businesses will also be asked for their views about on street parking in roads that surround the historic centre of Hereford.

The new parking charges will take effect from Monday 3 April 2023 where a 20p per hour increase will be applied to all zone 1 and 2 car parks in the county. Charges at zone 3 car parks, however, will be frozen so that it becomes increasingly more cost effective for drivers that are able to, to park further away from our central areas.

The review of on street parking is in line with the Local Transport Plan (LTP), approved in 2016, which sets out the council’s strategic objectives for parking. This includes managing the supply and pricing of parking to encourage the use of active and sustainable travel choices, and supporting our long-term growth proposals in Hereford through the delivery of longer-term parking provision, such as Park and Choose, and to rationalise and reduce the supply of commuter parking in the centre of the city.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet Member Infrastructure and Transport, said: “We need to be proactive when setting our parking charges as we are faced with inflationary pressures on the costs of the parking services and those services which parking income is used to support, such as public transport. I am pleased that we are once again able to freeze the prices in our outer zone 3 car parks so that those that use them daily will not be affected by this small increase.”

“We understand that there will be some local concern that the introduction of parking charges to free parking areas will mean that the city centre footfall will reduce as a result, but in fact, better management of parking facilities leads to reduced congestion, improved air quality and road safety, promotes the local economy and ensures good accessibility.

“Professional surveys undertaken in the identified locations have recorded an average of 541 parking events between 30 minutes and 2 hours each day, excluding residents with permits. An estimated 40% displacement into off street parking or other travel means would see nearly 70,000 parking trips displaced from our city streets annually, improving space availability for businesses and residents, creating more turnover and helping our visitors.

“We are keen to hear the views of residents and businesses in the streets where these proposals will apply. Letters will be sent to affected properties, along with Ward Councillors and other stakeholders, in the coming weeks so they can get in touch directly as part of the process.”

Hereford Voice were the first local Social Media platform in Hereford to start the debate on e-scooters, here is one of our original topics here 👉https://bit.ly/hfde-scooter.

We also broke the news in March 2021 that Herefordshire Council were unsuccessful in their first bid for e-scooter trials however, all is not lost because the council have been advised that they are still being considered for any expansion of the trials, an option that could be with Beryl, who are already trailing e-scooters in various cites across England.

E-scooters are popular all over the World and if used properly could be another option to help reduce congestion...

Did you realise that there are actually over 50 cities in England currently trailing the use of e-scooters? see the current list of cities below;

1 Middlesbrough

2 Milton Keynes

3 Hartlepool

4 Redcar

5 Northampton 

6 Birmingham 

7 Coventry 

8 Stafford 

9 Newcastle-under-Lyme 

10 Norwich 

11 Cheltenham

12 Redditch 

13 Liverpool

14 Gloucester

15 Cambridge

16 Slough

17 York

18 Yeovil

19 Salford

20 Nottingham 

21 Bath

22 Bristol

23 Taunton 

24 Aylesbury

25 High Wycombe 

26 Derby 

27 Isle of Wight

28 Basildon Spin

29 West Bromwich

30 Kettering 

31 University of Warwick 

32 Chester 

33 Scunthorpe 

34 Bristol and Bath 

35 Chelmsford

36 Colchester

37 Newcastle

38 Oxford 

39 Corby 

40 Wellingborough 

41 Rushden & Higham Ferrers 

42 Clacton 

43 Portsmouth 

44 Southampton

45 Crewkerne 

46 Chard 

47 Canterbury 

48 Brentwood 

49 Whitehaven 

50 Braintree 

51 Great Yarmouth 

52 Sunderland 

53 Rochdale 

54 Barnstaple

West Mercia Police Officers are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision on the A465 Aylestone Hill.

The collision happened around 11.45am on Monday 30 January, between a silver ford mondeo and a black bmw near to the junction with Bodenham Road.

An 82-year old was taken to hospital following the collision. On Wednesday (15 February), we were informed he had sadly passed away due to his injuries.

PC Lee Palmer, Operations Policing Unit “This is a very sad update to what initially appeared to be a non-serious injury, our thoughts are very much with the family of the man who has died.”

Our appeal now is for anyone who witnessed the collision or has any information or dash-cam footage which may help with the investigation to call me on 101 extension 772 2068 or email lee.palmer@westmercia.pnn.police.uk

Replied to an article on The Slog about alternative political parties bearing in mind we have some elections coming up in May and a General Election in 2024 if we get there!. Also came across this YouTube video which has parallels with Worcester Warriors position. Not keen on Biden and the Democrats, but have always followed Robert Reich - he would make a good president talks a lot of sense.

Had a leaflet delivered by the LibDems yesterday, but they are only going to do a deal with the major group.

The Courtyard is delighted to announce it has been shortlisted for the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards 2023 in the West Midlands in the Sustainability category.

FSB (Federation of Small Businesses) is a non-profit organisation and the UK’s leading business campaigner, making real change happen for its members and the wider small business community. The awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of small businesses and the self-employed across the UK.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be shortlisted for an award that recognises our hard work in this field.” Says Courtyard Operations Manager Phil Pearcy, “Art and culture are at the forefront of generating awareness to the Climate Emergency, and we plan to use our experience to help accelerate other small, local businesses on their own journeys to net zero.”

In 2018 The Courtyard joined forces with other arts and cultural organisations in the UK and Herefordshire Council to declare a Climate and Ecological Emergency. The arts venue pledged to work with and support local communities, council, and stakeholders in urgently tackling this Climate Emergency, and call upon others to do the same.

The Courtyard has also been working alongside Julie's Bicycle and is part of their initiative working with Arts Council England to develop plans for greener, cleaner, more sustainable arts projects across the country.

Over the past 12 months, The Courtyard has improved its waste management, working with Pedicargo to ensure greater separation for recycling and maintain zero to landfill. The venue has also installed solar panels on the roof which now generates 20% of its own electricity, rolls out green riders to visiting companies, installed additional sustainable transport facilities and has partnered with Beryl Bikes to encourage cycling to the venue.

In spring 2022, The Courtyard joined ‘30 for 2030’ an initiative that forms part of the Greener Footprints campaign launched by the Herefordshire Climate and Nature Action Partnership. The initiative saw 30 private, public and third sector employers in Herefordshire pledge to track their progress and achievements along the way to net zero emissions by 2030.

The Courtyard works with its staff, stewards, and audience members to explore ways of decreasing its carbon footprint, through an Eco Group, staff training, Carbon Literacy and initiatives such as Good Journey. For more information about The Courtyard’s commitment to environmental sustainability, visit courtyard.org.uk/ the-courtyards-eco-declaration.

The finals of the FSB Celebrating Small Business Awards for the West Midlands will be held on Wednesday 22 March 2023, where the winners will be announced.

Vandals have decimated soon to blossom apple trees on the corner of the Herdsman Pub in blue School Street in what the Hereford Business Improvement District (HBID) describes as a “pointless act of sabotage”.

Planted by the HBID team in 2021 and maintained on a regualr basis, Mike Truelove, Chief Executive of HBID said “sometime between Friday 3rd February and early Saturday morning our crab apple trees were pulled from their planters and broken into bits. It is such a shame when local businesses funded them to make the area look nice for visitors - they were quite established and about to blossom in the coming months’’.

 

Discovered by Chris Wood, manager for HBID’s planting and street enhancement operations, Chris quickly went about repairing and replacing the trees that sit inside the four cedar wood planters lining Blue School Street, another investment by HBID in 2021 and 2022 . Chris said “one of HBID’s top priorities now is to get the city ready for Spring and we wouldn’t let something like this get in the way”.

HBID is currently preparing for the arrival in May of over 450 hanging baskets and planters that will be given to HBID members who fund the company. Mike added “this year has been a challenge with rising prices and our previous fantastic supplier who sadly folded. Whilst the bar was set high, we have sourced a great product that I am confident will showcase the city and our businesses who invest to make Hereford the attractive place to visit and shop that it is”.

Plans have been submitted by Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service for Leominster Police Station

Proposal

Proposed single storey extension to the existing police station to create additional vehicle garages and the construction of a new 2 storey specialist fire training area with associated works including at-grade external training area, hard and soft landscaping, car parking and cycle storage facilities.

View from North West

View from North East

📷 Bond Bryan  

The council has agreed the 2023/24 budget

Following a period of public consultation held in the December of last year, and consideration by the Scrutiny Management Board, and Cabinet agreement, the 2023/24 budget proposals were today (10 February) approved by Council.

The budget includes a council tax increase of 4.99%, made up of:

A 2% adult social care precept which is ring-fenced to support the delivery of social care services

A 2.99% increase in core council tax which will fund all other areas of council service

This will increase the band D equivalent charge to £1,786.61 representing an increase of £7.08 a month.

Councillor Liz Harvey, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said:

“It continues to be a challenging climate locally and nationally, and the pressure on Local Authorities across the country is as intense as ever. Council Tax makes up around a third of the Council’s budget, so this increase is needed to support the continued delivery of vital services across the county.

“Our priority is to get the best possible value for every pound spent, but we acknowledge that with substantial increase in the cost living it is a difficult time for many local households. This is why we have ensured that the discount on the council tax reduction (CTR) scheme for any struggling family which qualifies will remain at 100% for the coming year – irrespective of the price banding of their home.

“Additionally, some residents will continue to pay no Council Tax at all, such as young adults who have left care and also all of the council’s Foster Carer families, and we have allocated a further £1.7million to provide other forms of support to hard up households.”

The final setting of Council Tax, which will include the precepts for all the county’s parishes plus Police and Crime Commissioner and Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority charges, will take place at the Full Council meeting on Friday 3 March 2023.

Residents on a low income may be eligible for help to pay their bill through the Council Tax Reduction scheme and household hardship schemes.

More information and advice on reduction schemes and allowances can be found on Herefordshire Council’s website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/counciltax

Well done Evie, Amira, George and Caiden.

A few weeks ago, we shared a good news story after four children came to the police at South Wye Police Station These children informed officers of a knife they had found in a play park on Woodward Avenue, Hereford.

On Friday, South Wye Safer Neighbourhood Team, Inspector Ashton, PC Yarwood, PCSO Marsh and PCSO Warne attended Riverside Primary school to thank the children for their courage and bravery.

Evie (10), Amira (10), George (10) and Caiden (9) were praised for their quick thinking and courage during their morning assembly. They were each provided with a certificate of thanks from West Mercia Police.

We are delighted that these children knew what the right thing was to do, and we cannot thank them enough. Their act has kept our community safer.

A special thanks to all the children at Riverside Primary School who were very welcoming, enthusiastic and really engaging with us; lots of high fives all round!

The latest edition of the Place magazine is now available HERE

Good idea to improve the environment.

Bartonsham Meadow Management Plan

Vision
The vision of Friends of Bartonsham Meadows is to transform a small, suburban, riverside farm from intensive agriculture to outstanding natural habitat delivering a broad range of social and environmental public goods. Our focus centres on biodiversity and regenerative land-management practices to deliver benefits such as:

Flood mitigation
Carbon sequestration
Biodiversity
Improved river water quality
Leisure and quality of life
Sustainable agriculture and food production
The management plan highlights how we could deliver these public goods.

See the plan here:

UK government allows ‘emergency’ use of banned bee-harming pesticide just days after EU tightens protections 🐝

Last week (23 January 2023), the government has announced that for the third year in a row, it will permit the use of the banned pesticide thiamethoxam - a type of neonicotinoid - on sugar beet in England in 2023. A single teaspoon of neonicotinoid is enough to deliver a lethal dose to 1.25 billion bees. This comes just four days after the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) declared that providing emergency derogations for expressly prohibited neonicotinoid-treated seeds is not in line with EU law. [3] 

This emergency authorisation comes a month after the UK government was advocating for a global pesticide reduction target at the UN COP15 biodiversity talks in Montreal. Despite a global pesticide target being significantly watered down in the final deal signed at COP15 [4], UK negotiators supported more robust action. It is disappointing that the same approach is not being taken when it comes to domestic pesticides.

Three neonicotinoids (NNs) including thiamethoxam were banned for outdoor agricultural use in the UK and the EU in 2018 due to their devastating impact on bees. [5] Despite UK guidance stating that emergency applications should not be granted more than once, last year the government handed the industry a second approval, ignoring the advice of its own expert body which cited potential impacts on adult honeybees, other pollinators and aquatic organisms as reasons that the application should be rejected. 

This year the UK Expert Committee on Pesticides (ECP) once again advised against allowing thiamethoxam to be used and likewise were again ignored by the government. Despite significant public interest in the plight of bees and other pollinators, the process for emergency authorisation has been shrouded in secrecy, with no opportunity to scrutinise the application [6]. 

This authorisation is another example of the government failing to follow their warm words with meaningful action when it comes to pesticides and biodiversity. This latest move is completely at odds with the stronger pesticide reduction targets the UK advocated for at COP15, as well as the Leader's Pledge for Nature it signed in 2020, which sought to raise global ambition on reversing biodiversity loss. It highlights the growing discrepancy between government words and action on pesticides in particular and broader environmental issues. 

This latest authorisation also raises wider concerns over whether the government will maintain existing restrictions on neonicotinoids and other harmful pesticides, or whether they may be overturned as part of a forthcoming bonfire of regulations that protect nature, wildlife and communities as part of the Retained EU Law Bill [7].

The Pesticide Collaboration, a coalition of health, environmental, farming and consumer groups, academics and trade unions - including organisations such as Breast Cancer UK, Unite and Friends of the Earth - says that the government's decision to approve its use for the third consecutive year is a total failure of responsibility to protect vital species, and shows a lack of urgency in reducing pesticide use for the sake of human health and the environment.

Joan Edwards, director of policy & public affairs at The Wildlife Trusts, said: “Just last month, the Secretary of State Thérèse Coffey committed the UK to halving the environmental impact of damaging pesticides by 2030. However, today she has incompatibly authorised the use of a banned neonicotinoid, one of the world’s most environmentally damaging pesticides, defying the advice of the Government’s own Expert Committee on Pesticides for a third year in a row. 

“Only a few days ago, the EU’s highest court ruled that EU countries should no longer be allowed temporary exemptions for banned, bee-toxic neonicotinoid pesticides, putting half of all such derogations to an end. Yet this Government deems it acceptable to allow the use of a toxic pesticide that is extremely harmful to bees and other insects, at a time when populations of our precious pollinators are already in freefall. This is unacceptable when the Government should be implementing fast, meaningful support to help farmers move away from a reliance on toxic pesticides.”

Amy Heley, Public Affairs and Media Officer at the Pesticide Collaboration said: “In previous years, Defra insisted that the sugar industry must make progress in finding alternatives, but we are yet to see any outcomes of this. The Pesticide Collaboration is deeply concerned that this emergency derogation is simply another example of the government failing to follow through on their own pledges to improve the environment and protect human health.”  

Anabel Kindersley, Co-owner of Neal's Yard Remedies said: “Many businesses beyond farming benefit from the UK’s track record of high standards on environmental protection, including manufacturers, brands and retailers with a British agricultural supply chain, as well as hospitality and tourism businesses based in the British countryside. It is challenging for businesses to maintain a reputation for quality, if they are linked to activity that is destroying nature. We believe that by acting against the advice of its own scientific advisors, the government is putting the UK’s well-deserved reputation at risk.”

Sandra Bell, campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “It’s incredibly brazen to allow a banned bee-harming pesticide back into UK fields mere weeks after the government talked up the need for global ambition on reducing pesticides at the UN biodiversity talks in Montreal.

“This is the third consecutive year that the government has gone directly against the advice of its own scientific advisors with potentially devastating consequences for bees and other vital pollinators. 

“The health of us all and the planet depends on their survival. The government must fulfil its duty to protect wildlife and keep pesticides off our crops for good – that means supporting farmers to find nature-friendly ways to control pests.”

Information on the Pesticide Collaboration: 

The Pesticide Collaboration brings together 83 health and environmental organisations, academics, trade unions, farming networks and consumer groups, working under a shared vision to urgently reduce pesticide-related harms in the UK, for a healthy future.

For further information please contact Amy Heley at amy@pan-uk.org / 07753241803

PETITION

We have written to our MP Jesse Norman and have signed the petition below

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/631948

Henry Grain, who is 20 years-old and from Worcester Road, Leominster, has been sentenced to two years in a youth offenders’ institution after he assaulted a paramedic so severely, he broke their jaw.

During the incident, which happened at around 9.00pm outside Shooters Bar in Leominster on Friday 4 March 2022, Grain also damaged the ambulance that was sent to take him to hospital. As a result of his damaging the ambulance, it was taken out of service to be repaired.

Grain pleaded guilty to the charges of grievous bodily harm and two counts of criminal damage and was sentenced on Tuesday 31 January at Worcester Crown Court.

The incident was the first time that body worn camera footage was provided to the police by the West Midlands Ambulance service as part of an investigation into an assault of a member of the ambulance service.

PC Harriet Wilson-Hill said: “The outcome of this case should serve as a reminder that assaulting an emergency service employee will not go unpunished. I welcome Grain’s sentence and I hope that it reassures our community of our how seriously we and the Court take this type of crime and that they will hand down a custodial sentence representative of the severity of the offence.”