Three people have been charged with drugs related offences following their arrests in the Redhill area of Hereford on Monday 20 July.

Mohammed Khan, aged 23, of Villa Street, Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (crack cocaine) and conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (heroin), possession of criminal property, assault of a constable in the execution of his/her duty and escape from lawful custody.

Hakeem Griffiths, aged 20, of Coombe Road, Birmingham, was charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (heroin) and conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (crack cocaine).

Sophie Easterbrook, aged 35, of Stanberrow Road, Hereford, was charged with conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (heroin) and conspiracy to supply a Class A controlled drug (crack cocaine). 

They attended a virtual court at Birmingham Magistrates Court today. Khan and Griffiths were remanded to prison and Easterbrook was bailed.

The arrests were part of West Mercia Police’s crackdown on County Lines drug dealing.

A decision paper has been published (16 January 2020) that outlines the work that will take place to assess the Hereford bypass and Southern link road schemes while carrying out a wider review of the transport strategy for Hereford.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport, said:

Quote

 

“We need to ensure any major transport scheme has a positive impact on the county to address congestion and air quality, and is consistent with the council’s declaration of a climate emergency. We have also broadened the scope of the review to examine alternative transport options in light of the changing national and local policy context. These schemes have a permanent impact upon the environment which last for generations to come, so we must make the right decision.”

“This review gives us the opportunity to consider options that deliver improvements more quickly, including the possibility of an eastern link road and river crossing, removal of traffic lights on key routes, emergency response arrangements to remove breakdowns on the A49, an electric bus fleet for the urban bus network and improvements that provide safer routes to school.”

 

While the review is under way a number of transport and travel schemes will be progressing, including the development of a high quality transport hub at Hereford railway station and improvements to public spaces and facilities for cyclists and pedestrians across the city.

The decision will be taken by Cllr Harrington on Friday 24 January 2020. The review is expected to take around six months to complete and will include consultation with the public and stakeholder organisations.

The purchase will enable the council to safeguard and decide the destiny of this facility in the heart of Hereford

Herefordshire Council has today (Friday 12 June 2020) purchased the leasehold interest and a section of additional freehold in the Maylord shopping centre in Hereford.

The council had retained the freehold of most the four-acre site since it was developed in the late 1980s. Acquiring the site allows the council to take full control and decide the future of the facility.Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet member for commissioning procurement and assets, explains the reasons why the purchase of Maylord shopping centre is so important:

Quote

 

“We have a vision for our county, as set out in our County Plan, where we encourage and strengthen our communities, support local businesses and the economy, and ensure we make space for arts and culture. The purchase of the Maylord shopping centre absolutely supports this.

“We view the future of this area, which is in the heart of our city, as so much more than a retail outlet. We will now have the ability to create a vibrant place where people will want to visit, live, work and do business. We want to open the door of opportunity to local businesses, individuals and the wider community, providing them with a central space and shopfront that they wouldn’t previously have had access to.

“We are sensitive to the impact Covid-19 is having on businesses and livelihoods. This allows us to think differently about the opportunities we are able to offer so we can build back better, in a way that supports the whole county. This is now a community asset and we can only make best use of the all the space available if we involve our communities and let them help shape its future.”

 

A management company will fully manage the site including rental and maintenance requirements. This provides the expertise for managing the site’s running and doesn’t require additional council resource. The fees of the management company will be covered by rental income

Hereford recycling centre closed after car hits pedestrian

Hereford's recycling centre has been closed today (July 21) after emergency services were called to the site this morning following reports of a collision between a car and a pedestrian.

Emergency services are currently at the scene, please avoid this area if possible.

Old picture taken we think around the 1890's of boys from the Working Boys Home Bath Street Hereford.

More fabulous old photographs can be found on our Old Hereford Pics page

Moovit4u is a award winning removals & transport company

Based in Herefordshire. Moovit4u was voted best of Hereford business of the year and  best of the UK’s removals and transport business of the year, you can be sure you’re in safe hands when you come to Moovit4u. Specialising in both domestic and commercial removals, we are very proud of our reputation locally and have worked hard to establish ourselves as being very reliable and professional but friendly and affordable too.

Moovit4u are specialists when it comes to the transportation of high end goods and we have plenty of experience when it comes to moving larger items such as pianos and grandfather clocks etc. Fully insured, we also feature same day delivery / collections both locally and nationally, weekdays or weekends, 24/7 within mainland UK.

Over night on Thursday 16th July an Apollo twilight bike was stolen from the Mayberry Avenue area Hereford. If anyone has any information about this please contact South Wye Police (SNT) or call l01.

The body of a woman has been found in the river Wye close to the Rowing Club in Hereford.

A member of the public noticed the body this morning (18 July) and fire crews from Hereford & Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service were deployed to the location along with local police officers.

A body was recovered from the water and while formal identification has not yet been made, officers strongly believe it to be that of missing June Adams, from Bromyard. June went missing yesterday evening around 5pm and was last seen near Hereford train station.

Specialist officers are supporting June’s family through what is an incredibly difficult and tragic time.

West Mercia Police would like to thank the public for their support and for sharing our appeal last night.

The 1.6m (5.2 ft) high bronze statue was sculptured by Brian Alabaster and was funded by a benefactor called Clive Richards as a "thank you to the city".

The city's mayor Councillor Brian Wilcox said of the statue when it was unveiled in July 2012

Quote

"Every measurement has been checked and tested. It's an exact replica of a Hereford bull and it's brilliant"

Brian Alabaster was awarded the commission for a life size Hereford bull for Hereford City centre and he said;

Quote

I modeled the bull from life using a modern working bull on a local farm as inspiration. This involved a fully hands on relationship with the bull and many weeks getting to know him in detail.

Agenda
Council - Friday 17 July 2020 10.30 am

Item 7: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

To agree amendments to the constitution relating to the Health and Wellbeing Board and new pavement licensing legislation

Pavement license appeals

14. On Thursday 25 June 2020 the Business and Planning Bill was introduced by the
Government, this is being fast tracked through Parliament and anticipated to be law by
the end of July 2020. The Bill amongst other matters introduces a new form of pavement
licence which will allow food and drink businesses to put tables, chairs and temporary
counters etc. on the “highway” outside their premises for their customers to use.

15. This new pavement licence will replace the current highways amenity licence for a
temporary period until 30 September 2021. The new licence process will be streamlined
in terms of determination. It is currently proposed that there will be a 5 day
consultation/publicity period followed by a 5 day period for a decision to be made. If the
application is not determined within the 10 days then it will be deemed to be granted. All
licences decided on and granted will be valid for a minimum of 12 months. A deemed
licence will not be valid beyond 30 September 2021.

16. Licences will be subject to national conditions and locally determined conditions, which
will need to be justified.

17. There is not a proposed statutory right of appeal for decisions made on pavement
licences under this proposed legislation therefore the draft guidance on pavement
licences (outdoor seating proposals) published by MHCLG on 25 June 2020 suggests 
that councils “may wish to consider the scope of an internal review process, for example
permitting appeals to their Licensing committee”.

18. It is suggested that the appeals will be conducted on the same basis as licensing
hearings.

19. As the legislation is not yet in force, it is suggested that authority is delegated to the
monitoring officer to include this function in the licensing subcommittees functions if no
right of appeal if provided for in the legislation. 

Is there a charge for the licence?

Joint statement from Public Health Midlands (West) and Herefordshire Council

Herefordshire Council is working with Public Health England (PHE) Midlands to support vegetable producers AS Green and Co, based in Mathon near Malvern, following an outbreak of COVID-19 among their workforce.

Around 200 key workers are employed to carry out picking and packing work vital to the UK food supply chain and local economy. During the harvesting season, the workforce resides in mobile homes based on the farm, so as a precaution, the whole group are being treated as one extended bubble. Workers are being asked to remain on the farm during the period of isolation and stay within household groups, to reduce risk of spread within the workforce and into the wider community. Herefordshire Council is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site, while they self-isolate.

Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: 

Quote

“We are working closely with the management at AS Green and Co to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce and wider public health.

“At this phase of the pandemic, we still expect to see cases in the community and within settings where people are closer together, such as workplaces, which is why the Test and Trace system is important, to help us pick up on any potential problems and swiftly to take remedial action to reduce spread."

“To support this workforce of around 200 key workers, the company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to COVID-19. Measures include supporting testing on site, promoting social distancing in communal social areas and in the indoor packaging area; providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular handwashing for at least 20 seconds, and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas."

“Despite these measures, a small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive. In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to  self-isolate for 7 days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days."

“As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce. The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic. We are still awaiting a few final results, but currently we have 73 positive cases of COVID-19 among the workforce."

“PHE Midlands and Herefordshire Council are therefore working with AS Green and Co to closely monitor and manage the outbreak and support individual workers.”

A spokesperson for AS Green said:

Quote

“Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country during these unusual times. We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said:

Quote

“While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected. Our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community. Prompt testing on the farm has allowed us to understand transmission and control the spread of infection. We continue to support the farm management, their workers – who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time. Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.”

Wilson Florists this store was located in Wilsons Chambers, Commercial Street Hereford in the 1970/80s.

Photograph taken from our vast archive at our 'Old Hereford Pics' website

Buzz Bingo (formally Gala Bingo) in Berrington Street Hereford to remain CLOSED.

In a statement on their Facebook page CEO Chris Matthews wrote: 

Quote

 

Dear Buzz Bingo member,

I hope that you have been keeping well over the last few months, we’ve really missed seeing you at our clubs.

While we are planning the phased reopening of our clubs from 6th August, as many of you will understand, with our clubs closed since 21st March, Coronavirus has had a significant impact on our business and on the entire leisure and hospitality industry. We have therefore had to make some difficult decisions about how we move forward and ensure that we protect the future of Buzz Bingo.

It is, therefore, with sadness that I need to share with you that 26 of our clubs will not reopen, and will close permanently in a proposed restructure of our retail business. The full list of club closures is below;

Chatham, Salford, Salisbury, Antelope Park, Banbury, Boston, Bournemouth, Bridlington, Carlisle, Chorley, Cramlington, Derby Foresters, Edinburgh Westerhailes, Harpurhey, Hereford, Kilmarnock, Milton Keynes, Oxford Kassam, Stockland Green, Tamworth, Wednesbury, Weymouth, Wigan Robin Park, Wolverhampton, Worcester, Wythenshawe. 

Our Buzz Bingo community means the world to us, and we know how disappointing this news will be – especially for those of our customers who are losing their local club, and of course, our colleagues – we know that we are more than just a club, we are part of your community, and for that, I am really sorry.

We could never have expected this outcome when we closed our doors on 21st March, but the coronavirus crisis is a completely one-off event. The decision to restructure our club portfolio is the right way to secure our long-term future and make sure that we can still bring bingo to our customers in the majority of our clubs around the country and online at buzzbingo.com.

We are reopening 12 clubs on 6th August and the rest of our clubs will be reopening in the coming weeks, and, of course, our online bingo and slots are open to all at buzzbingo.com. I really hope that you will continue to enjoy playing with us.

If you have any questions, we have put together a Q&A below that we hope you will find helpful. You can contact our Customer Service team between 10am and 10pm by email support@buzzbingo.com, or you can reach us via Live Chat on buzzbingo.com. Thank you so much for your continued loyalty, support and understanding.

Keep safe.
Chris

Chris Matthews
CEO of Buzz Bingo

 

 Why is Buzz Bingo closing clubs?

Coronavirus has had a significant impact on our business and on the entire leisure and hospitality industry.

Following government advice, we temporarily closed all clubs from 21st March, meaning we have been unable to generate any revenues from our retail business, and day to day operations have been severely affected.

The affects will be felt for many months to come, so we have had to make some difficult decisions about how we move forward and ensure a sustainable future for Buzz Bingo.

Our Buzz Bingo community means the world to us, and we know how disappointing this news will be – especially for those of our customers who are losing their local club, and of course, our colleagues from those clubs.

The decision to restructure our club portfolio is the right way to secure our long-term future and make sure that we can still bring bingo to our customers in the majority of our clubs around the country and online at buzzbingo.com.

We are reopening 12 clubs on 6th August with more to come and, of course, our online bingo and slots are open to all at buzzbingo.com.

I have credit on my account and my club is closing – will I get it back? How?

Absolutely. Any customers with credit on their account should contact customer services who will organise a refund for you.

Contact our Customer Service team between 10am and 10pm by email at support@buzzbingo.com, or you can chat to one of our Live Chat Stars at buzzbingo.com.

How do I contact you?

Contact our Customer Service team between 10am and 10pm by email support@buzzbingo.com, or you can reach us via Live Chat on buzzbingo.com.

Wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets in England is to become mandatory from 24 July.

Those who fail to comply with the new rules could face a fine of up to £100, the government has announced.

The move will bring England into line with Scotland and other major European nations like Spain, Italy and Germany.

Enforcement will be carried out by police - not retail staff - and anyone failing to wear a face covering while shopping will be subject to a fine of up to £100, or £50 if paid within 14 days.

Can wearing face masks stop the virus?

Face masks won't stop coronavirus from spreading so you still need to follow health officials' advice for social distancing and washing your hands regularly. What they can do is help reduce the likelihood that you pass it on if you are suffering from the virus – remember that there are also people who don't show symptoms of COVID-19.

As Professor Chris Whitty, the government's Chief Medical Officer, puts it, wearing a face covering "is an added precaution that may have some benefit in reducing the likelihood that a person with the infection passes it on." 

Most retailers producing these commercially-available face masks state that the face masks they sell are not sold as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health and care workers to use in the work place.

Who is exempt? 

Children under 11 and people with certain disabilities will be exempt as they already are on public transport.

Other countries 

The World Health Organisation shifted towards recommending face coverings in June.

Britons have been among the slowest to embrace mass mask-wearing. Many European countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece, have already made it compulsory to wear face coverings inside shops. A YouGov poll found that 36% of people in the UK wear a face mask in public places, compared with 86% in Spain, 83% in Italy, 78% in France and 65% in Germany.

Tourists visiting the Costa del Sol must wear masks in public places from Wednesday, mirroring moves in Catalonia and the Balearics to fine people up to £90 for flouting the rules.

The Greggs branch on Belmont Road which we originally reported opening here only in November 2017 has closed down with a Cooke & Arkwright TO LET sign in the window.

The branch at 109-111 Belmont Road, next to the existing Domino's was targeting new and existing customers in South Wye Hereford but this strategy has clearly failed.

Greggs is a long-standing client of Cooke & Arkwright, who previously announced that they had helped Greggs bolster its presence in Wales during 2018 by sourcing and securing nine new units, collectively creating over a 100 new jobs. 

During 2018, the bakery giant opened nine new premises in Wales and the Marches which include Belmont Road in Hereford, New Road in Neath Abbey, the former Little Chef in Newtown, a store on Stephens Way in Carmarthen, a prominent roadside unit on the A470 in Builth Wells, a unit in Cardiff city centre within the new BBC building in the landmark Central Square development, and three new units in the Newport area, being on Cardiff Rd, Caerleon Rd, and to the east of the city on the Langland Park West industrial estate.

As part of its ongoing work with Greggs, which has spanned over 25 years, Cooke & Arkwright’s responsibilities have included identifying and sourcing new locations and agreeing new lease terms, assisting with the business rates on the portfolio and renewing expired leases.

The planning application for the proposed erection of two storey McDonalds restaurant with drive-thru, car parking, landscaping, play place and associated works on land at Morrisons Car Park Barons Cross Road Leominster in Herefordshire have today been withdrawn.

Quote

THE COUNTY OF HEREFORDSHIRE DISTRICT COUNCIL hereby gives notice that the above application is WITHDRAWN. 

Application P181448/F

Statement from Herefordshire Council strongly rejects the Prime Minister’s comments that ‘too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have’. Read the full statement from Herefordshire Council in response to the Prime Minister’s recent comments regarding care homes.

Herefordshire Council strongly rejects the Prime Minister’s comments that ‘too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have’. Cabinet Member for Adults & Wellbeing, Councillor Pauline Crockett, said:

Quote

“Herefordshire has so far experienced the sad loss of 60 people in care homes across the county. Our thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, and we continue to do all we can to prevent more people and families from suffering. Care homes and care providers in Herefordshire have responded with the highest level of bravery and professionalism throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and continue to provide the highest quality of care under difficult circumstances. By no means are deaths in care homes a reflection of the quality of care provided by a hard working care sector.

“Herefordshire Council continues to work closely with care homes and providers to provide high volumes of PPE to help keep residents safe and to protect staff. Support for the care sector from government was slow and the guidance offered was confusing and changing almost daily. Shifting the blame this way towards local care providers shows poor judgement. In my view, the response from all of our care providers, including care homes has been nothing short of amazing.”

The club confirmed the news in a statement explaining that both are asymptomatic but, as part of the procedures introduced by Premiership Rugby as part of Stage Two of the Return to Training Protocols, they will be re-tested. 

Both are currently self-isolating at home.

Stage Two of the Return to Training Protocols require clubs to provide a written declaration to Premiership Rugby that they have met a number of key criteria alongside a full risk assessment informing the operational policy for their training facility. These include:

• All players and support staff must undertake an Education Module and sign a formal “opt in” process for moving to Stage 2.
• All players and designated support staff undergoing weekly COVID-19 testing, and maintaining the high standards of hygiene introduced at training facilities.
• All clubs in conjunction with Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union undertaking a rugby risk assessment to support the mitigation of risk in training.
• The continuation of a daily medical screening for players and support staff, which involves the completion of a symptom checklist and temperature check before entering the training facility.
• A contact tracing protocol which will be supported by GPS data and the videoing of training sessions.
• The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for the setting.