I contacted both Jesse Norman and Bill Wiggin regarding closing footpaths that run through farm land during this period.

I had an acknowledgement from Wendy who I imagine is Jesse's PA 

Since then I have heard NOTHING from either Jesse and Bill.

Disgraceful.

Compare and contrast now and Election time.

Have they both gone to ground or is Jesse using this time to write another book?

People have long memories

Coronavirus: James Dyson Confirms His Company Will Make An Initial Order Of 10,000 Ventilators In The U.K.

CoVent: Dyson's ventilator

The race to deliver much-needed ventilators to hospitals fighting coronavirus received welcome news today from British entrepreneur Sir James Dyson. A spokesman for Dyson confirmed to Forbes that an initial order of 10,000 units from the U.K. government has been placed, and work will begin immediately at the historic airforce base RAF Hullavington.

Dyson confirmed in a letter, “Since I received a call from Boris Johnson, we have refocused resources at Dyson, and worked with TTP, The Technology Partnership, to design and build an entirely new ventilator, The CoVent.”

Dyson adds that the new device can be manufactured “quickly, efficiently and at volume.” Adding that it is designed to address the specific clinical needs of COVID-19 patients.

“The race is now on to get it into production,”

Well done Dyson!! #HerefordVoice #Dyson #Herefordshire

Source: Forbes

The government to provide immediate free car parking for NHS & social care staff for the duration of the Coronavirus crisis.

We have received an upsetting message from Home Bargains shop worker Laura Tibbs explaining how people are abusing her and her colleagues following the implementation of social distancing procedures as outlined by the government.

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Hi guys everyone who works in retail at this time is very glad that they can help you through this hard time especially us at home bargains but today has been the worst day i have had in the nearly 5 years i have been there which has reduced me tears and nearly made me walk out of my job. I understand all the measures being put into place in shops at the moment are frustrating... certain items limited only one member from each household allowed to enter the shops BUT please remember these are government rules which are currently being reinforced by the police who were up home bargains this morning. Today i have been called names shouted out and sworn at alot of the morning because people couldnt come in with family members. I do not have a choice to be in that building i have to come to work to make sure that we can provide you guys with everything you need in these hard times it isnt fair on me or any other staff to be verbally abused by anyone because of rules that we did not make. Please as annoying as the rules are remember that it isnt our fault because after today i dont want to go back to my job i love my job but i can not take another day like that and coming home and sobbing my heart out its just not fair. I hope you all stay safe

 Come on guys' we desperately need these key workers!

Please be patient and say 'Thank You' to these lovely people when you are out shopping. 

Thank you Laura and to your colleagues, as difficult as this is for you all the majority of the country are behind 100%.❤️
#HerefordVoice #BeKind

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19.

The prime minster tweeted a video message confirming he had COVID-19, adding: "Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.

"I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus.

"Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives."
#HerefordVoice

Rishi Sunak announces that the government will pay self-employed people a grant of 80% of their average wage based upon average earnings over the past 3 years, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. This is available for the next 3 months and will be reviewed and possibly extended if required.

Breaking News: Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus.

Photo courtesy of SkyNews

Clarence House confirmed that the 71-year-old royal had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease in a statement released this morning.

The heir to the throne is said to have displayed "mild symptoms" but "otherwise remains in good health", and has been self-isolating in Scotland with the Duchess of Cornwall - who has tested negative for coronavirus.

UPDATE>>> 14 March 2020

Ten more people have died after being diagnosed with coronavirus, with 1,140 cases now confirmed in the UK.

It is the largest number of deaths announced on a single day since the start of the outbreak and brings the total number of fatalities to 21.

The number of people testing positive for the infection was up by 342 from 798 at the same time on Friday.

_________________

Breaking News:

There are 12 new cases of Coronavirus in the UK taking the total to merely 51 people out of a population of over 66 million, is this an overreaction?

Okay, for those of you that maybe worried, what are the coronavirus symptoms?

Coronavirus is a respiratory disease which seems to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week, it leads to shortness of breath and some patients require hospital treatment.

These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. They are similar to those for much more common viruses, such as colds and flu.

In more severe cases, coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, multiple organ failure and even death.

Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease), are more likely to become severely ill.

The incubation period, according the the World Heath Organization (WHO) between infection and showing any symptoms - lasts up to 14 days. 

What are your thoughts? Overreaction? Scaremongering? Or do you think differently? 

Coronavirus: School closures at the end of the day (Friday) but parents with the following essential jobs can continue to send their children to school.

The government has released a full list of workers deemed "essential" to the COVID-19 response below:

The list has been separated into eight categories:

Health and social care
Includes frontline health and social care staff - such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector. In addition, those working in supply chains, including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment, are included.

Education and childcare
Includes nursery, teaching staff and social workers, as the department said these workers are required to deliver their plans.

Key public services
Those required to run the justice system, religious staff, as well as those responsible for managing the deceased and journalists providing public service broadcasting are on the list.

Local and national government
The list "only includes administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services", including payment of benefits.

Food and other necessary goods
Includes those involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food.

Public safety and national security
Police, support staff, Ministry of Defence civilian staff and armed forces personnel are on the list, along with fire and rescue staff, as well as those responsible for border security, prison and probation staff.

Transport
Includes those who will keep "air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response".

Utilities, communication and financial services
Staff required to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running are on the list, along with those in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and working to provide essential financial services provision are also included.

The parents of vulnerable children are the other group of people allowed to continue sending their children to school.

The government says this group will include those who have a social worker and those with Education, Health and Care Plans - a legal document that describes a child's special educational needs and the support they require.

Many schools in England will shut their gates on Friday until further notice, as will nurseries, colleges and childminders.

In Scotland and Wales, all schools will have closed by Friday, and schools in Northern Ireland are due to shut from Monday.

Breaking News: The education secretary Gavin Williamson has just announced in the House of Commons that ALL schools in ENGLAND will CLOSE at the end of the day on Friday until further notice.

PM tells Britons to avoid pubs, restaurants and non-essential travel.

The government is now going to be holding daily televised news conferences concerning coronavirus, and today was the first one.

The prime minister told a Downing Street news conference the number of coronavirus cases in the UK could now double every five or six days without "drastic action".

"Today, we need to go further," Mr Johnson said, as he explained how the country now appeared to be approaching a "fast growth" period in the spread of COVID-19 - the prevalent strain of coronavirus.

The way we run our lives and how we expect others to respond to our couldn't care less attitude is imposing great stress on all concerned. We need to start with our home life. Are we part of a strong family unit who can cope and help one another. Can we help other people in our street - the neighborhood watch scheme, useful for keeping an eye on each other and also crime prevention leads to a healthier living environment. Support local shops, leave your car behind and get out into the fresh air. In Newton Farm we are lucky to have a local medical centre, shops and post office. However the youth club was demolished along with the church - two facilities which encouraged benefical activities for users. 

On the news today we are told there are not enough people to plant trees and that carers and nurses are in short supply. Let's set up proper training schemes with decent wages. A university degree is not the answer to many simple matters which can be resolved locally. A recognised work scheme will make people of all ages feel useful and regarded.

Over the years our local lives have been bundled into larger segments run by faceless bureaucrats who continually are hell bent on cutting services, transforming our simple ways of living into regional units and giving our money to corporations unable to carry out the work , but can cash the cheques regularly each month into the pockets of a favoured few.

Maybe we can seek solutions to these problems and use this forum to give people the opportunity to add their point of view. After all with the government's impending lockdown there has never been a better time to think locally. Please add suggestions and concerns to do things in a better way below:

Anybody having problems getting onto the HT website ?

Have they chose to move to their new location today and decided that in this day and age the Internet is not really important so they will link up over the next couple of days / weeks ? 

The B4224 road, from Fiddler’s Green to Fownhope, was severely damaged by Storm Dennis

Although Herefordshire Council hope that their contractors will be able to repair and reopen the road much sooner, works may take until the end of September, inspections carried out last week reveal.

The B4224 was dealt a double blow by the storm, which caused a 6.5 metre wide landslip and a separate partial collapse of a 100-metre long retaining wall.

Safety and structural inspections of the road took place last week with BT Openreach, Cadent and Western Power Distribution also checking their services that run along it. BT Openreach will need to move two supply cables across the landslip.

Only then can work to remove approximately 4,000 tonnes of loose material begin. This will require around 400 lorry journeys alone, before new material is brought to site to reconstruct the road.

Some further investigations and specialist surveys also need to take place prior to the commencement of reconstruction work and these will take place within the next two weeks.Clive Hall, Acting Assistant Director of Highways and Transport at Herefordshire Council said:

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“We are exploring all potential options to speed up this work, mitigate road closures, enable pedestrian and cycle access either along the road or via other routes. We fully understand the impact that this closure is having on residents, businesses and road users. It is our priority to fix both sites along the road as quickly as is safely possible.

“We have provided additional public transport and the businesses in Fownhope are very much open for business. Together with our highways partner, Balfour Beatty Living Places, we met with the Parish Council and other parties last week and will be seeking another meeting with them as soon as possible to update them on the new information we have about the damage caused by Storm Dennis and to answer their questions.”

 

Herefordshire Council is expediting repairs to the B4224 from within its own reserves and will seek, in due course, to recover funding from central Government through flood-related Bellwin Funding or other sources.

Diversion routes signposting access routes into the village for through traffic are now operating and their condition will be regularly inspected and monitored to ensure effectiveness.

Diversion routes do differ for small vehicles and HGV’s. Motorists are being urged not to put themselves at risk of injury by attempting to drive along closed roads.

Anyone with questions can call the Customer Services Team on 01432 261800.

Joint statement on confirmed COVID-19 case in Herefordshire

Herefordshire Council, PHE and the NHS are well prepared to deal with coronavirus

Sue Ibbotson, Centre Director, Public Health England West Midlands, said: 

Quote

“Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with one of the latest confirmed cases of COVID-19 who is a resident of Herefordshire.

“Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed case. This tried and tested method will ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them and the wider public.”

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

Quote

“I’d like to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains low and the local authority is working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Herefordshire are protected.

“Good hygiene is the best prevention and there are some simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly and if you cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.

“If you have recently been to one of the affected areas and are feeling unwell, you should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or call NHS 111 for further advice straight away  – please don’t go to your doctor or a hospital. There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.”

A few weeks ago the Council removed an established tree from Commercial Rd Hereford on the pavement outside the old Cinema ( Kingdom Church ? ) close to the kerb - for whatever reason , I would think for H and S reason -,to their credit they replaced it with what is probably call a sapling . 

The photo , taken today shows that that the tree had been snapped off , and all that's left is a short trunk . In my opinion it's no good people going on about Climate Change etc  when this apparent Criminal Damage is happening  ?!

I have just been reading the article on the HT website about this second proposal for these stations.

A SHARED police and fire station in Hereford could be built as part of redevelopment plans for the city’s Merton Meadow off Edgar Street.

 This morning (Fri) both West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that they were looking to develop a site “north of the football stadium†as an “innovative shared facilityâ€.

Both services will continue to work with Herefordshire Council on a site suitability assessment.

The fire service says the Bath Street site of Hereford’s former working boys home – currently council offices – is no longer an option for a new station.

Its great news that they have withdrawn the working boys home application but the new application site prop0sed is smack bang in the city centre, would it not make more sense to have these stations just outside town for all around quicker access. If there is a fire at Newton Farm for example these emergency vehicles will have to negotiate the terrible congestion that we all face daily, I appreciate that there will always be traffic but if they built these stations near Rotherwas or even the other side near the cattle market at least they can decide to take alternative routes in order to save time and lives potentially, surely being in the city centre the are almost cocooned to a degree.

Herefordshire Council requests “vital support” from government following floods.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the immediate cost of repairs following Storm Dennis to be around £10m

Herefordshire Council has written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to the Bellwin scheme and to request further “vital support” from central government following February’s unprecedented flood events.

The letter dated 28 February 2020 was signed by Herefordshire Council’s Chief Executive Alistair Neill, Leader of the Council Councillor David Hitchiner and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport Councillor John Harrington.

In the letter, it was stated that the cost of repairs following Storm Dennis is currently estimated to be around £10m. A three month extension to the Bellwin period has been requested to account for the scale of flooding and assessing its impact.

As of 3 March 2020, 405 residential and 102 business properties are understood to have been affected by February’s flood event. It was argued that the government could do more to support the recovery operation and the financial consequences of responding to the major incident caused by widespread flooding.

Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council, Alistair Neill, said:

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“Herefordshire has been severely impacted by Storm Dennis with more than 507 residential properties and businesses affected by flooding at the latest count. In response to this major incident and as part of the multi-agency response, Herefordshire Council has mobilised its resources, alongside those from our communities, to keep our residents safe. We are continuing to clean up the county and this recovery operation will have to continue for some time. Clearly, both the council and the community that it serves, is now left with the financial consequences of the widespread flooding. It is good that the government has activated the Bellwin Scheme and various grants for those affected, but we believe the government can do much more. Herefordshire Council would welcome the opportunity to work together with government to deliver the support that our community deserves, both in recovery from this storm and in our progress towards a more resilient future.”

Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor David Hitchiner, said:

Quote

“The Community Flood Recovery Grant is welcome financial support from central government, but £500 for a residential property that has flooded will hardly cover the immediate cleaning up of a property. In the long-term, residents face difficulties and expense when arranging insurance and this will have a huge impact on the less well off, elderly or vulnerable people who are in greatest need of additional support. Financial support for businesses is insufficient to save some business from failing entirely due to the impact of flooding. Herefordshire’s economy relies on a huge number of SMEs, and offering business rate free periods does not help a small business that is under the valuation threshold and therefore does not pay rates. Farmers are also suffering from the flood impact as they cannot cultivate their land, or have had crops destroyed by flood waters. As a sector they are often ignored as attentions are focused on alleviating the impact of flooding in the country’s cities. We want the government to offer additional financial support to residents, business and the agricultural sector to help them overcome the impact of this unprecedented flood event. While these were unprecedented levels of flooding for Herefordshire, we need to accept that the climate emergency brings with it greater likelihood of flooding and extreme weather. We need to address our planning, housing, farming methods and flood defences to help us prepare for the future.”

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

Quote

“Bellwin is restrictive in covering all genuine recovery costs. There is significant damage to the highway network, which in a county as large as Herefordshire means significant pressure put on our budgets which is not covered by Bellwin. The damage places a significant strain on a rural community that is dependent on its local roads to go about daily life. The scope of Bellwin needs urgent review to cover more infrastructure costs if the impact of Storm Dennis is not to unduly impair Herefordshire’s ability to thrive. A huge capital investment is now required in our Herefordshire highways to address the impairment, in what is also a nationally important asset, our local roads. We anticipate the bill for repairing the immediate impact of Storm Dennis to be around £10 million, for which we have no provision. Looking to the future, more infrastructure funds need to be made available in the longer-term for the management of bridges, roads and drainage assets that have been put under severe pressure by not only this storm, but the events that are yet to come. After many years of reductions in revenue funding at local and national level, we estimate that £3m a year is needed to plug the shortfall in current available funding. In Herefordshire, there is also huge scope for extending flood defences along both the main rivers and into the many tributaries that feed them. It is the time to seriously look at the funding criteria for flood defences to enable fair investment in the defence our rural communities, market towns and Hereford itself. Now is the time for the government to revisit the scheme, increase investment and ensure fairness in its distribution between urban and rural communities.”

The open letter to the Prime Minister is attached 

Letter to Boris Johnson Feb 2020.pdf