Roger Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 This photo is the same space from June 2013 ... Obviously I watch this part of town ... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise Lloyd Posted July 19, 2014 Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Lovely little dog well what used to be a beautifully cared for piece of grass is now a horrendous mess and will take some kind of work to get it back. They should be frog marched around all these areas and shown what a mess it all is and shamed into admitting that they have cocked up big time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mick Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Roger's photo's just show how by not cutting the grass it has killed it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Why are not all the questions being put to Cllr Rone who has had a cabinet post created for him Highways grass cutting etc and Cllr kenyon who was given the job of support worker to him, they both had a nice little increase in their allowances for doing the job!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubique Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Cllr Vaughen- Powell - from what I have read and heard from other it's a fact that you are a hard working Cllr for your patch . However your post does require an answer - I will bounce it back to ALL the Cllrs. - shouldn't all the Cllrs be asking the questions and like Jim has done - publish both the searching questions and the answers . I have said before that it appears to the general public that this Council is being run / lead by very few Cllrs and the other Cllrs act like lap dogs when it comes to the big issues effecting the residents of this County. If i am wrong - I apologies but it's how it appears to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 I have got my grass cut at the Oval in Newton Farm because I asked Herefordshire Housing to do it. BBLP have now cut the rest I also sent them a long list of things to be done, potholes, road resurface, weed spray which has started to be done i.e. the riverside path which has been done, potholes in Newton Farm and Hunderton, and road resurfacing starting next week in Newton Farm. All I got from the other two was get your residents to form a grass cutting group and they can apply for some money for a mower. When I mentioned Japanese Knotweed Cllr Rone said it will be cut, everyone knows or so I thought, Japanes Knotweed, must be removed roots and all NOT CUT!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidfrustration Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 Glenda - I have always had a quiet respect for you in the background of my computer - but please don't have a dig at jim Kenyan - whilst I don't always agree with him - nobody can argue with his passion and hard work for his community - and for that I have the upmost respect! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It is obvious that you as others here are members of the Jim Kenyon and IOC appreciation society, but I know and see a very different side of him!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Jones Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It is obvious that you as others here are members of the Jim Kenyon and IOC appreciation society, but I know and see a very different side of him!!! I'm sure we could say that about a lot of Cllr's but as a professional I think your comments are out of order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidfrustration Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 It is obvious that you as others here are members of the Jim Kenyon and IOC appreciation society, but I know and see a very different side of him!!! Oh dear Glenda - actually no - not really. However - im my life in Hereford it just so happens that I have more contact and discussions with IOC people than any other party in Hereford, its not intentional, its just the way its worked out. Glenda - I honestly think that you are a good person and work hard for your patch as well, BUT I do think your little jib above was a little out of line. I have a good idea what the wages/expenses are for Cllrs, and I know its not a lot ( in the big wide world ) and that most Cllrs do it for their passion for the community - I personally believe Jim is a great example of that. As I say - I DO NOT always agree with his views/ideas/ways of expressing himself, however - I do believe that he does what he thinks is best for his patch, and for that I have respect. Glenda - I am not in your area, in fact, my Cllr never seems to do ANYTHING - and I think you are a great person for doing what you do, but dont think you should put in little jibes to other good people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidfrustration Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 In fact Glenda - thinking about it - are you a little frustrated today - I cant think of another time when you have "tapped" like that before, you normally seem so professional/level headed and fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glenda Powell Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 No I am not, or do not get frustrated. These two have a basic allowance of £7,244 cabinet member further £8,500 and support worker between £4,000 to £5,000 on top, and before you say it I did not go into politics for the money, but to help my residents. If they can take the time to vote for me, then I give them 100% of my time and I have done that for 11 years and I know my residents appreciate what I do for them because they tell me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stupidfrustration Posted July 27, 2014 Report Share Posted July 27, 2014 ok - I can understand what you are saying when you put it like that. Well, from one resident outside of your area, I also think you do a great job Glenda and respect to you for what you do! ( even without the extra allowance ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted July 28, 2014 Report Share Posted July 28, 2014 Hi Glenda I for one don't think your post is out of order. I am sick and tired of the Council telling us that we must all tighten our belts and then awarding themselves a salary increase. If that did happen then I want to know about it! Public sector workers are fighting for a pay rise above the measly 1% they have been offered and yet Senior Managers and Councillors are constantly awarded pay rises usually well above 1%! Senior Managers sit around drawing up restructures to save money, which always results in front line staff losing their jobs. The restructures ALWAYS RESULT in a new post being created and a manager getting a salary increase. Now I don't dislike Cllr Kenyon or Cllr Rone but they were involved in the proposals to reduce grass cutting and form Community groups to cut the grass. Indeed Cllr Kenyon and IOC began forming those groups ahead of the announcement to stop cutting the grass! I'm sorry but if they benefitted from that in anyway (pay increase) then that is wrong. I don't care how hard they work 100s of front line staff work hard and the public have a right to the basic services! I asked the following question in a previous post and have not received a response Posted 21 July 2014 on Cllr Kenyons Q&A Who employed the localities officers and who's paying the salaries' is it Balfour Beatty? I am now led to believe it was Herefordshire Council and they come under Geoff Hughes Directorate but I would like that confirmed. I would like to add whose idea was it to employ 13 Localities officers, how many Managers will be required and how many front line staff will lose their jobs as a result of these newly created posts? We have a Contract with BBLP which included grass cutting, trees, verges and open spaces. It appears the Council have cut services employed a shed load of people and increased salaries to Councillors all in the name of Austerity! It all translates to front line staff losing their jobs and a reduction in Services! We can't be selective over who we label self serving! The only way to stop that happening is for Hereford Council to initiate a Pay Freeze across the entire organisation and stop inventing jobs to the detriment of the public! I thought the big bad wolf was a good guy till he tried to eat little red riding hood! I also have a knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes and it's time everyone else did, so Glenda thanks for your openness, it's time for honesty, if people are good and decent people that integrity will shine through they won't need anyone's protection. Enjoy you day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 The locality stewards are paid by BBLP. It has already been discussed on other threads that some front line staff such as highways inspectors were made redundant, although they were invited to apply for other roles where appropriate. The new locality stewards remit is wider than merely inspecting roads, although that is part of their role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hi Hillbilly! Welcome to Hereford Voice! Would you happen to know if there is a problem/issue that needs to be dealt with, will this have to be reported to the Locality Stewards directly, or would we still report via the council?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Hi dippyhippy, & thanks for the welcome! As far as I know, you still ring the council. They log it, & pass it on to the relevant locality steward. They then have 'ownership' of the issue until it is resolved. This might be that the issue is sorted out, ie the pothole is filled, or hedges trimmed, or it might mean that the budget isn't there so the work can't be done - but the locality steward will consult with councillors (ward & parish) to establish where local priorities lie and to direct work accordingly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 Ah....interesting! I had heard rumblings that this may change....??? Thanks for that, and for the promptness of your reply! I hope we'll hear a lot more from you!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 It may indeed change :-) the councillors all have 'their' locality stewards email & phone so can & do bypass the 'official' route. The issues & defects still get logged onto the same system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cambo Posted July 29, 2014 Report Share Posted July 29, 2014 That's a brilliant idea to have locality stewards… or are they highways inspectors rebranded? as that's the job that they did or were supposed to do? Just out of interest how many highways inspectors lost there jobs & how many got reemployed as locality stewards? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biomech Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 To the member who inquired about cut grass being a fire risk Balfour Beatty say it will not be a risk unless we have an extended period of hot weather. You mean like..........................................................................summer? Councillor Preece - so now that the grass is on fire, what say they now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 The locality stewards are paid by BBLP. It has already been discussed on other threads that some front line staff such as highways inspectors were made redundant, although they were invited to apply for other roles where appropriate. The new locality stewards remit is wider than merely inspecting roads, although that is part of their role. Welcome Hillbilly, my confusion stems from the toolkit the Council have produced (see below link) which clearly states that each of the localities officers are supported by Lead Officers from a Herefordshire Council. https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/2667926/engagement_toolkit.pdf Hi Hillbilly! Welcome to Hereford Voice! Would you happen to know if there is a problem/issue that needs to be dealt with, will this have to be reported to the Locality Stewards directly, or would we still report via the council?? Hi Dippy, I was clearly told by a Councillor that the plan is for calls to be directed straight to localities officers and cut out Customer Services. Perhaps one of the Councillors could confirm? It seems silly to ring the Council who then ring Balfour who then ring the Localities officer, or do they ring the Lead Officer who then starts the chain of calls? Also are we talking about two, three different reporting lines? You can either ring your Parish Councillor, or Customer Services or the Localities a Officer, or was that the Locality Lead, employed by Herefordshire Council? Is anyone else confused? No, read the toolkit you will be! Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hillbilly Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 flamboyant, you're referring to this? Herefordshire Public Services Lead Locality Officer (LLO): Each of the nine localities is supported by Lead Locality Officers from Herefordshire Public Services. These individuals have a key role to support local members in their community leadership role, as well as developing relationships with other key stakeholders This toolkit predates the existence of the BBLP Locality Stewards, and the contract between BBLP and HC. Do these LLO's still exist? The BBLP locality stewards do not work with anyone by that title, and deal directly with councillors etc. At the moment there are several ways to contact the Locality Steward, but then it's still fairly new. Overtime these are intended to be refined, so as to avoid duplicated effort, and reduce costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Hillbilly, that's kind of my point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobby47 Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Herefordshire Locality Engagement Toolkit!!!! If ever there's a good reason to stab yourself and them in the eye with a soft leaded pencil, its this little cutie that some blue sky thinking, operational lightweight, I love the word passionate, hub, partner, smart thinking, robust and bloody positive outcome for our service users, dreamt up whilst sat at his or her bloody 'break out space' desperately trying to come up with some more original boll.ocks that's intended to justify their pointless existence beneath the canopy of wealth. Whoever came up with this whole 'Toolkit' tripe should be woken from their slumber, dragged howling and screaming into High Town and be Taser'ed in front of the howling mob. If it were within my power I'd find this person and do it. Whatsmore, I'd enjoy seeing them ride the lightening bolt howling,' Take me Jesus Im ready'. Truly, this lot are like tics. Nothing more than sycophantic bottom feeding parasites who's only contribution toward public service is the odd management speak buzz word that takes on a life of its own and sticks around until some other fool comes up with something new and exciting for these idiots who's hands are around my neck, your job and our bloody economic prospects, throttling the bloody life out of any commonsense and straight speaking. I'd lime to take their Toolkit and hit them across their toes with whatever they've got in their bloody Toolbox! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted July 30, 2014 Report Share Posted July 30, 2014 Not too keen on this then, Bobby...???? I do wonder exactly how many jobs have been / will be cut, to enable this "extra tier". I guess time will soon tell, if it's an effective way forward. Or not - as the case may be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flamboyant Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 I would still like a response to my question Did Cllr Rone & Cllr Kenyon receive an increase in pay/ allowances for taking on these extra responsibilities and was an additional post created? I am trying to evaluate the Councils Austerity measures and I'm trying to establish if those measures extend to Councillors? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Hi Flam, Glenda's post on page 14 of this thread (post number 334) would seem to answer this query. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ubique Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 Letter in the Wiltshire Newspaper Council taxpayers want to see grass cut How many readers have received their VIP invitation from Wiltshire Council leader, Jane Scott, to attend the VIP opening of the council's new refurbished offices on Monday, June 23? Preparations for this grand event are well under way judging by the number of times over the past few weeks that the grass area in front of County Hall has been lovingly cut and manicured. During that same time local councillors, including myself, have been deluged with complaints from the public regarding the lack of grass-cutting throughout our wards. At the time of writing some areas have not received one cut this year; or where they have been cut, the quality of the work is abysmal. I regularly receive four or five complaints a day. One lady, who phoned, said that when the Balfour Beatty team did finally turn up, they packed up halfway through. She asked them why they were leaving. "We have to get back to Exeter", was their reply. Local councillors are thoroughly fed up taking the flak for the failings of County Hall. You would have thought that Jane Scott and the responsible cabinet member, John Thomson, would have publicly apologised for all the failings with the grass-cutting contract. After all, they awarded the contract to Balfour Beatty. No, it has been left to the ordinary backbench councillors to try to sort it out. This, frankly, is not good enough and demonstrates a lack of leadership. A fair number of ordinary councillors will not be attending the event. We simply want the grass in our wards to be cut to the same standard as it is outside County Hall. Jeff Osborn Independent Wiltshire councillor Read more: http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Letters-June-10-Just-wars-fairy-stories-cause/story-21210186-detail/story.html#ixzz399CQBG2e Read more at http://www.westerndailypress.co.uk/Letters-June-10-Just-wars-fairy-stories-cause/story-21210186-detail/story.html#3Sd7kyljEGDEaicl.99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dippyhippy Posted August 1, 2014 Report Share Posted August 1, 2014 So as well as the good folk of The Wirral, we also have plenty in common with the good folk of Wiltshire. Well, we already know that "change and transformation" are taking place there......sounds as if they are as keen on it as we were!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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