Colin James

Feel free to add this to our Facebook page mate

This is for anyone who may be spending Xmas Day alone.... This is lovely gesture from The Wellington Pub Hereford, well done guys

Everything has collapsed this morning including the marquee at the Left Bank, one employee doing his best to clear off the snow Photo courtesy of Tracy Bowes

The Christmas lights at the Old Market shopping centre have collapsed from the weight of the snow this morning. Photo courtesy of Tracy Bowes

Ice and Snow Take it Slow! Avoid driving unless absolutely necessary. Bus stuck at Lugwardine now and queues of traffic stuck coming up the hill into Hereford.

Please sign Our Petition to Cllr Barry Durkin in an attempt to persuade him to reconsider and increase the on street parking times. Some streets such as Castle Street are limited to just 30 mins! We need at least 2 hours and by signing this petition you agree and are offering your full support to our local independent traders here in Hereford.

Which management?

It is all rumours at this stage and nothing has been confirmed.

We spoke with the staff at the Mexican food giant Chimichanga this evening following rumours on social media that they will be closing their restaurant at the Old Market Hereford in the New Year. We are informed by staff that a burger restaurant may be opening in their place but as we have stated this is only a rumour and nothing has yet been confirmed.

We have the Free Christmas Parking Vouchers available for Hereford, please drop us message or an email and we can send you a PDF version to print off and use:

The City Link Road will open to the public on Monday 11 December 2017. The road opens in time for the busiest Christmas Shopping period The road will mark a significant milestone in the regeneration of Hereford City following on from the successful opening of Old Market in 2012. Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd will remain on-site for some weeks to undertake some final minor works and to finish the associated works to Barr’s Court Road. Once open the new road will provide an east to west route and a direct walking and cycling link from the Great Western Way to the hospital, railway station and colleges. The road’s opening will also reinstate a second entrance to Merton Meadow car park in time for the Christmas shopping period. Councillor Philip Price, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure said:

Supporting Local Independent Traders in Hereford FREE PARKING 2 hours FREE parking in Castle Street and 3 hours FREE parking at Greyfriars or the Town Hall car parks with the new vouchers, you can also park for 2 hours FREE along Conningsby Street. #hvshoplocal #herefordvoice

Join Belmont Library for coffee, cake and books on 7 December There will be a special celebration at Belmont Library this Thursday (7 December 2017) as the library celebrates being open for 25 years. Located in the vibrant Belmont Community Centre, Eastholme Road. Belmont Library continues to provide a valued service to the local community, welcoming 22,500 visitors a year. The library is a gateway to over 200,000 books, DVDs and audio books held in Herefordshires public libraries. Customers can take out up to 12 books at a time. Reservations are free, computer and Wi-Fi access is free and there are no overdue charges for children or teenagers. Jan Nesaratnam, Senior Librarian for Herefordshire Councils library service, said: Drop in to Belmont Library on Thursday 7 December (10am-12pm). Everyone is welcome for coffee and cake and there will be book giveaways for young children.

I agree but in the absence of ID Cards how would this be enforced?

Congratulations goes to Bill Thomas for winning our online photo competition. The winning photograph will now be used as our main background for at least the next 12 months. Bill also wins £50 Miller & Carter voucher. Thank you to everyone who entered, the standard was very high and we look forward to introducing more competitions in 2018. This is the beautiful winning photograph

Herefordshire Council has today issued vouchers for free parking to encourage customers to visit independent businesses in Hereford this Christmas. The scheme is in partnership with the Hereford Business Improvement District (BID) team and aims to promote independent businesses during the busy Christmas period. Cabinet Member for Transport & Regulatory Services, Cllr Barry Durkin said: The parking vouchers are available for local independent businesses to issue to customers. They can be used throughout December for 3 hours free weekend car parking at the Town Hall car park (access via East Street) and Greyfriars overflow car park (the section under the bridge) on Saturdays and Sundays. They can also be used for 2 hours free parking (Monday to Saturday) in the limited waiting bays on Castle Street. These locations are a short walk from the Independent Quarter on Church Street and the surrounding area. Retailers who would like to receive vouchers for customers should contact the Hereford BID team on 01432 376830. Don’t forget: Herefordshire Council car parks in Hereford city centre, including the Old Market and on-street pay & display, are free for shoppers after 4pm every Wednesday until Christmas.

Portfolio changes confirmed from 1 December 2017 Herefordshire Council has announced changes to the Cabinet Member portfolios. Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor Tony Johnson, has streamlined Councillor David Harlow’s member responsibility so he will become Cabinet Member for Economy and Communications. This enables Councillor Harlow to focus on economic development, regeneration and the Hereford Enterprise Zone in line with Herefordshire Council’s priority to support the growth of the local economy. Councillor Harlow will also have responsibility for broadband and communications strategy. Councillor Nigel Shaw will add corporate services to his portfolio to become Cabinet Member for Finance, Housing and Corporate Services. As part of his corporate services remit, Councillor Shaw will take on additional responsibility for areas such as emergency planning and business continuity, legal and democratic services, registration and coroner services, human resources and health and safety. Councillor Barry Durkin will become Cabinet Member for Transport and Regulatory Services as he broadens his portfolio with responsibility for environmental health, trading standards, licensing, bereavement services and markets and fairs. Councillor Bramer, Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets, will take responsibility for shared services and contract management policy. Councillor Paul Rone, as Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, will incorporate community engagement and development into his portfolio. Councillor Tony Johnson, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “The Cabinet Member portfolio changes are designed to support our commitment to economic growth, building houses and creating jobs across the county.” The full list of Cabinet Members as of 1 December 2017: Councillor Tony Johnson Leader of the council / Corporate strategy and budget Councillor Jonathan Lester Deputy leader of the council / Young people and children’s wellbeing Councillor Harry Bramer Contracts and assets Councillor David Harlow Economy and communications Councillor Nigel Shaw Finance, housing and corporate services Councillor Paul Rone Health and wellbeing Councillor Philip Price Infrastructure Councillor Barry Durkin Transport and regulatory services

Well to be honest, there are a lot pf people moaning on social media about how these meters are effecting trade and that town is empty but I struggled to find a parking bay this morning as you can see from the photo I took below.

JOBS have been reinstated at Gelpack just three months after 175 staff were told to go home as the company went into administration. The Visionscape Group brought the company in September and have now reinstated 50 jobs, with a further 20 positions planned by mid-2018. The company now named Vision Gelpack Ltd is under the leadership of managing director Geoff Davis. Visionscape is a global environmental utility group providing turnkey solutions in areas of sanitation, energy and waste water treatment. The company aims to reinvent waste management processes, specific to emerging markets, utilising cutting-edge technology and tools to address the waste management needs of megacities. Visionscape also offers services for commercial, residential, industrial, and healthcare clients.

You mean this one Yes, I have already spoken with Cllr Tracy Bowes about seeing if they can get it removed. I spoke to the workman yesterday when I took these photographs and they said that it needs removing if they want the water to flow without obstruction.

Hi Glenda, yes they are monitoring the other parts of the brook and this has been included in the tender for work for next year.

Some good work being carried out all this week along the Newton Brook in Belmont. The brook has not really been cleaned out in years so it was good to see a JCB making light work of it. This work was paid for by Herefordshire Council and there is now a program for maintenance along this stretch. This work was undertaken following constant pressure to do something from Cllr Tracy Bowes who has been chasing them for months as this is a flood risk. They tried to clear some of the brook near Jubilee field on the last community action day but the silt was above their wellies. They are monitoring the other parts of the brook and this has been included in the tender for work for next year. December, January and February have been highlighted as good times for tree and shrub maintenance and coppicing but there is a plan now which should see additional work carried out throughout the year.

Fantastic job and fair play to all those people involved.