Glenda Powell

This unfortunately this happening doesn't surprise me, with all the hoarding up and the passageway not visible no one knows the Booth Hall is there unless you are a regular patron. I remember going to the Booth Hall when I was younger it was always full, and a nice place to have a meal before going to a nightclub making a good night out, ah those were the days!

See my post 8 on the empty shops about this!

It was in the HT that the Booth Hall had closed this week.

Quite a few of these recent one's have gone over to the new retail Old Market quarter, this is why I said at the time it has made Hereford a "tale of two city's". Something needs to be done and quick. I was speaking to the builders at the River Island site this week because the hoarding had been removed. I asked them when the development of the site would be finished he said "he didn't know". I also said we need the hoarding replaced with something better than what has been taken down, he told me it was being replaced with wooden panels, when I came back past an hour later wooden panels were already going up again.

The Ship Inn site for apartments is one of many Herefordshire Housing project, they have been advertising this last summer in their newsletters that goes out to their tenants.

To get the fact I contacted the planning officer today this was the reply: QUOTE: We have received an application for the proposed " alteration and extension to the existing public house to facilitate conversion to class A1 convenience store, with ATM and associated servicing ,refuse, plant and parking areas". This has been validated today 23.1.15 but is not yet on the website. Ward Cllrs will receive notification once it has been registered. END. The public meeting is next Friday at the Broadlease.

I have to agree with Chris we do not need another food shop in South Wye, it will have a detrimental effect on the Redhill stores also the shops at Putson. As they have one co-op in Holme Lacy road why do they need another?. I will definitely support Chris on trying to stop this happening. I agree with the other posters here what we need it to be is either keep it as a pub or a decent restaurant.

Dippy. the short sharp answer to your questions. 1. not really, but when I worked along side them it really opened my eyes as to their caseloads. There is a lot of work going on behind the scenes that the public doesn't see phone never stops ringing, by mid afternoon on the first day I was tired out, imagine coping with that day in day out. 2. In my opinion yes! 3. Both over the years. Going back to my post 23, when people went to reception they were told there was a backlog of people waiting to be seen, the only way they could clear it was to close for a while. when most people was told this they understood, but there is always others who cause problems because they never ask why the situation arose in the first place.

I told you I would post the reason this happened (see post 19) quote: The closing of the desk was a temporary measure, it was closed for approximately 15 minutes to allow the duty officer and back up officers to deal with a number of people that were waiting. As there were a number of families with young children we needed to reduce the waiting time for them. We re-opened as soon as we cleared the backlog of people waiting. Because of this we remained open late. END Having worked alongside the Housing Solution team of officers for three days in 2010 I wanted to see the workload they were working with and stress they were under trying to cope therefore I can understand why on this occasion it was necessary to close the desk.

In answer to Dippy question ( see post 9) this group of teenagers were called 2XL, they were formed in around 2002/3 in South Wye they worked with the South Wye Regeneration Board (SRB) which I was a member, we encouraged them to work in the community they worked with us to re-paint the play equipment in the old Hunderton school their reward was a free meal with entertainment after the work was completed. They did other things in South Wye and then they branched out on their own if I recall working for Rural Media but I may be wrong there!

Hi Chris, welcome back I have to agree with your comments

They are two different projects.

I asked the leader of the council who had bought Brockington he said he didn't know.

Led street lights were installed in Belmont around 18 months ago, at the time was getting a lot of complaints about not enough light between lamp standards, elderly people said they could not see to walk up their garden paths etc, but have not been contacted since. Personally I do not like them and I do not think it is a good idea to dim them at night.

Roger, the property that I live in is 60 years old, but like the Oval flats they are PRC (pre-reinforced concrete) properties and the faults in the structure had gone beyond repair. The people living in these flats deserve a home that is dry and warm, and for many the first time they have had a garden of their own for their children to play in safely. Would you like to clarify your statement " we all know why all that got built ".

The actual Oval flats that are being demolished were 50 years old.

Roger - yes they will have a makeover. Greenknight - the Oval regeneration started in 2012, with the developers, Keepmoat got the contract with design of what the properties would look like. then HHL had to apply for government funding and eventually a planning aplication was submitted and approved hence why the actual demolition of the flats only started last year.

There were 194 residents living in the flats with 259 houses being built, 130 of those are for HHL tenants. Some people said they wanted to move away from Newton Farm and were given three choices of properties to choose from and a sum of money from the government (not HHL) for loss of their home. 19 people had bought the flats in Kilvert Road which they sold back to HHL at the going rate. Leaving the tenants that are waiting to move into the new houses. The bungalows will be built between 2016/17. for any elderly person who wishes to move into a bungalow. The flats that have the shops underneath at the Oval are NOT coming down but will have high standard refurbishment inside.

There was obviously a reason for this notice, the message says " please see reception " I am sure if people did enquire at the reception desk they would of been told the reason, I will make enquiries tomorrow to find out why this was necessary, and will post the answer here! Glenda

Yes,they are knocking down all the flats between now and 2017 and replacing them with 2,3,4 bedroom houses some to buy some to rent. There will also be 14 1 bed bungalows that I asked to be built for our elderly residents, there are 2 blocks of flats one block is being built in Beattie Ave as we speak, they are 4 storey 1 and 2 bed in same block, and another block the same in Broxash Drive. I have seen inside the houses they are bigger than I thought, the tenants from the flats who have moved into Vortex Way are very pleased with the new houses.

The flats as you come into the Oval by the lines are the next block to come down

I asked the cabinet member for highways what work was being done to High Town, where did the money come from to do the work and if they would be working with the people for the BID, this was his answer. QUOTE. The council intends to carry out maintenance work on the damaged areas that were laid 5/6 years ago the slate with inlaid lettering. then the following areas. a. The Old House to St Peters Square. b. All saints church to East street/ West street junction. c. Commercial street. We will work with anyone to enhance, improve and promote our city centre. He did not tell me where the £2.5m for the work came from.

the whole of High Town needs revamping, many years ago I remember the old house had a garden around it, I would like to see that reinstated and a replica of the old town hall like the one in Ledbury it would be another attraction for visitors to visit Hereford.

The environmental health is involved,!!!

Megilleland see my post 22, I have also gone back again to HHL today about another area, at the same time asking for an update on Sherborne Close and like yourself was told the matter is being looked into. I have also sent an email to BBLP about the mattress, a three piece suite and road works signs that had been not picked up after the road works in Treago Grove and Marcle walk. I await their replies.