Hereford Voice

Sad news today as we learn about the passing of a true hero, Captain Sir Tom Moore, our thoughts go out to his family and friends. RIP.

Hereford City Council have successfully bid for a project for free electric buses to link significant locations around the City, together with the Herefordshire Bus Users Forum. The Railway Station, Hospital, the new Primary Health Centre at Station Approach and the city centre shops and tourist attractions will be linked as part of the Stronger Towns Fund bid to Government. The service will cross over the Old Bridge and stop in the car park by the swimming pool to support the ongoing development of the river as a tourist attraction and link with buses from the south of the city. This is a long-term project, one of many being put forward as groups within the city push for up to £25m of funding to help support economic recovery and levelling up. The independent Towns Fund board (called the #StrongerHereford board) is a blend of people from private, public and community sectors who all have Herefordshire in their heart. They are a mix of parents, students, educators, business owners, employers and employees, creatives and politicians, and Mayor Kath Hey is also among the board, representing the City. The City Council hopes that the project will allow Hereford to continue to recover from the ongoing pandemic, and in the coming months and years ensure the City is better linked for residents and visitors alike. For more information on the Towns Fund Board, visit: www.strongerhereford.co.uk #herefordvoice #herefordnews #hereford

Hereford Cathedral has bid a digital farewell to The Very Revd Michael Tavinor, Dean of Hereford, after 19 years of leadership and ministry. The Dean had originally planned to lead a series of farewell services on Sunday 31 January but, due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, those plans were thwarted. Instead, the cathedral community and many around the county came together online on Sunday morning with a pre-recorded video service sharing memories of Michael’s time in Hereford. As well as messages of thanks from members of the cathedral community, the Archbishop of Canterbury sent his best wishes to the Dean via a special video message. The Very Revd Michael Tavinor said: The Rt Revd Richard Jackson, Bishop of Hereford said: The celebration of the Dean’s farewell service is available to watch on the cathedral’s website (www.herefordcathedral.org/sunday-morning-worship-deans-final-service) or YouTube Channel.

Captain Sir Tom Moore, 100-year-old war veteran who raised £33m for the NHS, has Coronavirus and is in hospital. Sir Tom, who had not been vaccinated yet because he was being treated for pneumonia. In a tweet from his official account, his daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, said he tested positive last week and was taken to hospital today for help with his breathing.He is not in intensive care. We are sending Sir Tom our get well wishes and hope that he makes a full and speedy recovery.

At around 12.20pm on Friday 29 January officers received a call notifying them that a woman was in cardiac arrest at her home, in Pembridge, and was believed to be the victim of an assault. Upon arrival, officers found the woman to have suffered a serious injury to the head and had sadly died at the scene. A man aged 57 has been arrested on suspicion of murder and has been detained under the mental health act. Detective Chief Inspector Dean Jones said:

Even experienced drivers get caught out on icy roads sometimes, a lucky escape for one of Leominster's Police officers this morning on the A49 just outside Leominster. Thankfully no injuries.... #herefordvoice #herefordnews #herefordshire

Supporting Local Business: Good to see Matrix Hereford is now open! Once the lockdown restrictions are lifted you'll be able to enjoy this premier venue for FUN and THINGS TO DO in HEREFORD. Their activities will include arcade, soft play, laser tag, mini golf, axe throwing, party rooms and the coolest cafe in town.. They are open only for take-away at the moment but go check it out in Eign Gate Hereford if you're out exercising or shopping. 📷 Matrix Hereford Hereford Voice wishing you good luck!

Accident on the A4111 this morning, the roads across parts of the county are treacherous due to ice. Emergency services are at the scene with crews from Kington and Eardisley Fire Stations and West Midlands Ambulance Service

The census happens every 10 years with the next one taking place 21 March 2021. Each household will be asked to take part and the information it collects helps Herefordshire Council plan services across Herefordshire. Find out more about the census, here 👉 http://orlo.uk/cQhLd #herefordvoice #herefordnews #Census2021

Anyone else notice this? Our friend Jon Simpson posted this photograph in our Hereford Voice Photo Studio earlier with the following comments; Well spotted Jon, we had not noticed that brilliant detail until you pointed it out to us today, how lovely. #herefordvoice #herefordnews #hereford

Proposed budget will now be put forward for recommendation to Full Council Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed the proposed 2021/22 budget which will now be put forward for recommendation to Full Council on Friday 12 February 2021. The proposed budget takes into account the 2021/22 provisional local government finance settlement announced by central government last December. This includes: ‘Lower Tier’ Services Grant of £0.25m which will cover around 70% of the cost of the council’s response to the pandemic Revenue Support Grant funding of £0.6m New Homes Bonus funding of £1.7m Rural Services Delivery Grant of £5.3m The council is facing pressure on its budget over the next financial year, mostly due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. £11.2m in savings and a Council Tax increase have been proposed to Full Council to deliver a balanced budget. It has also been proposed that £1.9m of additional funding is provided to increase Council Tax discounts for those facing financial hardship. Council Tax funds around 29% of the council’s budget. A 4.99% total increase to Council Tax has been recommended. This is an equivalent rise of £1.51 a week for a Band D property. The increase is made from: 3% increase to the ‘adult social care precept’. This will provide an additional £3.2m to be spent on delivering social care services 1.99% increase to ‘core Council Tax’. This will provide £2.2m towards the cost of all other council services Residents on a low income may be eligible for help to pay their bill through the Council Tax Reduction scheme. Some residents will continue to pay no Council Tax at all, such as young adults who have left care and, with effect from 2021, also all the council’s Foster Carer families. More information and advice on reduction schemes and allowances can be found on the Herefordshire Council website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/counciltax

A binman who was employed by an agency has been informed that he will not be working for Herefordshire Council again after the incident in which he had a momentary 'meltdown' and decided to kick the head off a snowman in Hereford on Tuesday while collecting the bins in the area. Our View: Although you may argue his behaviour was maybe a little odd, we're not sure that it warranted the man losing his job after he had a lapse of judgment. His employers are behaving like 'snowflakes' after all, it's just a snowman which would have naturally disappeared within a few days anyway. We hope that the person who took the time out to actually report this as 'an incident' sleep well tonight in the knowledge that someone has lost their job. Have a laugh at the cartoon photograph below which just goes to highlight how ridiculous this has become.

Hereford planning department have today approved planning with conditions for the replacement of existing Scout Hall, Stores, Sheds and Shipping Containers with new Scout Hall, which includes garages and stores. Covering letter in support of the plans Scouts’ Corner "Rebuilding the heart of our community" What we do We are Scouts South Marches, working across the majority of Herefordshire, part of the UK’s biggest mixed youth organisation. As Scouts, we believe in preparing young people with skills for life. We bring communities together and contribute to society. Above all, we aim to build better futures. Society is changing. In often fragmented communities, the pressures and expectations on young people are increasing. The future is uncertain. Scouts has never been so important in helping young people prepare for the future, developing the skills they need to succeed in a changing world. Each week almost a thousand young people across our District enjoy fun, friendship, and outdoor adventure. They develop a sense of optimism and strong values as well as the leadership and teamwork skills that are more valuable today than ever. Our home Our District Headquarters is affectionately known as Scouts’ Corner. Situated on Crozen Lane it has been the home of Scouting in Hereford since 1949. Over its history, Scouts’ Corner has served our District, and the community, well. Scouts’ Corner seen from Crozen Lane The building has a history which predates The Scout Movement itself. Originally the Countess of Huntingdon’s chapel, the building was moved from Berrington Street to its current site in 1889 along with its congregation. It continued to serve as a chapel until the outbreak of World War Two when, in 1940, it was requisitioned by the Home Guard. In 1949 the then District Commissioner of Hereford Scouting, Mr W.G. Ellison, organised the purchase of the site and it has been at the heart of our District ever since. In the 1980’s the trustees of the time started a project to rebuild Scouts’ Corner as it was started to deteriorate in condition. Unfortunately, the cost of the project was too much for the District at the time and the trustees decided to refurbish the hall instead. The hall has continued to be maintained and refurbished with small upgrades to the heating and toilets, new paneling to protect the internal walls and some redecoration. The building is now used regularly by 1st Hereford Scouts as well as a ballet group, spiritualists, and a daytime nursery. Between these groups there are around 150 people who use the hall weekly with others benefitting from ad hoc bookings. What we need As a Scout District we manage and support all aspects of Scouting across the majority of Herefordshire. Whether its training adults and holding AGMs or running activities for our young people, we need a home that is fit for purpose and built to last. A meeting room is desperately needed for small group training, trustee meetings and for our adult appointment process. It would allow us to perform all of our functions as a District without needing to hire other spaces which we do currently. It will also create a more versatile space with the option to have break-out groups within larger meetings. To provide an exciting, relevant programme of activities for our young people we have a vast array of equipment and resources which all needs to be stored safely. The current storage arrangements at Scouts’ Corner are inadequate in size and condition. The external storage consists of a wooden hut which is now rotting, a concrete prefab garage and a container which are difficult to access and deteriorating in condition. Internally there is very limited storage which has resulted in the use of the loft space accessed by a ladder. Due to the lack of space we currently store a lot of our equipment in an off-site storage facility which we pay for. We have of course considered whether these needs could be met through further renovation and reconfiguration of the existing buildings. The buildings are of limited lifespan and there would be a significant ongoing cost to upkeep them. There is also limited scope for a reconfiguration of the current space; incorporating a meeting room would significantly reduce either the main hall space or the limited storage space. A key issue is the lifespan of the ageing buildings on site which no amount of work will futureproof; anything other than a rebuild will simply defer these issues to a future generation. What our young people think Youth involvement is a cornerstone of Scouting. We asked our Scouts what they thought our District Headquarters should be like and they weren’t short of ideas. They all thought we needed a new headquarters and they were keen for it have a large kitchen, some outdoor space where they could develop Scouting skills and to look more modern from the outside. They also had ideas for how to decorate it with every Group from across our District contributing a decoration for the hall. We have taken all their points into consideration with this scheme to hopefully deliver a District Headquarters which they can be proud of. They are our future leaders and we want them to inherit a building which is fit for purpose rather than the same issues we have been facing since the 1980’s. Our plan We know that the provision of social and community facilities, including premises from which voluntary services such as the Scouts are run, is valuable to communities and an important feature of Herefordshire’s Local Plan Core Strategy. Whilst our primary aim is to create a District Scout Headquarters which meets our needs, we would welcome its wider use by the community as we have done with the current building. We are not looking to dramatically increase the capacity of the hall and therefore the number of users at any one time, simply to improve the quality of the space and secure its future longevity. We have taken every care to develop a project which is sensitive to our surroundings, particularly the trees onsite with the northernmost section of the building angled to avoid disrupting the trees. This also creates a larger space between the tallest part of the building and the adjacent premises. This also creates a more private outdoor space away from the car park which could be used by groups for activities. The proposed building incorporates more storage space which is better suited to our needs and will replace the unsightly containers and dilapidated garage currently on site. Integrated storage in the main hall will allow us to store tables and chairs as well as equipment used by groups safely without any intrusions into the hall space. The garage space incorporated into the end of the building will enable us to house the District’s equipment on site, reducing our expenses as well as volunteer’s time going to multiple locations for equipment. In summary, we believe that the proposed scheme will provide a modern headquarters which is sensitive to its surroundings and will enable us to continue preparing young people with skills for life for many years to come. Full details of planning application P203891/F can be found here

Police Update: West Mercia Police officers searching for missing Hannah can confirm that a woman found earlier today is 26 year old Hannah. Detective Inspector Chris Percival said: “At around 8.30am officers located a woman in the Ash Path area of Hereford, close to Yazor Road in a critical condition but not in suspicious circumstances. Hannah was taken to hospital where she continues to receive urgent medical attention and is being supported by her family. “I would like to thank the thousands of people, the communities and the media both in Hereford and further afield who from the early hours of this morning helped share our appeal to find Hannah.” Thank you to everyone who shared our appeal today #herefordvoice #herefordnews

Today is January 27th which is #HolocaustMemorialDay marking the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Today, we remember those lives lost and survivors of the Holocaust during a nazi regime. Join people and 'Light The Darkness' by placing a candle/light in your window tonight at (8pm GMT) Please do this safely or even use an LED Candle.

The college wrote today: This is brilliant news and we at Hereford Voice would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all the staff and people involved in this monumentous task. Photographs courtesy of Hereford Sixth Form College #herefordvoice #herefordnews #positivehereford

The Boohoo Group has acquired the collapsed Debenhams department store chain for £55M. The fashion retailer has bought the Debenhams brand and website but it will not take on any of the firm's remaining 118 stores or its staff. We hope that the staff all manage to find jobs during this already challenging time.

ha ha , no not yet Martin but we will let you know!

Keep supporting local & find Herefordshire businesses offering delivery or click & collect services during lockdown on the Herefordshire Council interactive map here It's quick & easy to use & open for any businesses to add their details. #positivehereford

An 87 year old vulnerable lady had nearly £40,000 stolen from her bank account including money taken from an ISA savings and also from her insurance funeral plan. Nicola Jane James aged 52 from Pixley Walk, Newton Farm Hereford was charged with two counts of theft but only pleaded guilty to one charge of a smaller amount of £18,000 and was prepared to put her frail 87 year old partially sighted mother through a long court case. Nicola James The elderly victims other children were not prepared to put their mum though anymore upset and anguish which has had a massive impact on her health and wellbeing and on the rest of the family as a whole, the Police and CPS shared the same view. Judge Jim Tindal told James that she was a predatory and astonishingly selfish individual and she had shown no empathy to her mother as he sentenced her to 12 months in prison, which was suspended for two years as she had no previous convictions and she was also told she must repay the bank in full. James's elderly mother had expressed that even though her daughter had stolen from her, she felt that she should receive some sort of punishment in recognition of her actions, but she did not want her daughter to go to prison, which the court took into account when passing sentence. The Judge also ordered James to take part in 10 day rehabilitation activity to help her address her significant gambling addiction.

A nice positive response... Empty shops are not really the fault of the council.

Works begins of the refurbishment of the public toilets in Maylord Orchards on Monday! It will be good to have these much needed facilities reopen again in the city centre in the near future. Gemma Davies - Cllr said to us today;

We are again witnessing floods across our county and you have to feel for all of those people and businesses that are affected. Residents in Greyfriars Ave and Wye Terrace as well as many other homes in streets and roads across Herefordshire are once again flooded out. Our friends at De Koffie Pot are really battling against the odds to pump out the constant flow of flood water. Keep up the good work guys and let's hope that the water does not breach the wall, we have our fingers crossed for everyone

ROAD CLOSURE | Holme Lacy Road, Putson, Hereford. Please do not ignore the signs they are there for a reason! #herefordvoice #herefordnews #herefordshire