Hereford Voice

Planning submitted for apartments on the site of the former Sportsman Pub on Widemarsh Common. Planning Number P192344/F

The scaffolding erected at the Town Hall in Hereford in December 2015 was finally removed today after almost three and a half years! The entrance canopy has undergone extensive repair work as it had settled by approximately 50mm and required additional strengthening steel rods to be placed in order to give additional support and a large part of the canopy has been completely replaced together with remedial terracotta and stone work. There is still some cleaning to be done to complete the project but this fine iconic Hereford building is almost back to its former glory.

Sullivan House Widemarsh Street Hereford, proposed change of use of redundant commercial building B1(a) to C3 residential incorporating 10 no. apartments of 6no. 1 bedroom units and 4no. 2 bedroom units. The proposal includes bin and cycle storageand 5 no. car parking spaces. Planning Application P192324/PA2

Planning has today been approved (with conditions) which includes protecting the existing trees on site.

It is 4 years ago today that Christian Bagley was killed while he walked under Hunderton bridge on 21st June 2015 and still nobody has been convicted of his murder. We would urge anyone with any information to contact the Police or Crimestoppers. #speakupforchristian

Ground breaking moment for cyber security in Hereford Work is due to start on the £9 million Cyber Quarter - Midlands Centre for Cyber Security in Hereford and was marked by an official ground breaking ceremony on Friday 7 June. The trail-blazing project on Skylon Park, Hereford Enterprise Zone, is a joint venture between the University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council and part-funded by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). Cllr David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: Professor Geoff Layer, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Wolverhampton, said: Andrew Manning Cox, chairman of Hereford Enterprise Zone and Marches LEP board member, said The 2,000 square metre building, designed by Associated Architects and built by Spellar Metcalfe, will provide significant resources for research and development across three cyber laboratories, advanced training facilities as part of the WCRI and additional business space for up to 16 cyber companies. The centre, which secured £2.82m of funding via the Marches LEP’s Growth Deal with Government in 2017, is part of the new Cyber Quarter at Skylon Park, already home to numerous defence and security sector businesses. The new centre incorporates a full height glass atrium to provide a dual break-out space and function hall, alongside the main three storey building that houses business suites, innovation rooms, IT workshops and a ‘Cyber Range’ – a cutting edge facility that will defend against the global rise of hacking. The Cyber Quarter - Midlands Centre for Cyber Security is set to reach BREEAM Very Good, an industry-leading standard of sustainability and is set to open in Summer 2020.

The construction of new student accommodation at Station Approach, Hereford, has been given official approval following a decision taken yesterday (Monday 10 June). This means that building work on the 178 bed purpose-built facility can start within the next few weeks and it is planned to be completed ready for students to move in for the academic year starting September 2020. The development of Higher Education is critical to supporting the economic prosperity of the city and wider county, providing opportunities for people to live and learn in Herefordshire, and establishing a workforce that will help local businesses continue to flourish as well as attract new investment. The council is carrying out the project with our development partners, energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE and Cityheart Partnerships. Hereford College of Arts (HCA), which has a proven need for good quality student housing to support its growth plans, will be the main customer of the new accommodation. There will also be the option to provide rooms for students of NMiTE, supporting its development. The site is perfectly located for easy access to local colleges, key transport links and the city centre. Councillor David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “The new student accommodation will provide high quality purpose-built facilities, making Herefordshire an even more attractive proposition for young people looking to study here. We are delighted that this will support our local higher education providers and promote Herefordshire as a great place to study and live. “Station Approach is a key project within the council’s Development and Regeneration Programme (DRP) which will support economic development in the county.” The project will be financed by an external provider and operated by a specialist company. The freehold of the site will be retained by the council. The council car park at Station Approach will close to allow the development, but the NCP car park will continue to operate. Residents and visitors are asked to make use of the existing capacity in the council’s other car parks around the city centre, and new signage along Station Approach will help direct people to Merton Meadow.

The Hereford Skate Park has bee featured in the latest Co-op TV Adverts, check it out; Co-op food that helps fund local causes #ItsWhatWeDo like the Hereford Skate Park.

The new timber walkway construction on the embankment of Belmont Pools (to improve the safety of pedestrians/cyclists across the causeway) has now been completed and looks fabulous! We originally broke this story back in April on our Facebook Page here but forgot to add it to our forums, so here are the photographs we took at the time.

Plans to turn The Broadley's Pub in Hereford into a Co-Op store have today been refused

The Conservative Party has lost overall control of Herefordshire Council. The Tories won 13 seats in total, losing half the amount they previously held. The feeling among many of the Conservative candidates was that the national picture, and in particular the handling of Brexit had badly affected their results. Herefordshire Independent Group Leader Bob Matthews has said it is an "excellent result" that was "better than expected". New Council make-up following results; Independent: 18 Conservative: 13 It's Our County: 8 Green: 7 Lib Dems: 6

Councillors talk about transparency, but would you realise that Dave Greenow is a Conservative candidate for Hagley ward based on his letterhead which says ‘Independently minded’. Nowhere in his letter does he state he is a Conservative and there is a danger that some of the electorate will just see the “independently” word as an inference that he’s an Independent. With Jonathan Lester being in the Hereford Times recently for using images which implied he was involved in certain projects, which was not the case, you would have thought they would have been more careful. Or perhaps they are having their hopes on people thinking they are Independent! Perhaps the Tories are embarrassed about being Tories now

HEREFORD'S Debenhams appears to have escaped a round of closures of the chain's stores. The Hereford store is not on a list of 22 out of 166 branches to shut that was issued this week. But further closures will be confirmed in due course, with the final number depending on future trading performance. The move has put 1,200 jobs at risk across the company. The Hereford store opened in the Old Market shopping development in 2014. Keep supporting these local stores and keep local people in jobs!

Suspect device apparently

A man has now been arrested and the incident is over.

Breaking News: Hostage Situation. We have received 'unconfirmed' reports that a man is holding a male and a female hostage at a property in Poole Close. Armed police are at the scene and this has been an ongoing situation since about 3am. There is also now a fire appliance and crew on site. Police and Balfour Beatty have cordoned off Belmont Road (A465) between Walnut Tree Avenue and Asda and motorists are being diverted to the Ross Road (A49) There is no risk to the wider public. Police have advised the public to avoid the area. Police Statement:

A great view of this iconic building occupied by Laura Ashley as you leave the passage leading to Gilbies Bar, (St Peters Close)

The prefabricated bungalows in Beattie Avenue Hereford will soon just become a pile of rubble once the demolition work begins. Hereford Voice previously reported on plans submitted by Hereford Housing back in March of 2018 in this topic for the proposed demolition of 41 existing (prefab bungalows) in Beattie Avenue Hereford and the subsequent construction of 71 bungalows and houses with associated parking, private amenity, access and alterations to highway.

By reporting a scam, you may prevent others from being scammed Scammers are targeting Herefordshire households by telephone, pretending that residents are due a refund on their Council Tax and asking for bank and card details. Herefordshire Council will always write to customers to advise them of any refund and would never ask for bank or card details over the phone. Fraudsters often use the phone to cold call their way into your home. They trick you by pretending to be from a trusted source, such as the council, your bank, the police, a utility provider or a computer company. Their aim is to get hold of your personal or financial information like bank details and passwords. Scammers can be very persuasive and relentless - if they can get access to your bank cards, or persuade you to transfer money into bank accounts they control, then most of their work is done. The good news is that it’s easy to protect yourself: If you receive an unsolicited call from a company you don’t recognise, hang up Never give out personal or bank details over the telephone Don’t feel pressured to make a decision over the telephone Consider a call blocking device to filter out unwanted calls If you think you have been targeted by a scammer, call Citizens Advice consumer helpline on 03454 04 05 06. Citizens Advice will give you advice on what to do next, and report the scam to Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards team for investigation.

Good article in the Telegraph from Martin Cassini HERE

Here is another change of use application, this one is for multi-occupancy home. Planning Application P190882/F

Herefordshire Council has approved expenditure to invest £150k in improving car parking across the county. The council operates 43 car parks throughout Herefordshire and as these are well used and important assets in local economies it is vital that they remain fit for our visitors and ensure continued growth countywide. Herefordshire Council, as a member of the British Parking Association, considers factors such as accessibility and car safety as a priority when promoting the use of a car park in a local area. The programme of enhancement works we are carrying out include works to improve signage and accessibility at Maylords car park, particularly for those parking with children – including 12 new parent/child spaces; Improving the car park surface and signage at Merton Meadow car park; Improvements to tackle anti-social behaviour and improve safety at Garrick Multi-Storey Car Park, as well as a new lighting system at the heavily used Plough Lane car parks. Several car parks in locations throughout the county have also been identified as being in need of some minor enhancement, such as surface repairs, line markings or replacement drainage. Chris Jenner, Assistant Director for Technical Services, said:

Over the past few years, we have noticed more and more planning applications to change use from shops to residential flats and accommodation. Again today plans have been submitted here for 145 Eign Street Hereford shops are slowly disappearing and Herefordshire Council are often granting these plans. We will attempt to start highlighting each of these applications to show the scale of this trend from the Council. How plans were passed in Eign Street for this lot previously is beyond comprehension, how is this in keeping with the surrounding area? These buildings bricked up look horrendous!

Well done to the winner and we wish him all the best, enjoy your winnings!