megilleland

90 minutes to debate Coronavirus Act And a lifetime of being consigned to serfdom. David Ellis speaks to Ann Widdecombe, former Brexit Party MEP and former Conservative Shadow Home Secretary, and Rusty Firmin, former 22 SAS; the "man with no gloves" of Iranian Embassy seige-breaking team. They discuss the drive for more military involvement in the civilian response to Coronavirus, defence review and military involvement in building the media narrative. https://youtu.be/NQkCSEjdpoM

Read and Sign the Great Barrington Declaration. There have to be better ways to sort out the mess we are in with this government's handling of our health and economy. As infectious disease epidemiologists and public health scientists we have grave concerns about the damaging physical and mental health impacts of the prevailing COVID-19 policies, and recommend an approach we call Focused Protection. As at 9th October 2020 Signed by Medical & Public Health Scientists 5,902 Medical Practitioners 12,020 General Public 165,165 Add your name now.

It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the death of Councillor Bernard Hunt, on Tuesday 6 October 2020. There will be a minute’s silence at Full Council on Friday 9 October 2020. Bit of a shock. Had an email from him about a local matter only 10 days ago saying that he would very much like to attend that meeting. Always found him responsive. Condolences to his family over his sudden death.

Revealed: The least and most deprived neighbourhoods in Hereford By Carmelo Garcia, Local Democracy Reporter, Hereford Times - 4th October 2020 HEREFORD has one of the most poverty-stricken areas in the UK, according to council statistics on deprivation. The latest figures show that there are 18,500 people living in deprived households across the county – this is about a tenth of the population. There are 11 places in Herefordshire that are within in the 25% most deprived nationally, which feature in The Indices of Deprivation 2019 report published by Herefordshire Council. The most deprived are south of Hereford and in Leominster, Ross-on-Wye and Bromyard. Golden Post-Newton Farm in Hereford is the most deprived area in the county and is the only one to be in the 10% most deprived nationally. Other deprived parts of the city include Hunderton, Redhill-Belmont Road, Newton Farm-Brampton Road and Hunderton-Bishop’s Meadow. In Leominster, 28% of people in Ridgemoor are living in income deprived households and the Grange and Gateway areas are also among the county’s most deprived places. The John Kyrle area in Ross also appears in the council’s report along with Bromyard Central. Newton Farm councillor Bernard Hunt says local people feel overlooked when it comes to crime and access to housing. “Police can be very slow to respond to complaints about the bad behaviour of a minority of young people,” he said. “They feel a bit overlooked. When it comes to drugs, they will report people who are selling drugs but isn’t followed up. “When it comes to access to housing, Herefordshire Council have been generally good, but they are restricted due to a lack of central government funding.” Coun Hunt said one of the benefits people have in Newton Farm is access to good transport links. This is something he says many other rural areas struggle with. Around 3,900 children are living in income deprivation across Herefordshire, that’s about 12% population aged under 16. And around 6,100 older people are living in income deprivation across Herefordshire. Of the 29 most deprived areas in the county, 15 are in Hereford city, eight are in the market towns and six are located in more rural areas including Fromes Hill, Greater Weobley, Kingsbridge, Greater Docklow, Greater Bosbury and Kington Doughnut. Hereford city also has some of the least deprived areas, particularly in the north of the river, as do rural areas surrounding the city. Other less deprived areas are found within Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye, as well as rural areas in the east of the county around Ledbury and Cradley and to the south of Bromyard. Herefordshire Lower Layer Super Output Areas that are amongst the most deprived nationally according to income domain of the index of deprivation 2019: 1 Golden Post-Newton Farm: 29 % living in income deprived households 2 Leominster-Ridgemoor: 28 % living in income deprived households 3 Leominster Grange: 25% living in income deprived households 4 Leominster-Gateway: 25% living in income deprived households 5 Hunderton: 23% living in income deprived households 6 Ross-John Kyrle: 22% living in income deprived households 7 Bromyard Central: 20% living in income deprived households 8 Newton Farm-Brampton Road: 20% living in income deprived households 9 Redhill-Belmont Road: 20% living in income deprived households 10 Hunderton-Bishop’s Meadow: 20% living in income deprived households Agree with Cllr Hunt concerning “Police can be very slow to respond to complaints about the bad behaviour of a minority of young people” I gave up calling 101 after 16 minutes on hold and 10 mins calling Herefordshire Housing to say that youths who regularly use the top of our garages as a meeting place are now climbing up scaffolding at Sherborne Close. Someone is going to injure themselves badly if they fall. I think the police did turn up eventually, but by this time they had moved on to somewhere else.

Noticed that two men were cutting back low hanging branches near me. It turns out that these two men are contracted to respond to all tree matters in Herefordshire. So they could be dealing with a tree matter in Hay on Wye and then have to travel across to Ledbury for another. The problem is that those above have no idea how resources and planning need to be deployed to create an environment fit to live in - just look at the state of our estates, roads and cycleways. If you walk around you may notice these things instead of sitting on their sofas at home and hitting their computer keys - that's not working. If something needs doing you are better off doing it yourself. Start at the bottom and work your way up to resolve matters

Back in 2010 this Simpsons episode makes for interesting viewing in 2020.

Waste still on the verge since July 18th. No one interested in sorting this out or contacting me. All sitting at home with their computers.

From The Hereford Times today: People told they must book to visit Hereford and Leominster tips By James Thomas @JamesThomasHere Reporter HEREFORDSHIRE Council is set to stop people visiting tips in Hereford and Leominster if they haven't pre-booked a timeslot. Currently, the sites in Chapel Road, Hereford and Bridge Street, Leominster are open as they were before the coronavirus pandemic, but the council has told people they will need to pre-book in a bid to cut down on queues. From Monday, September 14, the two sites will follow a similar system to those in places at the centres in Bromyard, Ledbury, Ross-on-Wye and Kington. The pre-booked system for the two household recycling centres will be open for bookings from today (September 4). Due to Covid-19 restrictions, a limited number of residents are allowed on site at any one time, a council spokesperson said. They added: "This has caused traffic congestion around the Hereford site in Rotherwas and Bridge Street in Leominster. It is hoped that the booking system will prevent queues leading up to the sites. "The household recycling centres are only open to Herefordshire residents, and appointments must be booked online in advance. Residents will be able to book up to four slots every two weeks and will receive a pass before visiting. "An address and vehicle registration number will be needed to secure the booking. Anyone who is self-isolating or has Covid-19 symptoms must not visit a household recycling centre." Councillor Gemma Davies, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for commissioning, procurement and assets, said: “It is essential that everyone books a slot before visiting one of our household recycling centres. "The booking system has worked well at our other sites. By introducing the system for Hereford and Leominster, we hope to avoid the queues which have been building up outside the sites. “We continue to advise residents to take measures to avoid creating waste and manage it at home where possible. If you do need to visit, we ask that you observe social distancing rules at all times, come to the recycling centres alone where possible and wear gloves and suitable footwear. "Most importantly, please act responsibly and respectfully towards other visitors and staff.” To book, visit: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/hrcbooking I suppose it will cut down on waiting time. Not sure what happens if you're in the queue and a few minutes late.

In 1988 when my wife and I converted a 14th century hall house in Eyton into a small country house hotel we had the problem of the building's waste running into a septic tank which then overflowed into the stream passing through the property. In order to cure the problem a mechanical treatment plant costing upwards of £25,000 would have to be installed according to the Environment Agency. A chance meeting with Dr Rick Hudson of Cress Water resolved the problem for only £900 and was the first reed bed installation in Herefordshire. The reed bed sat unobstrusively in the grounds and the water coming out of the system was cleaner than the water in the stream to which we were discharging and no smells. These chicken farms could be dealt in the same manner.

Save the River Wye! Demand moratorium on all new poultry units in Powys Kate Bull started this petition to Powys County Council Every summer now, the River Wye is turning a putrid green and its delicate ecology is being destroyed by algae blooms that are caused by effluent from poultry farms flowing into it. If this goes on, we will lose everything that we treasure about the Wye. It will turn a horrible, ugly green every time it gets sunny. The fish will go, and they will be followed by our kingfishers, our dippers and our herons. It is very, very worrying. There are now 116 intensive poultry units (IPUs) in Powys, each raising more than 40,000 birds. With an estimated 8.5 million chickens on permitted units in the county, that is 64 times more chickens than people. Powys County Council and Natural Resources Wales have a legal responsibility to protect Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) such as the Wye. They have, however, been apparently unwilling to use the existing laws to protect the river from the damage caused by a proliferation of poultry units in the county. When granting planning permission, the Council has consistently refused to consider the impact of new poultry developments individually and cumulatively on the local environment, including the county's rivers and water courses. Enough is enough. We call on Powys County Council to instate an immediate moratorium on planning permissions for new or extended poultry units in the county until the full environmental - and community - impacts of those we already have can be assessed and reduced. Sign petition here.

The Hereford City Youth Council are making a map of Hereford showing some of the youth facilities in Hereford and we need your help. We have created a list of some of the youth facilities in Hereford but we know we have missed some. If you know of any more youth facilities we would like to know. Here is what we have so far: - Hereford SkatePark, Holmer Road - The Core Roller Skating, Foley Trading Estate - Close House Youth Centre, St Peters Close - Hereford Canoe Club, Castle Green - No Wrong Door, Commercial Rd - Green Spider Climbing, Rotherwas - Boulder Barn Climbing, Holmer trading est - BMX track, Westfaling St - The Loft Cinema, West Street - Newton Farm Skatepark, - Halo Swimming Pool, Bishops Meadows - Halo Leisure Centre, Holmer Rod - MFA Bowl, Station Approach - Courtyard Theatre, Edgar Street - Bishops Meadow If you have any youth facilities that we could put on the map, please email TheYouthCouncil@herefordcitycouncil.gov.uk with the name of the youth facility/facilities and what street the youth facility is on by Tuesday 22nd September 2020. We look forward to seeing what facilities you can help us to add to the map The Hereford City Youth Council

It's not working in Berlin Berlin reports rise in fatalities as new bike lanes fail to keep cyclists safe (extracts) A coronavirus-related drop in traffic and new protected bike lanes have failed to make Berlin’s roads safer for cyclists, as the German capital reports a four-year record in fatalities. A woman run over by a right-turning articulated lorry in the district of Reinickendorf on Friday became Berlin’s 14th official cycling fatality of 2020 – more than twice as many as the six recorded in 2019. In Berlin, district authorities spent the early days of lockdown building more than 14 miles of pop-up bike lanes, separated from car lanes by traffic beacons, to help cyclists stick to physical distancing. But according to Siegfried Brockmann, an accident researcher for the German Insurance Association, the coronavirus crisis has mainly reduced the number of passengers on public transport, while the number of cars on the city’s roads has risen back to normal levels or higher. Widening cycle paths not only failed to address those areas where accidents were most likely to occur, but could also have had an adverse effect, Brockmann suggested. “If I speed up the cycling traffic, that doesn’t make it safer,” he said. “Two thirds of accidents involving but not caused by cyclists occur at crossings, turnings or on property driveways – and so far authorities have failed to come up with solutions to reduce the risk.” Articulated lorries were involved in six of the 14 accidents resulting in cycling fatalities in Berlin this year. In a further incident, which was not officially recorded as a traffic accident, a journalist, 35, waiting at a traffic light, was run over by a lorry when its driver lost control of the vehicle.

One month on and the waste is still there, although it may disappear in the next two weeks. Muir have now got their contractors cutting the grass verges under their assumed responsibility and are doing a good job. Disappointed that no one from the above organisations has replied on the situation only to acknowledge my complaint, but this seems to be the future way of working. No one on the ground to inspect the area like they used to, so assume all these managers are now sofa workers. Noticed and showed the contractors the state of the trees around Muir Housing - one half dead, branches cut off trees and left on ground so the grass can't be cut and it looks as if someone has deliberately cut the bark and injected a substance into another. Such a shame our local councillor has also failed to react. If anyone wants to talk about sorting this mess out I am always available at the house being a 24hr carer.

There are 600 total parking spaces with 31 disabled and 22 parent & toddler spaces With the ground floor entrance car park adding nothing to the development I always felt that it should have been landscaped into a social area ie small open air events, water features, grassed areas, walkways to Merton Meadow and Blackfriars Rose Gardens and Coningsby Hospital Museum. How many cars can be parked in the multi-storey?

Received this email from Jesse Norman MP today 12th August 2020. As they say all publicity is good publicity. The only good news is that a bypass is possible and that it should go east as Jesse submitted to the Department of Transport and Herefordshire Council years ago Dear Martin, As you may have seen, I was delighted to welcome the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, to Hereford yesterday as he visited the County Hospital and the site of the new Hereford Medical Centre. It was fantastic for him to see the work being done to replace the old hutted wards with new builds, with the PM even getting his hands dirty with some plastering work in the new units. But I was also extremely pleased to show him the site of the new Medical Centre, which will bring five GP services across Hereford city under one roof with some brilliant new facilities. The centrepiece of his visit was the announcement of £2 million in new funding for the Hospital A&E Department, alongside the previous £23 million for the new build. This, combined with the £9 million for the new Medical Centre, will make a huge difference to healthcare in the County. Finally, it was great that he was able to make the time to meet lots of staff, and to recognise all their hard work to keep us safe in the face of the coronavirus pandemic. He got a terrific reception from everyone, and was clearly delighted by the visit. A big day for Herefordshire! With all good wishes, as ever, Jesse _____________ This goes back 10 years at least 26th November 2011 Jesse Norman MP, Hereford, believes east is best road route 14th January 2016 Change of direction sought by MP Jesse Norman in link road and bypass debate

Yes, but the aim of cycle lanes is to encourage people to get out of their cars and the false security they create will no doubt catch some people lacking awareness. It's not unusual to see the younger element cycling along with no hands on the handlebars, wearing headphones listening to music and texting on their mobiles. Not a very good mix with all this traffic racing to get nowhere.

Just hope no one opens their car door across a cyclist - could be quite nasty.

This Indian Lady takes a while to spell it out, but it’s all there; T’s crossed, i’s dotted. Everything is connected. NewsBreak 81 CONFIRMED COVID 19 Plandemic a Known, Live “Training & Simulation Exercise” under World Health Organisation

Another week gone by - everyone hoping I'm going to take it all up the tip. Still nothing from Muir Housing, Cllr Hunt or BBLP. Notice that some people have taken to cutting the lower branches off the lime trees in between the houses in Muir Close and of course have left the debris where it fell. Maintenance what's that? And to think we pay Muir a "No service charge" and council lax. No chance of catching Covid19 up here - you don't see anyone in "authority", although we had a police van and two police cars with six police officers attending an incident for a couple of hours in one of Muir's properties.

In The Daily Telelgraph - 5th August 2020 It's alright planting new trees where there is space, but no one maintains them. On Newton Farm trees are blocking light from their gardens and houses, with some people now cutting off the low hanging branches and leaving the rubbish on the ground. With little road sweeping, litter, graffiti, blocked drains and weeds growing in the kerbs, our street are in keeping with their surroundings - ie neglected and blighted.

In The Guardian 6th August 2020 England's planning reforms will create 'generation of slums' Boris can move quickly when there is money to be made. Robert Jenrick's got form in helping out his friends developing sites in London. Wait for the free for all with the developers, the council and housing associations building everywhere, especially on the open spaces enjoyed by residents. More blight for the future as these bodies can't look after what they have already got. Interesting to hear the Civic Society views on this one.

Some people can't wait for action. From yourherefordshire.co.uk The council meeting tomorrow should be lively.

Still no action from anyone. Herefordshire Housing (Connexus) have dropped out of the running as replied above. I wonder who going to move it first - most probably me as usual. I'll try and fit it in while being a 24 hr carer - it gives me a bit of fresh air.

BBC Local News 30th July: Free hospital parking to come to an end Free parking at hospitals in Herefordshire comes to an end on Saturday. It will affect the car parks at the County Hospital in Hereford as well as the community hospitals in Bromyard, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye. The free car parking was introduced at the start of coronavirus lockdown in March.

Extraordinary meeting, Council - Tuesday 4 August 2020 2.00 pm Watch this meeting live on the Herefordshire Council YouTube Channel