megilleland

Concerning Brexit there will be no questions asked about EU control of British defence procurement, industry and training and the EU plan for treasury union. Maybe our MPs will be able to expose the myth that we will leave the EU and how much the UK will be contributing to the EU military coffers over the next 5 years. However to date our local MPs have remained silent on these issues. Interestingly UKIP drew attention to EU military plans 2 years ago, Enoch Powell’s EEC / EU Prophecy at the start of the EEC and only recently France is hoping to take advantage of Germany's present political position.

Traffic lights on Edgar Street and Link Road now working ready for grand opening tomorrow. Champagne and canapes all round!

I believe as a result of the Link Road junction alterations there are bus service changes from 11 December 2017 77 Hereford - Holmer Circular Minor timing changes. Service revised to continue along Roman Road serving Victoria Park, then continuing along Venns Lane. This replaces the 81A and no longer serves Old School Lane. 77A Hereford - Holmer Circular Revised timetable. Service revised to operate along Roman Road, College Road, College Green and Kingsway to Old School Lane and then Bobblestock. 81 Hereford - College Green Revised timetable. Unchanged route to College Green then revised to turn right into Kingsway, right into Old School Lane then continuing via Venns Lane and Aylestone Hill to the City. 81A Hereford - College Green - Victoria Park Revised timetable. Service operates peak hours (as service 81 above) but continuing from College Green to the City via Victoria Park and Venns Lane. Off peak services provided by services 77 and 77A. A map showing the changes, although I am not sure it conveys helpful information - what is the difference between the red and green marked routes? 81_81A_77_77A_77B_171211_final(3).pdf

Glenda, a lorry with salt has just arrived at the end of Muir Close. A quick response!

Thanks for trying Glenda.

Seven years on and still the same story - no gritting on the estate roads, especially those roads which are on slopes and accessing the main Belmont road. Have the council got no quad bikes with spreaders attached to reach the estate roads? I have just about walked down and back to Widemarsh Common along Great Western Way taking me two hours, was passed by three cyclists one of whom had fallen off and a few pedestrians struggling to maintain their balance. Lot of ambulance sirens Why they couldn't grit the GWW at least, bearing in mind this is a main artery to get you into the city. The route is wide enough for a gritting lorry, just no one thinks about the possibilities of many more personal accidents waiting to happen to block up A&E at the hospital. Of course for those sitting in their mobile living rooms cruising up and down the main roads - no problem - what's the fuss about?

Meeting: General scrutiny committee Meeting date: Monday 11 December 2017 Title of report: Public Accountable Body for NMiTE Report by: Cabinet member finance, housing and ICT Purpose and summary To review proposals that the council act as the accountable body for the new Hereford University, NMiTE (new model in technology & engineering), during its establishment phase. Accountable body status means that the council will be accountable for funding allocated to the new university project by central government. Accountability involves receiving funds from central government, ensuring those funds are allocated and spent in accordance with any funding conditions specified, and providing reports on that expenditure. The council has been approached by NMiTE to provide this role and, if approved, would work to support independence as soon as practical. Recommendation(s) That: (a) the committee determine any recommendations it wishes to make to the executive to consider when determining whether to act as accountable body for public funding to support establishment of a new university in Hereford. (b) the chief finance officer be authorised, following consultation with the monitoring officer and cabinet member corporate strategy and budget, to enter into such legal documentation as are appropriate to protect the Council’s interests. (extracts) 3. On 26 October the Department for Education (DfE) announced up to £15m funding over three years to support the establishment of the new university in Hereford, NMiTE (New Model in Technology & Engineering). In addition to this funding, NMiTE is due to receive further funding, £8m, through the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The recommendation is for the council to act as the accountable body for the DfE funding announced and a project accountable body role in support of the Marches LEP funding. 18. No council funds will be payable to NMiTE however the management of the flow of funds between the accountable body and NMiTE will require resourcing. The cost of resourcing these additional operational tasks is to be financed from a share of the grant allocation. Risk management 23. The legal documentation will clarify the risks of entering this arrangement. Ultimately the Department for Education could require the Council to repay the grant funding that it has been received and which it will have paid to NMiTE. Whilst this obligation will also be passed down to NMiTE through the flow-down agreement, it is possible that NMiTE would not be able to make any required repayment, which would therefore leave the Council out of pocket. The risk of any claw-back can be managed/mitigated by ensuring compliance with the grant funding terms through the monitoring and reporting obligations that will be put in place. 24. In addition the council needs to be aware that if ineligible expenditure is incurred by NMiTE this would not be covered by the grant and could therefore cause a cashflow concern to NMiTE which may lead to a reputational risk. 25. These risks will be identified and monitored within the corporate finance risk register. 26. The draft MoU has a right for the Council, the Department for Education and NMiTE to terminate on giving not less than three months’ notice. However, this document is not expressed to be legally binding and appropriate rights of termination will need to be included in the legally binding funding agreements that will also be entered into What could possibly go wrong with £23 million pounds under the council's management?

Fixed penalty notices: issuing and enforcement by councils How councils and other authorities issue fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for environmental offences, fine limits and how money can be spent. Fixed penalty notices (FPNs) can be issued to deal with environmental offences like: * littering * fly-tipping * dog control offences * graffiti * fly-posting * nuisance parking (people selling or repairing cars on the road) * abandoned vehicles * leafleting without permission on land where leafleting is restricted (‘designated land’) * failing to nominate a key holder or give the council key holder details in an alarm notification area * failing to provide a waste carrier licence (for businesses transporting their own waste) * failing to provide a waste transfer note when moving non-hazardous waste

I have been following this Spanish gentleman, Andrés Basagoitia, who flies a drone specialising in railways and his surrounding countryside matched with orchestral music . I think the quality and production is fantastic and really sells this part of northern Spain,. It would be interesting for some expert to fly a drone along the proposed bypass route before the council knacker this piece of countryside for good.

I took the photo later in the afternoon. There had been several other people helping out so altogether about 8 people. I didn't realise that Cllr Rone was present, but I can vouch that he did contribute to the action. Glenda the man in the red cap was Phil Edwards. It just shows what can be done. If this good work continues I will have to change the title on this thread to "I told you it would get better"! I notice that this topic has been viewed 31,125 times - lets hope it encourages others to get involved. I have tried to get our local shop to stock a few litter pickers, but nothing for sale so far.

Good job done in cleaning up the footpaths/verges around Muir Close garages and Sherborne Close electric sub-station today organised through Alexandra Nicholas from Herefordshire Housing with Hereford Community Clean Up Group. 49 sacks of overgrown hedges and kerbs today within Newton Farm Ward. Compare pics in Post 131 above to see difference.

Problem in Muir Close. A mysterious hedge cutter came down the road and trimmed what I believe is a council hedge. The pieces of the hedge which were thrown over the road I swept up and left in neat piles on the grass verge. No one seems to know who commissioned the hedge trimmer and everyone - Muir Housing Group, Herefordshire Housing and Herefordshire Council deny it's their responsibility to remove the trimmings. The trimmings are still on the verge 3 weeks since the cut. The ownership and responsibility for estate verges and trees has always been a problem see "Adoption of housing estate land by Herefordshire Council" going back to 2012. Hereford Housing made a visit and showed me a map explaining the responsibility for estate verges as they see it, but it is not clear and agreed by the other agencies.

Not much action for two years since the last post above - gave up complaining. Any way the cavalry are on their way. Lets hope it shames the council and Balfour Beatty. BB's campaign for Living Places is a joke in Hereford. It's only going to get done by volunteers as the council couldn't care less. I will be giving a hand to get the job done.

Greens reduce Conservative majority on Herefordshire Council A COUNTY council seat in North Herefordshire which was previously held by the Conservatives has been won by the Green party. Ellie Chowns won the Bishops Frome and Cradley by-election by a comfortable margin over Conservative candidate Ross Carter gaining 471 votes to Mr Carters 299. Liberal Democrat candidate Jeannie Faulkner was third with 251 votes and Roger Page, Labour, was left in fourth place with 19 votes. This means there are now four Green councillors on Herefordshire Council - all women and all representing wards in the north of the county. Herefordshire Council make up (53 councillors in total) 28 Conservatives 10 It's Our County 8 Independents 4 Greens 2 Liberal Democrats 1 No party declared Only 3 seats between Conservatives and other parties.

EU rules British cities cannot be capitals of culture At least Hereford only wasted £22,000.

I prefer to support "Buy Nothing Day". This is where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. The rules are simple, for 24 hours you will detox from buying stuff - anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending! Instead of shopping people around the world will take part in a 24 hour moratorium on consuming, either as a personal experiment or public statement. Also listen to George Carlin talking about "stuff" Just noticed I mispelt Anyone in the post title. Must dash down to town and buy a dictionary - should get a bargain somewhere after walking around for 4 hours!

Budget tomorrow. Mainstream media headlines today are focused on Britain's record national debt, which just surpassed £1 trillion, a figure that can only exponentially increase unless the entire mechanism of Government finance is overhauled. The truth however is much worse, factoring in all liabilities including state and public sector pensions, the real national debt is closer to £4.8 trillion, some £78,000 for every person in the UK. Makes our offer of £40 billion for our EU exit look like small change. National Debt Clock

Agenda Cabinet Thursday 16 November 2017 2.00 pm South Wye Travel Package To confirm making of the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) and Side Roads Order (SRO) and to approve commencing the procurement of a contractor for the Southern Link Road (SLR). Recommendation(s) That: (a) the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to arrange for the making of the County of Herefordshire District Council (South Wye Transport Package – Southern Link Road) Compulsory Purchase Order 2017 pursuant to sections 239, 240, 246, 250 and 260 of the Highways Act 1980 and the Acquisition of Land Act 1981 for the acquisition of the land interests and new rights within the areas coloured pink and blue respectively shown on the plan attached at appendix A (subject to any minor or technical amendments to the said plan as the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate considers) and for compensation payments to be made in accordance with the relevant legislation; (b) the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to arrange for the making of the County of Herefordshire District Council (South Wye Transport Package – Southern Link Road) Side Road Order 2017 under Section 14 and 125 of the Highways Act 1980 as shown in the plan attached at Appendix B (subject to any final amendments of the said plan the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate considers necessary); © the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to arrange for the making of the Compulsory Purchase Order and the Side Road Order and to take all the necessary and ancillary steps, including the publication and service of all statutory notices and the presentation of the Councils case at any public inquiry, to secure the confirmation of the orders by the Secretary of State; (d) the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to implement the Orders, including the acquisition of all necessary land and interests and new rights, and to pay compensation including acquisitions agreed by negotiation and to carry out any other additional steps needed for the implementation of the Orders for the Southern Link Road; (e) the Director for Economy, Communities and Corporate be authorised to take all operational decisions necessary to establish and implement a procurement strategy to inform and enable a decision to award a contract to the best value tender for the construction of the SLR within a budget up to £150,000.

Connected 11.20am

Still off at 11.10am

Not only cyclists who are ar**ho**s, I witnessed two cars last night, in an interval of 5 minutes, driving down Belmont Road at 6.30pm with no lights on.

Things could be a lot worse, but at least you would hear them coming.

It was far easier before. You didn't have to play around sorting the information out, you just opened the data for each month and away you went, everything clearly laid out. Yet again the council throw more obstacles in your path. It's the same strategy used in all their business and day to day activities to b*gg*r you up - for example let's put more traffic lights on the roads to slow up the traffic flows. How many lights are there on the city roads? I am reading this wrong or are the council? Publish data individually for each month obligatory.

Here is the council's reply to my questions above. Dear Mr. Gilleland, Thank you for your queries. I have liaised with the finance team involved with the publication of the data and can now respond to you. The Transparency Code 2015 requires local authorities to publish certain sets of information (“datasetsâ€) as “open dataâ€. Open data is data published in a machine readable, non-proprietary format so that users can access and re-use it regardless of which computer system they use. The dataset requirements in the Transparency Code include expenditure exceeding £500 Some datasets must be published at least quarterly and not later than one month after the quarter to which the data and information is applicable (as stated in Part 2.1 of the Code); this includes the expenditure over £500. Other datasets must be published at least annually (as stated in Part 2.2 of the Code). It is recommended that some information including expenditure exceeding £500 be published monthly or as soon as it becomes available, however this is not something local authorities must do. Equally, the 2010 Local Spending Data Guidance is guidance and not statutory. The council is therefore not wrongly publishing expenditure data by doing so on a quarterly basis, as this is in compliance with the Transparency Code 2015, and the council’s procedure for publication of data under the Transparency Code. The decision to publish the data quarterly rather than monthly was as a result of work capacity within the finance team who prepare and publish the data. The finance team will however review to see if they are able to return to a position of monthly publication, in recognition of the greater transparency that this provides. The data can be easily sorted by date, no data is hidden by this. The finance team will include in their review how the data is presented to ensure that it is easily accessible. Please let me know if you have any further queries regarding this. Yours sincerely, Anthony Sawyer Information Access and Records Manager Herefordshire Council

I have been told the leak has been running since Sunday 5pm - 48 hours ago. Welsh Water asked for the shop wall to be taken down to get to leak which the shop did immediately, but no one has shown up today to fix the leak, so it just keeps running down the drain.