megilleland

Are we talking about councillors or employees or members of the public? In the council 2.10.4 Statutory Officers 2.10.4.1 The Council is required by law to designate senior officers as the Head of Paid Service, the Monitoring Officer, the Chief Finance Officer and the Statutory Scrutiny Officer. Neither the Head of Paid Service nor the Chief Finance Officer can also be the Monitoring Officer. 2.10.4.2 The Chief Executive is designated as the Head of Paid Service and is responsible for reporting to the Council on how the staff is organised and deployed in the Council. 2.10.4.3 The Assistant Director Law, Governance and Resilience is designated as the Monitoring Officer and is responsible for reporting any actual or potential breach of a legal requirement to the Council Meeting or Cabinet, and for dealing with complaints that Councillors have breached the Councillor Code of Conduct by Councillors reporting as necessary to the Audit and Governance Committee. 2.10.4.4 The Chief Officer Finance and Commercial is designated as the Chief Finance Officer (also known as the s.151 Officer) (appointed to fulfil the role set out in that section of the Local Government Act 1972) and is responsible for the proper administration of the Council’s financial affairs including reporting the actual spending or potential misspending of money to the Council Meeting or Cabinet. 2.10.4.5 The Head of Governance is designated as the Statutory Scrutiny Officer and is responsible for promoting the role of the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny committees, providing support to the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny committees and their members, and for providing support and guidance to all members and officers of the authority in relation to functions of the authority’s Overview and Scrutiny committees. 2.10.4.6 The Council will provide the Head of Paid Service, the Monitoring Officer and the Chief Finance Officer with such Officers, accommodation and other resources as are in the opinion of each of those officers sufficient to allow their individual duties,as specified in law, to be performed. therefore 5.4.2.1 The provisions of the Model Code of Conduct for Members apply to all Councillors. A breach of those provisions can be the basis of a complaint to the Monitoring Officer and the Standards Committee. The Employee Code of Conduct is part of the terms of conditions of their employment. Employees are accountable to their Line Manager; they will seek to assist any Member, but they must not be asked by Members to go beyond the bounds of the authority they have been given by their Line Manager. 5.4.2.2 Any dispute over any provision of this protocol in relation to employees should be referred in the first instance to the responsible Head of Service or the Chief Executive. If agreement cannot be reached the Chief Executive will seek to resolve the issue in conjunction with the Leader of the Council and/or the Leader of the appropriate Political Group. Issues relating to employee conduct will be dealt with under disciplinary procedures. Any unresolved dispute relating to a Member’s conduct under this protocol will be determined by the Standards Committee. 5.4.2.3 This protocol should be read in conjunction with the the Planning Code and the Protocol on Hospitality and any other policies of the Council, for example the Whistleblowing Policy (Public Interest Disclosure) and the Harassment and Bullying Policy. Also Local authorities have a wide range of powers and duties. National policy is set by central government, but local councils are responsible for all day-to-day services and local matters. They are funded by government grants, Council Tax and business rates. Powers and duties Local authorities work within the powers laid down under various Acts of Parliament. Their functions are far-reaching. Some are mandatory, which means that the authority must do what is required by law. Others are discretionary, allowing an authority to provide services if it wishes. In certain cases, ministers have powers to ensure consistent standards to safeguard public health or to protect the rights of individual citizens. Where local authorities exceed their statutory powers, they are regarded as acting outside the law and can be challenged in court. Misconduct in public office is an offence at common law triable only on indictment. It carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. It is an offence confined to those who are public office holders and is committed when the office holder acts (or fails to act) in a way that constitutes a breach of the duties of that office. Accountability Holders of public office are accountable for their decisions and actions to the public and must submit themselves to whatever scrutiny is appropriate to their office. 2.3.4.1 Citizens have the right to complain to: a the Council under its complaints scheme available at main offices and on the website; b the Ombudsman after using the Council’s own complaints scheme; and c the Monitoring Officer about a breach of the Councillor Code of Conduct (Part 5 section 1).

During March, Hereford Civic Society, in partnership with the Hereford Times, will be hosting four Question Times at the Kindle Centre, starting at the earlier time of 7 pm. Speakers will include both parliamentary and local candidates standing in the May elections and non-politicians, all of whom are keen to help shape the future of this county. Thursday 5th March 2015 Hereford's Future Built Environment PLACE Reviews, High Town & Buttermarket, Old Market one year on etc Lucy Hurds, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate Cllr. Anthony Powers, It's Our County Cllr. P Edwards, Independent Alex Coppock, Director, Communion Architects John Bothamley, HCS Maybe a good time to reinforce the move of the fire station to the country bus station. If you would like to ask a question – please send it to: chair@herefordcivicsociety.org.uk

Hello Denise. Not sure what you are looking for, but you may find it in the Herefordshire Council Constitution. All major councils are required by law to prepare and keep an up to date constitution. The constitution explains and regulates how the council operates, how decisions are made and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.

List of planning public notices affecting the city It is a legal requirement for the council to give public notice of certain types of planning application and other planning matters by the display of an advert in a local newspaper. If you wish to comment, please follow the advice contained in the notice. The Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2010 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, Sections 67 & 73 Application Types: P - Planning permission L - Listed Building Consent SL - Affecting the setting of a Listed Building AC - Affecting a Conservation Area D - Not in accordance with the provisions of the Development Plan RW - Affecting a public right of way T - For a telecommunications mast 26th February 2015 No applications affecting City If you wish to make representations or comments you can during the period of 21 days beginning with the date of the publication of this notice quoting the relevant number: By the Website: Using the online comment form By e-mail to: planning_enquiries@herefordshire.gov.uk By post to: - Planning Services, PO Box 230, Hereford, HR1 2ZB ANDREW ASHCROFT (Assistant Director)

Not quite!

The warm weather brings them out. I have just had my first election candidate tapping on my front door. Let's hope we see a range of further specimens landing in the garden fairly soon.

Bang on again twowheels. Dodgy contracts, PFI schemes, back room deals all aided and abetted by high level executives, and central government through common purpose to destroy local democracy and transfer power and decision making to those outside the county ie LEPs, private corporate businesses and the third sector. £40 million employing local labour would keep the money in Herefordshire and not on some offshore island in the Caribbean.

From Herefordshire Council News - 27 February 2015 So to date it is Council 2 Amey 2. However I can see this running into extra time, and I doubt those responsible for this cock up will be sent off. It will be interesting to see if the next big match Council v Balfour Beatty will give us the same jitters. The match programme can be viewed here.

I would have thought that if there is one organisation that has an interest in the county being tidy, Visit Herefordshire must be the major one. Tourists move about the county and must surely see the same litter that I see in my everyday travels as a postman, a job that takes me to most parts of Herefordshire. I was also a hotel proprietor for 11 years in the north of the county and my guests were very aware of the natural beauty of our countryside returning each year. However since I sold the hotel in 1999, and taking up cycling, I have become very conscious of the worsening state of our surroundings and the lack of awareness of these problems by those entrusted to maintain appearances. Basically no one cares. However I will send the Highways Agency a note and report back on their reaction. They at least recognise litter is a problem on our roads - Highways Agency Litter Strategy (pub 2013). Oddly the A49 is shown on their map (p7) as being kept tidy by the local authorities it passes through. The A49 south of the city along the Callow to the Monmouth turn is also blighted.

Sally Roberts Sally.Roberts@visitherefordshire.co.uk via hotmail.com 12:10 (32 minutes ago) Dear Mr Gilleland Thank you for your enquiry. Visit Herefordshire has not raised this issue with any of the authorities you mentioned regarding the litter in the city and verges around the county. Can I suggest that you contact Herefordshire Council and report this issue yourself, I will do the same, If enough of us report this issue maybe something will happen. Kind regards Sally-Ann Roberts Visit Herefordshire Limited King Street Hereford HR4 9BW

Yes, but the council should be getting onto them. I wonder what Visit Herefordshire think about this - litter is hardly an attraction for visitors. I have just sent them an email and will let you know their response.

Travelled to Ludlow yesterday and the A49 is one big litter trail. I reckon it would be imposible for BB to clean it up in the next month before it gets hidden again when the grass starts growing. If they cut the verges later the litter will just get shredded and scattered everywhere. Why is no-one on the council or at BB concerned?

Hereford Times News 25th February 2015 by Bill Tanner, Senior Reporter and Not sure where to post this story. It could have gone under grass cutting, council incompetence, scrutiny, transparency, but it doesn't really matter as more money is cast to the wind. Is this why the council is appointing more financial wizards. Let's hope the Balfour Beatty contract is watertight!

Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority Policy and Resources Committee 27 January 2015 Report of Head of Asset Management 6. Asset Management Strategy: Hereford Fire Station Purpose of report 1. To report progress to the Committee regarding the provision of a new fire station in Hereford. Recommendation It is recommended that the progress towards identifying a site for a replacement fire station in Hereford be noted.

No list found so far. Read more with examples.Parish briefing note New lengthsman scheme (3).doc

It would appear that there are 53 parish councils that have not signed up for the Legthmans Scheme. These parishes can also undertake Neighbourhood Plans. Another area lacking in the city's development. We do not appear to be represented in both these areas of "Localism"

Chris, surely the Hereford city parish is a defined area and that a team of lengthsmen to cover the eight wards could be employed. If you are saying the scheme does not really fit in with the city environs, what scheme does or is it easier to just forget it? Judging by the litter I would say it was forgotten ages ago - time for questions to be asked which were not raised at the scrutiny Task & Finish group. It would be nice to know before the coming election.

Glenda is Hereford City Parish Council signed up for the Lengthsman Scheme and how does it operate across the eight wards?

One Year On. An update on the services provided by Balfour Beatty Living Places during the first year of the Public Realm contract. Balfour Beatty Living Places came to Herefordshire on the 1st September 2013 after a short mobilisation period following its successful bid for the new public realm services contract. One year on this document reflects the many achievements and challenges as well as highlighting the changes introduced and future plans. Herefordshire Public Realm Services Balfour Beatty Living Places Update September 2014

According to the council website there are 81 councils signed up to the Lengthsman Scheme. No detail though. More information here.

It is not only Hereford City that is suffering from litter and waste on the streets.

Don't you have a group meeting. You can put on the agenda for discussion and action. We know the tories couldn't care less and expect us all to get on the streets and clear it up ourselves. This has been reflected in another council tax increase this April.

Hello Glenda. What about the rest of the city and highway verges. Are Balfour Beatty going to sort this out before the grass hides it all again? There is no need to be specific about clean up areas, no matter where you go it is looking really bad. They came up with a minimum grass cutting schedule last year which wasn't good enough - do they have a litter pick up schedule?

Just to reinforce what I said above. In the Independent today.

Taken from topic Looking forward to voting in the 2015 General Election. Full result for 2010 Herefordshire North General Election WD Wiggin (Conservative Party) 24,631 votes - 51.8% votes won LA Hurds (Liberal Democrat) 14,744 votes - 31.0% votes won N Sabharwal (Labour Party) 3,373 votes - 7.1% votes won JP Oakton (United Kingdom Independence Party) 2,701 votes - 5.7% votes won FM Norman (Green Party) 1,533 votes - 3.2% votes won EJ King (Independent) 586 votes - 1.2% votes won Full result for 2010 Hereford & Herefordshire South General Election AJ Norman (Conservative Party) 22,366 votes - 46.2% votes won SJ Carr (Liberal Democrat) 19,885 votes - 41.1% votes won PL Roberts (Labour Party) 3,506 votes - 7.2% votes won VJ Smith (United Kingdom Independence Party) 1,638 votes - 3.4% votes won J Oliver (British National Party) 986 votes -2.0% votes won As I have said before theTories will most probably get back in because the voting will be split between too many other parties. The first past the post system does not reflect the overall view of the electorate - one vote more than your opposition and you are in for five more years. Can you get a disenchanted Tory voter - I doubt it. Although the Lib Dem vote was very strong it will drift to the other sides. Their candidates were very close at the last election and L A Hurds is a local person - is J A Carr?. The Greens and UKIP have their supporters and many people will be giving them a try. If you don't want the Tories in control, it means everyone voting for one opposition party at the coming election, if we knew who it was, and then we may get some change. Will it happen?