Do the Police check the GWW?

[M. Preece]

A friend of mine came home from town along the great western way the other night and commented to me on how scary it was along that walk. The lighting was very poor and could do with more lights being put up and brighter, she also suggested to me that it would be more reassuring if the Police drove along there at various times to check the area, especially when people are walking home alone at night.

 

How would one go about asking for extra brighter lighting along here and ask the Police to frequent the area at various times? thus reassuring people with their presence?

[Glenda Powell]

A friend of mine came home from town along the great western way the other night and commented to me on how scary it was along that walk. The lighting was very poor and could do with more lights being put up and brighter, she also suggested to me that it would be more reassuring if the Police drove along there at various times to check the area, especially when people are walking home alone at night.

 

How would one go about asking for extra brighter lighting along here and ask the Police to frequent the area at various times? thus reassuring people with their presence?

You have just asked in a roundabout way,the person who can request this is me. Our old friends Amey clears all the trees and I have requested that they cut the trees back around the light standards, I will have another word on Tuesday at the PACT meeting, the lights were updated in 2006 and are of the regulation standard although yes maybe we could do with a few more. I live very close to the GWW and would not walk there in darkness hours, not that I am suggesting I would get attacked but only that it is dark up there. The police CSO's are supposed to check and to be fair I know they cycle up there but of course they can only work until 10pm.

[M. Preece]

You have just asked in a roundabout way,the person who can request this is me. Our old friends Amey clears all the trees and I have requested that they cut the trees back around the light standards, I will have another word on Tuesday at the PACT meeting, the lights were updated in 2006 and are of the regulation standard although yes maybe we could do with a few more. I live very close to the GWW and would not walk there in darkness hours, not that I am suggesting I would get attacked but only that it is dark up there. The police CSO's are supposed to check and to be fair I know they cycle up there but of course they can only work until 10pm.

So no Police are around this area between 10pm and the following morning then?

[Glenda Powell]

So no Police are around this area between 10pm and the following morning then?

 

No South Wye police after 10pm untill following morning at 7am, the police station front desk is not open until 10am-2pm or 4pm -8pm on a Wednesday.after those hours

you would need to go through the 0300 333 3000 number and ask for Hereford Central Station where they will direct your call.

[M. Preece]

No South Wye police after 10pm untill following morning at 7am, the police station front desk is not open until 10am-2pm or 4pm -8pm on a Wednesday.after those hours

you would need to go through the 0300 333 3000 number and ask for Hereford Central Station where they will direct your call.

Not much use if your being attacked at 2am, ok thank you anyway.

[P. Rowe]

Not much use if your being attacked at 2am, ok thank you anyway.

Ha ha yes that is true enough, but seriously it is far too dark up on the old lines, way too dark for a woman to walking home alone, more lighting would make it feel that little bit safer, more Police patrols would be good too specially now that winter is almost here.

[Colin James]

Yes the old railway line is not a nice place for people walking alone at night. Maybe a few more brighter lights would help together with some CCTV, that together with more police patrols would make people feel a little safer I am sure.

 

It's a pity they can't make this into a road from the top of Newton Farm, could help take some of the pressure off the busy Belmont road...

[ruardean]

Yes the old railway line is not a nice place for people walking alone at night. Maybe a few more brighter lights would help together with some CCTV, that together with more police patrols would make people feel a little safer I am sure.

 

It's a pity they can't make this into a road from the top of Newton Farm, could help take some of the pressure off the busy Belmont road...

I understand that at one time a tram line was mooted to run up & down the lines.

As you suggest, anything that relieves the congestion in Belmont road (esp term times) would be welcome.

I am sure with a little thought the tram could run from the end of the line & link into at least the Courtyard area.

Crossing the A49 into town would be a struggle, but worth a look at, I reckon.

 

As regards the poor lighting here, I can only agree. It's not only disturbing for single ladies, but strapping blokes like me too!!

[Frank Smith]

I understand that at one time a tram line was mooted to run up & down the lines.

As you suggest, anything that relieves the congestion in Belmont road (esp term times) would be welcome.

I am sure with a little thought the tram could run from the end of the line & link into at least the Courtyard area.

Crossing the A49 into town would be a struggle, but worth a look at, I reckon.

 

As regards the poor lighting here, I can only agree. It's not only disturbing for single ladies, but strapping blokes like me too!!

I never thought of a tram line, not sure if that would relieve the traffic that much as it would act almost like a bus service, we need to reduce the traffic.

 

I like the idea of making it into a relief road while we wait for the never ending bypass debate to conclude.

[ruardean]

I never thought of a tram line, not sure if that would relieve the traffic that much as it would act almost like a bus service, we need to reduce the traffic.

 

I like the idea of making it into a relief road while we wait for the never ending bypass debate to conclude.

Well the buses get snarled up in the traffic same as everything else.

There are a lot of good points about running a tram service, but the initial capital outlay would be high, I imagine.

Cheaper than a road lined with unwanted houses though, imo.

[Colin James]

Well the buses get snarled up in the traffic same as everything else.

There are a lot of good points about running a tram service, but the initial capital outlay would be high, I imagine.

Cheaper than a road lined with unwanted houses though, imo.

Some good idea's here, and I think they could all be explored. Good to see you online ruardean

[Glenda Powell]

I understand that at one time a tram line was mooted to run up & down the lines.

As you suggest, anything that relieves the congestion in Belmont road (esp term times) would be welcome.

I am sure with a little thought the tram could run from the end of the line & link into at least the Courtyard area.

Crossing the A49 into town would be a struggle, but worth a look at, I reckon.

 

As regards the poor lighting here, I can only agree. It's not only disturbing for single ladies, but strapping blokes like me too!!

Yes you are right, Mr Heinze who used to own the Left Bank restaurant did look at the possibility of running a tram between Newton Farm and the Courtyard theatre but he changed his mind and bought the Castle House hotel instead.

The cost of putting a tram line in would be a considerable amount of money!

[Victor Wright]

I have read the above comments and I agree that something could be done with the old railway line, seems as waste in its current format, surely they could turn this into a road or tram line etc..

[H.Wilson]

I would never walk home along the great western way, especially in the hours of darkness, certainly not enough lighting up there and Colin's suggestion of cctv is a must!

 

Turning this into a road is a great idea

 

No way would I walk along there either.

[ruardean]

Bit off topic I know, but I'm not sure how to start a new thread or whether this warrants one, but here is one of my conspiracy tales from the post war years.

 

At the time that Hunderton was being laid out & planned, it was suggested that a river crossing be made at the end of Beattie Ave with a road passing to the west of the Water Works & linking with Kings Acre/Whitecross Road at the Foxhunter roundabout.

Both Beattie Ave & Wordsworth Road were planned & built sufficiently wide to take the then anticipated flow of traffic.Beattie Ave was then expected to be only temporary anyway because of the limited life in the prefabs. How wrong they were!!

 

Here's where the conjecture sets in!!

 

It is alleged that someone overseeing the works did not want this to take place for reasons one can only speculate upon, & in a successful ploy to thwart the road arranged for one of the 3 storey blocks of flats in Villa St to be so sited as to effectively close the end of Beattie Ave.

 

Have look at Google Earth & you will see how logical the route was & there is even a vestigial tail on the roundabout at the end of Westfaling St & Wordsworth Road to take the new route.

 

There...it's all out now!!!

[Adrian Pitt]

Bit off topic I know, but I'm not sure how to start a new thread or whether this warrants one, but here is one of my conspiracy tales from the post war years.

 

At the time that Hunderton was being laid out & planned, it was suggested that a river crossing be made at the end of Beattie Ave with a road passing to the west of the Water Works & linking with Kings Acre/Whitecross Road at the Foxhunter roundabout.

Both Beattie Ave & Wordsworth Road were planned & built sufficiently wide to take the then anticipated flow of traffic.Beattie Ave was then expected to be only temporary anyway because of the limited life in the prefabs. How wrong they were!!

 

Here's where the conjecture sets in!!

 

It is alleged that someone overseeing the works did not want this to take place for reasons one can only speculate upon, & in a successful ploy to thwart the road arranged for one of the 3 storey blocks of flats in Villa St to be so sited as to effectively close the end of Beattie Ave.

 

Have look at Google Earth & you will see how logical the route was & there is even a vestigial tail on the roundabout at the end of Westfaling St & Wordsworth Road to take the new route.

 

There...it's all out now!!!

 

 

Very interesting reading, thanks for that, just had a look on google earth and yes your right.

[Glenda Powell]

A friend of mine came home from town along the great western way the other night and commented to me on how scary it was along that walk. The lighting was very poor and could do with more lights being put up and brighter, she also suggested to me that it would be more reassuring if the Police drove along there at various times to check the area, especially when people are walking home alone at night.

 

How would one go about asking for extra brighter lighting along here and ask the Police to frequent the area at various times? thus reassuring people with their presence?

 

I attended the Belmont PACT meeting tonight and mentioned the GWW, I made a request for trees/bushes to be cut back, upgrade of lights and more of them in this area.

I also requested the trees in Muir Close to be cut, also trees along Waterfield Road and Carwardine Green in Newton Farm. By reporting this at the PACT meeting they must respone to my request.

[Victor Wright]

I attended the Belmont PACT meeting tonight and mentioned the GWW, I made a request for trees/bushes to be cut back, upgrade of lights and more of them in this area.

I also requested the trees in Muir Close to be cut, also trees along Waterfield Road and Carwardine Green in Newton Farm. By reporting this at the PACT meeting they must respone to my request.

Thank you

[Colin James]

I attended the Belmont PACT meeting tonight and mentioned the GWW, I made a request for trees/bushes to be cut back, upgrade of lights and more of them in this area.

I also requested the trees in Muir Close to be cut, also trees along Waterfield Road and Carwardine Green in Newton Farm. By reporting this at the PACT meeting they must respone to my request.

 

Has any of this work been carried out yet?

[Bill Thomas]

I attended the Belmont PACT meeting tonight and mentioned the GWW, I made a request for trees/bushes to be cut back, upgrade of lights and more of them in this area.

I also requested the trees in Muir Close to be cut, also trees along Waterfield Road and Carwardine Green in Newton Farm. By reporting this at the PACT meeting they must respone to my request.

 

2 years later...

[Glenda Powell]

I walked down the GWW on my ward walk of Newton Farm yesterday afternoon, the work I have asked for again is to cut the grass/weeds back also over hanging trees from around the light standards, rubbish removed and the 'dead posts' removed all this work is dependent on AMEY! I have since 2010 ask for further lighting to be put along the GWW on several occasions to no avail, I will try again, but they will be led lights which shine directly down and will not light up the bushes etc.

[Glenda Powell]

To further answer your question in regard to the police patroling the GWW they do ride along there periodically but it is generally in the day, I did meet a CSO yesterday on his bike whilst walking down GWW. They are consentrating around the Belmont Pools because of teenagers shooting there!

[Roger]

Colin has obviously bumped this topic for a reason so I'll comment. A CSO may trundle along the GWW on a bicycle at lunchtime of a daytime for PR but is it a bright idea for them to do so when it's dark? A lone CSO would be vulnerable to any number of factors. They have a radio I suppose but all these paths that are 99.9% not patrolled most of the time are an accident waiting to happen. I don't perceive these paths around the river to be safe at ANY time when it gets a bit dark .... 

[Ubique]

I can recall that in days gone past if the Authorities did not want the general public to walk along a certain footpath at night NO street lights were installed - in the main this ensured that more pedestrians used lit footpaths / pavements to walk to their destination - these routes were , in the main along roads so the added addition of motor vehicles assisted with the feeling of security .