Cannot Purchase Hot Food In Hereford City After 1.30am

[Colin James]

How pathetic that you cannot buy hot food in Hereford after 1.30am!



This stupid idea of Hereford Council I assume is designed to prevent a build up of people coming out of nightclubs...well guess what? It does not work! Because now people que at the sandwich bar in Commercial Road or in the 24 hour garage.
So why can we not buy hot food? It's no wonder many people think the nightlife and everything else is so poor and choose to avoid Hereford altogether! This Council needs to have a rethink and get into the 21st Century!
Hereford is becoming like a ghost town both during the day and night!

I have written to the Hereford Times expressing my opinion and quite a lot of other locals too

[Alex]

Hereford is a joke! I rarely go out here anymore, I usually go over to Worcester or Cardiff. This is unreal, Colin is completely correct, it is no wonder Hereford is so dead! How stupid, oh you can have a line of people wating at the Lunchbox just around the corner from Play for cold food at 2am but you cant have people waiting outside Mr Chips? This was introducced when the relaxed the licensing laws, If my memory serves me correct, which in itself solved the problem of lots of people leaving clubs and hanging around in the City because now people leave in small groups at various times throughout the night, before these laws all the clubs closed at 1 or 2am, so everybody all came out together, this is no longer the case, so this idea is pointless.

[Glenda Powell]

Colin, you are right the closure of eating establishments at 1:30am is because the council and police want to encourage people to go home after coming out of night clubs instead of congregating in the streets, from what I have been told and again now from you its not working!

[Colin James]

 

 

Colin, you are right the closure of eating establishments at 1:30am is because the council and police want to encourage people to go home after coming out of night clubs instead of congregating in the streets, from what I have been told and again now from you its not working!

What a stupid idea! You go out, you drink and dance then guess what YOU ARE HUNGRY! Chippy and any other takeaways rely on this trade, now people leave clubs and bars at different times as stated above, so now there is just a steady flow of people, it's a joke that you cannot get something to eat!  

[Adrian Pitt]

Hereford Council destroyed Hereford long ago! They killed the shops in Widemarsh Street n broad st by putting in poxy 1 way systems where people couldn't access them and weren't allowed to park for any sufficient length of time and why pedestrianise everywhere? when there are no decent shops (except if u want to drink coffee all day n just hang out if u havent gor a job - Oh yeh there are no jobs because there are no shops because you can't get to them easily by car - silly me) #justsayin.

 

I moved away from Hereford over 3 yrs ago and have access to everything right here. Hot food, cold food, swimming facilities x 3, shopping facilities x 10, traffic jams don't exist n I can walk my dogs without having to worry who's behind me! Goodbye Hereford n enjoy your cold pasties!!

[Bill Thomas]

I completely agree with Adrian Pitt's comments, this Council is destroying our City! You cannot park anywhere anymore! Disabled spaces everywhere!!! are you telling me that there are more disabled people now than 20 years ago? NO maybe a few more scammers but that's about it, Council should start looking at putting in additional parking spaces and not pedestrianise everything! Broad Street and King Street next! :Thumbs-Down: as food late night hot food this is another pathetic implimentation of how to destroy local business's, What's the difference between being able to buy sandwhiches, crisps and snacks or traditional fish and chips? NOTHING! We were all young once and I remember a good night out was a skin full of beer, off to a disco and a curry on the way home. I cannot believe that you cannot buy any hot food in Hereford City after 1.20am on a Saturday night, we are all treated like kids!

[M. Preece]

I was not aware that you could not purchase hot food after 1am that is ridiculous in the highest order. WHY? So that must be a nightmare because after drinks your get the munchies, that must wind people up more, NOT being able to purchase hot food so a reverse effect.

[Alex]

I completely agree with Adrian Pitt's comments, this Council is destroying our City! You cannot park anywhere anymore! Disabled spaces everywhere!!! are you telling me that there are more disabled people now than 20 years ago? NO maybe a few more scammers but that's about it, Council should start looking at putting in additional parking spaces and not pedestrianise everything! Broad Street and King Street next! :Thumbs-Down: as food late night hot food this is another pathetic implimentation of how to destroy local business's, What's the difference between being able to buy sandwhiches, crisps and snacks or traditional fish and chips? NOTHING! We were all young once and I remember a good night out was a skin full of beer, off to a disco and a curry on the way home. I cannot believe that you cannot buy any hot food in Hereford City after 1.20am on a Saturday night, we are all treated like kids!

 

Hereford is full of disabled parking spaces and we all know most are actually NOT disabled, but why so many spaces? You cannot park in town, you end up driving around the back of the Green Dragon and into Broad Street/King Street constantly looking for parking spaces if you just need to nip to the bank etc.. parking charges in the car parks are a complet rip off! it's cheaper to park in Bristol than Hereford, work that one out!

 

Hereford is full of non rate paying charity shops and the council chargeextortionate rates which is crippling all the other shops it's no wonder the town is so empty.

[Alex]

Good to see your STAR LETTER in this weeks Hereford Times Colin
 

 

Colin James of Glastonbury Close, Belmont asks why a curfew on hot food?

8:00am Thursday 27th September 2012 in Letters

IT IS pathetic that you cannot buy hot food in Hereford after 1.30am.
This stupid idea of Herefordshire Council is, I assume, designed to prevent a build up of people coming out of nightclubs.
Well, guess what? It does not work, because now people queue at the sandwich bar in Commercial Road or in the 24- hour garage.
So why can we not buy hot food? It’s no wonder many people think the nightlife and everything else is so poor and choose to avoid Hereford altogether.
The council needs to rethink and get into the 21st century. Hereford is becoming like a ghost town both during the day and night.

COLIN JAMES, Glastonbury Close, Belmont.

 

http://www.herefordt...w_on_hot_food_/

[M. Preece]

I have just read your letter in the Hereford Times Colin, well done, Star Letter too 

[Victor Wright]

Good write up in the paper Colin and yes I completely agree with you. This town is becoming a ghost town

[Roger]

The 1.30 am cut off is set in stone by the Police and Council to clear the drunks off the street quicker. If the chip shops and kebab shops stayed open later then undoubtedly a few extra people would hang about longer munching on hot food and potentially they would cause problems in their drunken state. As we all know people munch on hot food all day and all evening outside chip shops with no issues. So the problem is alcohol related. I would argue that the food shops should stay open later for the benefit of the Majority and that disorder with the Minority is prevented by dealing properly with the Nightclubs who are quite happy to serve people booze way past the point where they should have been refused service. Stand outside Fusion nightclub (or whatever it is called), or Play, at kicking out time and you will see the state of the clients! Absolutely smashed! Instead of drifting into work on Monday morning to react to an email report of a chip shop closing 5 minutes late the Council should be round the boozers logging who is serving drunks and dealing accordingly. And if that means suspending a License then so be it. The Clubs will soon get the message. At the moment the only Licenses that get taken away seem to be the one's where the Council have done a daytime 'sting' on shops doing under age sales or ones selling contraband brought in from Europe. I think the Golden Fleece was shut down for a while over a nasty assault but it wasn't until someone was nearly killed that action was taken there. It had a long history of being a watering hole for the local drunks. Same as The Queens and the Bowlers. The bottom line is, at the moment, the Council is NOT doing enough and is cheaply trying to deal with the fallout of the problem as opposed to dealing with the problem itself.

[Colin James]

Roger, I work and have worked as security on a few of the pubs and clubs in the city for over 15 years. We are all adults and should behave accordingly, it is virtually impossible to refuse to serve people (although it does happen) simply because the person buying drinks is usually the more sober one as clearly if they were off their head they would not be served but most people react differently once they get out into the fresh air. But on the flip side of that, why can't young people get drunk and have a good time? Most work hard all week and look forward to their weekends. We are only talking about the few idiots here most people in my experiennce are well behaved.
I was in the city last weekend, we came out of the club and when you have had a good night out you usually end up starving, looking forward to a takeaway to take home and everywhere was closed at 1.30am what a joke! It's no wonder people choose to avoid Hereford and go to other towns, it's like a ghost town both during the day and at night! However, Tesco's is open 24 hours so you can go there for food or the sandwich bar in Commercial Road, or the 24/7 garage and there is also Subway, so it's got nothing to do with people hanging around town in my opinion, becasue they use these places. I would of understood this had they of implimented it when the clubs all closed at 1am and loads of people would pile out at the same time, this is when there used to be trouble, but now since the relaxations of licensing laws people tend to leave the clubs at various times, so now there is no mass crown 'so to speak' so this stupid curfew is not required.

[Roger]

Any hot food shop in Commercial Road wanting to stay open after 1.30 am will have the Crime Map waved in their direction. Followed by a refusal.

[Colin James]

Sorry but this is not an argument as it is in the city centre and I could put a map up for any city centre showing similar statistics.

 

Sounds like you agree with the curfew Roger?

[Roger]

I don't agree with the curfew. But I can see why it's there as a cheap fix. I can, however, buy a kebab in other Cities at 3am and have done so! Which reinforces the argument that Hereford is not moving with the times.

[Colin James]

I don't agree with the curfew. But I can see why it's there as a cheap fix. I can, however, buy a kebab in other Cities at 3am and have done so! Which reinforces the argument that Hereford is not moving with the times.

 

Hence why it's a ghost town both in the day and at night but yes Council needs to get into the 21st Century!

[Roger]

Hereford People might be confused as to why the Jailhouse Nightclub can open until 3am on Thurs/Fri/Sat http://www.truffleherefordshire.co.uk/business-detail.php/75/the-jailhouse with it's recent 2 year history of drugs and alcohol related disorder (at and within it's premises) as detailed in a Police Press release on 02.10.12: http://www.westmercia.police.uk/news/news-articles/hereford-nightclub-faces-licensing-hearing.html when the hot food shops round the corner have to shut at 1.30am. I'm pretty sure any problems outside their premises that may have occurred would not have been down to their food vending but would be down to where the troublemakers had been drinking elsewhere earlier! Same point as I made earlier really but the drinks venues seem to be cut far more slack than the hot food places!

[Bill Thomas]

There will always be a certain amount of city center and alcohol related issues but you get this in every city/town and there should be enough resources to deal with these incidents accordingly, but this has nothing to do with buying food, hot or cold! what a load of rubbish! Quite happy for people to go to Tesco's which is open 24 hours, so it's okay to allow people that have been out drinking to turn up there or at the local service station but you cannot grab a take away on your way home? What's wrong with home delivery after 1.30am?

[Roger]

The chip shops are being allowed to open until 0430 hrs into 01.01.13. I saw the one's in Commercial Road were advertising this when I was in town earlier today. I think it's a one off. I cant remember if this happened last New Years Eve.

[Colin James]

The chip shops are being allowed to open until 0430 hrs into 01.01.13. I saw the one's in Commercial Road were advertising this when I was in town earlier today. I think it's a one off. I cant remember if this happened last New Years Eve.

 

Sadly, I suspect it's a one off.

[Biomech]

1.30am? You'll be pushed to find anywhere after midnight - hell, the other weekend I couldn't even get a Subway at 11pm on a Saturday night!

 

People don't want "hot" food, they just want food, so if there are no burgers or kebabs about, it's a trip to the petrol station of sandwich place as you say.

 

As a related aside - didn't government pass a law that allowed 24/hr pubs? I see Horrorford stayed well clear of that one.

Again they cited violence, but studies and evidence shows that violence is significantly reduced as you don't have a mass kick out with 24/hr licencing

[M. Preece]

1.30am? You'll be pushed to find anywhere after midnight - hell, the other weekend I couldn't even get a Subway at 11pm on a Saturday night!

 

People don't want "hot" food, they just want food, so if there are no burgers or kebabs about, it's a trip to the petrol station of sandwich place as you say.

 

As a related aside - didn't government pass a law that allowed 24/hr pubs? I see Horrorford stayed well clear of that one.

Again they cited violence, but studies and evidence shows that violence is significantly reduced as you don't have a mass kick out with 24/hr licencing

 

Yes when everyone left the clubs at 1am yes Commercial Road was mayhem but that has change now totally since the licensing laws were relaxed. The Lunch box near the traffic lights is packed during the early hours of a Friday and Saturday night, so is the garage, so to me it makes no difference and hot food places should be able to stay open as long as they want, its ridiculous

[Biomech]

I completely agree :)

I believe it's just more of the council doing "something" to make it look like they are doing something. Which must account for 90% of their actual workload.

[Jim Kenyon]

Hi folks I'm joining this debate late but can I point out that it is HEREFORDSHIRE council who are responsible for licensable activity throughout the county and indeed Hereford and not HEREFORD council hfdshire's policy has been driven by an over zealous police representative and a weak leadership that are afraid something might happen and are advise by council officers that are to stuck in there ways this needs to change there is a late night fast food Chicken shop opening soon on commercial rd I'd like to see the charcoal grill allowed to stay open late and indeed sit down Indian or Chinese restaurant throughout the city if they think it is viable lets see more of these restaurants coming forward and when the need comes letters of support from as many herefordians that want to venture into the city enjoy the night life and enjoy some hot food before going home.

[Colin James]

Hi folks I'm joining this debate late but can I point out that it is HEREFORDSHIRE council who are responsible for licensable activity throughout the county and indeed Hereford and not HEREFORD council hfdshire's policy has been driven by an over zealous police representative and a weak leadership that are afraid something might happen and are advise by council officers that are to stuck in there ways this needs to change there is a late night fast food Chicken shop opening soon on commercial rd I'd like to see the charcoal grill allowed to stay open late and indeed sit down Indian or Chinese restaurant throughout the city if they think it is viable lets see more of these restaurants coming forward and when the need comes letters of support from as many herefordians that want to venture into the city enjoy the night life and enjoy some hot food before going home.

 

I hope they remove these silly opening restrictions for these traders and soon!   

[Biomech]

I am really now not surprised to learn that many people avoid Hereford and go to Gloucester, Cheltenham, Worcester or Cardiff.

 

 

I much prefer a night out in Cardiff, fantastic place :)

 

it is HEREFORDSHIRE council who are responsible for licensable activity throughout the county and indeed Hereford and not HEREFORD council

 

 

This might be a naive question (nothing bores me more than politics)... but why are there 2 councils for the same place? I'm assuming one for "the shire" and one for the city limits?

But why not amalgamate them into 1 council. Surely this would be preferable? You wouldn't then have 2 councils arguing over policy and delaying progress, you also wouldn't waste time blaming each other and, I highly imagine, that you would save a **** load of money in the process!

[twowheelsgood]

What Cllr Kenyon should have clarified is that the Hereford City Council is a Parish Council. It has few powers and little money - an income of £0.75m pa from a precept on the Council Tax. It is largely ceremonial eg the Mayor, looks after the City's history and co-ordinates at a community level. It was a District Council, before we came a Unitary Authority (and it all went pear shaped) when there was also Leominster, Malvern Hills and South Herefordshire District Councils, all then merged. It is consulted by the District Council in the same way that all Parishes are. Many would say that the City would be a much better place if it could revert to being a District ...

[philbates]

Chill out, it won't belong before its not worth going out in the day time, let alone after dark, a few more shop closures, shut a couple more car parks along with the extra congestion caused by the partial closure of Newmarket street and bobs your uncle, town centre closed ,no problem.

Come and spend the day in Hereford, Park in the park and ride and spend a happy time sat on the bus in the traffic trying to get back into town (Christmas only), visit the Bandstand, the Radcliffe Water Gardens, the Paddling Pool, teach your kids to swim at the LEA pool instead of the river, visit the Race Course (which some councillors want turned over to houses), sit in high town under the trees, as long as you don't want to use the bog. Have a great time in the supermarkets and charity shops while we chop down a few more trees.

What is the slogan on the hoardings around the new shopping development? something like City living Country life, (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). I wish they would do an ASDA and roll me back to the late 70's, what a great place Hereford was then, plenty of life and full of people, although some things do not change, I remember the Councillor (Mr Chips) trying to use the police to close a burger van near by, as it seemed his customers preferred the van to his shop. Still as long as they pat themselves on the back and say well done to each other, regardless of which political party they happen to support on the day, then I say our councillors are well worth the money.

[Victor Wright]

Chill out, it won't belong before its not worth going out in the day time, let alone after dark, a few more shop closures, shut a couple more car parks along with the extra congestion caused by the partial closure of Newmarket street and bobs your uncle, town centre closed ,no problem.

Come and spend the day in Hereford, Park in the park and ride and spend a happy time sat on the bus in the traffic trying to get back into town (Christmas only), visit the Bandstand, the Radcliffe Water Gardens, the Paddling Pool, teach your kids to swim at the LEA pool instead of the river, visit the Race Course (which some councillors want turned over to houses), sit in high town under the trees, as long as you don't want to use the bog. Have a great time in the supermarkets and charity shops while we chop down a few more trees.

What is the slogan on the hoardings around the new shopping development? something like City living Country life, (I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong). I wish they would do an ASDA and roll me back to the late 70's, what a great place Hereford was then, plenty of life and full of people, although some things do not change, I remember the Councillor (Mr Chips) trying to use the police to close a burger van near by, as it seemed his customers preferred the van to his shop. Still as long as they pat themselves on the back and say well done to each other, regardless of which political party they happen to support on the day, then I say our councillors are well worth the money.

 

I agree with you Phil, Mr Chips was Councillor Alan Williams who later became the Mayor of Hereford. 

 

I went to use the toilets behind Marks & Spencer's yesterday and they are closed, use a local shop or pub they say, the Queens Arms have a sign in their window saying toilets for customers only so complain to the Council. But going back to the main topic, why can people not buy hot food after 1.30am? They have overcome this problem by opening The Lunch Box and selling sandwiches like it has already been said. Hereford Council need to get their act together because locals are choosing to go shopping and clubbing in other cities.