Local MP Jesse Norman, who has led the campaign to Clean Up the River Wye for over three years, has today hailed the publication of the Government's new Action Plan for the River Wye.

The plan, with £35 million of new funding, sets out a wide range of measures to address phosphate pollution and other environmental impacts on the Wye.

And in a crucial development, the Government has appointed well-known local resident and former Ross-on-Wye Councillor and MEP Anthea McIntyre as a new River Champion for the Wye.

Commenting, Jesse said:

"I have been campaigning for an Action Plan and  joined-up approach to cleaning up the River Wye for over three years now, and this is a potential turning point for the river. I am especially pleased that the Action Plan recognises the brilliant efforts of volunteer groups up and down the river.

"At the Shell Store meeting in 2022 we laid out what was needed: a properly funded single collective long-term effort bringing everyone together. And I reiterated the importance of this approach at our meeting with the previous DEFRA Secretary of State last June. 

"Now the Government has delivered on its side, with a larger package than anyone expected, which is fantastic. The challenge is now for us all -- including farmers, Welsh Water, Herefordshire Council, wildlife and environmental groups -- working with the new River Champion, to respond quickly and decisively to make it happen."

A man has been charged following a fatal collision on Home Lacy Road in Hereford on Sunday 8 October.

Stephen Susans, of Verschoyle Gardens in Ross-on-Wye, has been charged with being the driver of a vehicle failing to stop after a road accident, being the driver of a vehicle involved in a road accident failing to report the accident and perverting the course of public justice.

The 57-year-old will appear at Hereford Magistrates Court on 22 May. 

A planning application from Dorian Kirk (The Yard, Rule Of Tum and The Burger Shop) has been submitted to Herefordshire Council planning for the proposed development and conversion of a part of the vacant commercial unit into a bakery. 

This application is for 'Commercial kitchen extraction to rear flat roof' at 26 Commercial Street in Hereford

Full details HERE

The firm behind the Wildwood chain - which has a restaurant in the Old Market Hereford revealed plans to shut a raft of sites as part of a major restructuring.

Tasty, which also runs locations under Dim T brand, said it plans to exit around 20 loss-making restaurants after a “challenging” start to the year.

Under the plans, the group would shut 18 branches, with two of these sites already closed to diners.

Tasty currently operates 43 Wildwoods and six Dim-T pan-Asian restaurants, as well as two non-trading sites and three sub-let venues.

The group's board has put forward a restructuring plan it said would help ensure its long-term survival.

Tasty's 43 Wildwood restaurants serve pizza, pasta, burgers, and steak and occupy a number of heritage buildings.

The hospitality group said on Tuesday its financial performance"continues to be inhibited by a tail of underperforming sites".

A spokesperson said:

“The use of a restructuring plan is considered the most effective means to reorganise the group to return it to profitability and secure its long-term future which should change the financial viability, profitability profile and long-term prospects of the group."

Tasty said it expects to operate around 30 restaurants by the end of the current year.

But, it hasn't yet confirmed the locations of the sites earmarked for closure or when they could shut.

Here is the full list of Wildwood sites at risk:

• Dim T, Charlotte Street, London
• Dim T, Hampstead, London
• Dim T, Victoria, London
• Dim T, Whiteley, Hampshire
• Dim T, Winchester, Hampshire
• Wildwood, Epping
• Wildwood, Bicester
• Wildwood, Braintree
• Wildwood, Maidstone
• Wildwood, Taunton
• Wildwood, Market Harborough
• Wildwood, Crawley
• Wildwood Skipton
• Wildwood, Lincoln
• Wildwood, Billericay
• Wildwood, Birmingham
• Wildwood, Salisbury
• Wildwood, Whiteley
• Wildwood, Peterborough
• Wildwood, Kingston
• Wildwood, Canterbury
• Wildwood, Gerrards Cross
• Wildwood, Newmarket
• Wildwood, Bournemouth
• Wildwood, Chichester
• Wildwood, Ely
• Wildwood, Rushden Lakes
• Wildwood, York
• Wildwood, Llandudno
• Wildwood, Plymouth / Royal William Yard
• Wildwood, Hornchurch
• Wildwood, Cambridge
• Wildwood, Wantage
• Wildwood, Chelmsford
• Wildwood, Brentwood
• Wildwood, Didcot
• Wildwood, Hereford
• Wildwood, Stratford-Upon-Avon
• Wildwood, Port Solent
• Wildwood, Telford
• Wildwood, Hinckley
• Wildwood, Cheam
• Wildwood, Nottingham
• Wildwood, Seven Dials
• Wildwood, Northwich
• Wildwood, Liverpool
• Wildwood, Covent Garden

The Wildwood restaurant opened in Hereford's Old Market Shopping Centre in May 2015, see our original article - https://hfd.news/HX9i6

We are reassured and more than confident that this will go to full planning committee in the coming weeks, however, we predict that the latest Lidl planning application for the Three Counties Hotel site will be approved in the coming weeks from what we hear on the grapevine..

You can see our original 'Breaking News' article from March 2022 here 👉 https://hfd.news/Lidl3 

The Local Highway Authority also submitted a memorandum on 20th December 2023 (attached) explaining that the had no objections (with conditions)

Following the redesign of the central area of the car park the local highway authority has no objection to the application subject to the below conditions.

Conditions: CAB (2.4m x 43m), CAD Gates/barriers (setback 7m), CAE, CAJ (car parking to be provided in full prior to store opening), CAP (as per dwg 05 rev G by Corun), CAT, CB3

Informatives: I11, I09, I45, I08, I05, I14, I49, I54, I52, I51, I47, I37, I36, I35

Hereford City Council submitted their comments one 12th January 2024 stating that they have no objections;

Dear Heather

Hereford City Council Planning Committee has no objection to planning application 231703 however have comments. Whilst Councillors regret the loss of this hotel and tourism facility, they appreciate the need for an economy food store and associated employment south of the river which will be popular with local residents. Councillors have considerable anxiety about another unregulated junction on an already busy road and feel the proposed design is not respectful of the local environment.

Kind regards

Becci O’Reilly

Administration & Events Manager

It is evident from the original application that the majority of objections on the planning portal is certainly not popular with local residents! Which is what this letter (attached) states....

We had a petition signed from over a thousand local people as well as over 228 objections, which like ourselves was down to the main concerns over traffic congestion and safety of people using the notorious A465 Belmont Road. There were just 12 letters submitted in support of the application.

The original application was withdrawn and a new updated application was submitted in June 2023 (P231703/F).

This next part is interesting, Did you know? ALL of the original letters of objection and support together with a petition with over 1,000 signatures against the application cannot be taken into account even though the overall application is more or less the same - 'Demolishing the Hotel and building a Lidl supermarket' (We appreciate that the drive-thru coffee shop was removed and a few other tweaks made to the new application). We are confident that planning consultants know how to work the system because now the letters of objection or support are clearly going to be hugely diluted, which is the case with 41 objections and 10 letters in support as of the time of this topic 20th January 2024. 🤔 

The A465 Belmont Road is renowned for daily traffic congestion. There is also a speed enforcement camera located directly opposite the entrance to the hotel which was installed for a reason! 

It will be interesting to see how this develops and we will highlight these issues which are only going to become much much worse with this development. A more suitable location would have been at Rotherwas in our view. 

Local Highway Authority.pdf

Hereford City Council Comments.pdf

Herefordshire Council Planning And Regulatory Committee approve Lidl Supermarket Application at the Three Counties Hotel. 

After much debate, a proposal to 'REFUSE' was proposed by Cllr. Richard Thomas and seconded by Cllr. Simeon Cole however, after a lot of pressure from the panel and some legal arguments members of the committee voted we believe as follows; 1st Vote

• 𝟰 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿
• 𝟳 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁
• 𝟭 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱

On the second motion for the Planning Officers recommendation to 'APPROVE', this was proposed by Cllr Baker and nobody initially came forward to second the motioned however, later on in the meeting, we understand that it was eventually seconded by Cllr. Dave Davies. The majority voted with the officer (we do not know actually who voted) and members of the committee, we believe voted as follows; 2nd Vote

• 𝟲 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿 *
• 𝟯 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 *
• 𝟯 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱

On the 2nd vote

* We believe that the following Councillors all voted against this planning application.

• Cllr. Richard Thomas
• Cllr. Simeon Cole
• Cllr. David Hitchiner      

* After reviewing the live feed, we also believe that the following Councillors voted to approve this planning application.

• Cllr. Diana Toynbee
• Cllr. Dave Boulter
• Cllr. Bruce Baker
• Cllr. John Stone
• Cllr. Terry James (Chairperson)
• Cllr. Dave Davies 

Around 10am this morning, emergency services were called to Rope Walk in Ross-on-Wye.

They remained on the scene for at least two hours and discovered a body in the water.

Police, Fire Service and Midlands Air Ambulance were dispatched to the location.

A spokesperson for the ambulance service said: "We were called by the fire service just after 10am to an incident in Ross-on-Wye.

"An ambulance, paramedic officer, the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham and an ambulance from South Western Ambulance Service attended.

"We found a woman. Unfortunately, nothing could be done to save her and she was confirmed deceased at the scene."

Part of the Rope Walk in Ross-on-Wye has been cordoned off as emergency services continue working at the scene, including a crime scene investigation unit.

The woman who was discovered in the river has not been identified, and police have not yet released an official update.

Four people have been charged with offences including four counts of assaulting a police officer following an incident on Union Street, Hereford on Saturday 30 March.

Among the officers assaulted, one officer was seriously injured and remains in hospital. His injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Richard Quinn, 47, of Meadow Bank, Little Birch, Herefordshire was charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent, intentional strangulation, and common assault by beating and appeared at Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court on Monday (1 April).

Alex Quinn, 18, of Meadow Bank, Little Birch, Herefordshire was charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm with intent and common assault by beating. They were both bailed to appear at Worcester Crown Court on 30 April.

Carolynn Quinn, 44, of Wyeval House, Bridge Street, Hereford was charged with two counts of assault of an emergency worker and theft from a person.

Robynn Quinn, 22, of Court Orchard, Fownhope, Hereford was charged with two counts of assault of an emergency worker. They were both released on bail to appear at Hereford Magistrates’ Court on 8 May.

Anyone with information relating to this incident is asked to call the lead officer DC Dube of West Mercia Police via 101, quoting incident 44_I_30032024.

Today we see the start of the groundworks in preparation for the controversial but recently approved Lidl planning application to demolish the Three Counties Hotel and build a Lidl Supermarket on the notorious congested hotspot A465 Belmont Road in Hereford.

This planning application received hundreds of objections and a petition with over 1000 signatures from local people although some people were in support of another supermarket on the Belmont Road.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝘀! 😉

𝟭. 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

1.1 The ‘Three Counties Hotel’ is set back off Belmont Road (A465) Hereford to Abergavenny road and located in the south west of Hereford about 1.5 miles from the City Centre. The application site is about 1.66 hectares in size and currently has landscaped gardens (pond and patio area to the front which established trees) as well as car parking. The site is bounded by Belmont Road to the south, residential properties within Glastonbury Close to the north and east. To the south east is a wooded area and adjacent to that a ‘Drive Thru’ restaurant (McDonalds). To the west beyond the car park are residential dwellings in Flaxley Drive. The Newton Brook runs adjacent to the site to the west. The brook runs from Waterfield Road under Belmont Road and up alongside the Three Counties Hotel then into Glastonbury Close which also runs between Golden Post and Sydwell Road. Residential properties on the periphery of the site are a mix of semi-detached, terraced and detached properties.

1.2 A Tree Preservation Order covers 4 individual trees across the site, ref T1, T2, T3, & T4. The site is not located within a designated area known as a national Landscape (previously known as area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The site lies within Flood Zone 1 (low risk of flooding). The site is not located within or adjacent to a Conservation Area and there are no heritage assets (including non-designated heritage assets) within the site, adjoining the site or in close proximity.

1.3 The existing hotel (now closed) had 60 bedrooms with 32 located in an annex to the rear (known as the Garden Rooms).

You can see our original 'Breaking News' article from March 2022 here 👉 https://hfd.news/Lidl

 

On Thursday 28 March at Worcester Crown Court two men who ran a county line into Hereford have been handed prison sentences of a total of nine years and ten months.

Andrew Pritchard, 37, of Ridgemoor Road in Leominster was today given a five-year prison sentence for two counts of possession with intent to supply class A drugs- cocaine, and two counts of acquiring/using/possessing criminal property.

Taylor Warr, 22, of Sheriff Drive in Brierley Hill, West Midlands was sentenced to four years and ten months for being concerned in the supply of cocaine, possession with intent to supply a controlled drug- Class B – Cannabis and acquiring/using/possessing criminal property.

Following an investigation, Warr and Pritchard were running the county line named ‘Terry’ that was used to supply class A drugs into Leominster, Hereford.

‘County lines’ is the name given to the process and operation of drugs transported from predominately larger urban areas to smaller towns, often in rural areas, with the ‘line’ referring to the mobile number used to order the drugs.

Detective Constable Kyle Hopkins said:

“This was a detailed and complex investigation involving high level offending spread across a number of Police forces, Warr and Pritchard were responsible for trafficking class A drugs into the local community.

“The misery of drugs is well known, and it devastates lives on a daily basis, I welcome these sentences as a demonstration of the severity of the offences. West Mercia Police will relentlessly pursue those who traffic drugs, regardless of where they operate, and will always seek to prosecute those who cause harm to the local community”

A fire ripped through the old NHS derelict building on Eign Street in Hereford this evening. The were several appliances and firefighters tacking the blaze at one point. Firefighters took a while to get the fire under control which has causes further substantial damage to the building and roof.

There have been a few fires in this building over the years and since it became derelict.

Who is going to look after you in future?

Following the Kate Garaway documentaries about caring for her late husband and the publicity generated concerning unpaid carers it indeed highlights the problems we will all have to face up to in our own lifetimes.

Reading the comments section (246 comments) in The Guardian today, many unpaid carers have voiced their own particular problems in caring for loved ones and the bureaucracy they have to factor into their own lives. An interesting read for all those affected as unpaid carers.

Regarding the NHS and Social Care are the politicians concerned that 5-10 million unpaid voters could be a formidible force in any upcoming election?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/27/the-guardian-view-on-unpaid-care-time-to-heed-kate-and-dereks-story

Local Authorities to Embrace Quirky Charm with More Murals in Hereford.

In a bid to celebrate Hereford's unique quirks, city officials are considering adding two new murals to the ever-growing outdoor art scene. Following the success of recent street art installations, Hereford could soon be adorned with even more eye-catching masterpieces.

The first mural in consideration aims to capture the essence of Hereford's perpetual traffic congestion, a sight as common as spotting pigeons in the city centre. Depicting cars locked in a symphony of honking horns and frustrated drivers, this mural promises to be a real traffic stopper.

But that's not all! In a stroke of genius, the second mural proposal aims to pay homage to Hereford's beloved potholes, a feature so cherished by the local authority that they're practically considered landmarks. With whimsical illustrations of potholes adorned with flowers or even tiny picnic scenes, this mural is sure to drive home the city's unique sense of humour.

Councillor, Mrs. Mabel Doodle, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, "We've always known Hereford was a city with character, and what better way to showcase it than through art? These murals will not only bring joy to residents but also serve as a gentle reminder to the council that maybe, just maybe, fixing the potholes should be a top priority!"

As anticipation mounts for these laugh-inducing additions to the cityscape, residents eagerly await the chance to snap photos with their favourite traffic jams and potholes. With creativity flowing as freely as the Wye, Hereford is poised to cement its status as a city with both charm and chuckles. Keep your eyes peeled for updates as Hereford prepares to paint the town with even more personality!

𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮 𝗯𝘆𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱?

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed to prioritise the progress of the development of a bypass to the west of Hereford.

Cllr Philip Price, Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure, welcomed the decision, saying: “This is a very important positive step for the future of our City and Herefordshire as a whole. It’s vital that we develop the infrastructure to support much needed new housing and economic growth in the county, as set out in our Local Plan.”

As outlined in the Core Strategy and emerging draft Local Plan, the county needs to develop the infrastructure needed to:

Improve transport connections and strengthen the resilience of the network – Vehicles travelling north to south through the county mostly go through Hereford to cross the river. Creating another road bridge across the River Wye will reduce reliance on Greyfriars Bridge and the A49 through the city, improving journey times and improving resilience of the network.

Promote better health and wellbeing for our residents – reducing the volume of traffic on roads in the City creates the opportunity to deliver improvements to walking, cycling and public space in the city.

Improve local air quality and public places – reducing congestion will help improve air quality in the City making it a cleaner more attractive place to visit and spend time.

Support growth in the county - There is a requirement to develop around 16,100 new homes in the county by 2041, with many of these being planned for Hereford. Delivering all these new homes is not possible without strengthening our local infrastructure. Reducing congestion and improving journey times will be a boost to local businesses and improve residents’ access to work, education, training and services.

Cllr Price continued: “This road strategy will strengthen the resilience of our network, delivering more reliable journey times and improving road connections, while also creating better links for local people and businesses. It will enable the delivery of more accessible and improved public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure, which will further help to reduce congestion, improve air quality in the City and enable our residents to lead healthier and more active lives.

“The opinions of local people and businesses has been key in making this decision, and the process has included a thorough review of the feedback gathered from the Hereford Transport Strategy Review. The views and experiences of local people will remain paramount, and we will be fully consulting with residents and businesses as we progress.”

· Survey of 5,000 veterans in England shows over half (58%) of respondents living in the West Midlands have experienced a mental or physical health issue potentially related to their service

Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Johnny Mercer. 

· Yet 16% have not sought help from a healthcare professional – often due to fears their experiences and conditions won’t be understood

· Dr Jonathan Leach OBE, NHS England Associate Medical Director for Armed Forces and Veterans Health and GP at Davenal House Surgery Bromsgrove, is backing initiative to encourage GP practices to become Veteran Friendly Accredited

A new initiative has been launched today (Monday 25th March) to improve veterans’ access to healthcare services, after new data found that thousands of former armed services personnel in the West Midlands may be silently struggling with their health.

The initiative, launched by the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) in conjunction with NHS England and the Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA), aims to encourage more GP practices in the West Midlands to sign-up to become ‘Veteran Friendly’. It is part of a wider government campaign to encourage veterans to seek help and let their GP practice know they’ve served, and raise awareness of the support available to them.

The newly-commissioned study of nearly 5,000* veterans in England found that over half (58%) of respondents based in the West Midlands have experienced a mental or physical health issue potentially related to their service since leaving the armed forces with more than three quarters (77%) stating that their condition had deteriorated during this time.

Despite this, nearly one in five (16%) of those veterans based in the West Midlands who have experienced service-related issues after leaving the armed forces have not sought help from a healthcare professional. The most common reasons given nationally for not seeking help were that they ‘prefer to manage their issues on their own’ (30%) and believe a civilian health professional ‘won’t understand their experiences’ (15%).

However, the findings showed that almost two-thirds of veterans (63%) would be more likely to seek help for any issues they might experience if they knew their GP practice was signed up to the Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme, which was launched by the RCGP and NHS England in 2018. The free support programme helps practices to deliver the best possible care and treatment for patients who have served in the UK armed forces.

As part of this new initiative, the RCGP is therefore encouraging more practices in the West Midlands to take the quick and simple step of signing up to the programme, which provides busy practice teams with a simple process for identifying, understanding and supporting veterans and, where appropriate, referring them to dedicated veterans physical and mental health and wellbeing services, such as Op COURAGE: The Veterans Mental Health and Wellbeing Service and Op RESTORE: The Veterans Physical Health and Wellbeing Service.

To date, 634 of the 1,266 GP practices in the Midlands are accredited, while just over 3,000*** of the 6,313 GP practices in England are signed up to the programme are accredited, while at a national level. An evaluation of the scheme by the University of Chester revealed that 99% of accredited practices recommend it – with the findings showing the most valued benefits of signing up are the simple process for identifying veterans, clear referral pathways to specialist NHS veteran healthcare services and faster access to dedicated support1.

Latest data suggests there are more than 167,000 veterans – defined as anyone who has served a day or more in the armed forces – in the West Midlands and 1.74m living in England2 - with research showing that they may have unique health needs as a result of their service. Common health issues can include musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders3, pain3, mental health problems4, drug and alcohol misuse5, adjustment disorders5 and hearing issues6. However, while the average GP practice sees a veteran patient every day, almost half (47%) of practices may be unaware of how many of their patients are veterans5.

Dr Jonathan Leach OBE, NHS England Associate Medical Director for Armed Forces and Veterans Health and GP at Davenal House Surgery Bromsgrove, said:

“Not only does the Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme support practice teams to deliver the best health outcomes for their veteran patients, but it also saves busy practice staff precious time by enabling them to more quickly and effectively identify, understand and support veterans - reducing the need for repeat appointments and shortening waiting times for diagnosis and treatments.”

Minister of State for Veterans’ Affairs, Johnny Mercer, said:

“Providing veterans with access to the very best health care is a fundamental part of mine and this government's ambition to make this the best country in the world to be a veteran, with the RCGP and NHS England’s Veteran Friendly Accreditation scheme playing a pivotal role in supporting this.

“With this new research showing that veterans are more likely to seek help if they know their practice is Veteran Friendly Accredited, I’m urging those practices that are yet to sign up to take the quick and simple step to ensure they’re able to deliver the best possible care and support to the veteran community.”

“I encourage all veterans to contact their GP and identify themselves as a veteran, as doing so will help to ensure that they receive the support that’s right for them. It will also mean that they can access the specialist NHS health services that exist for them should they need to, such as Op COURAGE.

Signing up to become Veteran Friendly Accredited is a quick process and can be done by anyone in the practice team. After signing up, the practice team will receive regular resources and training designed to help them to deliver the very best care and treatment to patients who have served in the armed forces. They also receive materials to promote their Veteran Friendly status, enabling them to send a strong signal to those patients who have served in the armed forces.

Veterans can find out more about the support they can receive by telling their GP practice they have served and by visiting www.nhs.uk/veterans.

Practice teams can learn more and get their practice Veteran Friendly Accredited by visiting rcgp.org.uk/veterans.

More than 300 swimming pools to benefit from £60 million to support long-term future

325 swimming pools and leisure centres across England will receive a share of £60.5 million to ensure their long term financial sustainability, by improving their energy efficiency in order to keep running costs down.

Awards have been granted to;

• Hereford Leisure Pool - £24,500
• Ross Swimming Pool - £58,100
• Teme Leisure - Ludlow - £208,023
• Sandford Park Lido in Cheltenham - £306,065
• Gloucester Leisure Centre - £432,500

Hundreds of facilities have received Government investment to help improve the energy efficiency of their pools and leisure centres. Measures being supported by the latest Swimming Pool Support Fund investment include funding for new heating systems, solar panels, better insulation and other energy saving interventions.

• Over 300 public swimming pools across England will receive a share of £60 million from the Government and Sport England to improve their energy efficiency and keep running costs down
• Builds on almost 200 swimming pools that received a share of £20 million through Phase I of the Swimming Pool Support Fund, taking total spend to £80 million 
• Investment will help ensure that millions of visitors can continue to use these facilities, helping us meet our target to get 3.5 million more people active by 2030

Former Team GB Swimmer Michael Gunning said:

Quote

 

Our pools are a hub for the entire community and I’ve seen first-hand the importance of increasing access to aquatics for people of all ages.

The pandemic was a tough time for all of us, but this investment will mean many more people from all backgrounds will have the chance to use their local pool. Whether it’s learning a vital skill, bringing families together to have fun, or using the water to improve your physical and mental health – swimming pools save lives.

 

Sport England Executive Director for Place Lisa Dodd-Mayne said:

Quote

 

Swimming pools and leisure centres are vital community resources and are enormously important in helping people to be physically active.

Many pools have faced a real and significant threat to their survival this year, as local authorities and operators have battled the challenge of increased energy and wider costs, weakened reserves and difficulties with retaining staff.

Sport England is proud of the role we’ve played in supporting these facilities through this difficult period. We hope today’s funding announcement will enable more public pools to improve their energy efficiency to be more environmentally and financially sustainable so they remain available for future generations to enjoy.

 

Full details HERE 

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet will next week (Thursday 28 March) discuss a new road strategy for Hereford, including the recommendation to prioritise the progress of the development of a bypass to the west of Hereford.

As outlined in the Core Strategy and emerging draft Local Plan, the county needs to develop the infrastructure needed to:

Support growth in the county - There is a requirement to develop around 16,100 new homes in the county by 2041, with many of these being planned for Hereford. Delivering all these new homes is not possible without strengthening our local infrastructure. Reducing congestion and improving journey times will be a boost to local businesses and improve residents’ access to work, education, training and services.

Improve transport connections and strengthen the resilience of the network – Vehicles travelling north to south through the county mostly go through Hereford to cross the river. Creating another road bridge across the River Wye will reduce reliance on Greyfriars Bridge and the A49 through the city, improving journey times and improving resilience of the network.

Promote better health and wellbeing for our residents – reducing the volume of traffic on roads in the City creates the opportunity to deliver improvements to walking, cycling and public space in the city.

Improve local air quality and public places – reducing congestion will help improve air quality in the City making it a cleaner more attractive place to visit and spend time.

Cabinet members will be discussing the road development options and deciding which can best deliver on the Local Plan and support the county to achieve its economic potential.

Cllr Philip Price, Cabinet Member Transport and Infrastructure, said: “The decision we’re taking at our Cabinet meeting next week is an important one for the future of our City and our county. It’s vital we build the infrastructure to support much needed housing development and economic growth, as set out in our Local Plan.

“We need to look at the information we have in front of us, including the feedback gathered through the Hereford Transport Strategy Review from local residents and businesses, and make the right decision. We need to make sure we choose a road strategy that strengthens the resilience of our network, delivers more reliable journey times and improves road connections across the city and county. We need to strengthen links for people and businesses.

“Alongside this, we also need to consider how we can best deliver a wider range of travel choices to make alternatives to private car journeys more attractive. We need more accessible and improved public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure, which will be developed in future. This in turn will further help to reduce congestion, improve air quality in the City and enable our residents to lead healthier and more active lives.

“There is the potential for a road and river crossing to the west of Hereford to bring many more benefits, so this option has been explored further. We now need to make a decision based on the priorities for our new road strategy for Hereford. We will be fully consulting with residents and businesses as we progress.”

Cabinet members will be discussing the options and making a decision on the preferred New Road Strategy for Hereford at their meeting on Thursday 28 March.

The decision paper sets out the benefits and costs of the proposed Hereford Western Bypass alongside those of the proposed Eastern River Crossing and Link Road options, and describes the extent to which they support the requirements of the draft Local Plan and Core Strategy.