Anyone going out twice to pick up litter? The state of the city and rural highways has deteriorated badly. Travelled today to Ross on Wye along the A49 and what a state the verges are in - a disgrace. So will the Highways Agency and Herefordshire Housing be doing their bit along with Balfour Beatty or will it only be the plebs doffing their caps and waving their black plastic bin bags as Her Majesty glides past? I think she needs to come down to Herefordshire to see the variety of detritus we have on offer.

2 years suspended sentence. Meanwhile Johnson gets 6 years.

A BOY held back tears yesterday as he told how he was groomed at 15 by a teaching assistant twice his age — and made her pregnant.

 

He said two months of abuse “scarred him for life†and added: “I’ll never forget it.â€

 

The boy, who we are calling Jack to protect his identity, told his story after Berriman, 30, walked free from court, despite admitting three charges of sexual activity with a child.

 

Jack, now 17, said the pair did not have sex until five months into their relationship.

 

But from then on it was regular and “always unprotectedâ€.

 

He said: “The first time it happened I was sat on the couch and she put her arm over me and started kissing me.

 

“I started kissing her back and it just went on from there.

 

“It must have happened over 50 times in the space of those few months.â€

 

Jack believed he was in love but his world started to unravel when Berriman told him he had got her pregnant.

 

He said: “Stuff like that has scarred me for life.â€

 

The stress of the relationship led him to confide in his older brother. Jack’s mum then got wind of it and ordered him to end it or she would call cops.

 

But when Jack told Berriman his mum knew he said she “flipped†and attacked him.

 

He said Berriman, who gave him one-to-one tuition in maths and English, began grooming him in January last year after he saw her using Facebook on her phone in class.

 

That night Jack, who had a huge crush on Berriman, found her profile and made contact.

 

She was quick to reply and asked him for his mobile number so they could flirt by text.

 

Soon they were going on long drives into the hills around Manchester and going to her house to talk and watch TV.

 

He said: “We would call and text each other all the time and it got more and more into a sort of relationship.

 

“Then she started ringing me on weekends, asking if I was going round to hers. It slowly got more serious.â€

 

Berriman introduced Jack to her two-year-old girl.

 

He said: “It got to a point where her daughter was calling me ‘Dad’. I used to say to her ‘I’m not, I’m your mum’s friend’.â€

 

Recalling when Berriman realised their relationship was exposed, Jack said: “Caroline started flipping out, she started hitting me because I had told my mum.

 

“She was screaming and shouting saying ‘Why have you put me in this position? I’m going to lose my daughter.’ Blaming everything on me like I was in the wrong.â€

 

Jack tried to distance himself from her but Berriman kept texting and calling him. She then rang saying she had borrowed £20,000 from her parents so they could run away together — before turning up on Jack’s estate.

 

He said: “She just started crying and punching things in her car, smashing her glasses and just saying ‘please please’.â€

 

She drove the teenager back to her house where she carried on pleading with him.

 

Jack said: “She was like ‘if you don’t come it’s going to break my daughter’s heart, it’s going to break my heart, everything that I’ve risked for you’.

 

 

“I said I’ve been through enough pain and abuse. I want this to end.â€

 

He went home and reported the abuse to Childline. She was suspended by her bosses at Abraham Moss Community School in Crumpsall, Gtr Manchester, as soon as they became aware of the allegations and is no longer employed there.

 

Jack has now left school and is looking for a job but is still reeling from the effects of his first real “relationshipâ€.

 

Last week Berriman, of Oldham, got a two-year suspended sentence and 250 hours of community work at Manchester Minshull Street crown court.

 

She had pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual activity with a child, and a further charge of sexual activity with a child by a person in a position of trust.

 

Holding back tears, Jack said: “The sentence was atrocious. If it was a man and a 15-year-old girl I’m sure the prosecution would have been harsher.â€

 

Berriman was unavailable for comment last night. Her dad Keith said the charges against her were “a load of b******sâ€.

This is just a summary of the survey results. The report is much more detailed and contains many comments from the residents which provide more insight into the results.

If you would like a copy of the full report please send an email to Meadowparkresidents@outlook.com

RESULTS OF A RECENT RESIDENTS-ONLY SURVEY, CONDUCTED BY THE RESIDENTS OF THE NEW HOUSING DEVELOPMENT AT:
MEADOW PARK,
HOLMER,
HEREFORD,
HEREFORDSHIRE,
HR1 1RD

Circulation
This report has been sent to the following people/organisations:
Andrew Doyle – Deputy Editor, Hereford Times

Colin James - Admin at Hereford Voice
Jesse Norman MP –Hereford and South Herefordshire
Bill Wiggin MP – North Herefordshire
Andrew Round – Ward Councillor – Holmer
Mark Millmore – Chairman – Holmer and Shelwick Parish Council
Councillor A W Johnson - Leader - Herefordshire Council
Marc Willimont –Head of Development Management & Environmental Health - Herefordshire Council
Colin Cole - Chief Executive - Lioncourt Homes
Denis Thompson –Chairman - Fortis Living
Guy Weston – Group Chief Executive –Fortis Living
Housing Ombudsman Service

Background
Meadow Park is a new housing development in Holmer, Hereford built by Lioncourt Homes.
It comprises 34 properties.
32 are occupied, 1 is still to be sold and 1 is still being built.
The site was originally planned to have only 33 properties, the 34th property was added to the site plans later on, hence it is still being built.
On the site there are 12 Housing Association Properties (Fortis Living/Festival Housing).
6 of these are Shared Ownership and 6 are rented.

Survey
Now that the majority of the residents have been living on the site for between 6 months and 18months it was decided amongst us to conduct a survey of the residents.
This would allow us to provide group feedback to all of the parties responsible for or involved in the planning and development of Meadow Park; and future developments planned for Herefordshire.
Residents were asked 20 questions and the results can be found in this report.
They were also asked to elaborate on their answers and their comments can also be found in this report.
The hope was that if any problems/issue were identified the relevant organisations could help us to resolve them.
Also any good feedback could be passed onto those involved.
If nothing else, we thought that the results would be useful to those involved with the Strategy and development and Implementation of the Housing Strategy for Herefordshire.
If mistakes had been made, we didn’t want them repeated elsewhere on future developments.
 

Key Findings
32 surveys were distributed to the 32 occupied properties.
21 completed surveys were returned (66% survey response rate)

• 86% of respondents want streetlights installed on the estate
• 71% of respondents think there is insufficient car parking for residents
• 100% of respondents think there is insufficient car parking for visitors
• 76% of respondents think there is insufficient space to allow for vehicles to turn, access or exit parking spaces
• Roughly Half of respondents like the new junction as it is, the other half would like it changed
• 57% of respondents would like planning restrictions on the site to be relaxed for external changes
• 62% of respondents were satisfied with the completion on time of their home
• 81% of respondents were satisfied with the handover process on moving in day
• 67% of respondents were satisfied with the condition of their home on moving in day
• 100% of respondents reported snags/defects
• 81% of respondents reported 6 or more defects, 43% reported 11 or more defects
• Roughly half of respondents are satisfied with the service provided by the developer/housing association since moving in, the other are not
• 76% of respondents are satisfied with internal design and layout of their new home.
• 72% of respondents are satisfied with the external design and layout of their new home
• 62% were satisfied with the finish/quality of their new home
• 76% would still buy/rent this property now they have lived there
• 67% would recommend the developer/housing association to a friend
• 33% said they were given enough information about the house/estate before moving in
• Roughly half of respondents thought that the plans and marketing packs provided before moving in were representative of the estate, the other half said they were not.
• 90% of respondents had to wait over 3 months for phone line/broadband. 81% had to wait over 6 months. 38% had to wait over a year.

Fancy a little bit of Polish food and culture? Come and join us Saturday April 2nd at the Victory Pub Hereford.

Michelle Retweeted Éoin

Michelle added,

I cannot believe what I have seen this morning.

Photograph courtesy of Scott-Hayley Alderson, who left his house in Clehonger at 0720 and is now sat in traffic coming into the city on the A49 Ross Road.

(Left Clehonger at 7:20 still sat on Ross Road. Over an hour and a half on the Road. Pain in the backside!)

Traffic gridlock, traffic coming into Hereford is queuing out past the Clehonger turning yet again and why?

They are digging a hole near to the Debenhams roundabout in the left hand lane more or less in front of Steels by the doctors surgery, so why the hell have the reduced the traffic to 1 lane at the end of Victoria street and put about 100 traffic cones in every possible location leading up to this whole? I am sure it is essential work that needs to be carried out but why so many cones?

Why didn't they start a few cones AFTER the Whitecross Road turning? This stupidity and lack of common sense has caused gridlock for ALL THE TRAFFIC coming into Hereford from the south, A49/A465 and ALL OF THE TRAFFIC coming onto town from Whitecross Road along the A438.

They really didn't think it through. Never mind!

Still no excuses for these barbaric acts. Just some lighthearted reading that we can laugh at in light of recent events.

http://gopthedailydose.com/2016/03/20/ted-nugent-just-pissed-off-every-islamic-terrorist-in-the-world-by-pointing-out-one-huge-fact/

12 minutes ago in Hereford Times:

One of the busiest roads out of Hereford will close for five consecutive nights next week.

The A49 between Asda and Walnut Tree avenue will close for five nights from Tuesday.

Highways England says the route will be closed between 8pm - 5am  for "signs and lighting improvements" with a diversion route "clearly signposted".

The Bulls are only 90 minutes away from the FA Vase final at Wembley, with the 2ND leg of their semi final with Salisbury tomorrow, and 1-0 up. Would be a marvelous achievement if they get there, and I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve, can't wait for Saturday to come!!

I have been informed that a three year has recently been reported to have been left home alone for atleast two days.

A delivery driver made two attempted deliveries to unknown address with the same response both times. "Mummy's in Poland, Daddy's at work!" After second attempt he then questioned a neighbour for further information regarding the child.

Neighbours reported matter to children's welfare. No further information. Source reliable.

Today it has been brought to my attention that the entire length of Newton Brook needs a clear out, along with a haircut!

Items listed are the usual suspects, trolleys, tyres, garden waste etc etc.

This brook was the border boundary between Belmont and Newton Farm; however for whatever reason these boundaries have now moved. Running from Belmont Lakes along waterfield rd along side three counties hotel & Glastonbury close villa st into the Wye. Clearing this area will obviously help the natural course of the water flow and encourage wildlife to return.

I remember catching alsorts in that brook many moons ago. Got many a soaking in it too, trying to jump it! Now I just see detritus and sometimes water.

Who's department does this fall into? Would Cllr Edwards care to organise a community clean as its in his back yard? Or is it BB jurisdiction?

I notice that the Belmont brook is well kept!

Hereford Football Club are off to Wembley in the FA Vase Final! Well done lads down to 10 men in the end. Well deserved and a great boost for the club.

Good luck in the Final on Sunday 22nd May

Is it me or have they got nothing better to do? I have heard of lessor sentences handed out for much more serious crimes and I am not a smoker. Seems a little harsh to me.

A Hereford taxi driver has been prosecuted for smoking in his cab. Tony Hodson, a taxi driver licensed by Herefordshire Council, pleaded guilty to the offence at Hereford Magistrates’ Court yesterday. The offence was reported by an off-duty council officer who drove past the taxi on Edgar Street in August last year.

 

The taxi driver was awarded a six-month conditional discharge, and was required to pay £250 towards the council’s court costs. He was unrepresented and did not make any comments about the offence, other than to say that he felt the costs were excessive.

Herefordshire Council has today confirmed that the council tax levy for Herefordshire residents is to rise by 3.9% in 2016/17. The increase will help protect council services, including safeguarding vulnerable children, and will include an additional 2% (£1.7m) to support the significantly rising costs of adult social care for Herefordshire’s ageing population, which will be reviewed annually.

Source

I am more than happy to have this increase this year if it helps protect and keep these services active.

Cellar Door Restaurant OPENING NIGHT Saturday 23rd April!

Unusual to crib a story from HT it is usually the other way around but sadly

BREAKING230 Hereford jobs at risk as Cargill loses supermarket contract

MORE than 200 jobs are at risk at Cargill in Hereford after it lost a contract with one of the UK's biggest supermarkets.

 

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/14345339.230_Hereford_jobs_at_risk_as_Cargill_loses_supermarket_contract/

I'm not sure what I think about this, I do think its a good idea but are we not already paying a contractor to do this???

Clear Up Herefordshire! On behalf of Balfour Beatty Living Places

Herefordshire Council contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) is backing the first national Community Clear Up Day on Saturday (March 21), the first day of spring.

A hundred “available to borrow†litter pickers are being lent to community groups and BBLP has arranged to pick up all the extra rubbish at pre-arranged collection points.

Cllr Paul Rone, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for transport and roads, said: “This is a call to arms for communities great and small to help us end this litter scourge by taking greater pride in our neighbourhoods.

“It is time to roll up our sleeves and bring the broom back out of the cupboard because by looking after our local areas we can help make them better places to work and live.â€

The Bromyard Downs Common Association, working with the Herefordshire Wildlife Trust, is leading a big clear-up on Sunday.

Project Manager Hannah Welsh said the Downs was a popular beauty spot: “There’s quite a bit of rubbish and we want to clean up this beautiful area. Volunteers are welcome to come and join us.â€

Herefordshire Council spends nearly a million pounds every year on street cleansing. Cllr Rone said that people had to recognise that dropping litter and forcing councils to clear up the mess meant that they had to divert cash from key areas like caring for the vulnerable.

He said: “Those irresponsible individuals who are dropping litter divert our limited resources away from the elderly, very young or a whole range of vital services.â€

BBLP supports community clear-ups picks and supplies litter packs and can arrange rubbish collection.

To request a litter picking pack which contains litter pickers, gloves, high visibility vests, hoops and black rubbish bags, and arrange for collection following a litter pick, please call 01432 349504 or use the “contact us†link on the Herefordshire Council website: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/contactus