HEREFORD LOCALITY WEEKLY BRIEFING – WEEK ENDING 17^th APRIL 2015

Dear Councillors and Parish Clerks,

I am pleased to report that the reactive team has completed the following works during the last week:

• 116 square metres of carriageway patching
• 12.8 square metres of footway patching
• 35 gully’s cleaned
• 5 fly tips removed
• 3 litter picks carried out
• 9 kerb defects rectified.

Update from Shane - (City South – Belmont, St Martins & Hinton, and Tupsley Wards; Rural – Backbury and Hollington Wards)

Amongst the above works the following was completed –

Backbury Ward

·         Potholes repaired in Court Orchard, Fownhope

·         Footway patching in Court Orchard, Fownhope

·         Fallen tree branch removed in Noverwood Drive

·         Fly tip removed from Nash Farm Road 

Belmont Ward

·         Fuel spill attended to in Flaxley Drive

·         Fallen tree branch removed in Marcle Walk

·         Kerb repair and pothole filled in Wigmore Grove

·         Pothole repaired in Belmont Road

St Martins Ward

·         Fallen tree branches removed in Pine Grove and Grosmont Grove cycleway

·         Litter pick carried out on Great Western Way

·         Gully cleansing in Standale Road/Green Croft

Tupsley Ward

·         Pothole repairs carried out in Whitehouse Way, Seaton Avenue, Burden Road, Gorsty Lane, Cilcennin Close and Ledbury Road

·         Footway patching in Ledbury Road

·         Fallen tree branches removed in Quarry Road, Ledbury Road and Dartmouth Close.

Some of the issues I have addressed this week  â€“

• PROW enquiries Hampton Bishop
• Overgrowing hedge in Windsor Road
• Liaised with Herefordshire Housing with regards to maintenance issues in Shellard Walk
• Carried out litter pick in Priors Walk
• Inspected and raised works order in respect of broken kerbs in Laysters Avenue
• Attended emergency on A465 at Allensmore in respect of fallen sign
• Carried out enquiries on Great Western Way (rear of Charlton Avenue) in respect of boundary line issues
• Raised works for 55 square metres of carriageway patching and a number of pothole repairs in the vicinity of Holme Lacy House
• Inspected and raised order in respect of pothole in Holme Lacy Road
• Inspected and raised orders for 7 pothole/small patching repairs along Hinton Road
• Cleared glass and made safe damaged bus shelter in Oakfield Road.

Update from Mike (City North – Aylestone, Central, St Nicholas, and Three Elms Wards; Rural – Credenhill and Hagley Wards)

This week I have – 

• Raised a number of orders for drainage gully clearance works in Bonnington Drive / Hillary Drive/ Bridgeford Close / Kings Acre Service Road 1-19
• Inspected 2 x dropped crossing re adoption  requests
• Carried out 4 x Street works inspections
• Attended court to represent Hereford Council against a personal injury claim
• Made safe a damaged street name plate with sharp edges
• Carried out the monthly variable electronic message signs within the City centre
• Responded to an urgent damaged drainage cover in Plough Lane
• Inspected Preston Wynne, Westhide, Withington & Breinton for C/U road pothole works for the lengthsman scheme
• Inspected overgrown vegetation affecting visibility of traffic signal head in Roman Road junction Canon Pyon Road
• Raised a number of c/way speed cushion and drainage orders for Barrs Court Road.

Phil Pankhurst has sent his briefing separately.

Herefordshire Council website is the one-stop-shop for up to date information

Maps for pot holes are available on the Councils website –

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/maintenance/potholes

We hope the above is of interest.

Kind regards

Shane & Mike.

Shane Hancock | Senior Locality Steward (Hereford – City South)

Balfour Beatty Living Places | Unit 3, Thorn Business Park | Rotherwas | Hereford | HR2 6JT

So, in response to the low pay levels that are now the main driving force behind our so called miraculous economic recovery, the leader of the opposition Mr Milliband has declared war on the Gang Masters, the Rogue Landlords and the unscrupulous Employers who've taken advantage of millions.

Yes! Cognisant that the free movement of people within the European Union has had a negative impact upon wages and their low levels, this bloody opportunist, who played more than a full part in this utopia to Capitalism that is currently driving the United Kingdom, he's now decided to name and shame those that he wants you to believe are the source of the problem.

Well I for one don't blame any Gang Master, Rogue Landlord or Unscrupulous Employer for taking full advantage of this economic model that Milliband and so many others helped to create. How bloody dare he! If I were one of the aforementioned three groupings that were riding this Capitalist train that feeds us a crust and a sip of tea a day and rakes in millions upon millions in vast profits for small, medium and large business, I'd be doing the same thing. I'd have no problem whatsoever in playing the game that 'they've' created. How dare he pretend that he cares.

If, via some mad social engineering experiment that is the European Union, near on two million good souls arrive upon the shores of Blighty there is going to be a shortage of housing which Landlords mortgaged up to then hilt are going to take advantage of. If some of these two million tip up in an area that cannot sustain their presence, an economy, any bloody economy is going to become so disorganised a black market of job creation is going to quickly evolve and if these good souls make themselves available at our local Chicken factory where they'll be required to slaughter, pluck and process the poor dead beast, then they'll gain employment because they will work cheaper, better and more efficiently than me.

There's nothing difficult about this. Our economy and our so called economic recovery is based purely and simply on a plan hatched by Capitalists who've sold the idea to Brussels and all Western Governments as a means to make money from cheap labour.

And who's to bloody blame for this national, corporate and local business exploitation that sees millions of the people grafting away, day in, day out for a low wage and a room to share with ten others they've never met before? The bloody politicians! Your bloody Milliband, your Blair, your bloody Cameron and every single Minister and Parliamentarian who went along with this idea that servitude and bondage wasn't so bad as long as we did it because we and only we are the ones who can do it right.

It ain't the fault of the Gangmasters, the rogue Landlords and the unscrupulous Employers but, sadly for them, when the big economic book is written at the turn of the next few decades by some former Chancellor to the Exchequer, it'll be them that get the blame for all the things that went very wrong and there'll never be a single mention about the folly of allowing Big Business Conglomerates to run our lives and run our Country.

They're all liars. Detached and with no sense of guilt, they plough on, churning out lie after lie telling us that it's all going to be wonderful and better days are ahead. Bloody liars. Frankly, I'd much prefer it if they served me up bigger, better and more tempting offers rather the tell me about what they are and what they ain't going to cut. Tell me bigger lies to draw my limited attention away from the small lies. Tell me that if I vote for them I'll get a thrice monthly trolley dash around Lidl's or every night whilst I'm laid in bed scantily clad women will scurry up my drainpipe and demand that I make them pregnant because I am the most desirable man in the World. Tell me anything. Anything at all will do just make it more bloody unbelievable.

There's nothing package like about the South Wye Transport Package.  In fact, it's just another manifestation of the beak "jobs 'n growth" agenda being rolled out by the Marches LEP and the dead eyed suits we soon hope to be turfing out at Herefordshire Council.  

The main element is the southern link road, another pointless road that will take out part of Michael and Jean Harris' garden and, of course,  no self respecting Tory councillor or highways engineer can go home feeling they've done a decent day's work unless they've taken out a 500 year old oak tree by lunchtime.  

We'll see about that.   

Kris Hopkins made a statement in Parliament towards the end of last month which promises much...

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/local-government-update--2

Although he's waffling on about 'disciplinary allegations against Chief Execs' I believe the anonymous council he's referring to which cost £420,000 to adjudicate using a DIP (not stick) may be one that's not unadjacent to where I live.

The officers involved in this farce were:

David Green (Tried and failed to sack me for 'bullying and harassment' in 2003) - £103,000 (wife Sue received £205,000 from a Wirral Hospital Trust)

David Taylor Smith (Man of mystery, with a sideline in saving endangered species - until he became one himself) - £68,660

Ian Coleman (Finance boss who seemed uncomfortably close to 'independent' investigator Anna Klonowski Associates) - £86,000

Bill Norman (Least said the better) - £151,000

Richard Penn (A man who defends senior council officers in trouble - but on this occasion, was called in to "investigate" senior council officers in trouble - natch) - £47,000

Total = £455,660

Yes, Mr Hopkins.  Looks like you knocked off the £5,000 that we paid for Bill Norman's legal expenses.  You were referring to Wirral weren't you?  It's just that you're 30 grand short for some reason.

Anyway, let's hope next time Mr Norman gets found out like he was on Torbay / Wirral and has to move on, he will be getting grilled, turned over, and grilled again by the 'finest' and 'best' councillors that Herefordshire County Council can muster.

And here's hoping this means he won't be getting presented with a silver salver loaded down with recycled council tax dosh belonging to Hereford's embattled and embittered Joe Public.

https://twitter.com/Wirral_In_It/status/590522144733429760

Well a little birdie tells me that Mr Edwards is taking legal action against Hereford Voice...             because of this topic. On what grounds I wonder? Hmmm

If this is correct, then as the administrator of Hereford Voice, I look forward to receiving your letters Mr Edwards,              

To quote the great bobby47 'It’s a dog. With fleas.'

Racing in Whittern Way Hereford last night?

Quote from the Whitehouse community Centre

Around Midnight on the corner just past the computer shop on Whittern Way. Whittern Way is not a race track! But we are hoping everyone involved are OK

Please read and give us feedback guys.

(Colin will be happy because we have committed to asking the Highways Agency to trial traffic light removal where appropriate, i.e./ Belmont/Asda and Steels/Tesco).

http://www.itsourcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IOC-Manifesto.pdf

HEREFORD LOCALITY WEEKLY BRIEFING – WEEK ENDING 10^th APRIL 2015

Dear Councillors and Parish Clerks,

A relatively quiet week in the locality over the Easter period. The reactive team has completed the following works:

• 6 pothole repairs
• 10 gullys cleared
• 4 fly tips removed
• 2 litter picks carried out
• 11 kerb defects rectified.

Planned works in April - Hollington Ward Greenway, Holme Lacy (Cycleway Work) now taking place on 15 to 17 April (previously 1 & 2 April) Traffic Management: 2 Way Lights

Update from Shane - (City South Belmont, St Martins & Hinton, and Tupsley Wards; Rural Backbury and Hollington Wards)

Following an extended Easter break Ive worked only Thursday and Friday this week. Some of the issues I have addressed

• Cleared broken glass from footpath adjacent to Northolme Community Centre and carried out litter pick
• Inspected a dropped kerb installation in Brampton Road
• Approved 3 x dropped kerb applications in Brampton Road, Franks Avenue and Aconbury Avenue
• Carried out a PROW inspection on HER17
• Inspected and raised orders for potholes/patching work in Gorsty Lane, Cilcennin Close, Court Orchard Fownhope, Burden Road, Seaton Avenue, Church Road
• Arranged for fallen tree branch to be removed from Noverwood Drive, Fownhope
• Inspected and raised a works order in respect of a blocked gully in Standale Road
• Arranged for a tree assessment in Hillside Avenue 

Update from Mike (City North Aylestone, Central, St Nicholas, and Three Elms Wards; Rural Credenhill and Hagley Wards)

This week I have 

·         Attended court to defend a personal injury claim against Hereford Council

·         Met with Westhide parish council regarding culvert / c/way flooding issue

·         Attended an emergency to remove discarded barbed wire adjacent to a PROW route in Newton Farm

·         Raised an order for double yellow lines to be retraced in Barton Road

·         Spoken to a resident about an overgrown hedge causing and obstruction to pedestrians, Scudamore Street

·         Inspected a tripping incident in Commercial Road for a personal injury claim

·         Inspected a tripping incident in King Street for a personal injury claim

·         Raised a sweeping request for the cycle lane Aylestone Hill

·         Raised a number of ad hoc c/way defect for Aylestone Hill near the copper kettle

·         Raised a couple of ad hoc c/way pothole defects in Huntsmans Drive

·         Raised some works orders for loose bocks in Commercial Street and High Street

·         Prepared an order for a dangerous tree to be felled in Churchill Gardens

Herefordshire Council website is the one-stop-shop for up to date information

Maps for pot holes are available on the Councils website –

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/maintenance/potholes

We hope the above is of interest.

Kind regards

Shane & Mike.

Shane Hancock | Senior Locality Steward (Hereford – City South)

Balfour Beatty Living Places | Unit 3, Thorn Business Park | Rotherwas | Hereford | HR2 6JT

This is the reason it took an hour and 5 minutes to drive from Belmont to Holmer this morning. Another nightmare morning on the A465 Belmont Road. Apparently a trailer carrying sheep overturned.

You see, one problem and the traffic extends out past the Clehonger turning on the A465 coming into Hereford and out as far as the bottom of the Callow on the A49 Ross Road. Still, we have a relief road coming soon eh...

More river crossings please!!

Another sad day for the city, after 35 years in Hereford, Mothercare is closing it's store on the 30th due to the lease coming to an end.

Cafe Nero have now purchased the new lease. (scoop)

Now they have finally finished the pavement on Roman Road this pelican crossing is being used a lot. The trouble is that the traffic is backing onto the roundabout when the lights are red and because of this south facing traffic coming down the A49 cannot exit. Traffic blocks the roundabout and its quite possible that traffic coming from Roman Road Holmer Park side could easily attempt to go around the roundabout for the A49 and drive into this traffic.

I can see this island roundabout losing all the current landscaping to improve safety. The traffic on the A49 can now get back as far as Kenchester water gardens during school and college term time.

Minutes of a Meeting of the Parish Council, held on Thursday 5th March 2015 At Northolme Community Centre, Northolme Road, Belmont Hereford.

Minutes - 5.3.2015.pdf

Minutes of a Meeting of the Parish Council,held on Thursday 5th February 2015 At Belmont Community Centre, Eastholme Avenue, Belmont 

Minutes - 5.2.2015.pdf

Minutes of a Meeting of the Parish Council, held on Thursday 8th November 2014 at Northolme Community Centre, Northolme Road, Belmont Hereford.

minutes 8.1.2015.pdf

Minutes of a Meeting of the Parish Council, held on Thursday 4th December 2014 at Belmont Community Centre, Eastholme Avenue, Hereford.

Signed Minutes.Pdf