The fire brigade were attending a fire at the flats on Belmont Rd this afternoon, apparently nobody was hurt which is good news. Anyone know what happened?

Someone sent me this photo

Or is it a library?  Or perhaps an arts centre?  No, its the proposed new fire station for the site of the former Working Boys Home on Bath Street.

Tomorrow's Hereford Times should provide an image of this hybrid monster, which Cllrs Bramer and Johnson are determined to inflict on the city, in place of the handsome group of Victorian buildings known as the Working Boys Home: one of the largest surviving testaments to one of Hereford's most distinguished citizens, Rev John Venn.

Such is the paucity of 21st century design thinking, that this production line architectural extrusion (by Cushman & Wakefield) could quite easily masquerade as one of half-a-dozen building types.

He behoves us all to watch vigilantly for notice of Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority's formal planning application in July and send in our comments.

Will the gas hole cause as much chaos tomorrow as it did today? Edgar Street ... Northbound ... A49

What are we supposed to do about excess waste?

My recycling bin is overflowing and I'm having to use carry bags full of rubbish around the house - but those bags won't fit into the green bin and I'm guessing they won't take it if it's placed on to or next to it.

Any ideas what we're supposed to do?

Traffic is at a stand still south of Hereford again! What's with the half mile of cones all along Victoria St, for a little hole that they have dug in Edgar St? No wonder the traffic is backed up for miles south of the river!

They could of placed the cones on the lights at Edgar St which still gives enough warning for the little hole. This country is mad about traffic cones and warnings, for miles before any road works beware of this and beware of that, in the rest of Europe you have a few cones explaining that road works are up ahead, what's with the endless empty lanes of just cone after cone!

Announced 12th May 2014 - Herefordshire Council

 

Western Power Distribution works – Hafod Road

 

Hafod Road will be closed from the 16th May 2014 for approximately 23 days. Access to Brockington council offices will be maintained and public meetings will go ahead as usual.

 

The work is being undertaken by JSM Group on behalf of Western Power Distribution. The works are part of a major infrastructure scheme to reinforce the electricity supply to Hereford city centre.

 

JSM Group has scanned Hafod Road to investigate alternative methods of delivering the work but the only option is to lay the power cable in the centre of the carriageway. Hence, the requirement of a full closure to facilitate safe working practices.

 

During the works, access to Hafod Road and Brockington will be restricted depending on the location of the works; a diversion route will be in place and access to Brockington will be maintained with one or other entrance being restricted at any given time.

 

The diversion route will be subject to change but will be signed.  The current diversion route is Ledbury Road, Quarry Road and Hafod Road, access via Vine Road will be an alternative route.

 

We expect delays throughout the duration of the work. Plan your journey, check traffic congestion http://herefordshire.roadworks.org/ and please consider walking or cycling if you are visiting Brockington.

 

Please check https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/transport-and-highways/maintenance/roads-closures-and-diversions/ for diversion routes as these will change as works progress.

This council is trying very hard to get people to abandon their cars. Not that I would want to cycle up Hafod Road

There is lots going on in Herefordshire and the surrounding area  during May. Goherefordshire has collated  many events going on during May for your convenience all in one place. Which include tour guides of Herefordshire, local pub gigg guide, films, theatre and much more.

Please click on the link whats on in Herefordshire to find out more.

I noticed today, that the telephone box at the back of the Butter Market looked like it was being removed and a new cashpoint machine (free withdraws) was being installed. I am surprised that a cashpoint is only just being installed now in this area, long overdue.

We had a meeting on the evening of December 6th 2014 in the Hereford Town Hall Chambers with MP Jesse Norman together with Paul Hillman and Andrew Butterfield of the Highways Agency, to discuss the possibility of a 'traffic lights out' trial along a short corridor on the A49/A465 in Hereford.

The highways agency indicated that they were prepared to look into funding a micro simulation and MP Jesse Norman offered to assist with finding funding if required.

Jesse Norman also suggested that it would be a good idea if we contacted all of the local councillors in an attempt to get their support for a trial, we agreed and also thought it would be courteous and help our cause to have the local councillors support.

Cllr Jim Kenyon kindly arranged for our group (Hereford Reunited) to give a brief presentation to the Hereford City Planning Committee on January 15th which was also held at the Hereford Town Hall. Details of this meeting can be found in the Hereford Traffic 'Lights Out' Meeting Topic. In general, our presentation was received well by the majority of the committee even though the chairman on the day Cllr Bob Preece explained that the committee had no powers to implement a trial and could only make a recommendation to the HA at best.

The Lord Mayor Cllr Phil Edwards also offered a letter of support from the Mayors Office.

Following this meeting and several weeks later John Harrington (Hereford Reunited) wrote an excellent letter to all the Cabinet which was published in the Lights Out Campaign Letter Topic, asking if we could present our case to them, a copy is attached below. Several weeks passed with no replies from any councillor!

I then sent a bulk email to all of the HV members on April 14th. Cllr Mark Hubbard and Cllr Jon Norris to be fair responded immediately and copied in all of the local councillors, now we have started to receive their replies and decided to publish each and every one of them as arrive on HV for you all to read and comment on, they are as follows:

Cllrs Lights Out Letter.pdf

Once the new Odeon cinema opens at the end of this month in the Old Market, what will happen to the one in Commercial Rd? I assume the cinema will close or will the nightclub be extended possibly? Anyone know?

Ferret Racing at Withington Village Hall Saturday 17th May -7.30 £12.50 inc food, licensed bar Tickets from Kevin Hewison 01432 850074 kevinhewison@btopenworld.com In Aid of "End Polio Now" and Rotary Foundation.

For info ... 

I heard from one of the school parents that plans are afoot for a new gym and trampoline facility on Rotherwas industrial estate. It seems Hereford Leisure Centre cannot offer enough space for boys' equipment (dunno why boys need different kit but there you go) or facilities for the disabled.

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/planningapplicationsearch/details/?id=132530

Probably a good thing? Diversify what's going on in Rotherwas and south of the Wye generally. Maybe another reason to open a railway halt there? Wasn't it only going to cost £10 mln for a railway stop in Rotherwas?

Also there was a sign at leisure centre saying there is a bag-packing charity raising thing going on at Tesco Belmont this weekend to help fund this gym, so be prepared if you are shopping there.

Quote

Primary school head paid £200,000

 

The executive headteacher of a primary academy enjoyed a salary in excess of £200,000 last year after being handed a massive pay rise, official accounts show.

 

Sir Greg Martin, executive head of Durand Academy in south London, saw his salary increase by around 56% in 2013 to a total of £200,822 - meaning he was earning more than the Prime Minister.

 

Durand Academy is a state academy - a school that is not under local council control and has freedom over areas such as curriculum and staff pay - and is run by the Durand Academy Trust. It was judged to be good by Ofsted following an inspection in December.

 

Data published by the Department for Education (dFE) last month show that the average salary for a leadership teacher in a primary academy stands at £53,000.

 

Sir Greg was knighted in last year's birthday honours for services to education.

He's obviously good at Maths!

- The only new retail & leisure development to open in 2014 -

British Land and Stanhope are pleased to announce that the £90 million Old Market shopping centre in Hereford opened today. The scheme is the only significant retail development to open this year and the first major retail development in Hereford for 25 years. Old Market was developed by Stanhope and funded by British Land, who now takes ownership of the scheme.

Full Article Here

I popped up today but due to the exorbitant prices my wallet stayed shut.

But I did notice that inside the space has almost entirely been divided up into little stores - Brantano shoes - Mountain Warehouse - Books - Bedding - Woollen Mill - etc.

I know there has been a debate about the OLM and its impact and I know some of these stores are already in town but there would be less empty shops if these were in town and Wyevale remained as a garden centre and not a shopping centre.

What do you think? Should/can the Council do anything about it?

I'll be damned if I ever set foot inside that salty hulk of a new shopping development. Never! I'd sooner give up ale, quit smoking and stop nibbling upon pork rind than ever tippy toe inside that place and part with a single penny piece.

Never! Ever! They can dispatch a team of highly trained negotiators to my threshold demanding that I come outside, stagger down to this monument to stupidity and simply have a look around. I'll tell them, 'clear off. Be gone. Go bother some other fool. I'm watching Whitecross Housewives on me web cam and I ain't leaving'.

They can threaten me with a thrice yearly bin collection and it'll have no impact upon me. They can lock me in cupboard with Aylestone Voice and despite the hardship of it all, when they open the door after a week and say, 'times up', I'll beg them for another fortnight rather than accompany my wife into that shopping centre.

And as for her, my wife of forty years, she was waving her ten pound Debenhams Gift Voucher in my fat face last night and I told her what Im telling you. 'We ain't bloody going'. It'll take more than ten quid off your next pair of knickers to get me within a stones throw of that bloody place.'

Quite simply, I ain't going and anyone who does attend thinks very differently to me. Im a High Town Man. I've always been a High Town man and I'll always will be a High Town man. Even when all the shops in High Town are closed and there's clearly not a hope in hell of purchasing any food from our once beautiful town centre, still, even then, when there's nobody to trade with me, still I'll be a High Town Man.

I'll starve before I ever visit that monstrous place. Never!