Leading up to the event, the Wye Float River and Music Festival received £5000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. This funding has played a crucial role in amplifying the festival's impact, allowing us to reach a broader audience and positively influence our local community.

Mark your calendars for the 10th of August 2024! Prepare to be part of the unforgettable Wye Float River and Music Festival, a unique blend of adventure and music. The day kicks off at 11:00 a.m., with the float commencing at noon and live music keeping the party alive until 11:30 p.m. Experience the thrill of our inflatable river float adventure, a one-of-a-kind activity where you drift along the picturesque River Wye. Immerse yourself in the breathtaking scenery and create memories that will last a lifetime.

“We're proud to showcase the finest local musical talent with a diverse line-up of bands and solo artists that guarantees something for everyone to enjoy” - Darren Mason, Festival Organising Committee.

But the festival is more than fun and music. At Wye Float, we're committed to making a lasting impact on our community. We invite you to volunteer with us; we seek individuals to help us with stewarding, river safety, music and production, event promotion, and river clean-ups. Through regular clean-ups of the River Wye, we aim to make it more accessible and safer for all users. Your participation is crucial in making this event a success and in creating a stronger, more connected community.

Don't miss out on this must-attend event! Join us at Hereford Rugby Club for a day filled with floating, live entertainment, bouncing castles, face painting, a climbing wall, and local arts and crafts stalls.

Float and Festival tickets from £28. Please note that participants in the float must be 12 years or older, and wearing buoyancy aids is strongly advised for everyone's safety. And here's some great news: children under 11 can enter the music festival for free when accompanied by a full-paying adult. Adult festival tickets are priced at £6, making it an affordable and fantastic day out for families and friends.

Don't miss the Wye Float River and Music Festival, where adventure, music, and community come together in perfect harmony. See you there!

Buy tickets www.wyefloat.com

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿: Hereford Voice

The much needed improvements will include new student accommodation along with a new stand on the site.

• Original Planning Application P240412/PA7

'Application for prior notification of proposed demolition of Blackfriars End vacant stand, groundsman atore, toilets, United in the Community building, entrance stalls and the redundant former ‘Blackfriars public toilets’

📷 Hereford FC

Last night a bunch of despicable scum descended on the miniature railway of the Hereford Society of Models Engineers at Broomy Hill. They took it upon themselves to smash and damage the members hard work throughout the site. The gauge one garden railway was attacked as was the fencing around the station and their piece-de-resistance was to bend three points levers over to 90 degrees. Not satisfied even with that they tossed the picnic tables over the bank and down onto the track. If anyone has any knowledge, sees or hears anything of this we would be delighted to hear it and prosecute the mindless, brainless trash that enjoys wrecking that which so many others have enjoyed in the past.

____________________________________________________________

Are there no ctv cameras covering the site?

Herefordshire Council’s Community Protection Team have secured another prosecution as part of the ongoing fight against fly tipping.

Mr Ashley Jones (25), of Stone Street, Hereford, appeared at Hereford Magistrates court on 3 June 2024, where he pleaded guilty to a total of ten charges of fly tipping and failing to secure the transfer of waste to an authorised person.

The court heard how in June 2022, Jones embarked on a fly tipping spree that would last eight months. Jones, who was trading as ‘AJ gardening & landscaping’ used Facebook to advertise gardening and landscaping work where he provided separate quotes for removal of waste created as part of his work.

Officers discovered that general waste found in a field in Bosbury had been dumped by Jones on 27 June 2022 following a paid removal of waste organised on Facebook.

Following this, large tipper loads of gardening and landscaping waste were found fly tipped in fields and roadsides of Grafton Lane and Merry Hill Lane. Officers searched the fly tipping and traced the waste back to customers who had employed Jones to carry out landscape gardening waste and who had paid him to remove the waste. Jones failed to co-operate with the investigation and failed to produce any waste transfer notes to demonstrate any legitimate waste disposals.

While the case was being prepared for prosecution, further large fly tips of landscaping waste appeared on the roadside of Bullingham lane and in a gateway off Gatehouse road in Hereford. Officers were once again able to trace this waste back to Jones who had removed the waste as part of his landscaping business. Jones again refused to co-operate with the investigation and a second prosecution case was submitted to the courts.

Jones was handed an 18 month community order, required to attend 25 Rehabilitation activity days, attend a 12 month mental health treatment plan, ordered to carry out 300 hours of unpaid work and pay fines and costs totalling £2414. The maximum penalty for fly tipping is a £50,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment.

Charles Yarnold, Herefordshire Council’s Head of Public Protection, said: “Fly-tipping is a deeply selfish act that continues to blight our beautiful county and costs the taxpayer money to clean up. Nobody should have to put up with waste strewn across green spaces simply because one individual thinks they can make a quick profit.”

“Once again our Community Protection team have secured another successful prosecution against a Herefordshire fly-tipper. We are pleased with the court's decision and hope this acts as a deterrent to others.”

All householders have a duty of care to ensure that the waste they produce is disposed of correctly and they have documentation to show who they have transferred the waste to and keep those records for at least 2 years.

Mr Yarnold added: “I would like to remind residents looking to get rid of waste to ensure the person or trader offering the service is doing so legitimately and is registered with the Environment Agency. Make sure you get the correct paperwork, including an invoice or receipt for the waste with contact details.”

Hereford Freedom Church have submitted a revised planning application for;

"Proposed fascia sign above doors, fascia sign lettering Freedom Church and fascia sign logo. All internally illuminated"

Revised Application

This application for advertising consent proposes the installation of a Lightbox above the porch entrance and illuminated lettering across the long street elevation of 100 Commercial Road. These two elements are designed to be in step with the Art Deco design of the building and represent a limited change to the facade.

A previous advertising consent application related to this building was withdrawn (P233317/A). The withdrawn application included a large mural and a digital screen along with other changes and overall, was a more significant visual change to the building.

Original Application 

Revised proposal for advertising consent

This revised application represents a scaled-back approach, and takes into account the design of the building and the character of the Conservation Area. 

Previous application for advertising consent

The previous, withdrawn application proposed two vinyl fascia signs, four demountable hoarding panels, one Gloshine LED video wall and vinyl signage to the existing building shutter. The proposals were not physically intrusive on the building, however they did represent an evident visual change to the street elevation. The application received 18 representations, eight of these were in support and ten were objections to the proposals.

Planning Application P241428/A

Environment Agency prosecutes after routine sampling results. Court told how water company broke permitted levels 3 times in 10 months.

The Environment Agency has successfully prosecuted Welsh Water Ltd for breaking conditions of an environmental permit at a sewage treatment works near Hereford between August 2020 and June 2021.

At Worcester crown court on Friday 7 June, Welsh Water entered a guilty plea and were fined £90,000 for exceeding permitted levels of sewage effluent into the River Wye from the Kingstone and Madley sewage treatment works. The company were also ordered to pay costs of £14,085.05 and a £190 surcharge.

The court was told that officers from the Environment Agency were alerted to an issue following routine sampling results in July 2021.

The environmental permit states that during monthly sampling visits, Welsh Water must not discharge effluent containing more than 7 milligrams per litre of biochemical oxygen demand on more than 2 occasions in a 12-month period.

From 6 August 2020 to 19 June 2021, the sampling system showed that Welsh Water allowed levels to exceed the permitted levels on 3 occasions.

On 8 August 2020, the levels were recorded at 13 milligrams per litre; on 19 May 2021, levels were recorded at 74 milligrams per litre; and 19 June 2021 levels, were recorded at 41 milligrams per litre.

The court was told that such levels indicated that the treatment works was performing very poorly and that it was extremely unusual to have this many breaches in a 12-month period.

A report concluded that this showed “either poor operational management, inadequate asset provision or a mixture of both.”

Welsh Water, in mitigation, said on the first 2 occasions, they could not identify a “root cause” for the permit breaches. On the third occasion, the company said the breach had occurred during a “significant storm.”

Adam Shipp, a senior environment officer at the Environment Agency and who led the investigation, said:

Incidents like this are preventable and are completely unacceptable. Water companies are aware that their activities have the potential for serious environmental impacts, and they know that we will take action when they cause pollution.

The charge:

Welsh Water, between 5 August 2020 and June 20 2021, at the Kingstone and Madley sewage treatment works, in Herefordshire, failed to comply with, or contravened, an environmental permit condition, namely condition 8 (a) (i) of environmental permit AH1001901 (as modified from March 31 2015).

By exceeding the permitted level of 7 milligrams per litre of biochemical oxygen demand within the discharge from the said works to the Coldstone Brook on 3 occasions within the said period.

MandM, the online retailer specialising in reduced priced branded fashion and sportswear, is pleased to confirm the opening of its new headquarters in Hereford Old Market’s former Debenhams store on 20th May 2024.

Taking over the first and second floors of the building, the 47,000 sq. ft space is large enough to house the 280 staff members who are making the move from Leominster, where MandM has been situated for 30 years. The additional employees, numbering in the hundreds, will continue to work out of the distribution centre at Moreton-on-Lugg.

MandM tasked ADT Workplace architects to create an office environment that promotes sustainability, creativity and inclusivity. Holly Simpson, Interior Designer at ADT Workplace, shares her insight on the office redesign brief: "[TT1] With features to support wellbeing, inclusivity and sustainability integral throughout, the vibrant new space incorporates a variety of workplace settings to offer a truly agile and flexible office environment.

Central to the design is a striking architectural staircase, which as well as delivering the wow-factor as people move around the space, facilitates movement between floors, improving connectivity and communication between teams.

The design concept takes inspiration from Scandinavian design principles, which has an emphasis on simplicity, minimalism and functionality to enhance comfort, collaboration and productivity. The neutral colour palette, combined with tones from natural materials such as stone and wood, promotes a calming and peaceful atmosphere, with splashes of colour added throughout via planting, decoration and furniture, adding a touch of warmth and vibrancy. In addition, there is an abundance of natural light owing to the stunning floor-to-ceiling windows, supported by soft lighting features, further enhancing employee comfort and wellbeing.

We have loved working with the MandM team to bring the design vision to life over recent months. The new office signifies a real step change in the way people across the business will work, collaborate and develop, so we’re excited to see what the future holds as the team settles into their new home."

On the move, Mike Tomkins (Chairman of MandM) says: “We are delighted that MandM is relocating to our new offices in the City of Hereford. As we continue to grow our business and invest in our infrastructure and colleagues, it’s now the right time for us to expand and find a new home which allows us to continue that growth trajectory.

Moving to Hereford and taking over the vacant former Debenhams site was a natural move, allowing us to invest back into Hereford as well as giving us the space to grow our team and

operations. We will work to make Hereford an eCommerce hub for the region, supporting our future ambitious plans to grow in both the UK and Europe.

Our new office offers modern facilities that creates an environment that promotes creativity, collaboration, and a sense of community for all our colleagues. We have new photography studios, open collaborative spaces, social kitchens as well as facilities that are designed to encourage colleagues based locally to cycle and walk to work.

With the workforce coming into the office, we expect that our move will have a positive impact on the area, adding anywhere between £500,000 and £1 million to the local economy a year.

The move also brings about new opportunities. We currently have 11 vacancies and are recruiting for several job roles ranging from sustainability managers to IT developers to join the team at our new office.”

Vicky Morgan, who has been with MandM for 20 years and is one of the longest serving employee, shares her thoughts on the office relocation: “We are all looking forward to working in our new offices in Hereford. The new facilities will make a massive difference in our day-to-day operations, and it is exciting to have witnessed the business grow over the past 20 years. I have always enjoyed working at MandM – the people and spirit are brilliant and now we will have great new surroundings to match.”

MandM is also committed to supporting the local and wider communities. During the move, the company donated the Leominster office furniture to local schools and St. Michael’s Hospice.

The business continues its philanthropic efforts supporting the Teenage Cancer Trust raising over £2.6m in the last 19 years in addition to a recent partnership with Harris Federation, London where MandM have donated football kits to all 54 school academies (6,300 kits) worth £250,000.

About MandM

Big brands, Low Prices, Direct to You.

MandM is all about big brands, at low prices across fashion, outdoor and sportswear for men, women, and children. MandM has non-stop deals on over 300 big brands, always up to 65% less than RRP. All year round.

Web | mandmdirect.com

Herefordshire Council is welcoming the introduction of new sanitary bins in many male public toilets in the county.

Sanitary bins are already a regular feature in women’s public toilets, but remain a rarity in men’s toilets, despite a third of men aged 65 and over suffering some form of incontinence. The lack of facilities to dispose of sanitary products can have a negative impact on mental health and wellbeing, with many men avoiding going out, resulting in isolation and loneliness.

Matt Pearce, Director of Public Health, said: “There are widespread and organised campaigns aimed at tackling period poverty, but relatively little attention paid to support men who have issues with incontinence. It is an important topic, with figures showing that a third of men aged over-65 experience urinary incontinence and 1 in 20 men aged over-60 live with bowel incontinence.

“The lack of support and infrastructure is having a real impact on countless men, but Herefordshire Council is ahead of the issue on this, and we are pleased to have been able to install these sanitary bins. They are a simple way to provide the opportunity and support for men who are affected by incontinence to live their lives without fear or embarrassment.”

Hereford Voice are proud once again to sponsor the brilliant Wessington Juniors

Teddy with his Hereford Voice Award 

Club Statement:

"We at Wessington Juniors are thrilled to share the exciting news from our club! In our second annual awards ceremony, Teddy Smith, who joined us just over 12 months ago, was awarded the highly coveted "Most Improved Player" trophy, sponsored by the generous folks at Hereford Voice, covering teams from U7s to U9s.

Teddy's journey from being a novice to becoming a key player has been truly inspiring. Having never played in a team before, Teddy initially found himself in unfamiliar territory. However, through sheer determination and a willingness to learn from his coaches, Teddy has grown into one of our most dependable defenders. His commitment to improving his skills and understanding of the game has impressed everyone at the club.

Teddy's mum, Miranda, who was also recognized for her hard work as First Aid Officer and part of the fundraising team at Wessington, expressed her joy, saying, "Teddy is still in shock about his trophy. He woke up on Sunday morning saying he can't believe it."

We would like to give a huge shoutout to Hereford Voice for their generous sponsorship. It's amazing to see sponsors who genuinely care about empowering aspiring players and building a strong sports culture. We appreciate their support immensely!

As Wessington Juniors celebrates Teddy's remarkable journey, we're excited about what the future holds. Teddy's achievement serves as an inspiration for other young talents within our club, demonstrating what can be achieved through hard work and determination. His story encourages them to persevere, learn, and grow, regardless of where they start.

We are always looking for new players to join our fantastic team! If your child is interested in playing with us and experiencing the joy of football, please get in touch. We welcome players of all skill levels and are dedicated to providing a supportive and inclusive environment.

Join us in congratulating Teddy and the entire Wessington Juniors club for their fantastic achievements! Let's continue to foster a supportive and encouraging environment for all our players. Together, we can create a bright future in sports!"

Constituency candidates for North Herefordshire / Hereford and South Herefordshire announced

Herefordshire Council’s electoral services has published the ‘Statement of Persons Nominated’, which details the constituency candidates standing for the UK Parliamentary General Election on Thursday 4 July 2024.

North Herefordshire County Constituency:

Jon Browning – Labour Party

Ellie Chowns – The Green Party

Andy Dye – Reform UK

Michael Guest – Social Democratic Party

Cat Hornsey – Liberal Democrats

Bill Wiggin - The Conservative Party

Hereford and South Herefordshire County Constituency:

Nigel Ely – Reform UK

Joe Emmett – Labour Party

Jesse Norman – The Conservative Party

Dan Powell – Liberal Democrats

Diana Toynbee – The Green Party

Mark Weadon 

To vote in the General Election, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be 18 years old or over on 4 July 2024
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen or from Cyprus or Malta
• be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter or posted abroad and registered as a service voter

People without a fixed address can also be registered to vote via a declaration of local connection. Forms and more information are available on the gov.uk website Types of election, referendums, and who can vote: General election - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If you are already registered to vote you do not need to re-register.

The deadline to register to vote for the General Election is midnight on Tuesday 18 June 2024. Registering to vote is quick and easy online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote you will need your national insurance number to hand.

Photographic ID

Electors voting in person must bring an acceptable form of photographic ID to their polling station. Some of the most commonly used ID includes:

• Passport
• Photo driver's licence (including provisional)
• Over 60s travel passes

A dealer whose class A drug trafficking cause harm to the community of Ross-on-Wye has been sentenced to five years eight months at court.

Joshua Moore, 32, of no fixed abode, pled guilty to several counts relating to the possession and supply of crack cocaine and heroin at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Wednesday 5 June).

He was given credit for his early guilty plea and sentenced to five years and eight months to run concurrently for four counts of being concerned in the supply of heroin, being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, possession with intent to supply heroin and possession and possession with intent to supply crack cocaine.

He was further sentenced to six months to run concurrently for possession of criminal property and ordered to forfeit the sum of £1653.81 and possession of cannabis for which there was no separate penalty.

All of Moore’s drugs, drugs paraphernalia and phones linked to his offending were ordered to be seized and destroyed.

Detective Constable Emily Holder of Hereford CID said: “We welcome this sentence as a reflection of the severity of Moore’s offending.

“He managed a drug supply line trafficking class A drugs into the local community of Ross-on-Wye.

“The misery of drug supply is well known - it motivates offending and destroys lives.

“Moore showed no concern for the impact of his offending and benefited from the financial gain of his criminality.

“I hope that this sentence stands as a deterrent to those who are involved in drug supply.

“Officers from Hereford CID will not tolerate this type of offending and will work with our partner agencies to bring these offenders to justice.”

On Sunday 26th May The Right Worshipful, Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Kevin Tillett "opened" the magnificent Victorian building & working engines. Richard Curtis, former Museum Chairman, officially opened the Sisson Engine display

Mayor of Hereford, Councillor Kevin Tillett

Richard Curtis, former Museum Chairman, officially opened the Sisson Engine display

Waterworks Museum - Hereford

After seven years of dedicated service, Colin James from Hereford Voice and Keith Mars are handing over Hereford Duck Pond Clean Up Group Project to the Hereford Elgar Rotary Club.

Left to right Keith Mars and Colin James 

This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to maintain and enhance our cherished duck pond, ensuring its beauty and ecological health for years to come.

Since its inception, the Duck Pond Project has been a labor of love for Hereford Voice and Keith Mars. Together, we have worked tirelessly to clean, maintain, and improve the pond, transforming it into a vibrant habitat for local wildlife and a peaceful retreat for the community. The project's success is a testament to the power of community spirit and volunteerism.

Over the years, numerous volunteers have contributed their time, energy, and resources to support this initiative. From routine clean-ups to more extensive restoration efforts, the collective efforts of these individuals have been instrumental in achieving the project's goals. Their dedication has not only preserved the pond's natural beauty but also fostered a sense of community and shared responsibility.

Vets for Pets Hereford also kindly donated signs to show how best to care for the Ducks.

As Colin James from Hereford Voice and Keith Mars pass the baton to the Hereford Elgar Rotary Club, the next phase of the project promises to build on this solid foundation. The Rotary Group's involvement will bring new ideas, energy, and resources, ensuring the continued success and sustainability of the duck pond. Their experience in community service and environmental projects will be invaluable as they take the project to new heights.

We extend our deepest gratitude to all the volunteers and local businesses who have played a part in Hereford Duck Pond Clean Up Group Project over the years. Your contributions have made a lasting impact, and your legacy will continue to inspire future efforts. As the Hereford Elgar Rotary Club steps in to lead the project, we are confident that the duck pond will continue to thrive as a beloved community asset.

There are far too many people and businesses to mention but thank you for your unwavering support and commitment. 👏🫶
Together, we have made a difference, and together, we will continue to preserve and enhance our natural environment for future generations.

Below are some fabulous photographs taken from over the years.

Good luck to everyone involved in the next phase of this brilliant project.

Colin James - Hereford Voice and Keith Mars

#HerefordVoice | #HerefordNews | #HerefordshireNews | #HerefordCommunity | #Herefordshire | #HerefordZone | #HerefordLife | #HerefordDuckPond

Child serial killer Lucy Letby has been denied permission to appeal against her convictions for the murder and attempted murder of babies in her care when she worked as a neonatal nurse.

Letby, of Hereford, was convicted in August 2023 of the murders of seven babies and the attempted murders of six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between 2015 and 2016.

She had asked three senior judges to allow her to challenge the convictions at the court of appeal in London.

Letby had put forward four grounds of appeal, each of which involved the submission that the trial judge wrongly refused applications she made during the trial at Manchester crown court.

However, she was refused permission on Friday by Dame Victoria Sharp and Lord Justice Holroyde.

Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Lord Justice Holroyde, said they had refused Letby's request to bring an appeal at a short Court of Appeal hearing earlier.

The full reasons for the judges' decision were not made public, with the full details of Letby's appeal bid also unable to be published for legal reasons.

Dame Victoria said: "Having heard her application, we have decided to refuse leave to appeal on all grounds and refuse all associated applications.

"A full judgment will be handed down in due course."

Kevin has lived in Hunderton for over 30 years and was elected to represent the Hinton and Hunderton ward on the City Council in 2017. Since 2019, he has also represented the same ward on Herefordshire Council.

He is a trustee of the Kindle Centre and RSPCA Herefordshire and is a governor of Riverside Primary School.

He studied biology at university and was a secondary school science teacher, including at several local schools. He has also worked in the court service and as an actor, trainer and presenter.

Hereford Voice - Congratulations Kevin, have a fabulous year! 👏

The man who sadly lost his life after a fatal collision on Saturday morning (18 May) has been named by his family as Jake Campbell.

The collision happened at around 12.40am on the A44 at Docklow in Herefordshire.

Despite best efforts by emergency services, the 26-year-old was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene.

An investigation into the collision is on-going.

It looks like the Old Market shopping centre may have tenant soon for the 83,000 sq ft empty building formally occupied by Debenhams.

The Old Market has 32 - retail and leisure units owned by British Land Company PLC.

(Rumours are that is could possibly be Primark who are looking to expand their operation in the UK, but that is only a rumor)

Who would you like to see occupy this building in such a prime location in Hereford ?

Hereford Voice Proud Sponsors of Burghill Tillington & Weobley Cricket Club