Work began this afternoon and it is looking much better already with all the debris from the floods of storm Dennis back in February 2020 removed however, there is still a long way to go.

(Saracens Head, Old Wye Bridge – Bridleway Closure

Bridleway closed from Tuesday 23rd August 2022 to (and including) Thursday 25th August 2022.

Bridleway closed between 8am and 4pm each day for 'Trial Pits')

Remember where you heard it first..

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Hereford Fire Station were mobilised to a large fire at the rear of a property in Hunderton during the early hours of this morning. A shed was well alight when the crews arrived but the fire was swiftly extinguished.

📸 Sebastian Olzyk

A man has been charged with attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon following an incident in Kington, Herefordshire on Friday.

Alexander Stone, 37, of Bridge Street, Kington will appear at Kidderminster Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He is remanded in custody.

Police were called to an address in Kington earlier today (Friday 22 July) in response to a report of a woman being assaulted.

The woman was taken to hospital but is expected to be discharged shortly.

The man was arrested and taken into custody where he remains at this time.

Det Sgt Jim Moore said: "This was a nasty incident but fortunately the injured woman is expected to make a full recovery.

"We would like to reassure local people that this was an isolated incident and there is not believed to be any danger to the wider community."

The marquee is up and ready for the start of the wonderful Three Choirs Festival in Hereford.

The festival runs for a week from 23-30 July 2022 with world-class music-making, choral and orchestral concerts, services, recitals and talks.

For all the details visit 👉 HERE

Food waste to be collected by bike

Following on from our breaking news article from yesterday http://hfd.news/GyP 

Herefordshire Council expects to become the first local authority in the country to have food waste collected by bike.

Cabinet members yesterday (Thursday 21 July) agreed a new waste service specification, including that Herefordshire’s food waste will be collected weekly by bike. Cabinet gave pedal-powered collections the green light after debating the idea during today’s meeting.

Cargo bikes pushing ahead

A cargo bike food waste collection will begin in central Hereford. The zero-carbon approach will see kitchen scraps turned into compost. While this is a first for any UK council, similar approaches have already been adopted elsewhere. A BBC report shows food collection by bike is already underway in Paris. Meanwhile, online retailer Amazon is reported to be launching a fleet of e-cargo bikes to replace van deliveries in London.

New waste collections mandatory

This environmentally-friendly step is part of a new waste and recycling collection service for Herefordshire that will also include a fortnightly garden waste collection service, which councils must introduce as part of new government legislation.

The new enhanced service will provide much more recycling capacity and will improve both the quantity and quality of recycling. Residents will keep the bins they already have for general waste and recycling. The council will meet the one-off cost of additional bins needed to separate different types of waste. This will be offset by savings made every subsequent year in reduced disposal costs.

Losing sleep over climate emergency

Gemma Davies, cabinet member for commissioning, procurement and assets, says:

“I am absolutely thrilled with this. Not just that we’re introducing this environmentally-friendly collection service but also that we expect ours to be the very first council in the country to do so. How good it is to lead in the critical race to combat our climate emergency. Making these changes is a very useful way for us all to get involved in helping our environment. I’m grateful to all the members who supported this plan and I’m confident Herefordshire residents will also get behind it. The change will benefit us all.”

Getting it right

Residents are being encouraged and supported to make good choices to ‘reduce, reuse and recycle’ through the councils ‘Getting it right’ campaign. This encourages people to put the right items into the right bins. Reducing contamination (putting the wrong things into the wrong bins) will improve recycling rates.  

Other waste reduction measures include the incredibly successful reusable nappy scheme, which is helping residents with young families reduce nappy waste. Its popularity meant the scheme had to end just 30 days after its April launch date.  Herefordshire Council also recently announced funding grants for setting up or extending existing repair cafes to discourage people from throwing away repairable household items.

An investigation has been launched following the death of a 20-year-old woman in Hereford.

Shortly after 5am on Sunday morning (17 July) police were called to Green Street following a report of a concern for safety.

Officers attended along with colleagues from West Midlands Ambulance Service.

On arrival it was found that a 20-year-old woman had sustained unexplained injuries and sadly, she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Her next of kin has been informed.

A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has since been released on police bail pending further inquiries.

Detective Inspector Mark Walters, said:

“This is an incredibly sad incident and our thoughts go out to the family of the young woman who has lost her life.

“I understand that incidents of this nature can be alarming, but would like to reassure the local community that this is an isolated incident and there is no wider risk to the public.

“You may see an increased police presence in the area over the coming days as our investigation continues.”

The woman's family has asked for privacy at this time.

Herefordshire Council could be the first Council in the country to use cargo bikes to collect and dispose of food waste if a decision is given the green light later today.

It’s ground breaking innovation

Today Herefordshire Council will be making a decision on future waste collection procurement and part of that procurement will be about using cargo bikes on a few thousand houses in Hereford City.

It will mean that the household food waste will be collected by cargo bike, resulting in ZERO Carbon collection.

The waste that is collected can then be transformed into the highest quality compost, which can then be sold or even better used to enrich our Herefordshire soil ,which will be a small but 'significant' step to help with the phosphate issues we are experiencing in our beautiful rivers and support our farming communities.

With the warm temperatures each year do you think it would be good to open an Lido in Hereford or Herefordshire?

Lido Ponty in Pontypridd

There are a few really good Lido's across the UK and these were very popular in the 1930's many have been restored and are thriving!

Rhondda Cynon Taff council told Hereford Voice that more than 80,000 people visited the National Lido of Wales, Lido Ponty in Pontypridd since it was able to re-open last May following Covid restrictions up to September 2021. This year the numbers have almost doubled.

The grade II listed lido was refurbished in 2015 using National Lottery money and has heated pools while restored features include the 1920s turnstiles and wooden cubicles.

A new Lido could attract even more visitors to Hereford and would be a great day out for friends and families.

Have you visited a Lido?

Photograph courtesy of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council

The Hunderton Community Gardens Association mural is coming along nicely!

A lot of work from members of the community all working on this showcase wall which is brightening up the area big time!!

Well done to everyone involved, we can't wait to see the completed masterpiece

📸 Cllr Kevin Tillett

Midlands Air Ambulance

West Midlands Ambulance Service were called to a RTC which involved a collision between a motorcyclist and a bin lorry on the A44 in Bredenbury, Herefordshire just after 10am this morning (Wednesday 20th).

West Mercia Police advised that the A44 between Bredenbury and Bromyard was closed due to a serious RTC and that the road will be closed for some time.

Two ambulances, a paramedic officer, a BASICS emergency doctor and the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham with a paramedic and doctor on board attended the scene.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said:

“When ambulance staff arrived, they found the motorcyclist, a man, being given CPR by an off duty doctor and bystanders. The man was in a critical condition and ambulance staff commenced advanced life support on scene. Sadly, despite the best efforts of everyone, nothing could be done to save the man and he was confirmed deceased on scene a short time later.”

Planning permission granted, paving the way for MandM Direct to move into former Debenhams unit in Hereford.

Carney Sweeney planning consultants submitted a planning application on behalf of MandM Direct for a variation of use at the former Debenhams unit at the Old Market Shopping Centre in Hereford by changing the upper floor space into offices earlier this year.

MandM Direct previously said that if the plans were approved that they would move from their current head office in Leominster to the shopping centre in a bid to attract staff.

Herefordshire Council has now given the green light for these changes, which will also see new windows overlooking Newmarket Street and a new doorway. The featured escalator inside will be removed altogether.

FREE Staff Parking: 119 parking spaces allocated to staff to park for free on weekdays.

Planning application P221678/O

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service and West Mercia Police attended a fire on the field behind Vernon's Williams Close in Newton Farm, Hereford last night.

There have been a number of similar incidents which Hereford Cops (SNT) are monitoring and all have been very dangerous.

If you have any information regarding this, please contact 101.

A government minister has rejected the council's bid to gain special protection for the polluted River Wye.

Herefordshire councillors voted to back bringing in a water protection zone (WPZ), which would place tighter restrictions on pollution sources.

But Rebecca Pow said it would lead to extra regulatory burdens compared "to businesses in other areas".

The river has had excessive algae growth often caused by high phosphate levels in the water.

In January, a full meeting of councillors voted unanimously to back bringing in a WPZ for the Wye catchment, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

It is a measure which would place tighter restrictions on farms and other pollution sources, but which only a government minister can implement.

Council leader David Hitchiner then wrote to Ms Pow, minister for nature recovery and the domestic environment, urging her to bring in the measure, given that "existing regulatory arrangements are insufficient" to deal with the pollution problem.

He said farmers in the county "on the leading edge of farming innovation… would have little to fear from a WPZ as they are doing the right thing anyway".

Ms Pow met Mr Hitchiner and other senior figures at the river shortly afterwards, but she warned at the time that such a zone "would be another tier of regulation".

Now in a letter, which has been published among papers for Wednesday's Wye Catchment Nutrient Management Board meeting, the minister has written back to say a WPZ "would impose new and distinct regulatory obligations on the farmers and businesses within the catchment".

This "would lead to additional regulatory burdens in comparison to businesses in other areas of the country", she said.

The council has been invited to comment by the BBC.

Herefordshire Council has attempted to gain special protection for the River Wye, which is seen here (below) from Symonds Yat Rock.

Source | BBC

TV’s Time Team star Sir Tony Robinson has shown his support for our campaign to bring the hoard home to Herefordshire.

As well as playing Baldrick in the television series Blackadder, and presenting Around the World by Train, Sir Tony is an amateur historian and archaeologist with a keen interest in Anglo Saxon England.

Learning about our campaign to bring the hoard home to Herefordshire, Sir Tony says:

“I’ve always been fascinated by Alfred the Great and his battles alongside his Mercian allies against the great Viking Army. The Herefordshire Hoard offers a fantastic insight into this world and even gives us solid evidence about a previously unrecognised alliance between Alfred and the King of Mercia. It’s a hoard of national importance and should certainly have pride of place in Hereford Museum.”

Sir Tony’s support is backed up by Herefordshire’s Lord-Lieutenant’s. Edward Harley, OBE, says:

"I am delighted to offer support to this very significant campaign to bring the Herefordshire Hoard back to the county.

“The hoard is the single most important archaeological find from the county in half a century, and is of national significance, rewriting our understanding of history at a time when the English nation was forming from a number of separate kingdoms into a unified country.

“The beauty and rarity of the objects alone are culturally valuable and the hoard tells us so much about society during the Anglo-Saxon and Viking period. The fundraising campaign to acquire this treasure, to give the people of the county and the whole country, the chance to see it publicly displayed in our beautiful city of Hereford, is an aspiration I wholeheartedly support."

Upcoming events

The Herefordshire Hoard roadshow storms into Leominster Community Centre on Saturday 2 July. Be there between 11-3pm to see costumed re-enactors who have some old tales to tell about life as a Viking.

The next time to see items from the Herefordshire Hoard at the Museum Resource and Learning Centre is between 10.30-3.30pm on Wednesday 6 July. There is no need to book onto this free event – simply turn up at Hereford’s Friars Street venue to feast your eyes on the treasure.

Meanwhile, an illustrated lecture by Herefordshire archaeologist, Peter Reavill, takes place at the same venue between 10-12pm, Thursday 21 July.

For details of other events, and to keep up-to-date with all hoard-related news, visit the official website.

I have taken an abandoned ASDA trolley off my street and placed it in my garden. Children have been using it to get on the garage roofs.

To get the trolley picked up I started by going to the Herefordshire Council Website - report an abandoned shopping trolley. To report an abandoned trolley, please identify the retailer it belongs to, then call the relevant collection service below. 

In this case a company called Trolleywise deal with ASDA trolleys. So I sent a report to Tolleywise only to receive an email saying that:

Good morning Martin,

Thank you for your email.

Unfortunately we are not contracted to collect ASDA trolleys anymore. You need to contact your local store for organising the collection.

Kind regards,
Trolleywise team

Before I rang the store I called Herefordshire Council to tell them the information on their website was not up to date, and that maybe the other supermarkets contracted to Trolleywise were in the same situation. The lady at the council also said contact ASDA direct to recover the trolley. 

When I rang ASDA T: 01432 346300 this is what you hear:

Thank you for calling ASDA Hereford. To keep improving our service we may record or monitor your calls.

If a customer press 1 
If a colleague press 2
If a supplier or contractor press 3

press 1 and you get this:

Due to unprecedented demand we cannot connect your call to our store. Please visit our website.
This takes you to the Trolleywise section on the website which states:

Have you found an Asda trolley in your community that has been taken from our store? Let us know exactly where it is and we’ll come and collect it and return it back to Asda.

Ha Ha technology overpowers humanity again. It is impossible to speak to a human being when resolving problems nowadays.

Oh I have just taken another abandoned trolley off the street. I now have got two trolleys in my garden.
I better report this to the council ! ! ! !

I have a better idea - the local scrap dealer comes round the street every Sunday so if the the trolleys are not picked up by then he can have them.

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War and to celebrate Armed Forces Week, the Mayor of Hereford Mark Dykes was invited by Rear Admiral Wilcox to host a lunch for forces veterans at Hereford Town Hall.

The 40th Anniversary of Falklands was particularly special to the City of Hereford, as during the conflict the City adopted the HMS Antelope, a frigate of the Royal Navy that was sunk by Argentine aircraft. 255 men died during the Falklands War, with 28 of those having their roots in Herefordshire.

On Sunday 19th June, Hereford was honoured to receive both the Captain and the crew of HMS Antelope, along with many other armed forces veterans, including members of the SAS. Of those in attendance was also General Sir Michael Rose KCB, CBE, DSO, QGM, and many other high-ranking personnel.

The Mayor of Hereford Mark Dykes, also an armed forces veteran, was delighted to have been presented with a shield from the SAS 22 Regiment, which will be displayed in Hereford Town Hall.

The HMS Antelope, adopted by the City of Hereford, was sunk by Argentine ordinance explosives. Attacked by aircraft, the Antelope was struck by bombs which failed to explode, and though attempts were made to disarm these devices, the bomb ultimately exploded and the order was given to abandon the vessel. Two servicemen perished due to the attack, while the remaining 41 survived.

It was an honour to commemorate the brave efforts of those who have served our Country and celebrate those who still serve. We also remember the fallen, who fell in the line of duty and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget.

The Royal British Legion have created a message board for those wishing to pay a tribute and honour the lives and sacrifices made at https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/poppy-press/your-falklands-messages

If you need support or someone to talk to locally, please contact Herefordshire Veteran Support Centre (https://herefordshire-vsc.org) on 01432 260656 or the Herefordshire Mental Health 24 hour helpline on 0808 196 9127.

Source | Hereford City Council

Originally this was our 2022 April fools prank on our Facebook page, nut we had a huge response! So seriously would you like to see something like this come to Hereford?

They had an event in Gloucester city centre a few years ago, see here 👉 https://bit.ly/3J0DMHB

Let us know your thoughts..