West Mercia Police are appealing for witnesses following a fatal collision in Hereford on Friday (23 April) afternoon.

Officers were called at 4.05pm to reports that a black and chrome Kawasaki motorbike and a green Fendt tractor collided on the B348 at the Thruxton junction towards Arkstone Court, Clehonger.

Sadly, the man in his 50s travelling on the motorbike, was pronounced deceased at the scene. His next of kin have been informed.

Ambulance and air ambulance also attended the scene. Road closures were in place while emergency services were in attendance.

PC Lee Palmer from West Mercia Police said: "Our thoughts remain with the man's family at this difficult time."

He continued: "While investigations are ongoing, we are appealing for any witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident and may have dash-cam footage to please come forward.”

Any witnesses are asked to contact West Mercia Police on 101 quoting reference 427i of 23 April 2021.

Alternatively, information can be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their website.

Verging on Wild is a group of volunteers working to improve biodiversity on our roadside verges.

We are working with Herefordshire Council, Balfour Beatty Living Places, Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and several other wildlife organisations. We want to see a change in verge management across the county and we want to protect the best verges by listing them as Roadside Verge Nature Reserves (RVNRs) and managing them for biodiversity.

Protection for our rich and varied verges       

Road verge flora is deteriorating in many parts of the UK – 87 of the verge species are facing possible extinction – including favourites like harebell, field scabious and ragged robin. The decline is caused by the way we cut and manage verge habitat and the increasing fertility of roadside soils. Cutting begins in the spring and is repeated in the summer so that few plants have a chance to set seed before the mowers arrive. Summer flowering plants, many of which typify our beautiful hay meadows, are disappearing from our verges.

The result of this mowing regime and the practice of leaving the cut vegetation to rot down in situ, has caused a decline in roadside species and an increase in weed species such as nettles, cow parsley and hogweed. This is bad news for wildflower numbers and diversity. It is also bad for populations of bees, beetles and butterflies that rely on these plants for food, and for the birds that eat these invertebrates.

What a gorgeous welcome to Bishops Frome!

There are nearly 300,000 miles of rural roadside verges in the UK, so if this decline can be reversed, the contribution to nature will be huge. Rural verges are equal to half our remaining grasslands and meadows, so if we can change verge management to benefit wildlife, it will make a significant difference. A rural county like Herefordshire can make a great contribution to this with good verge management.

Reversing the decline – “Cut Less, Cut Later”

Plantlife, the UK’s wild plant conservation body, is behind a national project proposing a new wildlife friendly approach to managing verges. They produce clear verge management guidelines for landowners, local councils and authorities, the gist of which is “cut less, cut late".

In Herefordshire in 2018, three friends decided to take action to improve our local verges and  “Verging on Wild” (VOW) was formed. VOW is now affiliated to Herefordshire Wildlife Trust and working to encourage Herefordshire Council, Parish councils and their contractors to follow the best practice guidelines. Herefordshire Council and Balfour Beatty Living Places are now considering changes to the verge management in Herefordshire.

Herefordshire’s listed verges

Verging on Wild is also working to reinstate good management for a list of special verges which are the best wild flower verges in the county. These are called Roadside Verge Nature Reserves (RVNRs). VOW is organising groups of volunteers to do signage, monitoring and management on the listed sites. Many enthusiasts have already proposed their own local sites which have now been surveyed and added to the list for their protection.

It is wonderful to see these verges in flower and alive with bees and butterflies, so if you would like to be a verge guardian and help look after a listed verge near you, please contact Verging on Wild.

suzanne@lowerhazelfarm.co.uk, annecrane59@gmail.com, sally@sallywebster.net

Further Information

See “The good verge guide” and “Managing grassland road verges” here  

Sign Plantlife’s petition here 

Watch a brilliant presentation on verges from Phil Sterling of Butterfly Conservation here

Source | Herefordshire Wildlife Trust

Is there going to be a Community hub at The Oval? Time is passing by and most probably will be forgotten.

New community hub

Decision    - Approved with Conditions

Applicant name    Keepmoat Homes/Herefordshire Housing

Applicant address    Keepmoat Homes/Herefordshire Housing Regeneration House (Old House) Gorsey Lane Birmingham West Midlands B46 1JU

Decision date    Wednesday 18 September 2013

131390/O
The second associated application is for the construction of a community hub. This application
is in outline form, and the application site is located to the north of the site to the west of the
retail units. The proposal is for an 800 m2 building with the remaining area being used for
landscaping and car parking. The proposed building would be three storey and would
accommodate a reception area, restaurant/café, offices and public facilities.

The store was formally occupied by ROMAN

In private message sent to Hereford Voice this evening, there were some very complimentary and kind words expressed about

Gemma Davies - Cllr and Herefordshire Council for being so helpful and supportive.

A post on their Facebook page reads..

Quote

 

"Very exciting news!!!

After a pretty awful and disastrous year for The Children’s Bookshelf, we are so excited to announce that, thanks to a very lovely local councillor and the Hereford Council who have both stepped in at the last minute to give us a life line...

The Children’s Bookshelf now has a new home, a new name (well a slight name tweak) and a new logo.

We can’t thank the Herefordshire Council enough for giving us a chance to move forward and recover as a business.

Now the hard work starts getting the new shop up and running. We can’t wait to see you all and get back to doing what we love!"

 

More positive news for Hereford!!

Good luck with the new store guys

A West Midlands Ambulance Service technician has tragically died whilst on duty in Herefordshire this morning.

The ambulance crew were on route to a 999 call when an object struck the ambulance’s windscreen at 8am. It happened at the junction of Moreton Road and the A49.

Multiple resources attended the scene, which included two emergency ambulance crews, paramedic officers, the Midlands Air Ambulance from Strensham and two Mercia Accident Rescue Service doctors.A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said:

Quote

“Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, nothing could be done to save our colleague, who was the front passenger, and he was confirmed dead at the scene.

“His crewmate, the driver, was also injured in the incident. He has received treatment at hospital and has subsequently been discharged.”

West Midlands Ambulance Service Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said:

Quote

“This is truly awful news, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends, and colleagues of those involved at this very difficult time. I am enormously proud of all the staff and the university students as part of their clinical placement that worked so hard and professionally to try to save our colleague. I am sorry that despite their best efforts, he could not be saved.”

West Mercia Police are asking anyone who may have seen the incident or have dash-cam footage to contact them on 101 quoting incident 00101i of 24 April.

Our fabulous local independent retailers have all reopened in the last few weeks including all those lovely shops and boutiques in The Independent Quarter and Hereford Butter Market

We have a new a nail salon, mobile phone shop and the new tasty Yorkshire wrap! A new pizza restaurant, as well as some fabulous coffee bars, take-aways, bistros, wine bars and pubs and the all new outside seating!

New eateries offering Korean BBQ at your table and Amazing Asia all coming soon to the Hereford Old Market Shopping Centre and we have some fabulous hotels too and let's not forget Saxtys Bar & Club which is reopening in May!!

June brings Knife Angel Hereford to the Hereford Cathedral

We also have some wonderful new planters with seats and trees in the city centre which will look superb once they fully blossom.

We love our city and county and we like to shout about it and promote everything POSITIVE. It's all too easy to moan but we are privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the World. We will continue to promote local business and encourage people to visit Hereford and Herefordshire.

Keep looking out for our continuous opening headlines

POSITIVE NEWS | POSITIVE HEREFORD

The lockdown has been a very challenging time for people and businesses alike but there is light at the end of the tunnel..

Join us in our campaign and 'BE POSITIVE' about this fabulous city of ours. 'Positive Hereford'

Follow our hashtag #positivehereford

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a serious collision on the A49 in Hereford towards Leominster.

The road is currently closed between Church Road and the junction to Upper Lyde.

Please use alternate routes while emergency services deal with the incident.

Road is closed at Arkstone, between Kingstone and Clehonger.

Emergency services including the Air Ambulance are at the scene dealing with the RTC involving a motorbike and a tractor.

Please avoid the area.

The Castle Green Pavilion project will enhance a much-loved but neglected community asset, open up access to the River Wye and add significantly to the infrastructure of Hereford’s visitor economy. The refurbished pavilion will provide a revitalised home for
the Youth Canoe Club, cafe facilities, a multifunctional and flexible community meeting space and a gallery celebrating local arts and heritage.

The Pavilion has the potential to become the heart of creative and innovative youth development in the city.

RATIONALE

Developing the Pavilion brings a “whole day offer” to people visiting Hereford. We will add to commercial developments in the city by balancing the strong retail development on the north-west of the city with an art and heritage offer on the south-east side; all in walking distance, giving visitors a chance to enjoy the essence of the city’s rural/urban feel.

There is also huge potential for Castle Green to become the Festival Village
for Hereford, having successfully hosted large scale events with up to 3,500 people on site. The green is a natural amphitheatre and with the transformed Pavilion as the anchor point, Castle Green can become nationally recognised as a vibrant space of culture, commerce, and community activity.

This project will support Hereford’s creative sector and underperforming visitor economy, delivering the Towns Fund Intervention Framework objective of:

Improved arts, cultural and heritage offer that is more visible and easier for residents/visitors to access.

FUNDING

Total Cost: £1,560,000 | Towns Fund: £1,560,000 

Towns Fund will facilitate the full refurbishment of the Pavilion.

The cutting back of trees in Muir Close goes back years when most requests were deemed not worth doing. There has been some lopping of certain trees which has resulted in the subsequent thickening up of greenery and the consequence of sunshine being blocked from several households. 

Is it too much to ask that the Council and BBLP can sort this problem out especially when people spend a lot of their free time in their gardens. Also my partner is confined to a wheelchair and can only sit in the back garden to enjoy the warmer weather and she misses the sunshine - remember vitamin D3 is good for you.

Over the years the matter of tree pruning has been passed back and forward between the Council and Housing Associations depending on whose land the trees stand on. I believe there is only one tree maintenance contractor to cover the whole of Herefordshire - a small saving on BBLP's maintenance budget considering they receive millions of pounds each month from council tax payers.

It would be nice if someone could let some light into our lives in these miserable enforced lockdowns, of which I am sure more will follow. At present there is tree cutting debris left on Council land since July 2020 and no one has moved it yet. Maybe they are waiting for me to take it to the tip when I get my 4 hours off a week from caring duties.

Here are some trees cut back in 2016 - looks a bit harsh.

In an article written on their website The Victorian Society strongly objects to the Diocese of Hereford’s plans to demolish a historic rectory in Hereford.

Quote

 

Not only would this see Hereford’s architectural heritage diminished but reuse of existing buildings, rather than demolition, is vital to meeting the environmental commitments of both the council and the Church of England.

The striking Arts and Crafts style rectory of St Nicholas’ Church was built between 1909–10 by the local firm of Nicholson and Hartree. Historic England has noted the high quality of the materials used to build the rectory and the remarkable intactness of its original and detailed interiors. Destruction of this Edwardian building would see further erosion of Hereford’s heritage.

In March 2019 Herefordshire Council declared a climate emergency and, in September 2019, claimed that they would minimise their impact on the environment. Similarly, the Church of England has pledged to take climate change seriously, stating that ‘responding to climate change is an essential part of our responsibility to safeguard God's creation’. The decision to apply for demolition does not appear to take that pledge on board. Given the climate emergency, the sensitive reuse and retrofit of historic buildings is preferable to demolition and erection of new buildings, almost no matter how energy efficient they are. Demolishing this characterful and structurally sound building is wasteful. The diocese should rethink its approach and take the green and energy-efficient option and find a way to reuse the historic rectory or sell it to a buyer who would appreciate its charms. If not, Hereford Council must reject the application for its demolition if it is serious about meet its climate targets.

Historic England research has highlighted the importance of reuse of existing buildings finding that ‘sympathetically upgrading and reusing existing buildings, rather than demolishing and building new, could dramatically improve a building’s energy efficiency and would make substantial energy savings because the CO₂ emissions already embodied within existing buildings would not be lost through demolition.’

Tom Taylor, Conservation Adviser for the Victorian Society, said: ‘This former rectory is the kind of solid, well-designed and well-executed historic building that forms the fundamental texture of our surviving Victorian and Edwardian suburban built heritage. It has survived essentially intact, both inside and out. There is no suggestion that it is necessary for structural reasons to demolish it, or that it is beyond repair. There is also no suggestion that marketing the building as a single dwelling has been attempted or reasonably discounted. To replace this structurally sound, high-quality historic building and large garden with a row of 9 new dwellings and a car park will result in the loss of a non-designated heritage asset and harm the historic and architectural character of Hereford.’ 

 

Photographs courtesy of the Victorian Society 

The Courtyard Hereford are delighted to reveal The Courtyard Chase Lounge, a brand new independent restaurant, lounge bar and rooftop terrace, created in partnership with Chase Distillery

The restaurant will be serving a mixture of innovative small plates and traditional main dishes, offering a unique culinary experience.

The lounge bar is a classy yet comfortable space to relax with friends and sample a range of cocktails, fine wines and local Chase spirits.

The newly built rooftop terrace offers al fresco dining and a comfortable lounge area, serving up Mediterranean evening vibes.

The Courtyard 'Chase Lounge' will open Saturday 22nd May and you can book your tickets from April 21st at courtyard.org.uk.

📷 T.Henderson Photography

Last night a crew from Leominster Fire Station along with a fire crew from Kingsland fire station attended a front loader well alight in a field.

2 hose reels, breathing apparatus and a thermal imaging camera were used to extinguish the fire swiftly.

📷 HWFRS

Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the U91424 - Manley Cresent, Pembridge in Herefordshire.

The Knife Angel (Also referred to as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression) is a contemporary sculpture formed from 100,000 confiscated knives and is an incredible 27ft in height and weighing over 3.5 tonnes, created by artist Alfie Bradley and the The British Ironwork Centre based in Oswestry.

This thought-provoking angel artwork is scheduled to be hosted by the magnificent Hereford Cathedral from 14 June for 28 days.

Hereford Voice is proud to be a 'Working Partner' with this fabulous charity.

Donations https://www.justgiving.com/knifeangelhereford

About Knife Angel Hereford

Alison Davies lost her son Mark Hamilton to knife crime in 2018, together with friends Meryl Cain, Pauline Strong and Jan Jefferies they decided to bring the Knife Angel to #Hereford in 2021 to help raise awareness of the catastrophic impact of violent crime on communities, families and individuals.

Please visit the website www.knifeangelhereford.co.uk

During the Knife Angel’s visit, the Knife Angel Hereford team will run a series of workshops and interactive events. It is envisaged that this initiative will continue after the Knife Angel leaves Hereford.

Another reason to #VisitHerefordshire this year!

Sad to learn the sad news of the passing of Sir Clive Richards, he was a great supporter of so many good causes in Herefordshire and throughout the UK, including a huge generous donation of 1 Million pounds to St Michael's Hospice - Hereford.

Sir Clive Richards - Photograph courtesy of St Michael's Hospice Hereford.

The Hospice said;

Quote

Everyone at St Michael’s Hospice is deeply saddened to hear the news that Clive Richards has died.

Clive, and his wife Sylvia, were unwavering in their dedication to their Hospice.

Their profound kindness was never more evident than in 2014 when the Clive & Sylvia Richards Charity donated £1 million to the St Michael’s Hospice Redevelopment Appeal. This generosity helped build our new Hospice buildings which are enabling us to care for more people than in any time since St Michael’s first opened its doors in 1984.

The Inpatient Wing is named in the couple’s honour.

Clive chose to support St Michael’s Hospice because he felt passionate about the work we do and that the Hospice ‘plays a vital role in the community’.

Clive continued his commitment to supporting St Michael’s.

He opened the gardens of his Ullingswick home to raise funds and, as recently as 2019, helped the St Michael’s Hospice Race Day at Hereford Racecourse become an overwhelming success, raising almost £50,000.

Speaking that same year, Clive said he and Sylvia had given away millions of pounds to good causes over three decades - and had no plans to stop.

‘We just try to help people, particularly those who can’t help themselves,’ said Clive.

‘Once you’ve made a certain amount of money, you can only spend so much.

‘I’ve had a hell of a good life and been able to do what I want. ‘But you can’t take it with you, so we came to the conclusion that we would give our wealth away.’

Clive gave the Hospice and its Trustees confidence and reassurance needed to deliver our mission of providing more care to more people in more places.

After meeting with Clive, Hospice Trustees always returned with his wise words ringing in their ears.

It’s his generosity and sound advice, often delivered with good humour, which we’ll miss the most.

Charity

The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity (CSRC) was established on 16 May 1986 by Clive Richards, a serial entrepreneur and his wife Sylvia.

The Clive and Sylvia Richards Charity is committed to supporting Education, Healthcare, Heritage and Arts

CSR Charity Website

Herefordshire Council contractors Herefordshire Highways (Balfour Beatty Living Places) have been working collaboratively with Highways England and Kier to clear litter safely on a Highways England night closure of the A40 Monmouth bound on Friday 16th April. 

The teams worked through the night and removed 1100kgs of litter from the central reservation and the junction of the A4137 to the Ganarew Bridge Herefordshire.

A Bartonsham Dairy refrigeration lorry caught fire at the top of Aylestone Hill in Hereford this lunch time. 

Emergency services are at the scene and the road (A465) has been closed in both directions while firefighters and police deal with the incident.

Photo courtesy of Karen Pardoe