Breaking News: The education secretary Gavin Williamson has just announced in the House of Commons that ALL schools in ENGLAND will CLOSE at the end of the day on Friday until further notice.

PM tells Britons to avoid pubs, restaurants and non-essential travel.

The government is now going to be holding daily televised news conferences concerning coronavirus, and today was the first one.

The prime minister told a Downing Street news conference the number of coronavirus cases in the UK could now double every five or six days without "drastic action".

"Today, we need to go further," Mr Johnson said, as he explained how the country now appeared to be approaching a "fast growth" period in the spread of COVID-19 - the prevalent strain of coronavirus.

The way we run our lives and how we expect others to respond to our couldn't care less attitude is imposing great stress on all concerned. We need to start with our home life. Are we part of a strong family unit who can cope and help one another. Can we help other people in our street - the neighborhood watch scheme, useful for keeping an eye on each other and also crime prevention leads to a healthier living environment. Support local shops, leave your car behind and get out into the fresh air. In Newton Farm we are lucky to have a local medical centre, shops and post office. However the youth club was demolished along with the church - two facilities which encouraged benefical activities for users. 

On the news today we are told there are not enough people to plant trees and that carers and nurses are in short supply. Let's set up proper training schemes with decent wages. A university degree is not the answer to many simple matters which can be resolved locally. A recognised work scheme will make people of all ages feel useful and regarded.

Over the years our local lives have been bundled into larger segments run by faceless bureaucrats who continually are hell bent on cutting services, transforming our simple ways of living into regional units and giving our money to corporations unable to carry out the work , but can cash the cheques regularly each month into the pockets of a favoured few.

Maybe we can seek solutions to these problems and use this forum to give people the opportunity to add their point of view. After all with the government's impending lockdown there has never been a better time to think locally. Please add suggestions and concerns to do things in a better way below:

Anybody having problems getting onto the HT website ?

Have they chose to move to their new location today and decided that in this day and age the Internet is not really important so they will link up over the next couple of days / weeks ? 

The B4224 road, from Fiddler’s Green to Fownhope, was severely damaged by Storm Dennis

Although Herefordshire Council hope that their contractors will be able to repair and reopen the road much sooner, works may take until the end of September, inspections carried out last week reveal.

The B4224 was dealt a double blow by the storm, which caused a 6.5 metre wide landslip and a separate partial collapse of a 100-metre long retaining wall.

Safety and structural inspections of the road took place last week with BT Openreach, Cadent and Western Power Distribution also checking their services that run along it. BT Openreach will need to move two supply cables across the landslip.

Only then can work to remove approximately 4,000 tonnes of loose material begin. This will require around 400 lorry journeys alone, before new material is brought to site to reconstruct the road.

Some further investigations and specialist surveys also need to take place prior to the commencement of reconstruction work and these will take place within the next two weeks.Clive Hall, Acting Assistant Director of Highways and Transport at Herefordshire Council said:

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“We are exploring all potential options to speed up this work, mitigate road closures, enable pedestrian and cycle access either along the road or via other routes. We fully understand the impact that this closure is having on residents, businesses and road users. It is our priority to fix both sites along the road as quickly as is safely possible.

“We have provided additional public transport and the businesses in Fownhope are very much open for business. Together with our highways partner, Balfour Beatty Living Places, we met with the Parish Council and other parties last week and will be seeking another meeting with them as soon as possible to update them on the new information we have about the damage caused by Storm Dennis and to answer their questions.”

 

Herefordshire Council is expediting repairs to the B4224 from within its own reserves and will seek, in due course, to recover funding from central Government through flood-related Bellwin Funding or other sources.

Diversion routes signposting access routes into the village for through traffic are now operating and their condition will be regularly inspected and monitored to ensure effectiveness.

Diversion routes do differ for small vehicles and HGV’s. Motorists are being urged not to put themselves at risk of injury by attempting to drive along closed roads.

Anyone with questions can call the Customer Services Team on 01432 261800.

Joint statement on confirmed COVID-19 case in Herefordshire

Herefordshire Council, PHE and the NHS are well prepared to deal with coronavirus

Sue Ibbotson, Centre Director, Public Health England West Midlands, said: 

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“Public Health England is contacting people who had close contact with one of the latest confirmed cases of COVID-19 who is a resident of Herefordshire.

“Close contacts will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed case. This tried and tested method will ensure we are able to minimise any risk to them and the wider public.”

Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire Council, said: 

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“I’d like to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains low and the local authority is working with health colleagues to do everything we can to stop the virus spreading and ensure the people of Herefordshire are protected.

“Good hygiene is the best prevention and there are some simple steps you can take to protect you and your family by washing your hands regularly and thoroughly and if you cough, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.

“If you have recently been to one of the affected areas and are feeling unwell, you should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service or call NHS 111 for further advice straight away  – please don’t go to your doctor or a hospital. There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.”

A few weeks ago the Council removed an established tree from Commercial Rd Hereford on the pavement outside the old Cinema ( Kingdom Church ? ) close to the kerb - for whatever reason , I would think for H and S reason -,to their credit they replaced it with what is probably call a sapling . 

The photo , taken today shows that that the tree had been snapped off , and all that's left is a short trunk . In my opinion it's no good people going on about Climate Change etc  when this apparent Criminal Damage is happening  ?!

I have just been reading the article on the HT website about this second proposal for these stations.

A SHARED police and fire station in Hereford could be built as part of redevelopment plans for the city’s Merton Meadow off Edgar Street.

 This morning (Fri) both West Mercia Police and Hereford & Worcester Fire & Rescue Service confirmed that they were looking to develop a site “north of the football stadium†as an “innovative shared facilityâ€.

Both services will continue to work with Herefordshire Council on a site suitability assessment.

The fire service says the Bath Street site of Hereford’s former working boys home – currently council offices – is no longer an option for a new station.

Its great news that they have withdrawn the working boys home application but the new application site prop0sed is smack bang in the city centre, would it not make more sense to have these stations just outside town for all around quicker access. If there is a fire at Newton Farm for example these emergency vehicles will have to negotiate the terrible congestion that we all face daily, I appreciate that there will always be traffic but if they built these stations near Rotherwas or even the other side near the cattle market at least they can decide to take alternative routes in order to save time and lives potentially, surely being in the city centre the are almost cocooned to a degree.

Herefordshire Council requests “vital support” from government following floods.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the immediate cost of repairs following Storm Dennis to be around £10m

Herefordshire Council has written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to the Bellwin scheme and to request further “vital support” from central government following February’s unprecedented flood events.

The letter dated 28 February 2020 was signed by Herefordshire Council’s Chief Executive Alistair Neill, Leader of the Council Councillor David Hitchiner and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport Councillor John Harrington.

In the letter, it was stated that the cost of repairs following Storm Dennis is currently estimated to be around £10m. A three month extension to the Bellwin period has been requested to account for the scale of flooding and assessing its impact.

As of 3 March 2020, 405 residential and 102 business properties are understood to have been affected by February’s flood event. It was argued that the government could do more to support the recovery operation and the financial consequences of responding to the major incident caused by widespread flooding.

Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council, Alistair Neill, said:

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“Herefordshire has been severely impacted by Storm Dennis with more than 507 residential properties and businesses affected by flooding at the latest count. In response to this major incident and as part of the multi-agency response, Herefordshire Council has mobilised its resources, alongside those from our communities, to keep our residents safe. We are continuing to clean up the county and this recovery operation will have to continue for some time. Clearly, both the council and the community that it serves, is now left with the financial consequences of the widespread flooding. It is good that the government has activated the Bellwin Scheme and various grants for those affected, but we believe the government can do much more. Herefordshire Council would welcome the opportunity to work together with government to deliver the support that our community deserves, both in recovery from this storm and in our progress towards a more resilient future.”

Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor David Hitchiner, said:

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“The Community Flood Recovery Grant is welcome financial support from central government, but £500 for a residential property that has flooded will hardly cover the immediate cleaning up of a property. In the long-term, residents face difficulties and expense when arranging insurance and this will have a huge impact on the less well off, elderly or vulnerable people who are in greatest need of additional support. Financial support for businesses is insufficient to save some business from failing entirely due to the impact of flooding. Herefordshire’s economy relies on a huge number of SMEs, and offering business rate free periods does not help a small business that is under the valuation threshold and therefore does not pay rates. Farmers are also suffering from the flood impact as they cannot cultivate their land, or have had crops destroyed by flood waters. As a sector they are often ignored as attentions are focused on alleviating the impact of flooding in the country’s cities. We want the government to offer additional financial support to residents, business and the agricultural sector to help them overcome the impact of this unprecedented flood event. While these were unprecedented levels of flooding for Herefordshire, we need to accept that the climate emergency brings with it greater likelihood of flooding and extreme weather. We need to address our planning, housing, farming methods and flood defences to help us prepare for the future.”

Councillor John Harrington, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport, said:

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“Bellwin is restrictive in covering all genuine recovery costs. There is significant damage to the highway network, which in a county as large as Herefordshire means significant pressure put on our budgets which is not covered by Bellwin. The damage places a significant strain on a rural community that is dependent on its local roads to go about daily life. The scope of Bellwin needs urgent review to cover more infrastructure costs if the impact of Storm Dennis is not to unduly impair Herefordshire’s ability to thrive. A huge capital investment is now required in our Herefordshire highways to address the impairment, in what is also a nationally important asset, our local roads. We anticipate the bill for repairing the immediate impact of Storm Dennis to be around £10 million, for which we have no provision. Looking to the future, more infrastructure funds need to be made available in the longer-term for the management of bridges, roads and drainage assets that have been put under severe pressure by not only this storm, but the events that are yet to come. After many years of reductions in revenue funding at local and national level, we estimate that £3m a year is needed to plug the shortfall in current available funding. In Herefordshire, there is also huge scope for extending flood defences along both the main rivers and into the many tributaries that feed them. It is the time to seriously look at the funding criteria for flood defences to enable fair investment in the defence our rural communities, market towns and Hereford itself. Now is the time for the government to revisit the scheme, increase investment and ensure fairness in its distribution between urban and rural communities.”

The open letter to the Prime Minister is attached 

Letter to Boris Johnson Feb 2020.pdf

Herefordshire Council has a Full Council meeting this Friday 6th March and has a motion that the executive investigates the introduction of area-wide 20mph speed limits across Herefordshire’s towns and major villages.

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Motion – 20 mph speed limits

(Proposed by Councillor Felicity Norman, Seconded by Councillor Ange Tyler)

Herefordshire Council recognises the benefits associated with a 20 miles per hour speed limit in residential areas rather than a default of 30 mph which exists in most parts of the town and County.

There are fewer fatalities and injuries, greater survivability in traffic collisions, improved air quality, reduced fuel use and greater willingness of the population to walk or cycle – which has associated health benefits.

Many councils have or are in the process of implementing area-wide 20mph speed limits on residential and urban roads without traffic calming.

Many bodies with a remit for public health support a reduction in speed limits to 20mph on residential streets.

Area-wide 20mph limits rarely need traffic calming measures. They are an affordable way to improve health equality by creating child, disability, elderly and dementia friendly streetscapes that help reduce inactivity, obesity and isolation.

This Council requests that the executive undertakes an investigation concerning the introduction of area-wide 20mph speed limits across Herefordshire’s towns and major villages.

The Met Office have just confirmed it's the wettest February on record!

Latest rainfall data (up to 9am 29th Feb) reveals that FebruaLatest rainfall data (up to 9am 29th Feb) reveals that February 2020 is now the wetttest February on record

A UK average of 202.1mm has fallen, beating February 1990 where 193.4mm fell.

Okay so we have shopped around and taken extracts from various money saving advice websites and below we have listed IDENTICAL cold and flu medicines which cost a third of the price.

Most of us probably know that big-brand medicines often contain the same active ingredients as cheaper brands. But what if big-brand medicines were completely identical to the supermarket versions?

Paying for the name and nice box!

You can save up to 70% or more on IDENTICAL drugs by buying them in a different packet. In some cases 'own-brand' products of leading pharmacies Boots and Lloyds cost MORE than identical branded medicines bought elsewhere. Shoppers can also save up to 68% on drugs with the same 'active ingredient', by switching from a branded medicine to a generic equivalent.

To find identical meds you need to find the 'PL number' – a unique licence number given exclusively to a particular drug made by a particular manufacturer (eg, PL 12063/0104 is a cold and flu remedy). The medicine is sometimes put in different packaging, but if the PL numbers match, it's the SAME drug.

Examples (price may vary slightly from original source article) below:

Identical cold and flu capsules pastilles from Wilko (left) and Benylin

Wilko Max Strength Cold and Flu capsules (16 pack) £1

Benylin Cold and Flu Max Strength (16 pack) £3.09 at Lloyds

Identical max strength sinus relief medicine from Wilko (left) and Sudafed

Wilko Max Strength Sinus Relief (16 capsules) £1

Sudafed Congestion and Headache Relief (16 capsules) £3.60 at Sainsbury’s.

Even if there's not an identical medicine that's cheaper, it's often possible to save by swapping branded products for a generic – unbranded or own-brand – equivalent.

We will add a few more overtime, but there is money to be saved here! 

An emergency closure has been put in place for resurfacing works to start along Hinton Road, Hereford, following the recent flooding.  
It will be a daily closure, between 9am - 5pm, starting today until (and including) Saturday, 29 February 2020.

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Two Marches towns are set to benefit from the new Town Deals announced by Local Government Secretary Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP.

Telford and Hereford are among 100 places being invited to develop proposals for a new generation of multi-million-pound Town Deals.

The towns eligible for support from the £3.6 billion Towns Fund include places with proud industrial and economic heritage but have not always benefitted from economic growth in the same way as more prosperous areas.

Communities, businesses and local leaders will now join forces to draw up ambitious plans to transform their town’s economic growth prospects with a focus on improved transport, broadband connectivity, skills and culture.

A total of 45 places across the Northern Powerhouse and 30 places in the Midlands Engine are among the 100 pioneers of new Town Deals as part of the government’s commitment to level up all regions by boosting productivity, skills and living standards.

Local Government Secretary, Rt Hon Robert Jenrick MP, said: “Ensuring that prosperity and opportunities are available to everyone in this country, not just those in London or our biggest cities, is at the heart of the mission of this government.

“We want to level-up our great towns, raising living standards and ensuring they can thrive with transformative investment in transport, technology, skills and culture.

“I will now work with local people from the 100 communities announced today to agree proposals to invest up to £25 million in each place. I hope these deals will provide the investment and the impetus for long-term renewal ensuring each town can look to the future with a new optimism.”

The Marches LEP, the private sector-led partnership which includes Herefordshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council, today welcomed the announcement.

Graham Wynn OBE, Chairman of the Marches LEP , said: “ We are delighted to see both Telford and Hereford in the list of 100 places which will be supported by this £3.6 billion fund.

“The deals aim to improve connectivity, provide vital social and cultural infrastructure and boost growth, directly benefiting people living and working in these two towns.”

The government will soon publish a prospectus to guide towns through the process and set eligibility criteria for funding.

Once approved, new Town Deals will improve connectivity, provide vital social and cultural infrastructure and boost growth – with communities having a say on how the money is spent. Decisions on funding any proposals will be made in due course.

The Town Deals Fund builds directly on the government’s commitment to decentralising funding and decisions away from Whitehall and investing in the growth of local economies and devolving powers through ambitious City and Growth Deals, providing more than £9 billion of funding to Local Enterprise Partnerships and introducing 8 metro mayors in England.

I wonder how this money will be spent here?

Towns Fund Prospectus

Organ donation law in England is changing.

What is changing?

From 20 May 2020, organ donation in England will move to an 'opt out' system. You may also hear it referred to as 'Max and Keira's Law'.

This means that all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups.

You still have a choice if you want to be an organ donor or not when you die. Get the facts about organ donation to help you decide. 

Why is the law changing?

The law is being changed to help save and improve more lives. Every day across the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant

What do I have to do?

NHS are asking everyone to:

Record your organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register

Tell your family and friends what you have decided

If you would like to speak to somebody about your choices, please call the dedicated line: 0300 303 2094

When is the law changing?

The opt out system in England will come into effect from 20 May 2020. The law around organ donation in England will remain ‘opt in’ until this time.

Who will the changes affect?

These changes will affect all adults in England unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the following excluded groups:

Those under the age of 18

People who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action

Visitors to England, and those not living here voluntarily

People who have lived in England for less than 12 months before their death.

Download the factsheet

The factsheet explains how the law around organ donation in England is changing, what you need to do, and the choices you can make.

organ-donation-law-in-england-factsheet.pdf

Get the 'easy read' document

english-organ-donation-law-is-changing-easy-read.pdf

We can only says this once in every four years so, Happy Leap Day!

Sandy's Food Bar - Wickes Hereford wrote on their Facebook page that unfortunately they will close for the last time this Saturday.

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It is with much sadness that I have to announce that
Sandy's food bar at Wickes will be closing its doors for the last time on Saturday 29th February at 3.30pm
I would like to thank all our customer's past and present that have supported us over the last 6 and half years it's been a blast.
We will be keeping the Facebook page going as we still have a mobile van so just message for details.
Thank you