Herefordshire Council has submitted plans to refurbish the library in Hereford.

Leading councillors agreed last year to spend up to £230,000 on developing the mezzanine floor at the Hereford Library and Museum on Broad Street.

The proposed plans include widening of the existing door and forming an additional opening in the wall in the wall between the room and the library mezzanine. Opening up of the two internal window spaces. Inserting glazed screens within the openings with photographic images of Hereford. Inserting glazed screens to form office space and providing a kitchenette. 

Repairing the existing lath and plaster soffit and plastered walls with lime plaster. Uncovering and restoring/displaying the gothic window. Addingceiling mounted Breathing Building natural Ventilation system. The existing window W1 is to be removed and replaced with a shallower fixed double glazed window to match existing.

The proposals will ensure the library is accessible to all.

Planning application P193462/L

There are many roads closed across the county due to the severe rainfall and conditions. Please do not drive through floods unless absolutely necessary.

You are often our 'Eyes & Ears' please help us to help you by sending us your news & photographs. 

This can be done via Facebook messenger or Email.

Thank you to all of the people who kindly take the time to send us regular updates throughout the year.

Please support and share our latest advertiser: 

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Herefordshire's new official flag to be revealed early November.

The competition deadline has now passed and the voting for Herefordshire’s new official flag will take place in September and the winning design will be revealed on November 2, the Herefordshire Flag Committee announced today.

The shortlisted entries will be named when the schools go back after the August bank holiday and the county’s residents will then have about a month to make their choice. Everyone aged five and over will be eligible to vote.

Herefordshire is one of only three of England’s 39 historic counties not to have its own registered flag, alongside Leicestershire and Hampshire.

This unadopted design below, which you might recognise, features a red background that represents the county's red earth, and a white and blue wave standing in for the River Wye. The gold lion is taken from the City of Hereford arms, and the bull's head is a bovine nod to Hereford Cattle.

Surprised nobody else has posted the changes at Herefordshire Council following the recent local elections so here goes:-

Herefordshire Council’s Leader and Chair elected and committee chairs appointed.

Full Council has today announced how Herefordshire Council will be governed in the 2019/20 municipal year.

Councillor Hitchiner has been elected Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor Bowen is Chairman of the Council and Councillor Guthrie is Vice-Chairwoman of the Council.

Full Council also appointed Herefordshire Council’s committee chairs, confirmed as:

Adults and wellbeing scrutiny committee    

Chair: Councillor Swinglehurst                         Vice-Chair: Councillor Bartlett

Audit and governance committee       

Chair: Councillor Shaw                                     Vice-Chair: Councillor Bolderson

Children and young people scrutiny committee     

Chair: Councillor Gandy                                   Vice-Chair: Councillor Toynbee

Employment panel committee  

Chair: Councillor Hitchiner                                Vice-Chair: Councillor Johnson

General scrutiny committee     

Chair: Councillor Lester                                    Vice-Chair: Councillor Bowes

Planning and regulatory committee   

Chair: Councillor Hardwick                               Vice-Chair: Councillor Seldon

Licensing sub-committee         

Chair: Councillor Seldon

Published: Friday, 24th May 2019

and

Councillor David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, has today announced his Cabinet member appointments and the portfolios they will be responsible for.

The Leader will continue to direct the council’s corporate policy and strategy and have overall budget responsibility.

Cabinet members are:

Councillor Felicity Norman (Deputy Leader): Children and Families

Councillor Gemma Davies: Contracts and Assets

Councillor Pauline Crockett: Health and Wellbeing

Councillor John Harrington: Infrastructure

Councillor Ellie Chowns: Economy and Communications

Councillor Ange Tyler: Transport and Regulatory Services

Councillor Liz Harvey: Finance and Corporate Services

Councillor David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said:

“Herefordshire is a proudly independent and ingenious county. I look forward to drawing on best practise, using our strengths and talents, to be a council that serves and works with the people of Herefordshire, with openness and imagination at its heart. Our Cabinet Members bring a variety of skills and some new experience- I am confident that working together we will do well for the county we all love.”

Published: Friday, 24th May 2019

Wishing them well in their new roles and look forward to some positive moves

That's all for now!

M5 motorway closed at Gloucester after body discovered.

Officers have closed the M5 between junction 11A at Brockworth and junction 12 for Quedgeley after a person was found dead on the carriageway.

The incident was reported shortly before 4.10am today (Wednesday 30 October).

Officers attended the scene, on the southbound carriageway around a mile north of Gloucester Services,  and have closed both sides of the motorway while the body is recovered and a serious incident investigation takes place.

Diversions have been put in place but significant disruption is expected this morning and is likely to last for a number of hours while police continues its work at the scene and establishes the circumstances.

Anyone who may have information but hasn't spoken to police should call 101 and quote incident 34 of 30 October.

Don't forget folks ..
 

Congratulations to The Beefy Boys again for their brilliant signature burger entry into the world food championships competition in Texas USA.

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Results are in we got a 90.5 for our structured build and a 92.25 for our signature burger The Beefy Boy! Sadly it wasn’t enough for us to take the title but we’ve still had a blast. Thanks to everyone back home for all the support x

LIne Dancing Hereford still going strong.

Join us on Monday  7.15 until 9.15 at Northholme Community Centre

Beginners to improvers, phone 01432870383

HEREFORDSHIRE Council made £1.9 million profit in car parking charges in 2013/14 - more than £300k than the previous year.

Yesterday Tuesday 8th October an RTC occurred in Broad St Hereford  . From what I know it happened near to the RSPCA Charity Shop.

it appears that an automatic car driven by an elderly driver ( guessed  at +80 ) reversed out of a parking bay by the Oxfam Shop and for whatever reason kept reversing and swerved into a car which had just parked in a bay by the RSPCA  shop , in doing so also hit another car in another bay . So its three cars damaged . The driver of the stationary car banged into is complaining of neck injuries. Ambulance and Police called .

Cut a long story short , NO POLICE ATTENDANCE ........AMBULANCE ATTENDED 90 minutes AFTER THE RTC........ By this time one of the vehicles had been recovered by the insurance company on a low loader and the apparent injured person was fed up with waiting to be assessed had left the scene ............

IS THIS IS THE WAY AHEAD ? ....IF SO PLEASE TELL US .

Any ladies reading this and born in the 1950's please sign the petition

A group of ladies have set up an action group called the WASPI's and have so far got 92000 signatures they need to reach 100000 signatures before it can be debated in Parliament.  So please gents if you know of a lady who has been affected by this please pass the word on.  I am personally affected and having to wait 3 and half years before I can draw my state pension even though I qualified at 60! 

Reading the BBC News this evening to learn that the Alliance between West Mercia Police and Warwuckshire Police is coming to an end .

West Mercia Police have"  decided to withdraw from the current strategic alliance " it has with Warwuckshire Police . It appears that Warwickshire Police disagree with the breakup stating that it has saved more than £35 million and that they were hugely disappointed.

The Forces merged firearms , dog handlers ,IT and Control in 2013  .

 Just wondering how much it's going to cost WMP to " un merge " the Units . The break away is due to be completed by 8th October 2019

The 2020 Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) judgement

I haven't heard many women talking about this.

They had been campaigning against what they see as unfair changes to the State Pension Age imposed on women born in the 1950s as the age they receive their pensions rises from 60 to 65, in line with men.

An estimated 3.8 million women are affected, and some will lose £50,000.

Article in Daily Mail today:

The Slog says:

The 2020/WASPI judgement can snatch victory from the jaws of Brexit defeat

The British Ruling Class has made the fatal error of putting down too many just causes at once. The victims should now join together and teach the Establishment a life-lesson.

Story today in Daily Mail:

Four metal detectorists 'stole £3million haul of Anglo Saxon coins and jewellery after finding it in a field and tried to sell it on the black market'

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Four metal detectorists are on trial after failing to declare £3million in Anglo Saxon coins and jewellery they found in a field and allegedly selling it on the black market instead.

George Powell, 38, and Layton Davies, 51, found at least 300 coins, a gold ring, a bracelet, a ninth century silver ingot and a fifth century crystal ball pendant when they were out with their metal detectors in Hertfordshire in June 2015. 

They discovered the treasure underground near Eye Court Farm near Leominster.

The prosecution claim instead of declaring the haul, as the law requires, they conspired with Paul Wells, 60, and Simon Wicks, 57, to sell the goods for a profit. 

All four went on trial today accused of conspiring to conceal treasure at Worcester Crown Court. 

Article places Leominster in Hertfordshire - not surprised!

Thomas Cook has ceased trading, how will this affect local people from Herefordshire?

Thomas Cook has confirmed that all the companies in its group have ceased trading, including Thomas Cook Airlines.

As a result, we are sorry to inform you that all holidays and flights provided by these companies have been cancelled and are no longer operating. All Thomas Cook's retail shops have also closed.

The Government and the Civil Aviation Authority are now working together to do everything we can to support passengers due to fly back to the UK with Thomas Cook between 23 September 2019 and 6 October 2019. Depending on your location, this will be either on CAA-operated flights or by using existing flights with other airlines.

If you are already abroad you will find all the information you need about your arrangements to get home on this website.

If you are due to depart from a UK airport with Thomas Cook Airlines, please do not travel to your UK airport as your flight will not be operating and you will not be able to travel.

This repatriation is hugely complex and we are working around the clock to support passengers. 

Customers already abroad

If you are currently abroad and your flight was with Thomas Cook we are providing new flights to return you to the UK. These repatriation flights will only be operating for the next two weeks (until 6 October 2019). After this date you will have to make your own travel arrangements. From a small number of locations, passengers will have to book their own return flights.

For further advice and details of your return journey please read I am currently abroad. Please note that repatriation flights are only available for passengers whose journey originated in the UK.

If you are currently abroad and due to return to the UK after 6 October 2019, please read the additional information section.

If you are ATOL-protected and are having difficulties with your hotel, please read managing difficulties with accommodation.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of Thomas Cook's package holiday bookings include flights with airlines unrelated to the Thomas Cook Group.  If your return flight is not with Thomas Cook's airline, it will still be valid. However other elements of the package, such as accommodation and transfers will be affected.  

Customers yet to travel out of the UK

We are sorry to inform you that all future holidays and flights booked with Thomas Cook are cancelled as of 23 September 2019.

If you are booked on a Thomas Cook Airlines flight, please do not go to your UK airport, as your flight will not be operating. The Civil Aviation Authority’s repatriation programme will not include any outbound flights from the UK.

If you choose to book a new flight with another airline out of the UK, you will not be eligible for a repatriation flight.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of Thomas Cook's package holiday bookings include flights with airlines unrelated to the Thomas Cook Group.  If your return flight is not with Thomas Cook's airline it may still be valid. However other elements of the package, such as accommodation and transfers might be affected.

Further information is available at I have a future booking and have not traveled yet. 

Crest Nicholson (Midlands) Ltd have submitted plans to create a development of 52 homes on land to the east of the A49 Holmer Herefordshire HR4 9RG. 

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Application for approval of reserved matters following outline approval P141487/O - Erection of 52 No. dwellings, parking, landscaping, drainage and other associated engineering works.

Planning Application P193296/RM

Plans have been submitted, which if approved, would see a completely new service station, demolishing the existing Harvest Energy Service Station on Commercial Road and replacing it with a new modern facility.

Plans and Graphics - Adcocks Associates

The new garage would include a new larger shop and an additional two car parking spaces taking the number of spaces for cars to six as well as disabled, motorcycle and cycle parking. 

There would also be a new forecourt and canopy, as well as a three-pump starter gate, and three jet washes.

If plans are approved the new facility would create two full-time roles and four part-time positions.

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Redevelopment of existing petrol filling station to provide new forecourt shop, 3 x pump startergate and canopy, 3 x jet wash bays, 2 x 70,000 litre u/g storage tanks, services bay, car parking and ancillary works

Planning application P193011/F