Maggie May

Surely we the people of Herefordshire will have paid the cost of staff or someone outside the Council to carry out Mr Neill's enquiry so we the people should be allowed to see the results of such work. I hope The Hereford Times or someone will submit an appropriate Freedom Of Information request as if this happened to any other member of staff they would be shown the door very quickly not given 5 months full pay and a glowing reference. A little coterie of Freemasons should not be allowed to look after their friends particularly when they seem to be rubbish at their job. I thought the phrase was "Hereford pays the best to get the best" - instead we get "Herefordshire pays the best to get the Chief Executives Best friends"!

Why this shouldn't this happen? The Council are looking to build bus lanes on Belmont road apparently http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents/s50039183/2016.17.INF.011%20R%20South%20Wye%20Transport%20Package%20active%20travel%20measures%2026Aug16.pdf . My friiend said that this involved purchasing some of the front gardens along Belmont Road below the railway bridge. I cant understand why they are building bus priority lanes down the Belmont Road when the Council are looking to cut the bus services and only buses on Ross road will be part of the primary bus services? If this Council can talk about spending so much money on building bus lanes, it might be cheaper for them to help fund the trams.and let someone else organise the transport in Hereford and across the County.

I hope that if this employment meeting is to be done properly that Mr Robinson does not get a huge payoff along with the obligatory "gagging order". I have heard that we have been paying his salary for the last 5 months when he has not been in the office and it seems the department he was in charge of couldn't provide accurate reports for Councillors . Apparently budget reports were resissused on more than one occasion with different figures every time. If the man couldnt do the job expected of him why are we still paying for him now? Is it he has friends in high places?

I am glad someone has seen something happening even if it is someone going to give a quot. I have been past it a number of times and it now looks completely abandoned and no contractors anywhere near it for months now. I thought the council were just hoping we had all forgotten that we used to have a library and museum in central Hereford.

I think you might remember that I said a while back that the Council would try and make the congestion worse rather than better so they can justify their big road building projects. I would rather the Council provide simple services we have all paid for such as opening up our public library in Broad Street.

Well done Tracy & Colin! These photos show grass can be cut, but leaving it actually makes it a bigger job than if maintained regularly. Having come back from holiday elsewhere in the UK I am no longer a proud Herefordian as the weeds along the roadsides in town and the length of the grass in public places is nothing short of a disgrace. I hope the staff from BB might now at least take their machines and tackle the rest of the City after seeing what could be done here. Some of the worst sites are outside the Council's own offices such as the Nelson Building in Whitecross road - you would never think this is a building in use, particularly by the public authority. It has reached the point where it might be best if someone let sheep loose across the City as they might have more impact on maintaining our open spaces than Balfour Beatty!

I think that quite a few of the jobs at Rotherwas came from businesses already based in Hereford like Western Power, who moved from the Three Elms Trading Estate. Apart from them I heard that alot of the buildings on the Enterprise Zone were funded and built by Herefordshire Council. There is no point claiming they are having success creating lots of "new" jobs if most of them came from businesses already working in Herefordshire but moved to the Enterprise Zone to gain the exemption on the business rates. Does the article explain how much the Council have lost in business rates because by moving them to the Enterprise Zone? This happened a lot before in South Wales and other places where businesses were given a sweetener to move to a certain location because they would then save money on something or gain a grant. Very few of the businesses stayed or lasted very long as they often had no commitment to the local community or their local employees as that wasn't the reason they had moved there.

Less cleaning might be more profit for BB but not for many of our City Centre businesses, especially some of our independents. If High Town is not maintained visitors will not visit our City. Already it seems to me we have fewer people in town with no library and museum. What effect the on street car parking charges will have will be interesting but I fear it will be bad news again for Hereford.

I feel very sad at the way High Town is being neglected as this is a great public space, and all it needs is a bit of TLC such as basic cleaning and rubbish collection at the end of the day.

I find the little Hereford walking & Cycling map really helpful and handy to keep in your pocket, and often have a spare for someone else if they want to know their way around Hereford. Surely staff handing some of these maps out would make more people think about walking & cycling much more than these big banners which actually have little or no information on them. Could they spend the same money on cutting back the undergrowth on the cycle paths please.

I agree that the undergrowth and low hanging tree branches along the cycle ways in Hereford are really bad. You need to wear a helmet cycling up the Holmer path to protect your head from the tree branches that strike you as you go along - and I am not that tall! GWW around Aldi is now very overgrown again and like others I dont like using it now as there are no clear sight lines if there are any unsavoury characters hanging around or even other walkers & cyclists ahead on what is now a narrow path. Surely there is some sort of cutting programme? In view of the state of the Three Elms road surface I would say there is no reason that I can see that BB are anywhere near maintaining the road surfaces in a safe condition and notice should be given that they must be failing their contract terms. I have heard that no one is currently controlling budgets and transport spending as highways maintenance money has apparently been hived off to help fund some of the Council's capital projects such as the City Link Road and the Southern Link Road. I thought Central Government had given specific money for pot hole repairs and it shouldn't be used for anything else, so how do Herefordshire Council manage to get away with this?

Denise please can you help me understand this. The article says the road was due to cost £29 million but it only mentions the road from the Ross Road to the Abergavenny Road. What about the extra section that now links the Abergavenny road to the Clehonger Road? If this section of road is extra surely the cost of the road the council have granted planning permission to is now longer than originally planned. If the road is longer surely this would cost even more than the original £29 million. Yet Herefordshire Council now only have a budget for £27 million for a bigger road and everything else. Will the road stop when the money runs out? What about all the safe cycling and walking route we were supposed to get in South Wye? I thought we were due to have a bus lane and extra bus services up and down the Belmont Road which would really help some of my older friends, a couple of the ladies dont drive and were looking forward to the extra bus services.

I see that Herefordshire Council have approved has approved to spend £150,000 on changing the diving pool to a learning pool. http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?ID=3304 That is more than double the cost of the repairs to the diving pool equipment. Also if the Council had this money in their Capital budgets why wasnt this used to repair the original LEA Pool to keep that going. I no longer use Hereford Swimming Pool as it is so noisy and busy in the day with school children and after work when swimming lessons are taking place. So is the Council just providing the swimming pool as a replacement LEA pool now and tough on people who arent in a swimming club, want swimming lessons, etc. I am pleased alot of children are learning to swim as we need ti with a River running through the City, but the balance for "the public" versus schools and children seems to have been lost. I know that the diving pool used to be used for other lessons such as safe learning of capsize routines for some of the boat clubs around Herefordshire, which cant be done in a teaching pool which will be far too shallow. The Council must have known about the need to provide swimming lessons in all the Hereford schools before they closed the LEA pool. Am I the only one thinking this Council has no long term plan for carefully managing our public assets?

TWG & Clarkester well done! I must admit having cycled into and out of work yesterday clad in full waterproofs (no showers or changing rooms at my work - not a problem but it is not Herefordshire Council!) I didnt feel quite up to the bike challenge and me a lady of mature years in lycra on my 30 year old bike might have caused as many accidents as any potholes . I had hoped a few other young people would take part but as you say the football was on. I note that there is a "cycle to work day" on 14th Sept https://www.cycletoworkday.org/ so I am signing up for that. Anyone else up for it? Wouldnt it be great if we could gets lots of local employers and schools to promote it? Might show what a difference could be made in cutting all those short journeys in and around Hereford. Wonder if any Herefordshire councillors would be up for it?

This junction is an accident waiting to happen as too many cars on the A49 regularly jump the lights as they turn to red, when cars are trying to make a right turn. I know various people have asked for filter lights at this junction. However, as I was on my trusty bike today like AV, I avoided any delay.

I have gone on the Council website and reported bad road surfaces for cycling in the City which I think are a risk to road users (cars & cyclists), and it has obviously been received and noted as someone has gone out and marked the problems with white spray paint - but nothing else. I see that Worcester draws lots of people by having big bike events in their City and it brings lots of money into the economy and visitors to the City. Surely if Herefordshire improved some of the main routes it would be as good a place to hold big cycle events, if not better, than out and around Worcester. Please could the Council show some real vision - they seem to have millions of pounds for new roads that wont help could some of this not be spent on improving existing road surfaces to make them safe for cyclists?

I really liked riding the GWW south (I think it is called route 46?) as someone had mentioned it and told me to do it before the area is wrecked. My hubby and I had the most beautiful ride . I didn't realise how many playing fields and green spaces exist along the route in the South part of the City. We kept meeting loads of people on mobility scooters - so it was great they could use the same safe space for getting out and about and they all said a hello as it was a bright sunny day. We ended up cycling to Locks Garage for their £1 ice creams and then back through Blakemere(?) . It was a fantastic days cycling and we started from the City so we could just get on the bike and go. If cycling is saving me so much more money I am surprised the Council aren't doing more to encourage it - with the money I am saving each week we have a bit more money in our pocket, so hubby and I can now treat ourselves to a drink/meal out once a week (plus the odd ice cream) and this supports local businesses. I did have to "splash" out on some waterproofs for this week though!

I am a late returner to riding my bike and whilst I was very nervous to begin with, I have actually found that in Hereford most drivers are very considerate towards me (it could be the grey hair and lots of hi vis so I perhaps look like a bit of an idiot!). I am saving nearly £30 a week on car parking costs which is over £1,400 p.a. and that excludes the amount I would be spending on fuel for my car, so I must be better off by over £2000 p.a! Not only that but I am gradually losing weight by being more active and it has certainly made me feel better and quite a few people have said I look alot younger and have a better colour to my complexion. Other drivers are not usually the problem, the biggest danger I have found is the poor road surfaces and potholes in Hereford. I can only say to anyone who has doubts about getting on a bike - give it a go. The Council run some very good Bikeability training which I found very helpful in getting my confidence back on riding my bike. I now not only cycle to work but I enjoy going out for bike rides around some of the lovely quite lanes and roads around Hereford at the weekends - I might even invest in some Lycra!

If Herefordshire Council are looking to get money for a bypass around Hereford surely they have no interest in cheap, simple measures that will cut congestion. Sorry but that is why I got on my bike as I am expecting that for the next 5 - 6 years the Council will try and make the congestion WORSE. They can then say to central government how bad it is and how desperately they need the money for new roads. What happened to all the money for High Town and the cycleway in St Owen St which were supposed to be simple measures for promoting walking & cycling - I expect that has been spent on something completely different. It certainly isn't in the list of capital projects in the Cabinet report that Colin posted up on another link. From other posters comments it seems that in the next 2 years we will get even more traffic lights, this time 4(?) sets along the new City Link Road. Perhaps someone ought to set up a Bike vs taxi race across Hereford? I am sure there are plenty of cyclists who would love to take on Paul Rone in his taxi "Top Gear" style!

Looking at the plan I thought the University was to be some super engineering University with students working in industry a lot of the time gaining practical skills and knowledge. Why then is it at the bottom of Aylestone Hill? I thought the University said this week that it needed the Southern Link Rd or it wouldnt be coming to Hereford. That made me think this was because students would be learning and working in new High Tech industries that the Rotherwas Enterprise Zone was supposed to be attracting. I know Council plans often lack logic, but seriously?

I have heard that 2 directors wrote a letter to the Hereford Times last week supporting the SLR and bypass. Apparently it is the same letter that appears on the Herefordshire Council website here https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/media/4674340/hfd-times-letter-200516.pdf . It apparently got mentioned at the Southern Link Road planning meeting today. Can directors of the Council who are paid by local taxpayers actually write such a letter which seems a very party political act, especially just a few days before such a big planning decision? I understand that Herefordshire Council were saying today that with all the investment in the Head of the Valleys road system that the Council want to improve the road from Abergavenny to the Southern Link Road to help everyone from South Wales get to Rotherwas Enterpise Zone so it can be expanded more. This seems to be more important than a bypass - but how are Herefordshire Council going to sort out the bridge at Llangua and the railway bridge at Pontrilas? I am sure Mr Collins can fix it for them and it would certainly help his team to do more work locally in Pontrilas and in South Wales as according to the Hereford Times report he loses £20,000 p.a. with staff travelling to and from Hereford.

Hi Denise I think you will find that Steve Williams is away on holiday so he wont be in a position of having to speak on behalf of many of his local residents who are against this road. If you havent already explored this area of South Hereford it is really beautiful. Why trash it with a new road costing £27million that doesn't sort out the congestion in Hereford City? It might reduce traffic on Belmont Road but why on earth then put all this traffic on the Ross Road? Moving a problem doesn't mean it is solved.

My friend wanted to speak at the planning meeting but she has been told that the Council will only allow 5 objectors to speak on the day, and only 15 minutes has been set aside for all their comments. I was a bit surprised as I thought there had been thousands of people objecting. There are more than 5 people whose homes will be directly affected by this road and it seems there are a few of them who wont be allowed to speak.

As someone who was employed by the Council and paid for with our money, why should there be no story at all? I am not expecting the full investigation but at least an announcement by Herefordshire Council would be something. Also, if the top man in charge of finance has gone who the hell is in charge of our money and spending at Herefordshire Council? Also if they have made big errors in accounting for the City Link Road, how on earth can they then account for the Southern Link Road? I have heard that already over £2million has been spent on consultants fees alone. Please dont tell me that Tony Johnson is now responsible for finance as "we are doomed!"

If it is purely personal circumstances I would agree, but it seems Mr Powell steps down the same week that Mr Robinson is suspended over accounting errors of £9million on the City Link Road which is taxpayers money. Why is the Hereford Times reporting nothing about Mr Robinson as this is more serious than Cllr Powell resigning if it is just personal reasons. Perhaps Mr Powell was just miffed Mr Johnson was re elected as leader of Herefordshire Council?