Jimbo

So are they asking the voter to vote conservative or for the freedom church? How big an influence is the freedom church in the Conservative party?

Thankyou Green Knight, I was hoping to take a couple of coach loads of voters to Costa this weekend to see if I could sway the vote, but realise my voters would rather be in a bar somewhere, anyway Thankyou for the offer and for the intelligent posts you put up.

Did someone say free coffee

Hi Jean, Callow is part of wormside so Paul Thomas is doing that one for IOC. McEvilly Mark Thomas has run twice before for the conservatives last time being for St Nicholas ward, for some reason the conservatives don't have people living or working in the wards they are standing in.

My partner works in Worcester but because of the traffic problems in our city and also in Worcester she has to go via the M50 and M5 which is a extra 13 miles one way door to door but a good 20 minutes to half hour quicker, this city regardless of anything needs more river crossings of which an eastern one would be the most logical.

Everybody remembers the awful grass cutting fiasco last year and at the time lots of people said that this will result in accidents in the countryside, well unfortunately it did. This is an extract from the Hereford Times AN overgrown grass verge reaching more than six-feet high was "a main contributing factor" in the death of a Herefordshire woman killed while walking her dog, an inquest heard. Former teacher Josephine Wilson, 66, died at Hereford County Hospital after being in collision with a Honda Civic as she crossed a road in Dormington, just yards from her home. The hearing at Hereford Town Hall this morning heard from a collision investigator who called the roadside area "dangerous". He said it was likely Mrs Wilson, who had approached the road from a footpath, was obscured from the sight of the driver because of the state of the verge. I'm not going to say we told you so as someone has tragically died, but this can never be allowed to happen again, regardless who has control of the council. Some of the Junctions in the countryside are already dangerous enough without making the visibility worse, this is a problem that perhaps some of you city dwellers don't think about or perhaps the council didn't think about when the cutbacks were made, either way someone has paid the ultimate price because of 'cost cutting' let's make sure there is no more.

What were you doing out at 2.20am Colin? certainly not having something hot to eat after a late night out.

I agree Ubique, I think all prospective councillors should be reading this thread as its a major problem in Herefordshire. This is definitely a week area for me and I'm learning a lot from my from pal Dazza and from Chris Chappell as well, I would also like to say that since I was asked to consider becoming a councillor I've met some complete and utter idiot councillors who couldn't run a bath let alone anything else, trust me Dazza is very switched on and would make a superb councillor but also if not elected (if the locals are completely mad) he would be a excellent fountain of knowledge for any councillor from any party to get information on the NHS from. I do believe in speaking as you find and although I don't know them personally I would like to say best of luck to Glenda Powell and to Chris Chappell in the up coming election as I read their threads and find them to be balanced and honest, but most of all you can see like Dazza they have the best interests of their ward at heart.

Hi Seb, don't worry about being dyslexic I am too and so must the current Conserative council as they've run up £215 million pounds worth of debt, now how many £ signs do you see in that?

Denise I do not have all the answers and like I've said I'm against the development in kingstone, villages should be allowed to grow slowly and more naturally, on the chicken farm issue I also agree lots of these farmers have been pushed into it, but that doesn't change the issue that where they are sited is wrong. I can see what you are saying about mass produced food and price etc, maybe if the large supermarket chains weren't so greedy the farmer would get a better price therefore not needing to farm so intensively and the consumer would get a better quality product at a lower price, also maybe farmers markets can be increased and actively encourgaged.

On the parking price issue its impossible to get everything into a manifesto, all I can say is when the charges went up in 2011, IOC spoke up against that, I also agree that this late night charge to 10pm is for want of a better word 'stupid', we do need though to look at feasible ways to get people in and out if the city without having to use their car, a park and ride system for example and the tram idea that Colin has mentioned To great success in a previous thread, on a personal level I just want the city to flourish, so any ideas any of you can come up with will be looked at, as I've stated before I don't care who comes up with ideas as long as someone does.

Hi two wheels, yes I do believe they would be best suited in industrial estates as the infustructure in already in place to site these sheds, I think to echo Amanda's point we would like to see less intensive farming being practiced. Hi Roger, IOC were very vocal about the increase in car parking charges back in 2011, personsally I would like to change the times from 10pm back to 6pm.

I cannot speak for everyone from IOC but I will give you my view, I'm against where the planners allow these chicken houses to go, they are usually sited down narrow country lanes, the lorries and tractors which then service these sites ruin the roads and verges, this leads to potholes, unsafe roads to walk on or drive on, flooding as the road sinks under the weight of these vehicles and the damage they have done to the verges and ditches, then you have the issues of smell etc. Our roads are already bad enough without making them worse, I believe Herefordshire should focus on tourism in the countryside not site industrial agriculture units where ever the powers that be decide (notice the planners don't live by them) if you have to have chicken houses the proper infustucture should be in place, they should be sited well away from people, linking straight on to a A road, as to minimise the damage that comes from these industrial units.

I totally agree with you Denise and this is where we are allowed to disagree with each other in the IOC, as I would be totally against it to. It should be policy that villages can only grow by a certain percentage in a given time, I.e 5% or less in a year for example, that development changes the dynamics of the village, as well as adding more pressure to an already over stretched doctors surgery and also adding more traffic movements into Hereford. Maybe I'm the one that's wrong but surly it's common sense to listen to what local parishes want.

Hi Drawlings, I'm standing for Its Our County and can state that I agree with the majority of what's in it, while I can't speak for everyone I can reassure you from being in contact with other party members that I haven't heard anyone disagree with anything in there. We all might have slightly different views on certain things but we all have one goal, to put the needs of the people of Hereford first and make the city and shire better.

I know of 2 dippy, do you know of more?

Ban religion ubique, that's the answer.

I think Cambo they have a few people in a few places and are just trying to add a few more. Perhaps all the Torys are from the freedom church lol.

I agree Denise, my question here is shouldn't the public know if one of their candidates are a member, when you consider the questionable ethics (if that's the right word) this lot have shown.

As the council in this county are full of old or the older generation should I say I doubt whether this lady will get her application, for in the minds of the out of touch council anyone staying out to 2am or later are evil and must be up to no good, is it to much to ask for Hereford to join the 20th century, I know we are in the 21st but Hereford is at least a century behind.

Hi Dippy, I'm in agreement this information should be disclosed by the candidates ( I beleive there is more than 1).

Should members of the freedom church be able to run for the position of ward councillor without telling everyone they are a member of this church?

Hi Denise, you may well be right, but the farmer closest to the bridge on the Madley side offered the council the chance to build the road through his field and straighten that bit out as it would be better for his farm, this was refused. When I say we need a new Bridge Sollars road I'm thinking of by passing Madley totally as this village couldn't take any more traffic movements, so if what you say is true I would be in agreement with them. But I would be happy to consider a new road which would go from somewhere by the comet inn straight to Bridge Sollars

Yes Greenknight, I totally agree. The current councillors argument is this road needs to be able to take HGV,s turning right towards South Wales, these lorries are supposedly coming from Brightwells auction site at Madley. A lot of the HGV,s going to the auction site turn by Locks garage then go through Kingstone, they won't use the new road anyway as their route is shorter.

I met with Jean and her husband yesterday afternoon to look at where the road was going, the current councillors excuse for putting the road through their property is because lorries heading for South wales will struggle to turn right on the current A465 B4349 junction (how many lorries currently do this?) this is easily rectified by a roundabout anyway. Then their excuse of lorries turning right to head to South Wales is also flawed as most lorries will head straight on to pick up the A49 then in Ross and on the A40 into South Wales. When looking at the bigger picture it seems like this extension is to make it easier to link up to a western bypass while also dividing up a few parcels of land to develop on between Mr and Mrs Harris place and Belmont Abbey hence why the farmer is keeping quiet. In all logic this road should be scrapped as the only people benefiting would be Tory party donaters and the money spent on a eastern river crossing, what's the point of another road going nowhere when we need another River crossing.