Hereford Voice

District ward and parish, town and city council elections take place on Thursday 4 May 2023 Polls open on Thursday 4 May 2023 for the local government elections. Councillor elections for all 53 district ward seats which make up Herefordshire Council will take place. Thursday will also see elections for Herefordshire’s parish, town and city council elections. Due to the number of contested district and parish elections, counting of the votes will be on Friday 5 May 2023. The district election vote count will be completed in the morning, followed by the parish council vote count in the afternoon. Local government elections select councillors who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area. These include housing, education, transport, highways, planning, social care and waste management. Polling stations open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 May 2023. All polling stations in Herefordshire are accessible and polling station staff are trained to help in any way they can. A magnifying glass, a blind selector device and a copy of the ballot paper in large format are available in every polling station. These elections will be the first time that voter ID will be required to be shown by all voters at a polling station. This has been introduced under the Elections Act 2022. Postal votes must be received by 10pm on Thursday 4 May 2034. If you miss the post, you can hand it in to the electoral team at Hereford Town Hall or at any polling station in the electoral area before 10pm on Thursday 4 May 2023. Find out who is standing for election in your ward or parish on the Herefordshire Council website www.herefordshire.gov.uk/elections-1/elections-4-may-2023 Further information about voter ID can be found at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/voterID

Friends of Castle Green CIC is delighted to have appointed a contractor to carry out the refurbishment works to the Pavilion. Local building construction company Vision BD has been appointed to commence work in May, after a lengthy tender process. The company will realise Friends of Castle Green’s vision to restore and refurbish this iconic building. With Towns Fund funding of £1.5 million from #StrongerHereford, the Pavilion will become a new and much needed thriving and sustainable community hub, a defining visitor attraction in the city and a source of pride for residents. Building Contract 1 from L to R: Bob Heath FOCG Director; Mark Hubbard FoCG Director; Oliver Steels Architect, Errand Studio; Paddy Nugent FoCG Director and Chair; Tom Cooke Vision BD Director, Charlie Wheeler Vision BD Project Director; John Crooks, John Crooks Associates Quantity Surveyor; Katie Bott FoCG Operations and Project Manager Planning permission has been granted by Herefordshire Council to revitalise the building by providing cafe facilities and flexible community meeting space, as well as the opportunity to celebrate local arts and heritage and a revived home for the Hereford Youth Canoe Centre (HYCC). A Grade II listed Georgian pavilion atop medieval foundations, the building has had a variety of uses over the years, most recently as an art college and a training centre. Friends of Castle Green took over the building from Herefordshire Council in 2018 in a Community Asset Transfer and is working to restore the building to its Georgian splendour. In the meantime, it provides a public space for the local community. Work to the building is anticipated to begin in Mid May, with completion and re-opening in Summer 2024. According to Paddy Nugent, Chair of FoCG, “This is a major milestone for a small community group such as Friends of Castle Green. Our team has worked tirelessly over the last three years to get to this stage and we are now on the cusp of realising our ambition of a revitalised and restored building for the community, we very much look forward to working with Vision to achieve this.” Building Contract 2, from L to R: Vision BD Director Tom Cooke and FoCG Director and Chair Paddy Nugent sign the building contract. Managing Director of Vision BD, Tom Cooke says, ”As a well established local building and development company, we are delighted to be involved with the regeneration of this iconic City-centre building. We bring with us extensive knowledge and experience of the industry and the highest levels of professional workmanship. We are excited to bring to the community a much needed flexible community meeting space, as well as other major benefits to the City.” #StrongerHereford is a Town Deals Board that has been awarded £22.4 million by Central Government to put towards the assigned projects outlined in their Town Investment Plan. The Pavilion is one of fifteen projects to have successfully applied for the funding.

Yes this is also our understanding.

In the first major success for the innovative Phosphate Credits scheme, planning permission has been granted for the development of 8 new ‘nutrient neutral’ homes in the River Wye & Lugg catchment area. This means that, when built, no additional phosphate will be added to our rivers. In a world-first, the council is in the process of creating a number of Integrated Wetlands specifically for the purpose of removing phosphates before they reach our rivers, which will enable the damaging ban on development in a large area of the county to be lifted. The wetlands will create ‘Phosphate Mitigation Credits’ for developers to use. The new Phosphate Credit Trading system enables developers to buy credits generated by the reduced pollution from operation of the wetlands. This will mitigate the phosphate generated by new developments. In this way it is possible to ensure that the overall effect of new development is what’s called ‘nutrient neutral’ The Wetlands are not just about helping new development. Twenty percent of the reduction has been reserved for river betterment. The Council still expects all polluters to meet their fair share of reductions and is working with statutory partners and the agricultural industry for the right tools and regulatory arrangements to enable this to happen. The development of 8 new self-build homes to the West of the B4361, Luston, was submitted by the award-winning local construction company, Border Oak, and will be the first such ‘credit-based’ approval. As well as being nutrient neutral, the development will be built from natural, low carbon materials, and have super high insulation values, with additional water conservation and efficiency measures. Air source heat pumps, underfloor heating and electric charging facilities will also be provided. The project also includes a new native orchard, made up of locally historic varieties of fruit trees, the provision of additional habitat features including native hedges, new trees, wide grass verges and wild spaces – designed to support wildlife and integrate the scheme into its edge of village location. Merry Albright, Creative Director at Border Oak, said: “Border Oak are thrilled to be the first scheme to pay for the wetland credits and are very proud of the local construction industry who have always been willing to pay for the wetlands in their entirety. We are also delighted to support a nature based solution that delivers wider ecological benefits for biodiversity and carbon and thank all those who worked on this proposal over many years. “We support the council’s work to find more meaningful actions to reverse the failing catchment by tackling the larger sources of pollution but appreciate the release of some housing while this work takes place.” The Cabinet Commission for the Restoration of the Wye is also continuing to work closely with neighbouring counties and partner organisations to help develop a long term plan to reduce nutrient pollution and restore the county’s rivers.

Our friends at the Hereford Times advised yesterday about two steam trains passing through Hereford today, so we thought we would share the story. And you guessed it! less than 8 minutes later. Some people lead a sad lives while others just LEAD 😉

John Price appeared today at Kidderminster Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years. In addition, a Restoration Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was imposed requiring Mr Price to carry out a number of actions to restore the river.

UPDATE West Mercia Police Statement; 'Increased police presence in Hereford city centre' Officers in Hereford are currently responding to a concern for a person’s safety at a house in High Town. Whilst there have been no arrests made, there is a continued police presence and an earlier road closure at East Street and an earlier police cordon have both now been lifted. We would like to reassure local people this is an isolated incident with no wider risk to the public. Further updates will appear here and on our social media channels.

This was obviously an April Fool Joke, hope you enjoyed..

Natural England and Environment Agency see justice delivered for nature as landowner sentenced for destruction of part of the River Lugg in Herefordshire. Natural England and the Environment Agency welcome the sentencing of John Price for the destruction of 1.5km of the protected River Lugg in 2020 Habitats of otters, kingfishers, trout and salmon were among those destroyed The damage is the worst case of riverside destruction seen by the organisations and could take several decades to be fully restored This is the first prosecution under Farming Rules for Water Natural England and the Environment Agency have today welcomed the seriousness with which the Court has treated the severe and lasting damage to the River Lugg, which destroyed habitats and wildlife on a stretch of one of the country’s most unspoiled rivers. John Price appeared today at Kidderminster Magistrates Court where he was sentenced to 12 months in prison. He was also ordered to pay prosecution costs of £600,000 and disqualified from being a director of a limited company for three years. In addition, a Restoration Order under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 was imposed requiring Mr Price to carry out a number of actions to restore the river. The sentence is the result of legal action launched last year by Natural England and the Environment Agency following a joint in-depth investigation into environmental harm caused by the work in 2020 and 2021. The River Lugg before destruction by the landowne Mr Price used heavy machinery including bulldozers and excavators to dredge and reprofile a 1.5km stretch of the River Lugg at Kingsland, Herefordshire, destroying the riverbed and banks. The unconsented works were in breach of several regulations, including the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution (England) Regulations 2018, also known as the Farming Rules for Water; and operations prohibited in the notification of a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which persisted despite Mr Price being issued with a Stop Notice. After destruction of area Due to the exceptionally high diversity of wildlife, the River Lugg is a designated SSSI, with 121 river plant species that live in the river and provide habitat for invertebrates, fish and birds. The damage to the river and banks removed the habitats of hundreds of these species including otters, kingfishers and salmon as well as destroying trees, aquatic plant life and invertebrates. It is predicted to take decades to re-establish mature trees to provide the stability, cover and shade to restore the diversity of the river. Fish, plants, native crayfish and birds may take years to make a gradual return to previous populations. In sentencing Mr Price, the Judge noted that neither the Environment Agency nor Natural England did anything to encourage these works. Speaking after the verdict, Emma Johnson, Area Manager for Natural England said: “The destruction of this section of the River Lugg was devastating for the abundance and range of species which thrived in this river. The River Lugg is one of the most iconic rivers in the UK and to see this wanton destruction take place was devastating. This is why we have used our powers as regulators to see that justice was done and to act as a stark warning to others that we will take the strongest action against those who do not respect the laws that protect the environment and wildlife we all cherish. “We want to ensure that Mr Price now takes the necessary actions which we hope, in time will restore this much-loved stretch of river to its former condition.” Martin Quine, Environment Agency Place Manager for Herefordshire added: “We welcome the outcome of this prosecution for the unconsented works on the River Lugg. “The Environment Agency is working hard to restore the health of our rivers. It is a complex task that can only be achieved in partnership with landowners. We provide advice and guidance but will impose sanctions or prosecute where appropriate to protect the environment and ensure those who breach regulations are held to account. The vast majority of landowners and users fully cooperate with this process. “While Mr Price’s justification for the works was to help prevent flooding to local properties, his actions did not have any flood prevention benefit. The destruction of river banks is not appropriate flood management. It is important that the Judge recognised that the works significantly weakened flood prevention measures rather than improved them.“We urge landowners never to take extreme measure such as this and instead to always work closely with the Environment Agency around river management to agree the best solutions for both landowners and the environment.” As a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the Lugg is afforded the highest level of environmental protection. Works to SSSIs or any watercourses must be done in such a way that protects the environment and does not cause any impact on flooding. Such works can only be undertaken after securing permits from the Environment Agency.

Joao Coutinho, 50, of Widemarsh Common in Hereford has been charged with rape, engaging in sexual activity with a child, and inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The charges are in relation to a rape which took place in Hereford on Monday 17 April. Coutinho is currently in custody and will be appearing at Kidderminster Magistrates’ court this morning (Wednesday 19 April)

A man has been arrested following a rape which took place at around 12.30pm today in the male toilets at Castle Green in Hereford. Following on from our article earlier HERE Officers responded to the report immediately and an extensive search of the area was undertaken to locate the suspect. As a result of the search a 50-year-old man has been arrested this evening on suspicion of rape, and he remains in police custody. The toilets remain cordoned off while the investigation continues. Detective Inspector Catherine Taylor, said: “I know that incidents of rape and sexual assault can be alarming for the local community, especially when there is a large police presence like there was today. I hope that the swift arrest of the suspect in this case provides some reassurance that we take reports of this nature incredibly seriously. “I’d like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while we carried out our searches this afternoon. You may see an increased police presence in the area this evening and overnight, and I’d urge anyone with any concerns to speak to an officer.”

A spokesperson for West Mercia Police told Hereford Voice; "Police officers received a report of a rape which had taken place at about 12.30pm in the male toilets at Castle Green in Hereford today (April 17). A scene guard is currently in place at the toilets and an extensive search of the area is underway to locate the suspect"

95% of parents are offered their preferred primary school Parents in Herefordshire join those across England today (Monday 17 April) with finding out which primary school their child will be attending in September 2023. Herefordshire Council has made 1729 offers of places in primary schools across the county with the following parental preference success rates: First preference: 1643 offers, which is 95% of the total offers Second preference: 55 offers, which is 3.2% of the total offers with a cumulative success rate of 98.2% Third preference: 10 offers, which is 0.6% of the total offers with a cumulative success rate of 98.8% The balance of places offered, which is 21 (or 1.2%) were to parents whose preferences could not be met and their offer was for the nearest school to their home address with available spaces. Last year, 96% of parents received their first school preference and 99.1% received a place in one of their three preferences. As in previous years, Herefordshire schools continue to be a net importer of pupils, with more pupils from neighbouring counties requesting places in the county’s schools than Herefordshire pupils requesting places in other counties. There are currently 15 Herefordshire primary schools with waiting lists and 58 have available spaces. The council has continued to promote its online application service this year, which was used by 97% of applicants.

Last month the Lions club donated £500 to the Midlands Air Ambulance. Emma Grey their CEO writes; ‘The Lions support will directly help fund our rapid response air ambulance-led service, enabling us to save countless lives’ ‘With your support, the highly skilled doctors and critical care paramedics deliver hospital-level clinical interventions and medicine at the incident scene, giving patients the best possible chance of recovery and survival’ ‘Our essential service relies on donations from kind-hearted people such as the Lions and your fundraising as we do not receive Government funding for our daily missions.’ ‘Without you, we would not be able to carry out 4,500 vitally important missions by air ambulance helicopter or critical care car each year." "Again, thank you for your support, it means a great deal to us and the 12 patients we treat daily." The photo shows members of the Club presenting a cheque for £500 to Nicole Bee from the Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.

Thought we would share the Car Boot news This one took just 3 minutes!

PC Andy Boardman In a statement a spokesperson said; "It is with immense sadness that we can confirm a serving West Mercia Police officer has sadly died whilst on duty. PC Andy Boardman was taken ill and collapsed whilst on duty in Broseley, Shropshire, yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 11 April). He was just 43 years old. Chief Constable Pippa Mills said: “This is a terrible shock for everyone that knew Andy and my thoughts, and the thoughts of all of us at West Mercia Police, are with his wife, Luci, their two daughters and all his family, friends and colleagues. “Andy was a familiar and friendly face across the communities he served and well-liked by his colleagues across the whole force. Today we are flying our flags at half-mast as a sign of respect. “Andy was responding to an incident alongside paramedics from the West Midlands Ambulance Service when he was taken ill. I want to pass on our sincere thanks to the paramedics who did everything they possibly could for Andy and to the officers that were with him.” Andy joined West Mercia Police in 2015, having started his policing career in 2007 with West Midlands Police. Prior to joining the police Andy served in the Armed Forces for seven years. During his service with West Mercia Police he worked in Kidderminster, Stourport and most recently within the Safer Neighbourhood Team for Broseley and Much Wenlock. Andy’s wife Luci has asked us to pass on her thanks to all their colleagues and members of the public who have sent her and their family kind and thoughtful messages of support"

The Courtyard team are delighted to announce that Estelle van Warmelo has won Best Director for Beauty and the Beast in the UK Pantomime Association’s Pantomime Awards 2023. L-R: Ellis Kerkhoven, Estelle van Warmelo and Madeleine MacMahon with the Best Director award for Beauty and the Beast at the UK Pantomime Awards Beauty and the Beast was nominated for two awards this year: Best Script (Lyndsay Maples) and Best Director (Estelle van Warmelo). "What an honour it is to receive this award from the UK Pantomime Association!” says Estelle van Warmelo, “I'm enormously pleased for the whole Courtyard team who have worked tirelessly and devotedly on all the in-house productions since The Courtyard began. Panto is difficult to get right, and every year we strive to improve, develop and bring freshness and quality to the show, a challenge our writer Lynday Maples tackles with aplomb alongside the rest of the creative team. I'm particularly grateful for the support Ellis Kerkhoven and Madi MacMahon have given me personally over the past two years. Bringing them into the directing department has helped us through an enormously difficult time while raising the bar on the integrity of the show. I'm delighted to acknowledge that this award reflects the strength of our department, not just a single person. Huge thanks to the UK Pantomime Association, John Good Ltd for the award and to Ian Archer for letting me go wild every year. Having that artistic freedom is a rare gift from a producer so I'm grateful for his faith in me. Here’s to next year!” The Courtyard prides itself on producing, writing, and directing its professional annual pantomimes in-house. Many members of the cast return to The Courtyard year after year and the seasoned writer and director have been working together on these productions for over 10 years. The Pantomime Awards are the industry recognised awards for celebrating the best of this British theatrical institution. Judges are selected from a range of backgrounds for their knowledge and passion for pantomime. During the judging process, judges watch and mark the show based on a wide-ranging criteria covering all elements of the pantomime, for which they write a detailed commentary. Following its’ best-selling year ever, The Courtyard’s pantomime for 2023/24 will be the classic tale of Dick Whittington. Spirited hero Dick and his feline friend pack up their handkerchief to embark on an epic adventure seeking fame and fortune. Their magical rags to riches tale will take audiences on an exciting journey to London Town… but will the streets be paved with gold? As part of The Courtyard’s commitment to inclusivity, there will be a range of accessible performances including Relaxed, Dementia Friendly, BSL signed and Audio Described performances. Tickets for Dick Whittington are on sale now and can be booked via Box Office in person, by calling 01432 340555 or online at courtyard.org.uk.

Oh yes, we did that...go back four topics 👆 😂

Hereford Voice have been advised today that Lloyds Pharmacy within the Sainsbury's store at Barton Yard in Hereford will close on the 22nd. We have also been advised that is no replacement pharmacy planned at the store. Do you use this pharmacy?

A force-wide week of action to target individuals who cause the most harm in their communities saw West Mercia Police officers arrest more than 100 people. Operation Justice focused on individuals persistent in their criminality arrested for a range of offences including theft, drugs, domestic violence, recalls to prison, stalking, underage sex, criminal damage, harassment and revenge pornography. Local Policing Areas in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Shropshire were actively involved in raids during the week which ran from March 27-31. Chief Superintendent Paul Moxley, who oversaw the operation, hailed it as a success that made local communities safer places to live. Chief Superintendent Moxley said: “This was a concerted force-wide operation across our five Local Policing Areas which resulted in 103 arrests for 183 offences, with 38 people charged so far with a multitude of offences. “A number of individuals are still being investigated on suspicion of outstanding offences. The aim was to track down those suspects who thought that they may have evaded prosecution, those who have gone to ground and those who continue to blight local communities with their unacceptable anti-social behaviour.”

West Mercia Police have released an image of a man who they believe may be able to help with enquires after a 17-year-old boy was bitten by a dog in Hereford. The incident happened yesterday (Sunday 2 April) at around 4.30pm at the rear of The Oval on the junction of Spofford Street. The teenager was approached by the dog, which was on a lead, before it bit him on the face. The dog is described as large Bull-type dog, with short black fur and wearing a green harness. Officers believe the man in the image may have information that could help with the investigations. Anyone who may know the man in the image, or has any information regarding the incident is asked to contact the South Wye Safer Neighbourhood Team by emailing herefordsouthside.snt@westmercia.police.uk.

In a message issued by West Mercia Police the spokesperson for the force said; "Hereford Police Station is currently closed as a precaution after what is believed to be a hand grenade was handed in by a member of the public. Explosive Ordnance Disposal have been informed and are attending the scene assess the device and ensure it is disposed of safely"

Wonderful to see Ross-on-Wye Town Council hosting the very first Vegan Market this Summer, so we thought we would publish it early as the event is not until July but it gives us plenty of time to help promote it! We shared it at 08:40 this morning Well within just a couple of hours someone else soon had the same idea, funny that..

This fabulous map has been created by our Old Hereford Pics member Chris James Birse, in an interview today he told Hereford Voice; "The idea started when I was writing a fantasy novel. I needed a map to go at the front of the book and rather than pay someone to do it, I thought I'd give it a go myself. It turned out well; so I drew some real-world locations like Scotland and Wales in this fantasy style for a bit of fun and posted them online. The response was brilliant and so I've since turned my attention to Herefordshire. This has been great fun to do since there's simply so much history in the area which lends itself perfectly to being depicted in the classic fantasy style. The response from the public was fantastic too back when I was asking for ideas to put on the map. From the hundreds of hill forts, castles, barrows and standing stones, to the more mythological features such as the Mordiford Dragon, the Marden Mermaid and the witches of Garway Hill - everyone's feedback has been added to the map where possible" If you would like to purchase this wonderful fantasy map follow this link https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1437362192

Some good news from Hereford FC Others soon echoed our thoughts...