Hereford Voice

This is not just a coffee shop... After months and months of hard work and a lot of investment, locally owned Eden Coffee House Hereford officially open their doors this Wednesday. Herefordian’s, Phil and Karen decided they wanted to create a very cool space in the middle of our fabulous city and what better location than right opposite Hereford's most famous Black and White House museum landmark. As an advertising partner, Hereford Voice were given exclusive access before the soft opening earlier this afternoon to be able to capture some photographs of this fabulous completely renovated property. Over the past few months we have been talking with the new owners to find out how this coffee shop differs from some others. Karen and Phil told us that their mantra is to have an independent coffee shop, sourcing quality local produce where possible as well as offering something a little different and creating at least 10 new jobs! There will be a big focus on being a friendly and relaxing environment, where everyone will enjoy the warmth and personality from the staff. Eden Coffee House is going to be full of plants too, many of which will be for sale. This lovely old building has been sat empty for a long time and has now been transformed into a relaxing space where people will be able to enjoy this beautiful building once again. Phil and Karen have financed this project at great expense to themselves and they wanted to bring this building back to its former glory and in doing so have exposed some beautiful old hidden beams, wonderful brickwork and during the renovation work their builders have unearthed lots of historic features, such as the original butchers bricks from back when the butchers shop ceased trading in 1930 and predates back into the 1800s. The building now showcases, much of the original features, and includes some modern twists, such as the new amazing steel staircase. We already got a great vibe during our visit today and the coffee is lush! All the produce and cakes are daily fresh and not frozen and they also have the wonderful award winning Peter Cooks Bread available. Best of all Eden Coffee House is DOG FRIENDLY Hereford Voice will be keeping you up to date with the progress and any special offers over the coming months, so keep an eye open, in the meantime, please support our local independents and pop in and check out this fabulous new business which officially opens this Wednesday. We would like to wish Phil and Karen all the very best of luck with their new venture

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have deployed 20 fire engines which are on scene at a massive fire currently at Hoo Farm Industrial Estate in Kidderminster. Firefighters togther with other crews and partners will be on-site for next few days. Residents as far as Worcester and parts of Herefordshire are being advised to keep their windows and doors shut due to the large amounts of smoke being produced by the blaze. 📸 HWFRS

Festive News | Santa and his Sleigh will be in High Town Hereford on Wednesday 15th December 10.30am - 4.30pm Hereford Lions Club have also confirmed that from Saturday 11th December, Santa will be touring the city. Santa like last year will not be stopping, but will be escorted by members of the Club on his journey. Please keep an ear out as they will have vehicle ahead of the sleigh letting everyone know that Santa is on his way, ho ho ho

A man from Malvern has been jailed for sexual offences involving children. Richard Webb, 34, of Moat Crescent, was sentenced to nine years in prison at Worcester Crown Court yesterday (Thursday 2 December). He will be placed on the sexual offenders register for life and will have a three-year extended licence period. His offences took place in the Hereford area between 2006 and 2019 and involved incidents where the victims were between the ages of 8 and 14 at the time of the offences. He also met with a child and committed sexual offences following a period of grooming and possessed extreme pornography. Detective Constable Leah Lowe said: “This investigation was highly emotional and I’d like to recognise the courage of the victims who came forward. “This man groomed and abused his victims and this sentence is reflective of the suffering and misery he caused. " West Mercia Police take all complaints of sexual abuse very seriously and I hope this case gives the public confidence to come forward and report any incidents of concern whether recently or in the past" “We act on all reports we received an offer victims our full support.” If you have been affected by crime and need support, you can contacted the Victim Advice Line: The Victim Advice Line is a free and confidential service for victims and anyone who has been affected by crime and needs support. Freephone: 0800 952 3000 Email: info@victimadviceline.org.uk Web (including Live Chat): www.victimadviceline.org.uk You can also call the West Mercia sexual abuse support centre on 03456 461188.

Hereford Voice have been kindly invited by owners Karen and Phil to the soft opening on Monday between 3pm - 7pm and everyone is welcome to join us with the official opening on Wednesday 8th December. There is still a lot of work to be completed and its all hands on deck to be ready for Monday. Eden Coffee House created by two Herefordian’s, who have decided they want to create a very cool space in the middle of our fabulous city and what better location than right opposite Hereford's most famous Black and White House museum landmark. Hereford Voice was given some exclusive access recently and we have been talking with the new owners over the last few weeks to find out how this coffee shop differs from some others. Karen and Phil told us that their mantra is to have an independent coffee shop, sourcing quality local produce where possible as well as offering something a little different and creating at least 10 new jobs! There will be a big focus on being a friendly and relaxing environment, where everyone will enjoy the warmth and personality from the staff. Eden Coffee House is going to be full of plants too, many of which will be for sale. This lovely old building has been sat empty for a long time and is now being transformed into a relaxing space where people will be able to enjoy this beautiful building once again. Phil and Karen have financed this project at great expense to themselves but they wanted to bring this building back to its former glory and in doing so have exposed some beautiful old hidden beams, wonderful brickwork and during the renovation work their builders have unearthed lots of historic features, such as the original butchers bricks from back when the butchers shop ceased trading in 1930 and predates back into the 1800s. So the building will showcase, much of the original features, but will include some modern twists such as new amazing steel staircase. Please support our local independents and pop in and check out this fabulous new business when they open next week!

Hereford Voice asked Herefordshire Council for a breakdown on what car parking charges are used to pay for and got this helpful infographic sent to us. They told us that car parking charges are primarily used to control limited space in the City and towns to keep the churn rate high in the City and town centres, making sure there is availability for those that want to drive in to the centre – quick stop in Broad Street to go to the bank or quick stop in King Street to pick up from the King Street Kitchen - and that they use lower tariffs to encourage longer stay/commuters to use car parks on the edges of the City or the market town centres. They also use the valuable income from car parking (quite a lot from penalty notices too) to subsidise transport related Council services, particularly those, like school transport, that has suffered as a result of severe government cuts to local authorities like Herefordshire (one grant alone, the Revenue Support Grant has been cut from over £62 million in 2010 to £600k in 2021 – and yes, both our MPs voted for many cuts over the last decade. Jesse Norman - https://hfd.news/bzn Bill Wiggin - https://hfd.news/k69 🔹Do you object to paying a premium to park in the City or town centres? 🔹Do you prefer to park further out and spend longer in town? 🔹How does a Council manage limited spaces in the centres? Some commentators think free parking is the panacea that will revitalise High Street trading – do you think so too or is that too simplistic (and perhaps a deliberately provocative view)? Cwmbran is often cited as an example of a town that offers free parking. Aside from the fact that the parking is free because of a very large private shopping centre that allows unrestricted parking on its 3000-space carpark, is Cwmbran more attractive and prosperous than our very own local retail and historic cores? The parking team in Herefordshire Council have confirmed Christmas late night shopping and free Saturdays are still offered in the run up to Christmas and the City and Town Councils choose which days or half days suit them best. An emotive subject and one that presses many of our buttons. So is it time to stop complaining about paying less than many people spend on coffee in a day, or should we have free parking in Hereford and the surrounding market towns and the inevitable reduced public services that would follow?

📣 £1000 Reward Worcestershire antiques business Holloways is offering a substantial reward for information leading to the recovery of a £9,500 life-size bronze lion stolen from its courtyards. Aslan has been guarding Holloways Garden Antiques courtyards in Suckley for the past five years. Overnight on Thursday, a gang broke into the family business and lifted the 300kg bronze sculpture over a 6ft spiked metal fence before escaping across the fields. It is thought it would have taken at least six people to lift the hefty cat, which measures 2.3m long and 1.2m high and weighs as much as a pony. Bought from a private house sale in Leicestershire, Aslan has one paw half raised and dates back to the mid-20th century. Since 2016, the £9,500 bronze has cut a striking figure in Holloways courtyards and was much-loved by staff and customers alike. Now Edward Holloway, who has run furniture and antiques business Holloways with his wife Diana for the past 30 years, is offering £1,000 for information leading to the distinctive lion’s recovery. “We’re incredibly upset that Holloways has been targeted and that Aslan has been taken,” said Edward; “We’ve always struggled to move him around our premises and we’re absolutely astonished they managed to lift him over the fence. “Thursday night was cold, dark and wet, and both Aslan and the ground would have been slippy. “It would have taken six, maybe more, people to lift him and it’s highly likely they had a 4x4 to get back out across the fields without getting stuck. “Someone must have seen something. Someone must know something.” Edward fears the much-loved bronze was either stolen to order, or may already have been sent to be melted down – for a fraction of its value. “We’re offering £1,000 for information which leads to Aslan's recovery,” Edward added. “Please do get in touch with the police on the numbers below. “This was a pretty audactious theft. Rural crime is escalating and the perpetrators need to be caught.” The NFU Rural Crime Report 2021 shows theft in the countryside cost the UK an estimated £43.3m last year. The insurer blames “skilled and highly-organised criminals” for the continuing plague on farms and other rural businesses. West Mercia Police is investigating. A spokesman said: “Anyone with any information or who may have seen the statue for sale is asked to visit https://www.westmercia.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/ quoting reference 300 of 29 November.” Alternatively, call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

Heartbreaking to see the devastation caused by the storm and we are sending our love to all the fabulous exhibitors who have been affected. In a statement the organisers wrote; IMPORTANT UPDATE | MEDIEVAL FAYRE 2021 It is with a heavy heart that we must announce that this year’s Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre is cancelled. There has been too much damage on site for us to be able to make the event safe for visitors, exhibitors, performers and staff. We need today to manage the situation here at the Castle and to support our exhibitors who have been affected by the storm damage. On Monday we will email all ticket holders with an update. If you can please bear with us on that. We are a small, family businesses and need to be here on site to recover what we can. Thank you for all your well wishes and words of support. It means so much to us. Abi and Prue x

Firefighters from Kington Fire Station were called out to attended RTC involving one car on the A44 at Floodgates near Kington just after 10pm. Fire Appliance from Ross On Wye Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews from Ross on Wye Fire Station attended an RTC on the A4137 St Owen's Cross at 12.39am involving one overturned vehicle and two casualties. The A49 to St Owen's Cross was closed for several hours by Police while emergency services were at the scene of the accident.

This was the scene at Watsons Garage in Leominster this morning. Signage ripped off caused by the very strong #StormArwen winds. Photo courtesy of Joe Warrington

Catastrophic to see this 360 year old oak tree fallen due to #StormArwen strong winds during the night. This is located at Belmont Haywood Country Park the tree fell down around 4.45am this morning, such sad news. Thank you to our good friend Piotr Biurkowski for sending us these photographs today.

Twinkling lights, mulled wine, a festive atmosphere and fabulous gifts – Christmas markets are one of England's fondest traditions. Many cities enjoy wonderful Christmas Markets throughout the festive period, with their classic wooden chalets often showcasing local produce, wines, crafts, food and gifts. Which is your favourite market and would you support bringing this tradition to Hereford ? Ho ho ho 🎅 Let us see if we can influence Herefordshire Council and Hereford City Council to get behind our idea to bring a tradtional Christmas Market to Hereford in the next few years.

Council agrees ambitious new recycling and waste plans Changes made for a greener future Residents and business owners across Herefordshire will be provided with new rubbish and recycling collection arrangements from late 2023. The news follows a decision made by our cabinet members today (Thursday 25 November 2021). The changes include a new weekly food waste collection service and a fortnightly, seasonal garden waste collection service. Currently, 40 per cent of the contents of residual waste (black bins) could be recycled. We are planning to meet stringent environmental targets identified in our waste strategy and we are introducing the service after residents told us in a consultation on collection options that more needs to be done to help increase recycling. ♻️ New rubbish and recycling collections being introduced from late 2023 The enhanced service, providing much more recycling capacity, comprises the following collection “streams”, which will improve both the quantity and quality of recycling: ♻️ New bin. Paper and cardboard will be collected separately in new 240-litre wheelie bins ♻️ Existing green bin. Metals (tins and cans), most plastics (pots, tubs, trays and bottles) and glass ♻️ Existing black bin. Anything that cannot be recycled or put into food waste ♻️ Food waste. We will provide all households with a new, 23-litre food caddy and liners ♻️ Garden waste bin. Residents can opt for a seasonal garden waste collection Herefordshire Council wrote, we will work with managing agents, residents associations and people who live in flats to ensure they have a service that reflects their needs and provides maximum opportunities for them to recycle. As is currently the case, larger families, families using disposable nappies and those with medical needs will still receive additional capacity. These are considered on a case by case basis. The cabinet also agreed changes to our waste disposal contract that will see a 95 per cent reduction in waste being sent to landfill to just one per cent from April 2022. Welcome news News of the new waste arrangements was welcomed by Cllr Gemma Davies: “We have listened to our residents who told us they wanted more opportunities to recycle. Our new system provides more capacity to recycle from 2024. We know that for people living in flats or for larger families this will not be easy. We also will be looking for ways to help people in those circumstances and will say more about that in the future. “This is just one part of our ambitious plans for helping people to reuse more, recycle more and waste less. I am also very pleased to have secured savings on our waste disposal contract and greater protection for when recyclers want to send materials outside of Europe. I am delighted that we will be achieving a 95 per cent reduction in waste going to landfill from next April to just one per cent.”

'Harpers Law' which introduces a mandatory life sentence to anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime. A spokesperson for Thames Valley Police told Hereford Voice We are delighted to say that the Government has confirmed that Harper’s Law will be introduced in memory of our late colleague PC Andrew Harper. The law will introduce mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker whilst committing a crime. This move follows an unwavering campaign by his widow Lissie - supported by Sgt Andy Fiddler and the Harper's Law Team - and comes after a number of meetings with the Justice Secretary and Home Secretary. Henry Long, Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers each received custodial sentences of between 13 and 19 years in prison for PC Harper’s manslaughter. An appeal by the Attorney General to increase their time behind bars was rejected. Ministers are determined to make sure that punishments fit the severity of the crime and are determined to introduce the law as soon as possible. The move extends mandatory life sentences to anyone who commits the manslaughter of an emergency worker on duty – including police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics – while carrying out another crime unless there are truly exceptional circumstances. Courts must already impose life sentences for murder, with a whole-life order being the starting point if the victim is a police officer. Lissie Harper said: “Emergency services workers require extra protection. I know all too well how they are put at risk and into the depths of danger on a regular basis on behalf of society. That protection is what Harper’s Law will provide and I am delighted that it will soon become a reality. “It’s been a long journey and a lot of hard work. I know Andrew would be proud to see Harper’s Law reach this important milestone. “I’d like to thank the teams at the Ministry of Justice and the Home Office and Dominic Raab, Priti Patel and Robert Buckland for working with me to achieve this. “I would also like to thank my incredible Harper’s Law team as well as the public for their unstinting support for such an important campaign. Those who believed that the right thing is worth doing despite the hurdles and challenges that we needed to be overcome. “And for the families of those that this Law will provide justice for, we’re almost there. Your continued support has kept me pushing forward.” Deputy Prime Minister, Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice, Dominic Raab said: “We are going to pass into law mandatory life sentences for those who unlawfully kill an emergency worker in the course of their duty. I pay tribute to Lissie Harper’s remarkable campaign. “This government is on the side of victims and their families and we want our emergency services to know that we’ll always have their back.” Home Secretary, Priti Patel, said: “PC Andrew Harper’s killing was shocking. As well as a committed police officer, he was a husband and a son. It is with thanks to the dedication of Lissie and his family that I am proud to be able to honour Andrew's life by introducing Harper's Law. "Those who seek to harm our emergency service workers represent the very worst of humanity and it is right that future killers be stripped of the freedom to walk our streets with a life sentence.” The move follows recent government action to protect police, prison officers, firefighters and paramedics and ensure those who seek to harm them feel the full force of the law. This includes plans to double the maximum penalty for assaulting them to two years’ imprisonment

Weapons and firearms surrendered for destruction to officers at Hereford police station following the current national knife amnesty. 'Operation Sceptre' knife amnesty is currently running nationally, where people can drop any knives into the drop boxes located at various police stations across the country with 'No Questions Asked' Operation Sceptre is a national initiative which takes place twice a year, and aims to reduce knife crime by targeting those carrying weapons, disrupting the supply of knives, raising awareness of the dangers of knife crime, and providing young people with alternatives to crime.

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Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service crews are currently at the scene in Eign Street. The street is currently closed from Steels Garage to Sainsbury's due to the on going fire at the building adjacent to the Old Eye Hospital location. Firefighters bravely entered the burning building initially to get the fire under control. The are 8 fire appliances currently on the scene as firefighters continue to deal with the blaze.

It looks like the Old Market shopping centre may have tenant soon for the 83,000 sq ft empty building formally occupied by Debenhams. The Old Market has 32 - retail and leisure units owned by British Land Company PLC. (Rumours are that is could possibly be Primark who are looking to expand their operation in the UK, but that is only a rumor) Who would you like to see occupy this building in such a prime location in Hereford ?

St Mary's C of E Primary School in Credenhill, Herefordshire forced to close due to increase in Covid-19 cases. The school will close from tomorrow (Tuesday 23rd Nov) until Monday (29th Nov).

West Mercia Police has reinforced its commitment to tackling heritage crime, including metal and rural thefts, at a recent event at Harvington Hall. T The event, attended by Chief Constable Pippa Mills, highlighted the use of SmartWater to help prevent metal thefts, and showcased some of the tactics utilised by the We Don’t Buy Crime team to prevent rural thefts, such as agricultural and plant machinery thefts. During the event, CC Mills discussed the force’s efforts with Lord Faulkner, who also attended, and identified the link between heritage crime and organised crime. Lord Faulkner sits on the Metal, Stone and Heritage Crime All-party parliamentary group. She said: “We have some vast and beautiful rural areas across the counties covered by West Mercia Police, many home to iconic heritage sites and it is vital we protect these. Understandably, rural crime has a huge impact on our local communities and I’m pleased with the work that goes on by teams right across the force. However, of course, there is always more we can do. “We know there is often a link between heritage crime and organised crime, those involved in heritage crime are often also involved in other organised criminality, including drugs and trafficking. Heritage crime doesn’t just have an impact locally, but further afield.” The event was led by Wyre Forest Safer Neighbourhood Team Inspector David King with support from the We Don’t Buy Crime. Insp King is also West Mercia Police’s heritage crime lead and regional lead for the West Midlands. Heritage England recently extended funding for the National Police Cadets “Solve It” initiative. The initiative gives Volunteer Police Cadet schemes the opportunity to propose projects in response to a Heritage Challenge, giving the opportunity for young volunteers to be directly involved in looking after and making the most of their historic environment. Heritage crime is any offence which harms the value of heritage assets and their settings, such as theft , criminal damage, arson and anti-social behaviour.

STATEMENT | "Yeomans Travel have made the difficult decision to withdraw most of their commercial bus services in the City of Hereford, the last day being New Year’s Eve, Friday 31st December 2021. Yeomans Travel has been family owned for over a century and currently provides bus and school services, contracts, private hire and holiday tours. In September 2015 we stepped in and kept the bus services running when First closed their Hereford depot citing that it was not viable to operate with such low passenger numbers. Most of the Hereford city bus services are run on a commercial basis without any Council subsidy. The Government had given financial support to all bus companies during the Covid crisis to keep some services operating but this finished at the end of September. Since then we have continued to operate these services without support but this is not sustainable. In recent years, and especially since the start of the Covid pandemic, the number of passengers carried has been in slow decline as more people have bought cars and traffic congestion in the city has got steadily worse. The rise of out-of-town shopping and employment centres has also reduced demand for travel into the city centre. There have been no discussions with local operators about bus priority or traffic issues until recently when the Government unveiled a package to local councils to assist bus travel. We are now carrying only 50% of the numbers of bus passengers that we were carrying in 2019 and this is unfortunately typical of bus services across the whole of England and like many others are also having to absorb the large increase in fuel costs. Whilst Yeomans Travel is aware that Herefordshire Council is working on a new Bus Strategy that will involve support for bus services across the County, we are having to act now to protect the future of the Company. We are upset that the Council have not even mentioned the reason we are stopping these services in their press release. When we informed them, with the reasons behind it, they offered no assistance or asked what they could do to help other than to ask us to carry on until April. If it is not financially viable, why would we continue until then? There was not even a thank you for stepping in with six weeks’ notice and solving the problems 6 years ago when First did the same thing only on a bigger scale. Therefore the following services will be affected from this date: City services 71 (Credenhill), 72 (Bobblestock), 74S (Bishops School), 77A (College Green and Bobblestock circular), 79A/88 (Putson and Redhill) will be withdrawn. Service 74 to Newton Farm will continue to operate but the route via Hunderton will be withdrawn. Service 78/78X to Rotherwas/Skylon Park will also continue to run. We had given Herefordshire Council the statutory notice required before withdrawing these bus services and they have already published a tender to operate emergency timetables on these routes, which they also failed to mention. These will now be financially supported, if we had been offered this we would have continued operating these services which would have meant no disruption to services at all and saved a lot of time and effort all round. There are no job losses created by these changes and we will still be operating our subsidised services throughout Herefordshire. We would like to thank our staff for their hard work and passengers for their custom and support over the years but we cannot continue to operate something that is not commercially viable"

Local bus operator Yeomans has provided notice that it intends to withdraw a large proportion of its commercial services in Hereford from 1 January 2022. The council has held discussions with Yeomans to request that they delay their withdrawal of services until April 2022. This would provide time for the council and local operators to plan and put in place alternatives to ensure continuity of service for people currently reliant on Yeomans bus services. Yeomans have declined this request. The council is holding discussions with other operators regarding replacing the withdrawn services, or putting in place alternatives on a commercial basis so that some continuity of service might be maintained. Due to the very limited timescales involved it is unclear if any operators will have sufficient time to put alternative services in place. The council recently submitted an £18.3m funding bid to Department for Transport as part of the national bus strategy and hopes to receive additional funding to invest in buses from April 2022. Following the announcement made by Yeomans, the council has decided to bring forward plans for improvements to bus services and is requesting formal proposals from operators for an improved bus service for Hereford City. Depending on proposals and confirmation of funding from government it is hoped that new services could commence as soon as April 2022. In the interim, the council will be seeking to tender some replacement services which will be in place from January 2022. This will guarantee the continuation of essential services, including school services, as the council progresses permanent proposals for the city network Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said: “The timing of the withdrawal of these commercially operated services is of great concern and does not appear to take into account the issues which will be faced by the people who use and rely on these services. “We have been meeting with all of our local operators regularly since the beginning of the pandemic and more recently to develop proposals for an improved county network and it is disappointing that only minimum notice has been given for these significant changes”. “There is great deal of work to do now to try and ensure that we put some temporary services in place but also to seek comprehensive proposals from operators which match our ambitions for a much improved service for the city. We have provided operators with an outline of the elements we think are important including better buses, increased service frequency and operating hours, a strong customer focus and a clear commitment to promote services and increase patronage. I think that that there are operators that share these ambitions and are keen to work in Hereford.” How will this affect my journey? The following routes are affected: 71/71A/71B – Credenhill - Hereford 71S – Credenhill – Whitecross School (School days) 72 – Bobblestock – Hereford 74 – Hereford – Newton Farm (Sunday service withdrawn) 74A – Hereford – Hunderton - Newton Farm 74S – Newton Farm - Hereford - Bishop's School (School days) 77A – Hereford - College Green - Holmer - Bobblestock circular 78A/78S – Skylon Park – Putson – Redhill (journeys serving Redhill withdrawn) 79A – Putson – Redhill – Hereford (peak hours) 88/88A – Hinton – Putson – The Pastures – Redhill (Saturday service withdrawn and all Monday-Friday journeys serving Redhill) The withdrawals include school services from Credenhill to Whitecross school, and the City to Bishops school. The council will be seeking to tender some replacement services which will be in place from January 2022. This will guarantee the continuation of essential services, including school services, as the council progresses permanent proposals for the city network An update on alternative arrangements for school services will be provided through schools in early December. Yeomans had already withdrawn the 75, 77, 81, and 81A services, and services to St Mary’s High school in September 2021. Yeomans has provided the statutory minimum notice of 4 weeks to the council after which time it will provide the Traffic Commissioner with a further 6 weeks’ notice. Further information can be found on the council website: http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/public.../bus-travel/3 How is Herefordshire Council supporting bus travel in the county? The covid pandemic has had a significant impact on bus patronage nationally. Herefordshire Council has supported local operators by funding them at 100% of their pre-covid rates for concessionary travel throughout 2020/21 and the current financial year. It has also facilitated direct grants from government which have aimed to supplement lost revenues (Covid Bus Services Support Grant). As part of the council’s covid recovery plan there is free weekend bus travel for all journeys within Herefordshire, funded through the government’s covid recovery fund. During 2021 the council has progressed development of the Bus Service Improvement Plan and submitted its proposals to Government with the aim of securing additional funds to support bus services from April 2022. Development of the plan has included public consultation and engagement with all of the local bus operators. The BSIP was submitted to government by the end of October 2021 as required by the national bus strategy and will be assessed and inform government funding for local buses for 2022/23 to 2024/25. Government has not confirmed when funding awards will be announced but it is hoped that this will be well before the end of the 2021/22 financial year to inform decision making about funding service improvements.

Pause for thoughts..