Hereford Voice

We were kindly invited to The Pavilion, Castle Green earlier and to see the progress being achieved by the wonderful team at Vision Building and Development. Also huge thanks to Katie.

This superb Friends of Castle Green project is on schedule to be completed before the end of the Summer and we can't wait to share all the finer details with you.

We are looking forward to getting our LIVE HD Camera back online and to showcase this fantastic venue on the beautiful Castle Green overlooking the River Wye and Victoria Bridge.

There is so much going on but we can't tell you anymore at this stage, so be sure to 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 Hereford Voice 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀.

We are reassured and more than confident that this will go to full planning committee in the coming weeks, however, we predict that the latest Lidl planning application for the Three Counties Hotel site will be approved in the coming weeks from what we hear on the grapevine..

You can see our original 'Breaking News' article from March 2022 here 👉 https://hfd.news/Lidl3 

The Local Highway Authority also submitted a memorandum on 20th December 2023 (attached) explaining that the had no objections (with conditions)

Following the redesign of the central area of the car park the local highway authority has no objection to the application subject to the below conditions.

Conditions: CAB (2.4m x 43m), CAD Gates/barriers (setback 7m), CAE, CAJ (car parking to be provided in full prior to store opening), CAP (as per dwg 05 rev G by Corun), CAT, CB3

Informatives: I11, I09, I45, I08, I05, I14, I49, I54, I52, I51, I47, I37, I36, I35

Hereford City Council submitted their comments one 12th January 2024 stating that they have no objections;

Dear Heather

Hereford City Council Planning Committee has no objection to planning application 231703 however have comments. Whilst Councillors regret the loss of this hotel and tourism facility, they appreciate the need for an economy food store and associated employment south of the river which will be popular with local residents. Councillors have considerable anxiety about another unregulated junction on an already busy road and feel the proposed design is not respectful of the local environment.

Kind regards

Becci O’Reilly

Administration & Events Manager

It is evident from the original application that the majority of objections on the planning portal is certainly not popular with local residents! Which is what this letter (attached) states....

We had a petition signed from over a thousand local people as well as over 228 objections, which like ourselves was down to the main concerns over traffic congestion and safety of people using the notorious A465 Belmont Road. There were just 12 letters submitted in support of the application.

The original application was withdrawn and a new updated application was submitted in June 2023 (P231703/F).

This next part is interesting, Did you know? ALL of the original letters of objection and support together with a petition with over 1,000 signatures against the application cannot be taken into account even though the overall application is more or less the same - 'Demolishing the Hotel and building a Lidl supermarket' (We appreciate that the drive-thru coffee shop was removed and a few other tweaks made to the new application). We are confident that planning consultants know how to work the system because now the letters of objection or support are clearly going to be hugely diluted, which is the case with 41 objections and 10 letters in support as of the time of this topic 20th January 2024. 🤔 

The A465 Belmont Road is renowned for daily traffic congestion. There is also a speed enforcement camera located directly opposite the entrance to the hotel which was installed for a reason! 

It will be interesting to see how this develops and we will highlight these issues which are only going to become much much worse with this development. A more suitable location would have been at Rotherwas in our view. 

Local Highway Authority.pdf

Hereford City Council Comments.pdf

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet is to discuss approval of the awarding of a new waste collection contract at their next meeting on 25 January.

Although this is a significant moment in the transformation of waste services in the county, there will be no immediate changes that residents or businesses need to be aware of.

The existing Waste Collection contract with FCC will be extended to 31 August 2024, with the new contract to commence on 1 September. The new contract will last for an initial 8 years, with an option to extend by up to a further 12 years.

Cllr Elissa Swinglehurst, Cabinet Member Environment, said: “The new waste collection service will help us to minimise waste and increase reuse, repair and recycling. It will also contribute to our investment in low carbon projects, and strengthen our stewardship of Herefordshire’s natural resources.

“Environmental impact has been key to the development of the service specification, which will include extensive requirements to minimise waste, reduce energy and carbon emissions and enhance biodiversity.

“As we have extended the existing contract until the end of August, residents and businesses will experience no changes to the current service, and we are committed to communicating clearly and in timely fashion with local people when any potential changes become clear.”

Thanks for the heads up 

Friends of Castle Green (FoCG) has today (17th January 2024) taken over the lease of the former Bowling Club on Castle Green as a Community Asset Transfer from Herefordshire Council.

Chair of FoCG Paddy Nugent receiving the keys to the Castle Green Bowling Club from Joe Long of Herefordshire Council Estates team.

The former Bowling Club and bowling green, which was vacated in May 2023, will be rebranded The Club House at Castle Green and will be managed and refurbished by Friends of Castle Green CIC to provide a sustainable asset for the community.

The asset transfer will allow the community group to apply for grant funding to improve the building and surrounding area, making more use of the park for today's community and improving and protecting it for future generations. The group has an excellent record of success in grant applications and is currently undertaking a total refurbishment of the Pavilion on Castle Green with Stronger Towns funding of £1.56million*.

Paddy Nugent, Friends of Castle Green Chair, says, “We are excited to become custodians of the former Bowling Club on Castle Green. With the Pavilion and Club House stewarded by FoCG, all of Castle Green will be sympathetically connected, forming an inclusive campus of facilities for the community.

FoCG recognises that great public spaces strengthen communities so we look forward to consulting with the local community to provide a building that is fit for a number of purposes.

We are delighted that the Council has recognised the dedication of the local community and trusted us with the future of this building, the Pavilion and the surrounding area. We are now even further committed to realising some of the aspirations of the residents of Herefordshire for this beautiful park in the heart of the City.”

Councillor Bramer, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Assets says:

"We’re delighted to support the community asset transfer of the former bowling club on Castle Green to Friends of Castle Green. Community Asset Transfers allow local communities to manage facilities for the benefit of local people. The improvements planned by Friends of Castle Green promise to breathe new life into a building that has been unoccupied for some time, bringing it back into use for the benefit of the wider Hereford community."

Chair of FoCG Paddy Nugent receiving the keys to the Castle Green Bowling Club from Joe Long of Herefordshire Council Estates team.

𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗜𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁!

A mother and a man have been charged with manslaughter following the death of a four-month-old baby nearly four years ago in 2020

Melissa Wilband, 27, the child's mother, and 30-year-old Jack Wheeler have been charged with manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child, Gloucestershire Police have said.

A force spokesman said: “Gloucestershire Police’s major crime investigation team led on the investigation and the Crown Prosecution Service authorised charges.”

The infant, from Newent in the Forest of Dean, was admitted to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital in a serious condition on 12 April 2020. The child was later transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital but died six days later, on 18 April.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia - Bristol Royal Hospital For Children

The force's full statement said: "Two people have been charged with manslaughter in connection with the death of a four-month-old infant. Jack Wheeler, 30 and from Ledbury, and 27-year-old Melissa Wilband, the mother of the child, and from Newent"

"The pair have been charged with manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child. The four-month-old from Newent, Forest of Dean had been admitted to hospital on 12 April 2020 and died on 18 April 2020.

They both appeared at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court yesterday, Friday 12 January and were released on conditional bail which bans them from having contact with any child under the age of 18.  They must also not contact each other by any means.

They will next appear at Bristol Crown Court on 19 February where it is expected that they will enter pleas to the charges.

In social media it's not the number of followers you have, but the quality that counts.

If you can focus on building a high-quality network comprised of users that will help you meet your business objectives, you will start seeing better results from your social media efforts.

If you’re looking at the size of your following to gauge your business’s social media success, you’re not getting the full picture. While it’s easy to fall into this trap because it is a seemingly objective and verifiable number, as a metric it doesn’t really tell you much.

As Jayson DeMers outlines in a guest post for Forbes, “the truth is, the number of followers you have is nowhere near as important as the type of followers.” It’s the same as any other type of messaging, marketing or advertising — you want to get it seen by the right people. And, as organic reach on social media declines, the quality of your followers will be much more important than the quantity.

We have started this topic to highlight that having a large amount of followers does not always mean you have a bigger audience reach, so do not be fooled to think it does. There are other factors to take into account, including interaction from local people.

Here is a good example.

We REGULARLY advertise the fabulous St Martin's FoodShare and are proud to have supported this project since its inception back in 2020 at the start of the pandemic (It actually began at Leominster FoodShare). This is a really wonderful local community initiative, which has grown and grown but this popularity has now attracted other local pages jump on the bandwagon for want of a better word.

We have scheduled topics to run EVERY WEEK, the latest was last Monday 8th January 2024. Let's have a look at Your Herefordshire, they got their post out this week before ours... 🤔 at 07:38, you can see that screenshot we took today below; (Screenshot 2024-01-12 at 11.36.51)

44 LIKES - 2 COMMENTS - 53 SHARES

Our usual scheduled advert went out at 09:16 you can also see our screenshot we took today below; (Screenshot 2024-01-12 at 11.34.13)

258 LIKES - 57 COMMENTS - 186 SHARES

But wait! Once these numbers were noticed YH swiftly added a MUCH BIGGER BOLD ADVERT at 09:43, see that screenshot we took today below; (Screenshot 2024-01-12 at 11.37.11)

46 LIKES - 19 COMMENTS - 93 SHARES

Your Herefordshire often brag how many followers they have, over 90k (which is incredible) however, if you combines both of their posts above you will have a total of 90 LIKES - 21 COMMENTS - 146 SHARES which is really good.

Hereford Voice, now if you add our totals for just the one advert 258 LIKES - 56 COMMENTS - 186 SHARES, that speaks volumes.

StrongerHereford has voted to support Herefordshire Council’s proposal to relocate the Hereford Library & Learning Centre to Shirehall.

The decision effectively gives the go ahead for £3,000,000 from the city’s Stronger Towns Fund (totalling £22.4m) to be invested in creating a vibrant, modern and innovative library within the Shirehall, rather than at Maylord Orchards, now subject only to acceptance by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The decision follows a thorough assessment of the project plans, as explained by Abigail Appleton, Chair of Stronger Hereford and Principal of Hereford College of Arts, "The Library is a flagship project for our city and vitally important for residents of all ages so we needed to explore and understand all the implications of the relocation. We have worked extremely closely with the project team at Herefordshire Council to dig into the details of the new proposal and consider its benefits, risks and mitigation. I am proud of the rigour and quality of the Board’s discussion and the diversity of perspectives heard.

We will continue to work collaboratively and closely with the Council team as the project develops, to monitor progress and ensure all is done to make the library the flagship destination for Hereford that we expect - a place of creativity, learning, culture, connection and community we can all be proud of. ”

Cllr Harry Bramer, Herefordshire Council Cabinet Member, Community Services and Assets said, “I am delighted that Stronger Hereford has voted in favour of the relocation of the Library to Shirehall and that we can begin work on this vitally important project for Hereford and the wider county. I have always been clear that ambition for a world class library and learning space should be at the heart of this project and I now look forward to working with the Council Officers to deliver a library and learning space in an iconic Herefordshire building that we can all be proud of”.

A prolific shoplifter from Malvern has been given a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) which bars him from all shops in the town.

Mark Spragg, 41, of Madresfield, Malvern, is also banned from entering any retail premises with Natalie Cull, 29, who was handed a suspended sentence for shoplifting in November.

Spragg’s order was granted on Thursday 4 January at Worcester Magistrates Court and has the following conditions applied to it: -

Mark Spragg must not: -

• Enter any retail premises in Malvern, Worcestershire
• Enter Sainsburys on Windermere Drive, Worcester
• Enter Asda on Silver Street, Worcester
• Be in any retail premises in company with a named individual

West Mercia Police are appealing for anyone who has information following criminal damage of a property and car on Lowfield Meadow, Kingstone in Herefordshire.

On Friday 29 December at around 8.45pm a property on the street had three panes of the living room windows smashed, along with multiple windows of the car parked outside.

Three suspects have been seen in the area at the time of the incident, all wearing grey tracksuits.

If you witnessed the incident or have any information that will help with enquiries, please contact PC Ashen by email helen.ashen@westmercia.police.uk or by calling 07977957688, quoting 00398_i of the 29 December.

Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-org.uk

A spokesperson for Friends of the Upper Wye said;

"We have just recorded our highest phosphate levels ever at Bredwardine Bridge: 0.29 ppm, more than 4 times the target set by the Environment Agency for this section of this fragile and failing river. With the river in spate, the sheer volume of nutrients this represents is frightening"

We thought we would ignore the posts over Christmas, so let's see what 2024 brings..

Today we wrote a review on the fabulous Dick Whittington Pantomime 

Oh no someone can't have that! 

The trailer for the new, British independent movie DERELICT, a harrowing and violent thriller of revenge and empowerment, has now been released online.

Filmed exclusively in Herefordshire in the UK on a budget of just £35k, DERELICT focuses on a daughter’s revenge and the circumstances that have led to the murder of her father. Soaked in the tradition of the British film noir, a series of unusual characters are thrown into situations that will have repercussions beyond their imagination.

Abigail is a socially isolated, angry young woman who is struggling to come to terms with the brutal murder of her father some years prior. When she learns that one of her father's murderers is about to be released from prison, Abi sets herself on a path of revenge. Matt is a young man whose life gets turned upside down by the return of his brother Ewan. The destinies of these lost souls crosses in ways that will tragically shape their lives.

Writer and film critic Guy Adams called it "Rashomon for the Sports Direct Generation!" and Wayne Kramer (The Cooler, Running Scared) said "DERELICT is the slow-burn anatomy of a brutal murder and its aftermath, one that puts the viewer on a collision course with both the victims and the perpetrators in the gut-wrenching crime drama from talented up-and- coming director Jonathan Zaurin. Following in the tradition of Mike Hodges, Shane Meadows and Ben Wheatley, Zaurin demonstrates a skill for digging just below the surface of England’s societal ills, exposing equal parts pain and redemption, all served up with a powerful cinematic vision."

The Derelict crew consists of producers Sarah Zaurin, Andy Piper, Pete Bird and Todd Rodgers. Michael Mackenzie and Kat Ellinger will both be working on the screenplay, Michael Sànchez will be composing the score and sound engineering by Ryan Jordan.

The talented cast features Suzanne Fulton (Cold Feet, Mum Said), regular LBS Films contributors Mikey JL Coombes and Pete Bird (both Wyvern Hill), Dean Kilbey (Boiling Point, Manfish, Top Boy), Nick Cornwall (Devils, Sky Sharks), Corinne Strickett (Housewarming), Joe Nurse (Santa Baby), Darren James King (April, Essex Boys: Law Of Survival), Clova Perez- Corral (The Antwerp Dolls), Ben Manning (The Snarling, Cursed), and Stacey Coleman (Polterheist, Emmerdale).

Trailer 👇

A man who was seriously injured in an assault in Malvern on New Year’s Eve has died.

The man, in his 60s, was assaulted outside The Beauchamp Arms on Worcester Road at around 10.15pm on Sunday evening (31 December).

He was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and has sadly died from his injuries.

A 52-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder has been released on bail whilst enquires continue.

Officers are continuing to appeal for witnesses.

Detective Inspector Mark Walters said: “I would like to pass on my condolences to the family and friends of the individual who has sadly died following this tragic incident on Sunday evening.

“I know an incident like this brings great concern to the local community and I would like to reassure people that this is an isolated incident.

“Our investigation is continuing, and I urge anyone who may have seen the incident take place or has any other information, however small you think it may be, to please contact us”.

To contact police please call 101 quoting incident number 388i of December 31, 2023.

Alternatively, if you have information but don’t feel comfortable speaking to police, you can speak to the independent charity Crimestoppers. It is 100% anonymous, they never ask your name, and they cannot trace your call or IP address. You can contact them at https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ or 0800 555 111.

We were out with our friends from Air Vistas and this is the short drone footage we created.

We are pleased that they persuaded us to invest in a quality drone.

It’s not too late to have your say on priorities for Herefordshire over the next four years

Herefordshire Council is asking for your views about proposed priorities in new County Plan. The County Plan is the document that outlines the Herefordshire Council’s overarching ambitions and objectives, and how they will be delivered.

The council is currently consulting with local people on a new four year County Plan for 2024-2028.

Residents are being asked to think about how they would like it to feel to live in Herefordshire in 2028, and then help to shape and refine the County Plan by completing an online consultation survey.

Complete the County Plan consultation questionnaire here.

The consultation will close on 10 January 2024. 

The consultation outlines ambitions and priorities in the following areas:

People – Enable resilient and connected communities to ensure that everyone lives well and has the best start in life.

Place - Protect and enhance our environment and keep Herefordshire a great place to live.

Growth - Support growth across the county which builds on the county's strengths and resources and asks respondents to consider when they should be delivered during the next four years. 

All feedback received will be considered in developing the priorities for the 2024-2028 County Plan.

Thank you to our Hereford Voice Photo Studio member Slavi Mihov for sharing this fabulous drone footage from the New Year celebrations at The Left Bank Village.

We would also like to congratulate Philip Chandler for services to the community in Herefordshire and Ellen Somme, founder, Teddy Trust for services to Vulnerable Children.

Congratulations to Lyndsey Evans for services in South Wye Hereford (Belmont Community Centre)

Wye, Herefordshire

Lyndsey has been a volunteer for over ten years providing support to the children's Christmas grotto, also puts on coffee mornings and is involved with several special events in the evenings like Valentines Day, Christmas Meal, Burns night etc. She was the stalwart who has transformed the entrance to the community centre, which involved obtaining grant money. Lyndsey is a volunteer and Trustee of Belmont Community Centre.

Full list attached  New Year Honours List 2024 (CSV) - GOV.UK.pdf

West Mercia Police Officers in Hereford are appealing for witnesses after a heavily pregnant woman was subjected to a frightening assault by another motorist while in her car with her son.

The woman was waiting at a junction on the Ross Road in Hereford at around 3.30pm on Friday 22 December when an irate male motorist behind her started beeping at her.

The man got out of his black Vauxhall Insignia 12-registration plate, came up to her light blue Toyota Auris, and started banging on the window.

When the woman tried to get out of her car, the man kicked her door several times which shut on her leg causing bruising. It also caused a dent to her car door.

The man then drove off in the Vauxhall with the partial registration plate “VU12”.

He is described as a white man aged approximately in his late 50s, of stocky build with dark hair and a grey beard. He was wearing glasses and dark coloured clothing.

He had a female front seat passenger wearing clothing with a leopard print.

PC Melanie Davies, who is investigating the incident, said: “The victim here is heavily pregnant, and her young son was in the vehicle at the time, so this was a frightening ordeal for them both.

“The attack took place around school closing time so there will have been witnesses around.

“We would like anyone with information, who may have witnessed the assault or may have captured it on their dash-cam to come forward and share it with us.

“Please email me at melanie.davies@westmercia.police.uk or call me on 07870 219274, quoting log 327i of December 22 if you know anything about this or think you may have witnessed it.”

Alternatively, information can be shared anonymously with the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or by visiting www.crimestoppers-org.uk

His son John confirmed he died peacefully at a care home in Malvern, Worcestershire, on Christmas morning. He said: "My dad died peacefully on Christmas morning. Simply old age, as he was 95, and he's left the world of antiques with an incredible legacy.

Appointed curator of the Dyson Perrins Museum at the Royal Worcester factory in 1967. The antiques expert, who was widely regarded as the world authority on Worcester Porcelain and first appeared on the show in 1979.

📸 Sandon Family

𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗮𝘀 to you all

We would like to thank you all for your continued support and to wish you a fabulous Christmas Day

Colin and the team at 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲

Hereford's main entrances into the city centre will have anti-terror bollards installed, at a cost exceeding £200,000.

The goal, according to the Herefordshire Council, "its aim was to reduce danger for people in the city, “whether from errant vehicles or those acts motivated by terrorism aims”.

By March, the work will be completed.

Given the volume of pedestrian traffic, High Town, St. Peter's Street, and Commercial Street were identified as possible targets in a 2021 review of Hereford's historic centre.

Following earlier attacks in European cities, the authorities said that the restrictions would safeguard the safety of city users, with a focus on people assembled for festivities.

The construction company Speller Metcalfe, located in the West Midlands, has been hired to build an arbitrary quantity of "permanent, detachable and lowering/rising bollards at important city entrances, at a price of £202,830.

A comparable sum is still available from the £6 million Hereford City Centre Improvement Fund for additional initiatives.

The project has been funded by the council and Marches local enterprise partnership.