Hereford Voice

7 cases of variant identified but contained within small work bubble Herefordshire Council is working with Public Health England (PHE) Midlands to support a farm in the county following an outbreak of COVID-19 among a small number of their seasonal workforce. The small number of workers affected had all been routinely tested during their period of isolation when arriving on the farm. Fourteen workers have been found to be COVID-19 positive, seven of which have been confirmed with the variant B.1.617.2 (Indian variant). The farm involved has strict control measures in place to limit transmission, including a period of isolation for all workers on arrival who then live and work in small groups (bubbles). Herefordshire’s Acting Director of Public Health, Dr Rebecca Howell Jones, said: If you have COVID symptoms, no matter how mild, you and your household should isolate and book a COVID test online or dial 119 from any phone to book. Everyone should also take twice-weekly rapid lateral flow device (LFD) testing when symptom-free. There are a number of testing sites available for residents who live or work in Herefordshire, alternatively you can pick up a test from participating pharmacies or you can order tests for home delivery. More information can be found on the council website. To protect yourself and others, you must remember: Hands. Face. Space. Fresh Air. Hands – wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water often, and as soon as you get home - use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available. Face – wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet. Space – stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble. Fresh Air – it is safest to meet outdoors. If you do meet friends or family indoors stick to guideline limits, keep the visit short and ensure good ventilation. Vaccination – take up COVID-19 vaccination when you are invited to do so.

Here is a great photograph from our Instagram page showing the new novelty Piaggio seats at The Coffee Cart Company, in the Old Market Shopping Centre Hereford. How cool are these! 😎 Follow Us 👉 on Instagram

DfE issues non-statutory Improvement Notice following recent High Court judgment Herefordshire Council has today (Tuesday 18 May 2021) received a non-statutory Improvement Notice from the Department for Education (DfE). The notice follows significant concerns raised in a recent High Court judgement which led to an urgent and thorough external review of Herefordshire Children’s Social Care Services. The Improvement Notice includes the appointment of Gladys Rhodes White OBE as an Improvement Adviser for a minimum of 12 months, and until such time that the Secretary of State is satisfied that she is no longer required. Mrs Rhodes White will provide advice to Children’s Social Care Services and Herefordshire Council, and she will chair the Improvement Board which is being established from the beginning of June 2021. Paul Walker, newly appointed Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council said: A review of Children’s Social Care services is underway to understand and address any failings and immediate actions are being taken to deal with any serious concerns. Herefordshire Council continues to offer residents the opportunity to report a concern following their experience with its Children’s Social Care services. A dedicated team, led by the Interim Director of Children’s Services, are working through these concerns and while we seek to understand the full extent of past decisions made within Children’s Services, we regret that we may find further instances that do not meet the required standards. If you have any concerns about the way you or your family have been treated by Herefordshire Children’s Social Care services, you can contact us at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/careconcerns or email careconcerns@herefordshire.gov.uk

His family, friends and colleagues all paid tribute today in a fitting service for a true gentleman who was tragically killed in an accident last month. Photographs courtesy of West Midlands Ambulance Service

Thank you to Dan Guerche and Steve for their very kind invitation to a private viewing of Saxtys Bar & Club last night. Saxtys Bar & Club has undergone a very tasteful refurbishment as you will see from the photographs below. We were fortunate to sample some of the delicious food. The starters were well presented and we had a variety of options to tease our taste buds. The main meal was a fabulous steak that arrived on a 🔥HOT STONE🔥 and slowly continues to cook at your table until it reaches your desired preference. There is a superb choice of drinks and cocktails on offer and the service for their first night was impressive to say the least, the staff worked tirelessly throughout the evening and they all made us feel very welcome. 👏👏 We are looking forward to returning again over the coming weeks and months. We have missed Saxtys and are so pleased that this brilliant city centre venue is back open in Hereford!! Saxtys Bar & Club is open from Thursday at 5pm till midnight. Friday from 12 till late for food and cocktails. Saturday from 12 till late for food and cocktails. Sunday roast from midday till 5pm (last table at 4pm) We would encourage you to book for food 👉 www.saxtys.co.uk

A new car parking charge structure that has been introduced across the county today (17 May) will make it easier than ever for you to make an informed decision about where best to park your car. The new structure, which divides the price of parking into bands relative to proximity to the City or town centre, gives you the option to balance spending less on parking with a short walk, and ensures there are plenty of spaces available in the centre for short term users. Parking is now free in all market towns on Sundays and after 6pm every day, while in Hereford parking is now free after 8pm every day. Prices have been frozen at Merton Meadow in Hereford which is our largest car park out of the town centre, while prices at St Martins (swimming pool) have been reduced from £1.20 to £1.00 per hour. The off-peak hours season ticket, which allows parking in any car park between 5pm and 9am for £75 per year or £25 per quarter, has also been extended to all Market towns. The new structure, along with details of charges at each location can be found on the Herefordshire Council website. Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport, said: Funds generated from parking charges are used to maintain local car parks, and any surplus funds provide vital contributions to other important services for local people, including school transport and public transport.

Some coronavirus restrictions are being lifted across England today, as Government move to Step 3 of roadmap. Here’s what you need to know 👉 https://bit.ly/2QniMFJ

Positive Hereford | Huge congratulations to Hamish at Local E Sourced awarded ‘Net Hero’ Winners at The Small Awards This is a fantastic achievement and well deserved 👏👏 Interview with Hamish here https://fb.watch/5x7XYzdWfv/ Local E Sourced are absolutely delighted with their win and have written a few words here https://hfd.news/r99

Embrace Hereford | Fabulous news that Hayley at CULT Vintage opened her new store in Maylord Orchards yesterday!! Most pubs, wine bars, hotels, and restaurants reopen to welcome customers back inside from tomorrow. Saxtys Bar & Club is opening this month and they are taking bookings NOW!! www.saxtys.co.uk If you're looking for some brilliant entertainment a visit to Matrix Hereford is an absolute must! Check out 'Mad Dogs' Axe Throwing 🪓 The Children's Bookshelf - Specialists in Children's Books have a new store also in Maylord Orchards and they have a provisional opening day of 29th May Let us celebrate Hereford and all the good things that our wonderful city has to offer. Hereford Voice will also be announcing some exciting news soon! Please share our positivity it's become 'contagious' Shop local and visit some of our fabulous local independent retailers including all those lovely shops, cafes and boutiques in The Independent Quarter and Hereford Butter Market We have a new a nail salon, mobile phone shop and the new tasty Yorkshire wrap! A new pizza restaurant, as well as some fabulous coffee bars, take-aways, bistros, wine bars and pubs and the all new outside seating! Outdoor markets and events in the city centre are very popular and bring vibrancy, together with some unique products and produce from many independent traders. New eateries offering Korean BBQ at your table and Amazing Asia all coming soon to the Hereford Old Market Shopping Centre and we have some superb hotels too and let's not forget Saxtys Bar & Club which is reopening in this month!! June brings Knife Angel Hereford to the Hereford Cathedral and Hereford Voice is proud to be a 'working partner' with this fabulous charity. We also have some wonderful new planters with seats and trees in the city centre which will look beautiful once they fully blossom. Take a walk along the River Wye and maybe enjoy a coffee by the Victoria Jubilee Bridge or just relax on the Castle Green. We love our city and county and we like to shout about it and promote everything POSITIVE. It's all too easy to moan but we are truly privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the World. Hereford Voice will continue to promote local business and encourage people to visit Hereford and Herefordshire. Look out for our continuous and 'contagious' headlines EMBRACE HEREFORD | POSITIVE HEREFORD | POSITIVE NEWS The lockdown has been a very challenging time for people and businesses alike but there is light at the end of the tunnel.. Join us in our campaign and 'BE POSITIVE' about this fabulous city of ours. 'Positive Hereford' ❤️ 'Embrace Hereford' Follow our latest hashtags #embracehereford #positivehereford

Union Street continued..

Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the U80011 - Union Street, Hereford.

The beautiful 400-year-old Old House in Hereford will be undergoing some much needed repairs if the recent planning application to carry out these repairs is approved. The Black and White House Museum Hereford. As you can clearly see from our photographs below, many of the infill panels need to be repaired and brought back to their former glory. Donald Insall Associations - Chartered Architects and Historical Building Consultants Herefordshire Council appointed Insall to undertake a condition survey of the first and second floor level external elevations, to identify the condition of the timber frame, infill panels and associated external joinery i.e. windows, bargeboards and finials, and provide budget costs to allow a capital funding bid for the work. The findings of the inspection were to inform recommendations for improvement works sufficient to allow tenders to be invited from suitably experienced contractors. Recommendations Timber Frame and Joinery Necessary repairs to joinery on the upper-level elevations are minor in nature and largely focused on arresting the further loss of the delightful decorative details which are such a feature of this eye- catching building.  Repair 5no carved pendant characters adorning gable apex. Introduce discreet lead cover flashing over upper surfaces of all 8 pendants following repair and redecoration.  Repair several other missing or damaged decorative joinery features.  Numerous previous patch repairs to frame and joinery require refixing.  Remove extensive modern sealants before repair and redecoration.  Remove leaching bird deterrent gel on transoms and sills before repair and redecoration.  Prepare and redecorate external timber with linseed oil paint.  Arrange close inspection by a suitably experienced structural engineer when access is next available during planned works. Infill Panels The constructional build-up and layered provenance of each panel is difficult to determine as the building has undergone may phases of adaptation and repair, but some original panels are likely to have survived at least in part and these are of high significance. Consequently, a cautious approach to repair is required where the type of construction is not apparent in a defective panel. The cause of panel defects may often be the result of a combination of factors. It appears that many of the defective areas are of modern construction and relate to recent phases of repair. Remove defective and delaminating coatings to panels and perimeter sealant at junctions with frame. Progressively open up defective areas recording existing individual panel construction on reference sheet.  Where defective panel is supported on modern woodwool slab or expanded metal lathing, assume complete replacement with new wattle and daub panel construction.  Where defective panel is of modern, or historic, wattle and daub construction, assess soundness of panel and integrity of wattles/ laths to establish suitability for stabilisation or patch repair. Samples of any soil or lime-based daub should be carefully salvaged and bagged for analysis by others. Replacement panels of new wattle and daub construction – refer to specification and drawings. Repairs to existing wattle and daub panel construction – refer to specification. Prepare and redecorate panel exterior with mineral paint – refer to specification. Prepare and redecorate panel interior with distemper – refer to specification. Ancillary Items Minor repairs to fixed leaded light windows in timber frames. Renew isolated broken clay plain tiles to bay window roofs. Repair/ renew sections of lead cover flashing to south elevation 2nd floor bressummer beam. Remove sealant joint over lead cover flashing at top abutment of tiled roofs – refer to specification for repair detail. The Condition Survey and Recommendation for Improvement Works PDF from Donald Insall Associates is attached below; ProposalAttachment.pdf

The Knife Angel (Also referred to as the National Monument Against Violence & Aggression) is a contemporary sculpture formed from 100,000 confiscated knives and is an incredible 27ft in height and weighing over 3.5 tonnes, created by artist Alfie Bradley (pictured below) and the The British Ironwork Centre based in Oswestry. This thought-provoking angel artwork is scheduled to be hosted by the magnificent Hereford Cathedral from 14 June for 28 days. Hereford Voice is proud to be a 'Working Partner' with this fabulous charity. Donations https://www.justgiving.com/knifeangelhereford About Knife Angel Hereford Alison Davies lost her son Mark Hamilton to knife crime in 2018, together with friends Meryl Cain, Pauline Strong and Jan Jefferies they decided to bring the Knife Angel to #Hereford in 2021 to help raise awareness of the catastrophic impact of violent crime on communities, families and individuals. Visit the website www.knifeangelhereford.co.uk During the Knife Angel’s visit, the Knife Angel Hereford team will run a series of workshops and interactive events. It is envisaged that this initiative will continue after the Knife Angel leaves Hereford. Another reason to Visit Herefordshire this year!

Regular rapid lateral flow tests for people without covid symptoms can help prevent outbreaks by helping detect positive cases that would not otherwise be found. In Leominster, the testing site at the Old Priory will close from Wednesday 19 May, with rapid lateral flow tests instead being offered at the following pharmacies: Westfield Walk Pharmacy, Westfield Walk WS&B Rees Pharmacy, Morris Mews, 20 High St There are also four local pharmacies that where home test kits are available for residents to collect: Leominster Pharmacy, 21-23 West Street Boots, 18 Corn Square, Westfield Walk Pharmacy, Westfield Walk W S & B Rees Chemists, 20 High Street You must be aged 18 and over to collect the kits, however kits can be used by any age group; See the Herefordshire Council Website for details of other testing sites across Herefordshire.

Elderly Ross-on-Wye resident was deceived into having unnecessary and expensive roof repair works. A Bournemouth company, its director and salesman, who targeted an elderly Ross-on-Wye resident, have received fines for unfair trading criminal offences. Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service took the prosecution case which concluded on Friday 30 April after a three day trial at Hereford Magistrates Court. The Magistrates found all three defendants guilty of the same charges: Aggressive practice of carrying out the work two days after the contract was made and failed to give the 78 year old home owner her 14 day cooling off period. Misleading the consumer into having wholly unnecessary roof cleaning and coating work which ended up damaging the roof. Misleading the consumer into believing £5640 was a reasonable price for the work when a chartered surveyor stated it was barely worth £1000. More Than Homes Ltd were ordered to pay £15,000 in fines and £2500 costs. Director Michael Roche, 45, of Stourview Court in Bournemouth, and salesman Jason Johnson, 46, of Porchester Road, Bournemouth were both fined £500 and £100 costs. The low level fines were simply due to both defendants being on universal credit.Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service Manager, David Hough, said: Anyone concerned about the activity of a doorstep seller is urged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit the Herefordshire Council website for more consumer advice www.herefordshire.gov.uk/scams

Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the A4103 - Egleton Bend (SCRIM) in Herefordshire.

Herefordshire Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on Hafod Road, Hereford. To see which roads have been repaired and resurfaced across the county recently go here 👉 #hvroads

Hereford Council teams have recently completed a programme of resurfacing and drainage works on the A417 - Hillhampton to Burley Gate in Herefordshire.

A40, Ross-on-wye closed for a brief time yesterday whilst this load was made secure. Driver reported for insecure load offences. Photograph courtesy of West Mercia Police OPU West Mercia Police (OPU) officers are trained to identify HGV load offences, with the aim of education and enforcement to make our roads safer.