Hereford Voice

UPDATE 17:30 The fire is out and fire crews are still damping down, residents in the apartments above were evacuated and all accounted for. Union Street remains closed. The guy's at the restaurant put the following message on their Facebook page this evening;

Polska Street Food in Union Street currently has a fire and crews from Hereford Fire Station are on scene. Union Street is closed to traffic 📷 Kelly Crumpton

The council have now made some modifications and opened up disabled parking bays and also addition parking both sides of Broad St as well as clearly marking out the Taxi rank. To be fair these temporary measures are fluid and the council are reacting to feedback.

The Earl heard about the council’s response to flooding and Covid-19 Herefordshire Council was delighted to be joined by His Royal Highness The Earl of Wessex for his first ever virtual Royal Visit on Wednesday 22 July. The visit was hosted by Her Majesty's Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire, The Dowager Countess of Darnley. The Earl was keen to hear about the experiences of children, adults and communities and hard work of schools, services and Herefordshire Council staff, partners and volunteers who have provided support during the Covid-19 pandemic and local flooding events. There have been many unexpected changes to teaching and delivering services over the first half of the year. The Earl learned about the impact of these changes on children, young people and adults, and staff. The Earl also heard about the strong and resilient relationships between the council, schools, partners and volunteers. The Earl met with staff who have supported vulnerable children and young people through the pandemic, two head teachers shared how their schools have adapted. He met with children from Weobley School and listened to poems they had written about their lockdown experiences. Mariam Njeri, a young person with care experience, read her poignant poem about life under lockdown. Chris Baird, Director of Children and Families said: The Earl was then introduced to the adults and communities services and heard about Talk Community which has provided support to the most vulnerable during lockdown. Wendy Carter shared her experiences of volunteering as a ‘shield buddy’ during lockdown, which provided extra support for clinically vulnerable people . He then met partners from HVOSS, Vennture and other community leaders who have worked with the council to provide ongoing support to vulnerable people. Stephen Vickers, Director of Adults and Communities said:

Diners will be able to claim 50% off food and drinks at participating restaurants during August. Between 3 and 31 August, diners will get a 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks at participating restaurants, cafes and pubs. The offer is only available from Mondays to Wednesdays and people will receive a maximum discount of £10 per head. Therefore if two people spend £50, they can only receive a discount of £20. Will you be taking full advantage of this new scheme which has never been tried in the UK before? Please find below list of participating venues, please advise if we have missed any and we will add them to our list The Cafe at All Saints Church The Glass Tandoori, Commercial Road The Bookshop, Aubrey Street Ascari’s Cafe, West Street The Loft Cinema , West Street The Beefy Boys, Old Market Meze, West Street The Coffee Cart, Old Market and High Town The Oxford Arms, Widemarsh Street Pikadish Canteen, Netherwood Road Rotherwas Ind Est Golden Cross, Sutton St Nicholas Moka Bar Church Street Nutters, Capuchin Yard (Church Street) Queens Arms, Broad Street Green Dragon Hotel, Broad Street, The Spread Eagle, Kings Street The Den, Bridge Street, JJ and Little Dots, Bridge Street The Herdsman, Widemarsh Street Cookies Cafe, Bewell Square The Wellington, Widemarsh Street The Kerry, Commercial Square Subway, Commercial Street Pepes Piri Piri, Commercial Street En Sushi, Widemarsh Street The Grapes, East Street Jalsagor, St Owen Street Taste of Raj, St Owen Street The Venue, Goal Street Brewers Arms, Eign Road Planet Buffet, Commercial Road, Sensory and Rye, Union Street Babar Cafe, Union Street Gilbies Bar, St Peters CloseThe Wye Inn, Holme Lacy Road #HerefordVoice #Hereford #Herefordshire

Ross on Wye fire station has taken delivery of a brand new 20 plate Scania fire appliance. Crews have been working hard training with all the new equipment over the last month. Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service have taken delivery of three new fire appliances with significantly greater capability. The new Scania ‘CAFS’ or Compressed Air Foam System models have been deployed to Ross-on-Wye, Bromsgove and Upton-upon-Severn stations to replace the Service’s three ageing CAFS appliances. CAFS can carry 300 litres of foam and 2,400 litres of water each – significantly more than previously. Sourced fully from UK outlets, the new models are built on an 18 tonne Scania chassis, and fitted with the ‘Godiva Smart CAF system’, putting them at the centre of the Service’s bulk foam strategy for tackling bigger incidents that need a large quantity of foam to handle the situation. Designed for maximum versatility, they can deploy equally to more routine incidents as well as those requiring bulk foam. Due to improved technology the system can simultaneously deliver water through both their main jets and hose reels at the same time as producing compressed air foam, offering a significant upgrade on existing appliances CAFS’s combination of water, compressed air and foam solution can produce 21,000 litres of finished foam, needing considerably less water than traditional appliances and achieving a greater cooling effect, resulting in reduced fire and water damage. Deployable to any kind of incident, and especially effective where there are poor local water supplies, CAFS will have particular advantages for tackling basement, large building, hazardous material, watercraft and agricultural incidents, as well as thatch and fuel/oil fires. Other CAFS benefits include greatly reduced environmental impact, quicker handling of incidents, better deployability of aerial appliances and lighter hoses, helping reduce fire fighter fatigue and risk. Additionally, the new appliances will have greater serviceability than the outgoing ones, reducing the need for expensive repairs by specialists and therefore driving down costs. Group Commander Jon Butlin said:

RTC involving large goods vehicle carrying farm feed and a tractor/trailer carrying potatoes. The A449 Beefeater towards Ledbury and at Fownhope turning, Ross on Wye bound from Ledbury. Photo courtesy of Ross-on-Line People have been treated by West Midlands Ambulance Service. Both drivers had a lucky escape. Ross on Wye Fire Station and Whitchurch Fire Station crews have both assisted with significant fuel leaks which were prevented from entering drains using environmental grab packs and soil. Road will remain closed for some time while they await recovery of vehicles.

Police Appeal: Did you see an altercation on Wednesday at 1.50pm near to WHSmiths in Broad Street, Ross on Wye? Two men were involved in a psychical and verbal altercation. If you have info call West Mercia Police on 101 quoting 335 I 29072020 or contact Crimestoppers

Also these are tyre marks made by the same mindless people, which we highlighted in a previous topic in the same area at the beginning of the year.

More photographs After we took these photographs, we cleaned up the litter and placed the pallets in a safe area. We collected all of the litter. A nice collection of other people's litter. We placed the broken pallets in a safe area away from kids and put this litter back inside this wheelie bin.

Antisocial Behaviour: This is the Spur Retail Park in Holmer Road Hereford this morning. This is the mess that is here virtually every morning from people’s behaviour from the night before. West Mercia Police / Hereford Cops should be handing out regular fines to each of these culprits. This is not something new either, this has been going on for a few years. This is quite frankly disgusting behaviour, why can’t people gather quietly and dispose of their litter properly? We even have wooden pallets being thrown around the car park now.. Please Note: After we took these photographs and video we collected all the litter and put it in the bin correctly and the pallets were also removed and put in a safe area. Herefordshire Council

Safeguarding support for Herefordshire's vulnerable children and young people has continued throughout the pandemic The Children’s Commissioner for England, Anne Longfield, recently released a report “Teenagers Falling Through The Gaps” highlighting concerns for children and young people who were already vulnerable and falling through gaps in the UK’s school and social care system, before the pandemic. The report rightly focuses on how vulnerable children and young people can now be more vulnerable due to the impact of the lockdown and COVID19. I acknowledge the content of the report and I feel it is important to highlight the work of the council and our partners to safeguard Herefordshire’s children and young people. The wellbeing of children and young people is our core priority. Working closely with our partners and children and young people themselves, we have created a Children and Young People’s Plan which lays out a multi-agency approach to the safety of the children and young people living in the county. Our multi agency safeguarding measures enable support to be in place to keep vulnerable children and young people in education, guide them towards employment and protect them from the risks of domestic abuse, poor mental health, substance misuse, crime and exploitation. During the recent lockdown these multi-agency safeguarding measures have continued to operate and have responded to any safeguarding concerns received regarding any child or young person in Herefordshire. The council’s social work teams, family support and early help services have quickly adopted new ways of working to ensure that support has continued across the county for children and families that needed our services. In April the council introduced a new ‘Edge of Care’ service to work with children and young people and their families to either prevent the child entering into care or to enable them to leave care services and live back within their family network. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the partners involved in the care of Herefordshire children and young people and to the staff who have embraced their new ways of working during this pandemic to ensure that support services have continued. I would also like to thank the children, young people and their families themselves, who have shown immense strength during these difficult times and have adapted to the changes in their lives under extraordinary circumstances. I recognise that the effects of COVID-19 and the lockdown are significant and serious. This includes reduced opportunities for employment. It is something that as cabinet we are focusing on as part of our work, particularly with regard to young people and those who are vulnerable. At this present time we are not sure how the future will look, but along with our partners Herefordshire Council, through the Safeguarding Children and Young People in Herefordshire Partnership will continue to work to ensure that we stay connected to the vulnerable children and families in our local communities and they can be assured that the wellbeing support will be there for them when they need it.

These new measures started being put into place from today..

Visitors are welcome with a brand new exhibition, The Two Thomases. Monday – Saturday, 10 am – 3 pm The Cathedral kindly ask that if you are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 that you refrain from visiting the Cathedral To access the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library, visitors will be asked to arrive at the main entrance of the Cathedral and follow the one-way system through the building into the Chapter House Garden. There will be a hand sanitising station at the entrance to the exhibition that they ask all visitors to use before entering Staff will be taking a name and contact number or email from one person in each party to support with NHS Test and Trace Limiting numbers of visitors into the exhibition to support with social distancing. On arrival at the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library, you may be asked to wait at the door as other visitors move through the exhibition. To support with the one-way system and to prevent crowding, they have opened the cloister doors at the end of the exhibition so that visitors will exit to the West End of the Cathedral. Currently, visitors do not need to book tickets in advance of their visit. Instead these can be purchased on the day from the member of staff at the Exhibition entrance. Card, cash or smartphone payments, but cards are preferable if possible. The one-way route through the Mappa Mundi & Chained Library is easy to follow, but one of their volunteers may ask you to wait outside the Mappa Mundi chamber for other visitors to move on to ensure everyone’s visit is comfortable. Volunteers will be welcoming visitors to the exhibition and helping to control visitor numbers. You are kindly asked that visitors respect social distancing guidelines throughout their visit. Unfortunately they are unable to distribute any leaflets or interpretation literature within the exhibition at this time. Information can be found online here and a range of books and souvenirs are available to purchase from the Cathedral Shop. The touchscreens may be unavailable for use to avoid any health risks If you are looking to plan a larger group visit with individuals from outside of your household or bubble, you are kindly asked that you contact the Cathedral Office (office@herefordcathedral.org) in advance so that they can support your visit. Full details can be found on the Cathedral website

Fabulous new coffee cart has opened over looking the river next to the Victoria Bridge. We popped by over the weekend and tried their coffee and can confirm it's delicious ☕ We love to support local businesses and surprised that nobody has thought of this brilliant location before. If you're in the area give pop by and try their coffee. They are open all over the weekend and now also in the week: Sat-Sun 9-5pm - Tues-Fri 8-4pm (closed Monday)

Does anyone have any history on the Belmont Pools? There are more than two, if you walk through the woods there were always a few other smaller pools although there only appears to be one small one now, so 3 in total. Do we know who owns them or who owns the land etc?... We have received any enquiry from a local Herefordian who is interested in the history so any information or old photographs would be appreciated.

Our complete and utmost respect shout out goes to 📣TJ Baldwin Burghill. TJ Baldwin has resurfaced the BMX track in Hereford totally FREE of charge! Yes FREE! We cannot think of many that would give up 2 weeks or their time for such a project. The track originally cost £80,000 when first installed, so a massive THANK YOU to Tony and Kev who deserve our absolute appreciation for this fantastic work that they have taken time out to complete. 👏👏👏 Thanks also to 👉 Councillor Sue Boulter who fought for most of the funding, we understand £3,200 came from the Hereford City Council and the rest was topped up from the local group that she runs, so thank you! Councillors rarely receive recognition so credit where credit is due. This year has been a challenging year for many people so it is fabulous to be able to share such good positive news, please SHARE this news with your friends too. 👏

West Mercia Police’s approach is in in line with the approach outline by NPCC Chair, Martin Hewitt. being in line with the statement from the NPCC Chair…Chief Superintendent Sue Thomas said:

West Mercia Police are appealing for any information and any witnesses to come forward following a fatal road traffic collision in Hereford. Between 11.30pm and 3am, the car which had two occupants inside, was travelling between Mordiford and Dormington and appears to have left the road at Clay Hill Pit in Hereford. The car has finally settled in a roadside orchard. Tragically, a 23 year old man and a 17 year old girl inside the car were killed. Chief Inspector Edd Williams said: “Our thoughts are very much with the family and friends of both victims at this extremely difficult time. “An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances of the collision. If you have any information please call us on 101 and quote incident number 184 of 24 July 2020.

With a large proportion of employees successfully working from home since March 2020 due to Covid-19, Herefordshire Council has agreed revised plans that support staff to work from locations across the county and reduce the number of offices in Hereford. As part of the Council’s ‘Better Ways of Working’ initiative to enable staff to work flexibly from locations across the county, in February 2020 Cabinet approved plans to reduce council office accommodation in Hereford by reconfiguring working space at Plough Lane with staff supported to work from alternative locations including market town multi-agency offices. Since then there have been major changes in working practises to ensure staff and public safety during the Covid-19 pandemic. The council has had to revisit how it does everything, and the majority of council staff are now working from home. In light of the effectiveness of these new arrangements and the positive response of staff, Cabinet yesterday (Thursday 23 July) agreed revised plans that establish working from home as the default for the majority of council employees. Office space will be prioritised for services where essential for their work and meeting space will be available for collaborative working. Staff will relocate from Elgar House and Nelson House in Hereford with the offices at Plough Lane reconfigured to support this. As part of the decision a major refurbishment of the Ryefield Centre in Ross on Wye which will provide more office space in the market town, while in Leominster there will be increased capacity at the multi-agency office with the Old Priory no longer needed for offices. There are also other office sites in Hereford that will be freed-up for alternative use. The changes will be implemented within the £850k budget originally agreed by Cabinet in February, with the expenditure to be off-set by savings on building costs over the next few years. As well as saving accommodation costs in the longer-term, the plans also look to decrease the employee carbon footprint from reduced travel. The decision papers can be found on the Herefordshire Council website.Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said:

What do you think? Will you be wearing one? LAW: Face coverings must be worn in shops, supermarkets, indoor shopping centres and transport hubs - such as train stations and airports - in England from today. A face covering is defined as a fabric covering, scarf or bandana that covers the 'nose and mouth'. It is also compulsory to wear a face covering when buying food and drink from 'takeaways' cafes and shops. More details in 👉 this article

Wearing a face covering will be mandatory in shops and other public spaces across England from Friday to stop the spread of coronavirus. People will also have to wear a mask, scarf or bandana that covers the nose and mouth in shopping centres and indoor transport hubs, like bus and train stations. When it comes to buying food, the law will depend on where you're eating it. Face coverings will not be mandatory in pubs and restaurants. Announcing the latest guidance, the Department of Health and Social care said: Coffee shops and takeaways People will need to wear a face covering in coffee shops in England under new regulations due to come into effect on 24 July. The Department of Health and Social Care confirmed face coverings will be needed in shops such as Pret a Manger if people intend to take their food and coffee away. However, if they sit down to eat or drink, they will be able to remove their face covering in that area. Takeaway outlets will also fall under the same criteria. Those who fail to follow the new law could be fined up to £100 - brought down to £50 if paid within fortnight. Children under 11 and those with disabilities are exempt, and people can remove face coverings for valid reasons like being asked to do so in a bank or to prove their identity if buying age-restricted products. Who is exempt from wearing a face mask? The same exemptions as for public transport will apply under the updated guidelines, with children under 11 and people with breathing problems not required to wear a covering. Anyone who cannot put on, wear or remove a face covering because of a physical or mental illness or impairment or disability is also exempt. Under the new rules, the below groups are not required to wear a mask: A child under the age of 11 An employee of the transport operator, when they are acting in the course of their employment A constable or police community support officer acting in the course of their duty An emergency response member of staff, such as a paramedic or fire officer acting in the course of their duty An official such as a border force officer, acting in the course of their duty If you are onboard public transport but remain in your own vehicle, such as a car ferry Other exemptions listed include those with a disability or a physical or mental illness, and anyone travelling with a deaf person who relies on lip-reading to communicate. Customers in shops will also be allowed to remove them if they are required to present identification for purchasing alcohol and other age-restricted products.

Following a month of free parking in council car parks to support local businesses (charges resume Saturday 25 July), a county-wide review of parking charges has been launched. The review will look at the parking charges and concessions structure with a view to encouraging people to visit our towns and city centre while making the best use of the available spaces and reducing congestion. Local stakeholders will be asked for their input as part of the review, which is expected to be completed later this year. Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport explains:

Beryl bikes cycle hire will be FREE for the first 30 minutes of all journeys ending in a Beryl Bay during the summer holidays. The FREE scheme starts from next week until the end of August. It's been a year since the bikes were introduced to Hereford and there are now 200 of the green bikes in the city. #HerefordVoice #HerefordNews #Hereford