Hereford Voice

Cycle lanes are currently being painted onto Commercial Road tonight in both directions as part of the temporary travel measures scheme. There will still be access for cars in both directions.

Thoughts?

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Photographs courtesy of Guesti

We rarely report on National News but sometimes there are exceptions and this huge fire in Birmingham tonight is one of them.

Statement from West Midlands Fire Service:

Tyseley fire Birmingham

At 4.47pm this afternoon (Monday 10 August 2020) we started to receive multiple 999 calls to a severe fire on the Tyseley Industrial Estate, Birmingham. 

As of 9pm this evening, 100 firefighters were continuing to tackle the incident at a plastics site on Seeleys Road.  

Twenty fire engines were at the scene, together with hydraulic aerial platforms and a specialist high-volume water pumping unit.Assistant Chief Fire Officer Sarah Warnes, the Incident Commander, said:

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“This has been a significant incident, to which our crews have responded safely, effectively and assertively. 

“In spite of extremely hot and arduous conditions, they have drawn on their skills and professionalism to ensure that the fire has been contained to the one site, saving nearby premises from harm. 

“As well as twenty fire crews we have also had a number of specialist resources at the scene, including our hazardous materials specialists and a high–volume water pumping team.  

“I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of our partners from many other agencies, with whom we will be working tirelessly throughout the night to bring this incident to a safe conclusion.” 

 

Our fire control received dozens of 999 calls from people for miles around who spotted the plume of thick, black smoke which rose from the fire. 

People who live or work nearby are asked to keep doors and windows closed for the duration of the incident, and the public are being urged to avoid the area while our operations at the scene continue.  

Crews are working extremely hard in very challenging conditions which meant that some firefighters had to be withdrawn from certain areas of the incident for safety and to minimise the risk of heat exhaustion. 

A plan has been put in place for the safety of crews and to ensure that they get adequate rest and hydration.  

We expect to be at the scene throughout the night.   

 No further cases in farm outbreak 

Herefordshire Council and Public Health England (PHE) Midlands have confirmed that all remaining workers have tested negative for COVID-19 at an outbreak on a farm in Mathon, Herefordshire. The majority of farm workers are now able to return to work and daily life- a few workers remain living in self-isolation as contacts of positive cases.Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said:

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“This has been a significant outbreak, and the first of its kind. We have worked closely with the farm management to support the health and wellbeing of their workforce and wider public health.

“The management at AS Green and Co are to be commended on the way their swift and responsible reporting has helped contain the outbreak on the site and prevented transmission into the community. This outbreak highlights the importance of the need to self-isolate when you know you are COVID-19 positive, or have been in contact with someone who is, especially if you live with other people.”

 

Karen Wright, Public Health Director for Herefordshire Council said:

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“This outbreak has been successfully contained by the multi-agency response, the farm management, and the workers based on the farm. We are all learning about the impact COVID-19 has on our health and our economy. This outbreak has helped shape the national workplace guidance, and how businesses can continue to operate alongside a COVID-19 outbreak.

“There is no doubt that without the actions taken by AS Green and Co, this could have been an outbreak on a much bigger scale. I’d like to thank them for all their support to help prioritise the health and wellbeing of the workforce and the residents of Herefordshire.”

 

A spokesperson for AS Green and Co said: "

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We are grateful for the support provided by Public Health England and Herefordshire Council to help control the COVID-19 outbreak. The real challenge has been that of those who tested positive, 98% reported having no symptoms at all. We are pleased to say that due to existing and additional control measures, there was no transmission into the local community and all those tested have now tested negative.

“The health of our workforce and our local community has been and continues to remain our highest priority. We have been overwhelmed by the support from our customers, associated businesses within the industry, the NFU and the local community.

"We continue to focus on the harvesting and packing of fresh healthy vegetables for our customers, ensuring consumers can enjoy fresh British produce as part of a healthy balanced diet.”

 

To prevent further outbreaks and to protect yourself and others, please continue to wash your hands regularly, keep your distance and use face coverings in public spaces, shops and on public transport. Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.

Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service mobilised crews from Hereford Fire Station, Fownhope Fire Station and Peterchurch Fire Station following numerous calls reporting an agricultural building alight at Hampton Bishop during the early hours. Crews have been tackling the fire this morning, 3 x pumps from Hereford, 1 x Fownhope and the water carrier from Peterchurch attended a storage barn fire involving agricultural vehicles on the outskirts of Hereford. 

The fire was brought under control quickly with pumps from Ledbury and Ross in on reliefs to maintain control and dampen down the fire for the remainder of the morning. Thankfully there were no casualties.

#HerefordVoice #HerefordNews #Hereford

1 minute ago, WX Rob said:

Wow....I work in a chippy at the moment....so something to think about

The people who own this foodie are really nice and genuine, trouble with FB too many throw away comments 

Just now, WX Rob said:

A few really bad timed comments on facebook saying it was an "insurance job" ......sounds like they didn't have any insurance

It was a faulty temperature gauge on the fryer Rob 

See a megaphone 📣 think Hereford Voice 📢

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 privileged to live in such a beautiful part of the World. We will continue to promote local business and encourage people to visit Hereford and Herefordshire.

Join us and 'BE POSITIVE' about this fabulous city of ours.

👉 'Positive Hereford'

It's great to see Hereford City centre really busy with shoppers today! 

We took this photo within just before 1pm, the shops including the Hereford Butter Market are all busy which is great to see, we also had no problem parking, plenty of people walking and enjoying this fabulous weather.

Good to see all parts of the city centre busy today, we walked along Eign Gate, people everywhere and majority of people adhering to social distancing. It's nice to be able to promote positive news 

Have a wonderful weekend 🌞 😎

Horse dies as a result of eating grass cuttings.

Thursday 30th July, in the Hampton Bishop area we have had a report that someone put grass cuttings into a horse’s field. Unfortunately this has resulted in the Horse loosing is life on the 2nd August. 

But why?
The grass cuttings begin fermenting almost as soon as they are cut and the horses will gorge on them as they are so palatable, causing a build-up of gas in the Horses stomach.
As horses have a one-way stomach valve, they are unable to vomit or even burp to relieve the pressure. The gases given off by the fermenting cuttings can expand to the point where they rupture the stomach, causing an agonising death.

Choking hazard
As the grass cuttings have been finely chopped up, horses won’t need to chew as much or at all before swallowing the grass. This results in the horse gorging on the pile of cuttings and therefore eating large amounts very quickly. The cuttings can compact and become lodged in the horse’s throat, causing them to choke. 

Poisonous Plants
There are many plants that are poisonous to horses. These could be mowed up along with the grass cuttings which may cause the horse additional harm. Depending on the plant, the range of problems include severe diarrhea, liver damage, collapse or even death. 

Although feeding horses may seem harmless, your kindness may kill!

https://www.bhs.org.uk/…/horse-health-and-si…/grass-cuttings

The Leader of Herefordshire Council has welcomed a multi-million pound investment into the county, announced by Government and allocated by the Marches LEP.

More than 700 new jobs and 300 homes are to be created across the Marches region as part of the Government’s Getting Building Fund (GBF), and three of the six projects that will benefit are in Herefordshire. 

Planning applications for housing and employment sites in the north of Herefordshire are being delayed because of the elevated level of phosphates in the River Lugg catchment area. As part of the Integrated Constructed Wetlands project, up to 8 wetland sites can be built adjacent to sewage treatment works in the River Lugg catchment area to lower the phosphate levels, creating up to 500 jobs by unlocking development potential for 1,385 homes whilst also delivering strong environmental benefits through these rich bio diversity habitats. The money from the Marches LEP will add a further £1m to this project to add to the funds already earmarked by the Council.  

The council’s refurbishment of the historic centre of Hereford will also benefit from a £3m investment in the streetscape with high quality materials as part of a masterplan to ensure Hereford is vibrant and supports businesses creating new opportunities for visitors and retailers. Again this will add to the funds already earmarked for this project by the Council.

Accelerated funding will also speed up the Skylon Park Campus Development, which is a pivotal component of NMiTE, and will create 26 jobs, 100 construction jobs and 200 new learning opportunities.Cllr David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said:

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“We are very pleased to hear of the new funding that is being allocated by the Marches LEP to support several projects in the county. Overall the Integrated Constructed Wetlands project will unlock 1,300 potential homes in the county by lowering the phosphate levels in the River Lugg. This means that as well as providing housing potential and creating 500 new jobs, the project will deliver upon the council’s strong commitment to maintaining and improving the environment.

“A further £3m and £1.6m respectively, will contribute to our city centre refurbishment works and the exciting development of campus facilities on Skylon Park. The historic core of Hereford will benefit, with investment to ensure the city is a vibrant and attractive place to work and visit, creating new opportunities for businesses and retailers, and raising the profile of the city as a tourist destination. Skylon Park, meanwhile, is a pivotal component of NMiTE and the additional funding will speed up the delivery of over 100 new jobs and cutting edge learning opportunities for 200 new learners.

“The investment is great news for our local economy which, like the rest of the country, is still working hard to mitigate and overcome the impact of Covid-19.”

 

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;

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We are very sorry but we are temporerily closed as we have had an incident with the electrics and we have had a fire spread around the front, we don't exactly know what happened but we will try and fix this issue as soon as possible, we also dont know how long we will be closed for so it's just the matter of time until we re-open, once again we are very sorry if this has caused any inconveniece.

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:

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“It was an honour to welcome His Royal Highness to Herefordshire and to showcase how children and young people in Herefordshire have responded and the fantastic work that has continued by the staff in the county during a very difficult time. To show how we were able to adapt but continue our support, especially to our most vulnerable children and young people is a testament to the county’s commitment to them all.”

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:

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“It was a great opportunity for our staff, partners and volunteers to explain to His Royal Highness the difficulties faced in Herefordshire over the last six months due to the flooding and pandemic. But it was also fantastic to highlight the partnership working between agencies and amazing people in Herefordshire who stepped up to volunteer.”

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:

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“This is great news. The new CAFS will really boost the Service’s firefighting and incident handling capability. Not only does it have considerably greater foam and water storage and pumping capability, but it will be far more versatile, offering a wide range of incident responses from large buildings to water and agricultural call-outs"

“The lighter hoses and high pumping capacity also mean that we can handle call-outs more rapidly, resulting in less fatigue and risk for our crews as well as reduce damage and environmental impact on the local area.”

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