Hereford Voice

Please help support our latest sponsor, MoovIt4U. They are a great local award winning company, so if you need anything moving you know who to call!

Moovit4u is a award winning removals & transport company Based in Herefordshire. Moovit4u was voted best of Hereford business of the year and best of the UK’s removals and transport business of the year, you can be sure you’re in safe hands when you come to Moovit4u. Specialising in both domestic and commercial removals, we are very proud of our reputation locally and have worked hard to establish ourselves as being very reliable and professional but friendly and affordable too. Moovit4u are specialists when it comes to the transportation of high end goods and we have plenty of experience when it comes to moving larger items such as pianos and grandfather clocks etc. Fully insured, we also feature same day delivery / collections both locally and nationally, weekdays or weekends, 24/7 within mainland UK.

Moovit4u is a award winning removals & transport company Based in Herefordshire. Moovit4u was voted best of Hereford business of the year and best of the UK’s removals and transport business of the year, you can be sure you’re in safe hands when you come to Moovit4u. Specialising in both domestic and commercial removals, we are very proud of our reputation locally and have worked hard to establish ourselves as being very reliable and professional but friendly and affordable too. Moovit4u are specialists when it comes to the transportation of high end goods and we have plenty of experience when it comes to moving larger items such as pianos and grandfather clocks etc. Fully insured, we also feature same day delivery / collections both locally and nationally, weekdays or weekends, 24/7 within mainland UK.

New leisure facility to include soft play, mini gold, arcade, laser tag and bowling to open in Eign Gate Hereford after plans were passed. We originally reported on this planning application back in April 2019 on our Facebook page HERE and planning was finally granted with conditions in June this year. Work has began today to turn the former Pound Stretcher shop into a complete indoor leisure facility. The idea is to create a leisure facility with soft play, minigolf, an arcade, laser tag, bowling, a function area and an ancillary café, plus bar on the first floor. Although aimed at people of all age ranges, the focus would be on children, teenagers, young adults and families.

First e-scooter trial launched in Middlesbrough this week. A fleet of 100 are being distributed across Middlesbrough and nearby Hartlepool for anyone over the age of 18 to jump on, swipe an app and zip away. In the age of coronavirus age, the thinking goes, they could ease pressure on public transport while helping ensure the economic recovery is not built solely on emission-spewing cars. Tees Valley is the first place in Britain to pilot them, e-scooters are almost certainly coming to a town or city near you soon. At least 50 local authorities are currently said to be in talks with different companies about launching similar schemes in their own areas. Portsmouth, Derby, Birmingham and Bristol are all hoping to launch trials later in the summer, while international scooter firms, such as Lime and Tier, are clamouring to be allowed into markets like London, Liverpool and Manchester. If all goes well, bosses at Ginger – the British start-up behind the Middlesbrough trial – hope to have 10,000 of their black-and-orange models on British roads by next summer. Even rural locations could see an influx: council officials in Staffordshire are currently in talks with the firm about how they could be used to connect the county’s villages. Source: Independant Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced the go-ahead for an accelerated trial of e-scooters in a press briefing on May 9. As well as announcing £250 million for pop-up cycleways and widened sidewalks—part of a £2 billion package to boost cycling and walking—he said he was “fast-tracking trials of e-scooters, bringing this program forward from next year to next month.” He was doing this, he said, “in a bid to get e-scooter rental schemes up-and-running in our cities as fast as possible” to “reduce car use on shorter journeys.” The trials will allow companies to offer rental e-scooters to adults only. Hirers will need driving licenses, either full or provisional, but won’t need to wear helmets. The e-scooters will be allowed to be ridden on roads and cycleways, but not on sidewalks or shared-use cycleway/sidewalk combos.

Over night on Thursday 16th July an Apollo twilight bike was stolen from the Mayberry Avenue area Hereford. If anyone has any information about this please contact South Wye Police (SNT) or call l01.

The body of a woman has been found in the river Wye close to the Rowing Club in Hereford. A member of the public noticed the body this morning (18 July) and fire crews from Hereford & Worcestershire Fire and Rescue Service were deployed to the location along with local police officers. A body was recovered from the water and while formal identification has not yet been made, officers strongly believe it to be that of missing June Adams, from Bromyard. June went missing yesterday evening around 5pm and was last seen near Hereford train station. Specialist officers are supporting June’s family through what is an incredibly difficult and tragic time. West Mercia Police would like to thank the public for their support and for sharing our appeal last night.

KC Maintenance For all your gardening and landscaping requirements

Demolition of existing retail store/kiosk and car wash facility has began this week. The erection of replacement retail store/kiosk will follow together with the removal and replacement of existing petrol pumps and canopy, replacement of fuel tanks, re-configuration of car parking layout and installation of plant within an enclosure.

Hi Jules and welcome to Hereford Voice. NHS test and trace service & the new 119 telephone number The NHS test and trace service is now live for people that have tested positive for coronavirus. This new service aims to ensure that anyone who develops symptoms of COVID-19 can be tested quickly to find out if they have the SARS-CoV2 virus, as well as targeted testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents who don’t have symptoms. The service will help trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for the virus and if necessary notifies them that they must self-isolate at home to stop the virus spreading.

Wilson Florists this store was located in Wilsons Chambers, Commercial Street Hereford in the 1970/80s. Photograph taken from our vast archive at our 'Old Hereford Pics' website

15 July 2020 Update (pm) Herefordshire Council and Public Health England (PHE) Midlands continue to work with AS Green and Co to contain an outbreak of COVID-19 at their farm. The total number of positive cases linked to the outbreak is 93. Further testing is ongoing. Wherever a case of COVID-19 is confirmed, close contacts of the case are identified and followed up through Test and Trace. This includes anyone who may have come into contact with confirmed cases within the local community. Contact tracing with over 100 existing workers continues on-site. In addition, a group of agricultural workers who travelled into the UK by private coach, including some of the workers who went on to work at AS Green and Co, are being followed up. Another group of workers travelled to the site on a flight bringing agricultural workers to the UK. As an additional precaution, the individuals who travelled on this flight are also being followed up. Seventy-six workers on the flight who travelled onwards to other farms in England have already been offered testing and no further cases have been identified to date. Public health partners in Scotland have been notified of a further group of 63 workers on the same flight who travelled onwards to Scottish farms in order that they too can be followed-up appropriately. Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said:

Buzz Bingo (formally Gala Bingo) in Berrington Street Hereford to remain CLOSED. In a statement on their Facebook page CEO Chris Matthews wrote: Why is Buzz Bingo closing clubs? Coronavirus has had a significant impact on our business and on the entire leisure and hospitality industry. Following government advice, we temporarily closed all clubs from 21st March, meaning we have been unable to generate any revenues from our retail business, and day to day operations have been severely affected. The affects will be felt for many months to come, so we have had to make some difficult decisions about how we move forward and ensure a sustainable future for Buzz Bingo. Our Buzz Bingo community means the world to us, and we know how disappointing this news will be – especially for those of our customers who are losing their local club, and of course, our colleagues from those clubs. The decision to restructure our club portfolio is the right way to secure our long-term future and make sure that we can still bring bingo to our customers in the majority of our clubs around the country and online at buzzbingo.com. We are reopening 12 clubs on 6th August with more to come and, of course, our online bingo and slots are open to all at buzzbingo.com. I have credit on my account and my club is closing – will I get it back? How? Absolutely. Any customers with credit on their account should contact customer services who will organise a refund for you. Contact our Customer Service team between 10am and 10pm by email at support@buzzbingo.com, or you can chat to one of our Live Chat Stars at buzzbingo.com. How do I contact you? Contact our Customer Service team between 10am and 10pm by email support@buzzbingo.com, or you can reach us via Live Chat on buzzbingo.com.

Sad that people cannot dispose of their litter properly

As shops re-open, people return to work and more people visit Hereford and the market towns, the government has asked local authorities to introduce temporary measures that give pedestrians and cyclists the space they need to maintain social distancing and travel safely. The measures, which will include using temporary barriers and signage to widen footways, some timed or partial road closures and dedicated cycle lanes, will allow more space to walk and cycle in busy areas. Speed reductions to 20mph on some streets will help pedestrians and cyclists feel safer where road space is shared. The temporary measures, which are being introduced week beginning 20 July, are being funded by government Emergency Active Travel Funding, which has allocated £20,000 to Herefordshire to promote walking and cycling for short and local journeys. The temporary nature of the measures will allow them to be reviewed and additional funding is expected in the coming months to install further measures. Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member infrastructure and transport, explains: Full details including location maps are available on the Herefordshire Council website HERE The temporary measures being introduced to provide more space for pedestrians and cyclists are: Hereford Cycle lanes on Newmarket St, Blueschool St, Commercial Rd, Ledbury Rd (uphill Extended timed closure in High Town and Widemarsh St – 10.30am – 5.30pm Closure of Old Wye Bridge except cycles and buses northbound Closure of Aubrey St at junction with King Street Parking suspension on Broad Street (west Green Dragon side), King St (south Spread Eagle side) and Bridge St (east Left Bank side) Shared use footway on Station Approach Extended 20mph zone (see map for exact area) Bromyard Footway widening on High Street and New Road Suspension of some parking bays 20mph zone town-wide (see map for exact area) Ledbury On way on Woodleigh Rd except cycles 20mph zone town-wide (see map for exact area) Leominster Timed closure (except cycles) on High St, Victoria St, Corn St and Corn Square 10am-1pm Mon – Sat 20mph zone town-wide (see map for exact area) Kington Moderated traffic speed on High St 20mph zone town-wide (see map for exact area) Ross on Wye Moderated traffic speed through the town centre 20mph zone town-wide (see map for exact area) Hereford_active_travel_response_map.pdf Bromyard_active_travel_response_map.pdf Kington_active_travel_response_map.pdf Ledbury_active_travel_response_map.pdf Leominster_active_travel_response_map.pdf Ross_on_Wye_active_travel_response_map.pdf

Wearing a face covering in shops and supermarkets in England is to become mandatory from 24 July. Those who fail to comply with the new rules could face a fine of up to £100, the government has announced. The move will bring England into line with Scotland and other major European nations like Spain, Italy and Germany. Enforcement will be carried out by police - not retail staff - and anyone failing to wear a face covering while shopping will be subject to a fine of up to £100, or £50 if paid within 14 days. Can wearing face masks stop the virus? Face masks won't stop coronavirus from spreading so you still need to follow health officials' advice for social distancing and washing your hands regularly. What they can do is help reduce the likelihood that you pass it on if you are suffering from the virus – remember that there are also people who don't show symptoms of COVID-19. As Professor Chris Whitty, the government's Chief Medical Officer, puts it, wearing a face covering "is an added precaution that may have some benefit in reducing the likelihood that a person with the infection passes it on." Most retailers producing these commercially-available face masks state that the face masks they sell are not sold as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health and care workers to use in the work place. Who is exempt? Children under 11 and people with certain disabilities will be exempt as they already are on public transport. Other countries The World Health Organisation shifted towards recommending face coverings in June. Britons have been among the slowest to embrace mass mask-wearing. Many European countries, including Germany, Spain, Italy and Greece, have already made it compulsory to wear face coverings inside shops. A YouGov poll found that 36% of people in the UK wear a face mask in public places, compared with 86% in Spain, 83% in Italy, 78% in France and 65% in Germany. Tourists visiting the Costa del Sol must wear masks in public places from Wednesday, mirroring moves in Catalonia and the Balearics to fine people up to £90 for flouting the rules.

UPDATE: Health officials in Herefordshire say there's no risk to the general public after more than 70 people working at a vegetable farm tested positive for coronavirus. All 200 staff at AS Green & Co in Mathon are now isolating to contain the outbreak

Joint statement from Public Health Midlands (West) and Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council is working with Public Health England (PHE) Midlands to support vegetable producers AS Green and Co, based in Mathon near Malvern, following an outbreak of COVID-19 among their workforce. Around 200 key workers are employed to carry out picking and packing work vital to the UK food supply chain and local economy. During the harvesting season, the workforce resides in mobile homes based on the farm, so as a precaution, the whole group are being treated as one extended bubble. Workers are being asked to remain on the farm during the period of isolation and stay within household groups, to reduce risk of spread within the workforce and into the wider community. Herefordshire Council is arranging food and essential supplies for residents on the site, while they self-isolate. Katie Spence, PHE Midlands Health Protection Director, said: A spokesperson for AS Green said: Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said:

The Greggs branch on Belmont Road which we originally reported opening here only in November 2017 has closed down with a Cooke & Arkwright TO LET sign in the window. The branch at 109-111 Belmont Road, next to the existing Domino's was targeting new and existing customers in South Wye Hereford but this strategy has clearly failed. Greggs is a long-standing client of Cooke & Arkwright, who previously announced that they had helped Greggs bolster its presence in Wales during 2018 by sourcing and securing nine new units, collectively creating over a 100 new jobs. During 2018, the bakery giant opened nine new premises in Wales and the Marches which include Belmont Road in Hereford, New Road in Neath Abbey, the former Little Chef in Newtown, a store on Stephens Way in Carmarthen, a prominent roadside unit on the A470 in Builth Wells, a unit in Cardiff city centre within the new BBC building in the landmark Central Square development, and three new units in the Newport area, being on Cardiff Rd, Caerleon Rd, and to the east of the city on the Langland Park West industrial estate. As part of its ongoing work with Greggs, which has spanned over 25 years, Cooke & Arkwright’s responsibilities have included identifying and sourcing new locations and agreeing new lease terms, assisting with the business rates on the portfolio and renewing expired leases.

Statement from Herefordshire Council strongly rejects the Prime Minister’s comments that ‘too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have’. Read the full statement from Herefordshire Council in response to the Prime Minister’s recent comments regarding care homes. Herefordshire Council strongly rejects the Prime Minister’s comments that ‘too many care homes didn't really follow the procedures in the way that they could have’. Cabinet Member for Adults & Wellbeing, Councillor Pauline Crockett, said:

The planning application for the proposed erection of two storey McDonalds restaurant with drive-thru, car parking, landscaping, play place and associated works on land at Morrisons Car Park Barons Cross Road Leominster in Herefordshire have today been withdrawn. Application P181448/F

The 1.6m (5.2 ft) high bronze statue was sculptured by Brian Alabaster and was funded by a benefactor called Clive Richards as a "thank you to the city". The city's mayor Councillor Brian Wilcox said of the statue when it was unveiled in July 2012 Brian Alabaster was awarded the commission for a life size Hereford bull for Hereford City centre and he said;

The club confirmed the news in a statement explaining that both are asymptomatic but, as part of the procedures introduced by Premiership Rugby as part of Stage Two of the Return to Training Protocols, they will be re-tested. Both are currently self-isolating at home. Stage Two of the Return to Training Protocols require clubs to provide a written declaration to Premiership Rugby that they have met a number of key criteria alongside a full risk assessment informing the operational policy for their training facility. These include: All players and support staff must undertake an Education Module and sign a formal “opt in” process for moving to Stage 2. All players and designated support staff undergoing weekly COVID-19 testing, and maintaining the high standards of hygiene introduced at training facilities. All clubs in conjunction with Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Football Union undertaking a rugby risk assessment to support the mitigation of risk in training. The continuation of a daily medical screening for players and support staff, which involves the completion of a symptom checklist and temperature check before entering the training facility. A contact tracing protocol which will be supported by GPS data and the videoing of training sessions. The provision of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) appropriate for the setting.