Hereford Voice

Providers of public realm services are being invited to tender for a major new contract to deliver ‘fit for the future’ services for Herefordshire Public realm services are vital to local residents, businesses and communities as they include the maintenance of roads, roadsides, green areas and public spaces, street cleaning, highway drainage, street lighting and highway winter safety services. They help ensure the spaces where we live, work and travel are safe and clean. The council’s vision is that all of these essential services are ‘fit for the future’ – that embrace technology, automation and digital innovation, that support a transition to electric plant, vehicles and new materials for carbon reduction, that continually improve through investment in developments and people, and that maximise opportunities and resources. To meet this vision, the council has started the process of finding the next provider of public realm services with a view to securing a new contractor from 1 June 2026. Councillor Harry Bramer, Cabinet Member for Community Services and Assets said: “The transformation of all of our services to ensure they embrace best practice, deliver innovation and demonstrate value for money is an integral part of our Council Plan. “To have the best possible public realm services is essential for all of our residents and businesses. We need to appoint the best possible provider to work with us over at least the next seven to ten years, to deliver the best for our communities, keeping our roads and public spaces well maintained, safe and clean. “In the tender documentation for this major new contract, we’ve clearly set out what we expect from our next public realm services partner. Through pre-testing with the market we are confident that there are providers of high quality services willing to submit a tender, and we look forward to finding out more about how they can support.us to provide high quality services for Herefordshire that are fit for the future.” A Cabinet decision on the chosen public realm service provider is expected to be made in November 2025. The current contract with BBLP living places ends on 31 May 2026, and the new contract will start on 1 June 2026.

A planning request has been submitted for screening opinion - proposed installation of a pontoon within the River Wye. To install a pontoon (measured at 12m x 3m) within the River Wye as part of The Left Bank Village and De Koffie Pot Project in Hereford. The proposed Project involves retaining service buildings, no alterations to the main Left Bank entrance and the installation of a pontoon on the north bank of the River Wye. Application and full details can be found here

Questions from Jeremy Milln, Hereford to Cllr Stoddart The proposed Southern Link Road (aka Western Bypass Phase 1) is now estimated to cost £40.3 million (£35m construction, £5.3m for D&M), apparently to be funded using £5M of capital receipts and £35.3M of public borrowing. The Capital Strategy states that funding above £6.7m is available to support capital investments that give a clear pay back through revenue budget savings. How much of the interest payable on this borrowing is contributing to the deficits of £1.217m in 2026/27 and £5.266m in 2027/28 and what revenue will be generated by the scheme to pay back the £35.3m of borrowings and interest over the 40 year repayment period? Response: The additional borrowing to fund the proposed £30m addition to the capital programme for 25/26 has a revenue budget impact aligned to the term of borrowing. Repayments of borrowing and interest will be accounted for by reducing the value of the borrowing in the council’s balance and recognising an interest expense in the revenue account. The impact on the revenue budget in each year of the MTFS is noted below: ▪️ 2026/27: revenue impact of £0.25m (assuming borrowing of £5m in 25/26) ▪️2027/28: total revenue impact of £1.0m (assuming borrowing of £5m in 25/26 and further borrowing of £15m in 26/27) ▪️ 2028/29: total revenue impact of £1.5m (assuming borrowing of £5m in 25/26, and further borrowing of £15m in 26/27 and £10m in 27/28) The council is committed to bringing forward the first phase of the Western Bypass. Once completed, this new bypass connection for the A49, from the south to the north of the city, will deliver the Western Growth Corridor, creating over 10,000 new homes and over 300 acres of employment land.

Do you think this will ever happen?

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet has agreed proposals of £58million, with £21million planned for investment in the coming financial year. The proposed Capital Programme for 2025/26 presented at the Cabinet meeting today (Monday 13 January 2025) outlined an ambitious programme of capital investment aligned to the priorities of the Council Plan. The report outlines proposals for £58.12million of investment over the next four years. The proposed additional £21million in 2025/26 will fund a range of projects that encourage active lifestyles for children and young people through investment in play areas, deliver new infrastructure to support housing and business development, reduce the impact of flooding and improve the condition of roads and road safety across the county. Councillor Jonathan Lester, Leader Herefordshire Council said: “This report outlines our plans for £58.12million of investment over the next four years. This includes an additional £21million in 2025/26. “In our County Plan we set out how we are going to deliver the best for Herefordshire in everything we do. We are proposing that this additional funding is invested in those key priorities local people have told us are important to them. “This includes £7.5million additional spending on road resurfacing and highways infrastructure in the coming financial year, meaning that between 2023 and 2026 we will have invested an extra £29.7million in this important area, to benefit residents and businesses. “We are also proposing an additional £1.5million for road safety schemes in 2025/26, and just over £1million for measures in areas at risk of flooding. We’ve also identified £500,000 this year for children’s play area investment with a further £500,000 in 2026/27. “This is an ambitious programme of investment and improvement for 2025/26 and onwards to ensure the council is doing all it can to deliver the best for Herefordshire.” The proposals will now be recommended to Council for approval at its meeting on Friday 7 February 2025. The full report which includes outline details of each project is available on the council website at Agenda for Cabinet on Monday 13 January 2025, 2.30 pm - Herefordshire Council. Inclusion of any project in the capital programme is not agreement to proceed, and each project will need a full business case and approval where required. 202526 Draft Capital Investment Budget and Capital Strategy Update.pdf

West Mercia Police Officers are appealing for witnesses following a collision in Harewood End on Friday (10 January). At around 5.05pm two vehicles, a Silver 4x4 Suzuki and a grey Ssangyong pickup, were travelling in opposite directions along the A49 between Hereford and Ross-on-Wye. The cars collided, leaving one driver – a man in his 80’s - with serious and potentially life-changing injuries. He was taken to hospital where he remains. The driver of the second vehicle suffered minor injuries. No one else was injured. Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the collision, or in the moments before, is asked to contact PC Tom Milton. You can email him at tom.milton@westmercia.police.uk.

In a notable shift within Herefordshire's local media scene, Matt Healey has officially resigned as a director of Your Herefordshire Ltd, effective October 2024. Despite stepping down, Healey continues to contribute occasional live updates for the platform. His departure as a company director marks the second resignation of a director since the company’s establishment in April 2019. Our good friend Nicola Bates, one of the company’s original directors, previously resigned in February 2021, leaving the business under the management of its remaining directors. With Healey’s resignation, the company’s leadership now rests with Alison Rogers and Stefan Davies, who continue as active directors. Your Herefordshire has established itself as a local social media page in the community, providing some various news and updates through its digital platforms, including their Facebook page. However, the company recently experienced a period of turbulence when its Facebook page was taken offline unexpectedly for over a week during Christmas and New Year. While the reasons for this sudden interruption remain unclear, some speculation arose locally about the reasons behind the outage, no official explanation has been provided. Your Herefordshire has also faced ongoing criticism publicly for its use of clickbait headlines and for publishing content perceived as unrelated to Herefordshire and its surrounding areas. Despite these challenges, their Facebook page has since been restored and continues to operate. The departure of Healey as a director raises questions about the future direction of the business. As one of its key figures, Healey played an instrumental role in shaping Your Herefordshire’s growth and engagement with the local community. His resignation represents a notable shift in the company’s leadership dynamic. Your Herefordshire Ltd has yet to issue a public statement regarding Healey’s resignation or the recent disruption to its Facebook page. Local businesses and residents will undoubtedly watch closely to see how the company navigates these changes in the months ahead. This story highlights the evolving nature of Herefordshire’s business landscape and underscores the challenges faced by modern media organisations. Your Herefordshire’s commitment to serving the community will be a key factor in maintaining its reputation and presence in the local market but it’s recent downtime raised a few questions locally. Company House - Your Herefordshire Ltd https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/11954421 We understand that our friend Matt Healey, a familiar figure in Herefordshire as the Master of Ceremonies at Hereford FC possibly wants to shift his focus more on this and his ever popular DJ business, if this is the case, we wish him good luck You can book Matt Healey - Mobile DJ here - www.djmatthealey.co.uk.

After years of anticipation, the development plan to transform Hereford's Merton Meadow into more than 200 new homes, along with business spaces, is set to move forward following a significant agreement. Herefordshire Council has enlisted Buttress Architects, based in Manchester, to manage the project as it progresses to the construction phase, in a deal valued at £767,253. The Cabinet Member for Economy and Growth on 9 September 2024 made a key decision spend up to £800,000 for the Merton Meadow sites in Hereford. Reasons for decision: Cabinet Member decision dated 9 September 2024 sets out Merton Meadow Flood Alleviation Scheme. Brownfield Land Release Fund (BLRF) grant funding has been awarded by government for the Merton Meadow sites in Hereford. The project will also unlock significant growth at a key gateway location, creating opportunities for inter-generational inner city living on currently under utilised land. This will enable people to live, work in the city centre, spend time and money in local businesses. Address flooding issues, affecting these and surrounding properties. Improve biodiversity. The project would have the potential unlock up to 210 new dwellings. Photographs courtesy of Anne Cottringer

TV presenter Richard Hammond and his wife have announced they are splitting up after an "amazing 28 years together" "A little update from us; this Christmas we were together as a family and this year we will still be a family but just structured a bit differently. Our marriage is coming to end, but we’ve had an amazing 28 years together and two incredible daughters. We will always be in each other’s lives and are proud of the family we created. We won’t be commenting further and sincerely hope that our privacy and that of our children will be respected at this time. With Love, Richard and Mindy" Richard and his family live at Bolitree Castle in Weston-under-Penyard near Ross-on-Wye. The 55-year-old, best known for hosting motoring shows Top Gear and The Grand Tour, tied the knot with newspaper columnist Amanda "Mindy" Hammond, 59, in 2002. Hammond also has The Smallest Cog classic car renovation workshop based at Rotherwas Industrial Estate in Hereford.

Herefordshire Council has achieved a significant milestone in its fight against environmental crime, seizing a vehicle and securing a suspended prison sentence for one of the county’s most prolific fly-tippers. All householders have a duty of care to ensure that the waste they produce is disposed of correctly and they have documentation to show who they have transferred the waste to and keep those records for at least two years. Failure to comply can result in substantial fines or prosecution. The maximum penalty for fly tipping is a £50,000 fine and/or 5 years imprisonment. Between February and August 2024, David Murray orchestrated a six-month campaign of illegal fly-tipping across Herefordshire, advertising fraudulent waste collection services via a false Facebook profile. Notable incidents included the dumping of household waste and hazardous asbestos in a rural gateway in Kenchester, the disposal of large amounts of waste into the River Monnow under cover of darkness, and a substantial fly-tip in Kingstone. Investigators linked each incident to residents who had paid Murray for waste removal, and despite repeated legal notices, he failed to provide required waste transfer documentation. This led to the seizure of his vehicle in September 2024 to prevent further offences. Murray received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to attend 39 rehabilitation activity days, complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and pay fines and costs totalling £1,154. His seized vehicle was forfeited, and he was issued a three-year Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO), prohibiting him from advertising waste services on social media and conducting waste collections. Charles Yarnold, Head of Regulatory and Technical Services at Herefordshire Council, said: “Mr. Murray’s actions were not just careless; they were calculated, deceitful, and highly damaging to our environment. This case should serve as a stark warning to anyone thinking they can exploit social media to profit from illegal waste disposal. “Fly-tipping is not a victimless crime; dumping asbestos, polluting rivers, and blighting rural gateways are crimes that strike at the heart of our community’s wellbeing, blighting our communities, harming wildlife, and costing taxpayers thousands of pounds to clean up. By seizing vehicles and pursuing robust legal action, we are sending a clear message that environmental crime will not be tolerated in Herefordshire. “We urge all residents to play their part by ensuring their waste is disposed of responsibly and keeping records of who they hire for waste collection. Together, we can protect our beautiful County for future generations.” Suspected fly-tipping can be reported by calling 01432 261761 or via the Council’s website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/flytipping

We reported sheep stranded in field at Holme Lacy today And the it didn't take long for someone to copy and paste...in fact just 12 minutes

UPDATE Wondering What Has Happened To The New LED Floodlight Installation At Hereford FC ? Following our topic in October we were expecting the floodlights to be installed more or less straightaway however, we understand there have been a few problems... Below is the statement shared on Bulls News "It's probably fair to say that the floodlights at Edgar Street have caused the club more problems than any other issue this season to date. Firstly the new floodlights are still not installed and secondly the current ones have shown their age with one of the sets of lights failing towards the end of the game before Christmas. Chairman Chris Ammonds has updated supporters in his latest 'chat'. "It feels like everything that could have gone wrong in relation to floodlights have gone wrong in the last four or five months. "It's incredibly frustrating and I completely understand why supporters are asking questions about it all the time because we are internally as a club as well. "We continued to work on the whole floodlight issue over the Christmas period. "It's not been easy because understandably buisnesses close down over Christmas so we haven't been able to progress things greatly. "But we have had two meetings over Christmas where we think we are hopefully coming to a resolution in terms of what's going to happen with the installation of the new floodlights, we've just go to wait for some information and some more details to be put together. "So we are hopeful that's going to start to move forward in terms of us being able to update supporters of what the plan is for getting those sorted. "That will be a weight off everybody's mind once we know exactly what the plan is with those new floodlights. "And then we've had the issue with the floodlight that decided it didn't want to be a floodlight any more towards the end of the Scarborough game. "And I know you've (Jamie Griffiths) been in detailed conversation with the contractor over the Christmas. "We're pretty hopeful we can repair that floodlight, short term repair, but actually it's something that will need doing for the new floodlights anyway, the work that required. "So from that point of view we've got to go ahead and get it done. "We are hopeful that we should be able to restore the fourth pylon, the lights on the fourth pylon fairly quickly. "It probably won't be in time for this weekend so we've already taken the decision and agreed with Warrington that the game this weekend will kick-off at 1pm. We apologise for any inconvenience that causes but it's unavoidable because, again, getting the repairs, the electrical contractor is only back in work this week and therefore the repairs aren't going to be carried out in time to be able to test them ahead of Saturday's fixture. "We are hopeful that this will be the only game that has to be a 1pm kick-off between now and the end of the season."

A draft budget for 2025/26 will be considered by Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet at its meeting on Monday 13 January 2025. Like many other councils across the country, Herefordshire Council has seen changes to funding arrangements which has reduced the money it receives from central government. The most significant of these is the removal of the Rural Services Delivery Grant which was awarded in recognition of the increased cost of delivering services in a rural county and worth £7million locally in 2024/25. This reduction in core funding comes against a backdrop of increasing demands for statutory services including child and adult care services and an increase in the cost of providing them. While the government has indicated it will provide support to offset the increased national insurance contributions for council employees this remains unfunded for those employed by businesses who provide services to the council. When the reduction in central funding, increased demand for services and inflation are considered together, the total budget pressure facing the council prior to any mitigation is £26million. Work to develop the council’s budget has responded to movements in expected funding from government and identifies budget pressures, and the council is now in a position to publish a balanced revenue budget for 2025/26. The total draft revenue budget proposed for 2025/26 will be £232million. In order to balance the budget it proposes a council tax increase of 4.99% along with £6.9million savings and mitigations across council services. Subject to approval by Cabinet, the draft budget will then be considered by the council’s scrutiny committees. Any changes to the proposals will be included in a report to Cabinet on 23 January 2025 before the final budget is submitted to Council for approval at its meeting on 7 February 2025. Councillor Jonathan Lester, Leader Herefordshire Council said: “This proposed budget does not shy away from the significant challenges handed to us by inflation, increasing demand for services, a reduction in government funding or the changes to national insurance. Instead it harnesses our previous prudent and strong financial management to preserve and protect the council’s financial resilience and sustainability at a time when other councils are having to cut services and investment. “We took some extremely difficult decisions last year, making wide-ranging savings across all council service areas, which has left us in a more robust financial position enabling us to address the extra pressures on services and the reduction of government support. Alongside the savings last year we also committed to investing more than £2.5million to support local priorities. This included more funding for Parish and Town Councils to open up public rights of way and to improve drainage, and a freeze on parking charges. This was in addition to a capital budget which allocated record levels of investment in our road network with £8million spent on road resurfacing. “Despite reduced funding from government our draft budget takes the same approach this year - investing in local priorities, including maintaining the freeze on parking charges, and investing in our roads, while at the same time balancing the budget by making efficiencies and ensuring best value for public money. “The decision to propose an increase to the council tax by 4.99% has been a very difficult one. The government has removed the rural services delivery grant, worth around £7million to Herefordshire, and introduced other grants for social care. Despite this, our total revenue grant funding from central government has reduced by around £2.5million. Alongside this, measures in the government budget around national insurance and national living and minimum wage rates impacts all employers, and our providers are passing on their costs to us. Those costs need to be met and funded. In the context of these pressures the only alternative would have been to cut services. “We will continue to campaign hard for the government to rethink its decision to get rid of the rural services grant before the final financial settlement is announced in January. “We’ve developed a sustainable financial strategy for 2025/26 and onwards, to ensure the council can achieve an ambitious programme of innovation and improvement to deliver the best for Herefordshire.”

A message announced on their Facebook page today reads; "Hello everybody. Sadly Cotto (the restaurant) is now Closed. We had a great time and made some real friends for life and thank you so much for your support during these 5 years. However do get in touch as we will carry on doing our catering events and festival work. We are super excited for the next adventure. See you soon. Ciao ciao F&A"

Public Holidays for England and Wales 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 ⭐ Get 58 days off work by requesting 28 days of annual leave. England and Wales have eight bank holidays in 2025. New Year’s Day – Wednesday, 1st January 2025 Good Friday – Friday, 18th April 2025 Easter Monday – Monday, 21st April 2025 Early May Bank Holiday – Monday, 5th May 2025 Spring Bank Holiday – Monday, 26th May 2025 Summer Bank Holiday – Monday, 25th August 2025 Christmas Day – Thursday, 25th December 2025 Boxing Day – Friday, 26th December 2025 ⭐ Get 60 days off work by requesting 27 days of annual leave. Scotland has nine bank holidays in 2025. New Year’s Day – Wednesday, 1st January 2025 2nd January – Thursday, 2nd January 2025 Good Friday – Friday, 18th April 2025 Early May Bank Holiday – Monday, 5th May 2025 Spring Bank Holiday – Monday, 26th May 2025 Summer Bank Holiday – Monday, 4th August 2025 St Andrew’s Day (substitute day) – Monday, 1st December 2025 Christmas Day – Thursday, 25th December 2025 Boxing Day – Friday, 26th December 2025 Public Holidays in Northern Ireland ⭐ Get 65 days off work by requesting 29 days of annual leave. Northern Ireland has ten bank holidays in 2025. New Year’s Day – Wednesday, 1st January 2025 St Patrick’s Day - Monday, 17th March 2025 Good Friday – Friday, 18th April 2025 Easter Monday – Monday, 21st April 2025 Early May Bank Holiday – Monday, 5th May 2025 Spring Bank Holiday – Monday, 26th May 2025 Battle of the Boyne (Orangemen’s Day)(substitute day) – Monday, 14th July 2025 Summer Bank Holiday – Monday, 25th August 2025 Christmas Day – Thursday, 25th December 2025 Boxing Day – Friday, 26th December 2025 APRIL - If you book off Monday, April 14 to Thursday, April 17 2025, as well as Tuesday, April 22 to Friday, April 25 2025, you can enjoy a whopping 16 consecutive days off work for just eight days of annual leave. MAY - By booking four days off between Tuesday, May 6 to Friday, May 9 or Tuesday, May 27 to Friday, May 30, employees can enjoy nine consecutive days off. For those seeking an even longer holiday, booking all eight days off will extend the break to 16 days in total. AUGUST - By scheduling leave from Tuesday, August 26 to Friday, August 29, you can enjoy nine consecutive days off - perfect for basking in the sunshine without exhausting too many leave days. DECEMBER - To maximise your Christmas break next year, consider booking just six days off between Monday, December 22 to Wednesday, December 24 and Monday, December 29 to Wednesday, December 31. This will provide workers with a festive 13 consecutive days off.

It's a New Year! This morning we shared news that Bloor Homes have submitted plans for 34 more homes at Hereford Point And just 4 minutes later...

'Proposed erection of 31 no. key worker dwellings, including access from Clubtail Drive with associated infrastructure and landscaping'. The site is located on land subject to an outline planning permission for residential development, known as West Holmer. A further housing development known as Holmer House Farm is located to the south of the site, adjacent to the A49. Outline planning permission was granted for the development of 460 dwellings and associated infrastructure at West Holmer. A full application for a further 105 dwellings was also granted on part of the West Holmer site. An additional 83 units has also been delivered by Bloor as part of the Holmer House Farm Development. The majority of the West Holmer development has now been constructed. The application site forms part of the area approved for a new Buffer Planting ‘Park and Choose’ facility within the outline application. The proposed development for 31 new dwellings will be located in the west of the wider ‘Park and Choose’ site on land identified for ‘potential future expansions’. Planning Application - P243045/F

MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) Miranda Abigail Appleton. Principal, Hereford College of Arts. For services to further education (Hereford, Herefordshire). Photo courtesy of Hereford College Of Arts The Reverend Dr Kenneth Victor John Hopkins. Chair of trustees, Heart of Mercia Multi Academy Trust, Hereford. For services to education (Hereford, Herefordshire). Gareth William Ratcliffe. Deputy chair, Brecon Beacons National Park Authority and councillor, Hay on Wye, Powys County Council. For charitable services to Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) (Hereford, Herefordshire). Karen Anne Rogers. Chief executive, Herefordshire Care Homes Group. For services to social care (Malvern, Worcestershire). BEM (Medallist of the Order of the British Empire) Elizabeth Fryer Davies. For services to the community in Kimbolton, Herefordshire (Leominster, Herefordshire). MVO (Member of the Royal Victorian Order) Ronald George Whitfield. Royal visits co-ordinator, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Lieutenancies (Herefordshire). Full list below NEW_YEAR_HONOURS_LIST_2025.pdf

The award was made in recognition of Wendy's services to children with cancer. Photo courtesy of The Little Princess Trust The Little Princess Trust was founded in Hereford in 2005 in memory of Wendy's daughter, Hannah Tarplee. A year earlier, Hannah had been diagnosed with a Wilms Tumour and the loss of her hair was especially traumatic. Wendy and Hannah's father, Simon, had struggled to find a wig suitable for Hannah when she underwent treatment, and felt the most fitting tribute to the five-year-old would be a charity dedicated to providing wigs for children. In the first years of the charity, Wendy dedicated much of her available time helping to build the charity. Phil Brace, Chief Executive of The Little Princess Trust, said it was this dedication that helped the charity grow and develop - and today the charity helps around 2,000 children and young people every year through its free wig service and has now helped nearly 18,000 children and young people in total. The Little Princess Trust, which moved into its own purpose-built home - The Hannah Tarplee Building - in Hereford city centre in 2021, is also now one of the UK's largest charity funders of childhood cancer research. In her current role, Wendy ensures the children and young people with hair loss helped by the charity receive the very best service available. She also liaises with the childhood cancer researchers that The Little Princess Trust funds to search for kinder and more effective treatments for all childhood cancers. Mr Brace said the honour is a "reward for Wendy's selfless work and dedication to help so many children and young people". "She is such a modest person but all of us associated with LPT know how much she deserves this wonderful accolade,"; he added. "What she has achieved in memory of her daughter Hannah is incredible and I know she inspires everyone associated with our charity every day." On receiving the award, Wendy said: "I am honoured to receive this recognition, but I can never forget the huge personal trauma and how it affected my family having lost Hannah, but I am so aware of how many families are still being affected by childhood cancer today. This is what drives us on to do more, so I would like to accept this honour on behalf of all the families affected by childhood cancer. "I would also like to thank everyone who has supported The Little Princess Trust over the past 20 years, particularly my fellow co-founders Simon Tarplee and Tim Lowe without whom the charity would not be here today." The Little Princess Trust

The Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive of Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service (HWFRS) has received the prestigious award of the King’s Fire Service Medal (KFSM) in the New Year Honours List 2025. Photo courtesy of HWFRS CFO Jon Pryce said: “I am proud and humbled to receive the King’s Fire Service Medal in this New Year Honours List, something I never expected to receive in my career. Whilst this honour is personally something I will cherish, more importantly I accept it on behalf of all the staff in HWFRS who together deliver such amazing services to our communities every day. My holding of the KFSM is only a reflection of the superb Fire and Rescue Service that I have the immense privilege to lead.” The Chairman of Hereford & Worcester Fire Authority, Cllr Kit Taylor said: “The Fire Authority are delighted with the announcement. The awarding of the King’s Fire Service Medal (KFSM) to Jon Pryce, our Chief Fire Officer is very well deserved and is testimony not only to his hard work but also to his dedication and support given to all of us at the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service.” CFO Jonathon Pryce KFSM has served more than 32 years in the Fire and Rescue Service, starting his career in 1992 as a Firefighter in Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service. He later transferred into HWFRS in 2001, and was appointed Chief Fire Officer and Chief Executive in April 2021. 📢 Hereford Voice - 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲

A refurbishment costs £225,000 is scheduled to start in the New Year. The Volunteer Inn pub will close from January 1 and is expected to reopen by early March. Image courtesy RussellLewisPhotography.co.uk In August 2023, Suzie Tortalino took charge of the Volunteer when it was closed and boarded up. Since then, she has dedicated herself to revitalising the pub, alleviating residents' concerns about its future, and creating six new jobs in the process. A commercial kitchen will be installed, allowing Suzie to expand the menu with traditional pub classics. The offerings will include a variety of options, from small sharing plates to fish and chips, burgers, and hearty Sunday roasts. The Volunteer Inn in Harold Street revamp is being undertaken by Heineken-owned Star Pubs.

Midlands Air Ambulance reveal their new helicopter 🚁 Midlands Air Ambulance It will now undergo additional work before becoming fully operational as call sign Helimed09 early January 2025. This is excellent news for this wonderful charity

Herefordshire CAMRA, organisers of the popular Beer On The Wye Festival, have announced the event will not be running in 2025. The annual riverside festival, that has taken place in a marquee at Hereford Rowing Club since 2005, was due to take place next July. Mark Haslam, Chair of the festival’s organising committee and original creator of the festival, had this to say: “It is regrettable that this decision has had to be made, and I appreciate a lot of people are going to be disappointed: not just the many visitors who enjoy coming to the festival, but our small army of volunteers who work so hard to make it happen each year. However, it was difficult to see an alternative with so many changes and challenges that the festival currently faces. “Over the next few months a number of significant changes are to be made to our site as part of improving the facilities at the festival’s Rowing Club home. Whilst the organising committee are comfortable that these alterations will not prevent us from running the festival in the future, we can see great merit in waiting for the works to be completed. This will then allow us to organise with 100% certainty based on with what is actually ‘on the ground’. It is vital to minimise all risks to the event, particularly as it involves a considerable financial outlay to stage. “More significant is the fact we need more people to step-up and get involved in planning and organising the event. It’s ironic that over 130 unpaid volunteers were recruited to work at the festival this past summer, but we do not have enough bodies on the organising committee to do all the necessary planning in the months beforehand. We have now arrived at a situation where we have too few people trying to do too many tasks. An appeal has now gone out to our members and past festival volunteers to persuade more of them to get involved, and it is hoped that this will bring the ‘new blood’ that is needed onto the organising committee. “With all these changes in the pipeline, it is also considered that now is the right time to undertake a thorough root and branch review of the festival. Such an exercise is long overdue, and to achieve this aim it is essential to stop the treadmill of monthly planning meetings, so as to provide the time and space for those on the organising committee to devote themselves to this important process.” It is anticipated that Beer On The Wye Festival will return in July 2026. Beer on the Wye takes place each July in a marquee adjacent to Hereford Rowing Club, HR4 0BE. It is run by the Herefordshire Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) with the help of unpaid volunteers. Next July’s event would have been the nineteenth Beer on the Wye festival. In July 2024 it attracted in excess of 5,200 visitors, who between them consumed nearly 20,000 pints of beer, cider and perry.

We will not be publishing multiple links about the same topic, please just bookmark this one and we will update road closures as often as possible. Follow This Link For Updates - https://hfd.news/Darragh Official Road Closures (updated 14:00- 08/12/2024) B4399 Holme Lacy Causeway - Closed due to flooding U75220 Bredwardine Hill, Bredwardine - Closed due to fallen tree U81244 Greyfriars Avenue, Hereford - Closed due to flooding U93605 Newtown Lane, Leominster - Closed due to flooding C1268 Holme Lacy Road - Closed due to flooding U72016 Watery Lane, Lower Bullingham - Closed due to flooding C1222 Allensmore - Closed due to a fallen tree U72413 Shelwick Lane, Munstone - Closed due to fallen tree U72621 Litmarsh Road Marden - Closed due to fallen tree U90131 Brickyard Road, Kingswood - Closed due to fallen tree U70409 Bulls Hill, Walford - Closed due to fallen tree A438 Letton - Closed due to flooding C1197 Stretton Sugwas to the A438 - Closed due to tangled power cable U92403 Lower Yatton - Closed due to fallen tree U92412 Buzzards Lane - Closed due to fallen tree C1308 Little Marcle Road - Closed due to a sagging cable A4113 from A4110 to Manor Farm - Closed due to flooding C1098 Bridge Sollers - Closed due to a fallen tree U71205 Boat Lane, Glewstone - Closed due to an abandoned vehicle in the road C1122 Wellington - Closed due to flooding C1195 Peterchurch - Closed due to flooding Please do not remove flood road closure signs or barriers OR attempt to drive through road closures or flood water for your own safety, even if the flood water looks like it has receded the road won't officially reopen until it has passed a safety inspection. 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻.

Following an information request from Hereford Voice we can today confirm that Lidl GB Ltd purchased The Three Counties Hotel just before the end of the 2023 financial year on 2nd April 2024. PROPRIETOR: LIDL GREAT BRITAIN LIMITED (Co.Regn. No.2816429) of Lidl House, 14 Kingston Road, Surbiton KT5 9NU. The price stated to have been paid on 2 April 2024 was £5,760,000. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗜𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁!