megilleland

Another bag of cat litter dropped again (5th July 2022) behind the garages at Muir Close. About time a concealed camera was put to catch this person.

NEWBrew beer in Singapore is made from recycled sewage water

This has got to be taking the pi$$! Possibly the future for all of us.

NEWBrew isn’t the first beer that uses recycled sewage. Swedish brewer Nya Carnegie Brewery collaborated with beer giant Carlsberg and an environmental research institute to create a pilsner made with purified toilet water.

A Canadian brewer, Village Brewery, teamed up with US water technology firm Xylem and researchers from the University of Calgary to create their own ale.

Special Protection of the Highly Polluted River Wye. Wye not? After all clean water is an essential requirement for modern living. We don't want the River Wye to be the drain for The Marches. Clean water is more important to humans than oil. If we ruin our water supplies then we risk our nation's health.

The Rivers Trust

Useful site for river sewage discharges. The Rivers Trust are conservation experts with a wealth of data and expertise at our fingertips. We work with our member Trusts to make our shared vision a reality: wild, healthy, natural rivers, valued by all. 

We want all life to thrive in and around our rivers. Whether you enjoy fishing, swimming or a riverside stroll, our rivers need us more than ever to recover and revive. 

Raw sewage in our rivers
We want to help you find out where sewage is discharged into rivers, enabling you to take action and to make informed decisions about where you swim, paddle, catch and play. Our Sewage Map shows where the sewerage network discharges and overflows into rivers. Be warned: you might not like what you discover!

County of Herefordshire Local Authority District data
Use filter and click on cluster to zoom in for specific instances.

Abandoned trolleys getting worse. They appear to be everywhere. Trolleywise now want you to use their app to report abandoned trolleys. They simply want you to take a photo using the app alerting the nearest Trolleywise collection team - they will then do the rest! What's the point in taking a photo, because in a day or so the trolley has been moved by persons to somewhere else. Example two trolleys in Dunoon Mead have now gone and one now found in Kingfisher Road, the other most probably in the stream. One still in Muir Close and one taken off the road and in my garden awaiting collection.

I don't use a smart phone, so I won't be reporting any abandoned trolleys - let someone else do it. That's progress for you.

Here is something to cheer you up and add to the woes of rising prices. 

Soaring national debt is an intolerable burden for future generations to carry.

Amid the deluge of often mind-boggling statistics accompanying the Covid outbreak, one is especially startling. The national debt of the UK has surpassed £2 trillion. In the past six months it has risen by £260 billion as vast amounts of taxpayers’ money have been thrown at increasingly forlorn efforts to hold back the march of the virus.

UK National Debt Surpassed £2 Trillion

Mainstream media headlines today are focused on Britain's record national debt, which just surpassed £2 trillion, a figure that can only exponentially increase unless the entire mechanism of Government finance is overhauled. The truth however is much worse, factoring in all liabilities including state and public sector pensions, the real national debt is closer to £4.8 trillion, some £78,000 for every person in the UK.

Watch the pound notes spiral away.

Prince Charles was said to have been given a total of €3m (£2.6m) during meetings with Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber al-Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar.

The cash was handed to the heir to the British throne in a suitcase on one occasion, a holdall on another, as well as in Fortnum & Mason carrier bags, the up-market department store which holds a royal warrant to supply the prince’s household with groceries.

The handovers are alleged to have occurred during meetings between the two men, including a private one-to-one meeting at Clarence House in 2015, it was claimed.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jun/25/prince-charles-is-said-to-have-been-given-3m-in-qatari-cash
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I didn't realise Charles used a food bank. Just about sums the state of everything up. 

Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard - It's All Going to Pot

https://youtu.be/A6c6eUeoa9Q

Agree with you twowheelsgood. 

Today I thought I would take some hedge trimmings to the Hereford tip and also a traffic cone left in the street outside my home. The hedge cuttings were disposed of as expected, but the traffic cone I had to bring back home as the tip operatives said it was trade waste and to contact the Council to dispose of it. Back home I contacted Balfour Beatty who were unsure who dealt with traffic cones, but I was told to leave it outside the house and someone would collect it within the next 10 days. I said if I put it out on the road again it will be moved by kids to a new location and the problem persists. 

Shopping trolleys are appearing in larger numbers locally - it must be the breeding season! I have had one Tesco trolley in my garden for 5 weeks and the organisation who collect them on behalf of supermarkets has yet to call. There are now 2 trolleys in Muir Close, 2 trolleys in Dunoon Mead service road and another in Bredwardine Close. The company Trolleywise came from Gloucester to pick up previous trolleys. Maybe it is because I don't use a smart phone and their app to contact them. I just ring up their head office in Warwick, it used to be in Edinburgh, to arrange collection with no problem. However the trend today is to not make it easy to speak to a human office worker, but to get on a smart ar*e phone app. So the problems persist. What's the point of taking a photo of the abandoned trolley when it will be moved to somewhere else. Surely all supermarkets could employ someone local to pick these up.

I am sure a group of retired pensioners could do a better job than the present system.

The country is going down the pan. No one in authority appears to be doing anything to help vulnerable people, and trying to get through to those who should be helping us is met in a dead end telephone call - please use our app on your smart phone! All the trouble we are facing is constructed by people in positions above us to bring about changes to ways we are governed and live our lives. The smart phone has always been the tool to manipulate you, extract data about yourself and sold to third parties. In the near future I predict we will not be citizens of a sovereign country, but a statistic within a region of a global government run by the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, just like the EU wanted to introduce. Its about time the British public stood on their own two feet and stuffed their overlords.

I recommend you to read The Slog - a regular daily commentary about the state we are in. It will make you think. You've got nothing to lose, but your freedom.

Agree and look at the kerbs on the estates. I hoe and sweep my street, but the rest of the estate looks forlorn and neglected.

Also the drains need looking at.

Another bag of cat litter and tins of cat food left on the footpath behind garages between Muir Close and Sherborne Close. A regular occurrence since end of 2019. Anyone know who is doing this?

Hereford Times 4th June 2022

Sign of the Times?

Not a suitable site for advertising at a busy road junction. People trying to get into the right lane, reading directional signs, changing traffic lights all addto the confusion. Plus those motorists trying to read their smart phones. All in all a complete no no.

Two previous applications were quite rightly refused at 

Land adjacent 22 Belmont Road Hereford HR2 7JW

and

69-71 Edgar Street Hereford Herefordshire HR4 9JP

Another example of overseas seasonal workers being exploited to pick fruit and vegetables - not by the farms, but recruitment companies.
 

The Guardian 27th May 2022

Migrant fruit pickers charged thousands in illegal fees to work on UK farms, investigation shows
Evidence appears to show illicit payments taken from workers harvesting produce for M&S, Tesco and Waitrose

(extracts)

Ditya, a single mother from Nepal, is used to travelling abroad for work. For years she has made a living as a migrant farm worker, where she can earn several times what she would in her home country. Last year she applied to become part of the UK government’s seasonal worker visa scheme, picking fruit and vegetables on a farm in Herefordshire that supplies fresh produce to Marks & Spencer (M&S), Tesco and Waitrose.

Ditya got the job, but it came at a huge cost. In order to secure it, she says she had to pay more than £3,000 – almost a third of what she earned during the six-month post – to recruitment agents.

Some of that money covered the cost of her flight and visa application. The rest appears to include illegal fees that labour rights experts describe as “exploitative and extortionate”.

A joint investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and the Guardian can reveal that as many as 150 Nepali workers who came to work at Cobrey Farms in Herefordshire as part of the government scheme may have paid similar amounts, many of them claiming they paid agents working for a UK-licensed recruitment company.

The UK government launched the seasonal workers pilot scheme in 2019 to address concerns that the withdrawal from the EU would cause a shortage of labour for harvesting jobs on farms. Its rules state that workers should only pay a visa application fee of £259 (£244 until April this year) and travel costs. Any additional recruitment fees are illegal under UK law and can result in a labour provider being stripped of its licence.

Changing South Wye, Changing the World!

At this time of political and economic turmoil, our communities are facing challenges which will affect so many of us.

In 1844 the Rochdale Pioneers used their earnings to found their community co-operative.  This was to provide what was required by the people.

A democratic process had begun and life improved over time for many.  At the heart of this was communities.  They worked hard for one another, with each other and the times, not unlike today, were challenging.  To tackle today’s problems, we will require that same level of commitment from communities.

Fresh Start, in partnership with the Robert Owen Society, are realistic about what can be achieved and that the roots of our solutions are in identifying what the communities require.

We are creating models for problems and identifying strategies.  We are moving quickly now behind the scenes. This has been hard work but Fresh Start is confident that by bringing communities together, we can create with the people, a way forward.

Our interviews with those who could help us begin this Thursday 26th May 2022. If you feel that your skill or knowledge could contribute to helping South Wye in any way, then we would like to hear from you. 

Please contact us at freshstart@robertowen.org

_____________________________________________________________

Seems like a good idea and would work well together with the The Southside Project a groundbreaking initiative which will transform 35 acres of green space south of the river in Hereford. It will open up a wide range of opportunities for local residents of all ages and will be a space where the community can connect.

ExploreStation immersive virtual reality Hereford (Shell Store) Rotherwas today 16th and I believe 17th May 2022. Went down and had my first experience of virtual reality with a journey on the train and walk around a station. Felt very dizzy and one person couldn't cope with it. Well organised with places available I was told on the 17th May 10am to 6pm. I would just turn up and fit in. There is a first class cafe and the building is interesting. A very good conversion and easy to get to on the bike.

Attended Glenda's funeral. Small attendance about 20 people, but a lovely service by the vicar. Glenda was brought into the church to Elvis Presley's "If I can Dream" and taken out into the graveyard for burial to Elvis Presley's "My Way". Thinking of you Glenda.

Today 13th May:

245 Representations

14 support application

231 object to application

Today 12th May:

230 Representations

12 support application

218 object to application

The people have spoken.

Just been down to voice my concern. Traffic backed up, but if they build the supermarket, which they say will only take 9 months if approved, instead of sitting in the traffic jam you will be able to pop into Lidl and do a shop or have a coffee to pass the time. The hotel grounds look lovely with ducklings on the pond. Large meeting taking place in the conference room and visitors arriving with their suitcases for a stay. Where are the our representatives? Does Jesse Norman have a viewpoint? I will get down to the hotel and take some photos to go along with the demolished Vortex Youth Centre and the demolished local church St Francis Saviour. As one supporter for this application said we have to move with the times! Why not blow up the whole of Newton Farm and Belmont and start with a blank canvas. You never know the council may be able to include a bypass in the scheme. By the way Lidl do not do home deliveries so everyone will have to arrange their own transport for carting their shopping home.

Out of 208 representations on HCC wesite there are now only 201 listed - there are 191 against the planning application and 11 in support at 2pm. My objection is listed.

Today 11th May 2022 on the Herefordshire Council's planning website it says there are 208 representations concerning the Lidl planning application.  Although there are only 188 listed - there are 178 against the planning application and 10 in support. I put my objection in last week, but it is not listed, so what is the true number of representations, are there others? I will be going down to the Three Counties later today before 7pm.

This application relates to the Tesco premises in Belmont, lying on the south-western
fringes of Hereford. It seeks planning permission for a temporary storage container to
be sited each year from November to January. It is proposed that it be located on land
within the delivery yard to the north-west of the superstore, which is accessed from
Abbotsmead Road. It would have an area of 28sqm, stand 2.7m tall and comprise the
appearance of a shipping container albeit be internally fitted out as a refrigeration unit.
A previous application (073649/F), for the installation of two temporary refrigerated
storage units, was refused on the grounds of highway safety.

Relevant Site History: 073649/F - Installation of two temporary refrigerated storage
units – Refused on 21st December 2007

DELEGATED DECISION REPORT APPLICATION NUMBER 214561
Tesco Supermarket, Abbots Mead Road, Belmont, Hereford, HR2 7XS

Some comments from the above report well worth a read.

Transportation –
No highways objections – no conditions required

Environmental Health Officer –
I would advise that over the years we have had numerous complaints from local
residents about noise caused by various sources at this supermarket. This premises
is in a very sensitive location being located at very close proximity to residential
development. The positioning of these temporary refrigeration units provides another
possible source for the generation of unacceptable noise whilst they are in position. I
note from neighbour representations that this has been raised as a concern and I
would concur with this view. There is no mention in the application as to what level of
noise will be generated or as to how any unacceptable levels will be mitigated. I would
therefore recommend that this application is refused unless an acoustic survey is
provided that demonstrates what level of noise will be produced and if this level is
unacceptable what mitigation measures will be put in place to ensure that noise from
them will be adequately controlled. I would recommend that the acoustic survey uses
the methodology provided by BS 4142:2014 Methods for Rating and Assessing
Industrial and Commercial Noise (as amended A1:2019), however it should also
specifically consider low frequency noise and vibration.

_________________________________________________

If Tesco couldn't put two temporary containers on their site, I can't see how the council can approve a 
large supermarket just down the road.

Convenience store chain McColl's is on the brink of collapse, potentially placing thousands of jobs at risk.

The retailer said it was "increasingly likely" it would fall into administration unless talks around a rescue deal were successful.

The statement on Thursday came after Sky News reported the company could call administrators in on Friday.

More than 16,000 people are employed by McColl's, which also has a partnership with supermarket Morrisons.

The company wrote that without any fresh funding in the short-term, the group would likely "be placed into administration with the objective of achieving a sale of the group to a third-party purchaser and securing the interests of creditors and employees".

But the chain also stressed on Thursday that discussions are still ongoing.

It added that it wanted to create a "stable platform for the business going forward".

The 1,400-store group has a wholesale tie-up with Morrisons, as well as Martin's newsagents, with a strategy centred around an image of a "neighbourhood retailer".

--------------------------------------------------------------

Bet Lidl will be pleased. No Newspapers, no convenience shopping and I imagine the Post Office will close.

Trapped by four voluptuous beauties who had heard of Bobby's virality and his manly character, vigor, and masculinity to enable him the power of procreation. Or he could have been down in The Commercial.

The Guardian 1st May 2022:

‘Dental deserts’ form in England as dentists quit NHS, experts warn

Patients struggle to get treatment as report says health service has lowest number of dentists for a decade

‘My teeth still hurt’: patients unable to get on to NHS dentists’ lists

The number of dentists providing NHS care in England fell from 23,733 at the end of 2020 to 21,544 at the end of January this year, according to the latest NHS figures, which have been obtained by the Association of Dental Groups (ADG) under freedom of information laws.

Given that dentists each have a caseload of about 2,000 patients, the depletion of the workforce has left an estimated 4m people without access to NHS care. The NHS now has the smallest number of dentists it has had for a decade, according to the ADG, which represents major chains of surgeries.

Access to NHS dental care is now so limited that people in some areas are forced to wait three years for an appointment. The difficulty obtaining treatment is one of the public’s main sources of frustration with the health service, with just one in three people satisfied with dental services.

Many are forced to go private, after seeking an NHS dentist in vain, in order to have problems resolved. Some have rung dozens of surgeries in their area in a vain quest to be accepted as an NHS patient, or had to travel outside their home area to get it. A growing number of dental surgeries do little or no NHS-funded work, citing problems with the dental contract.

______________________________________________

I am resigned to go private as The NHS has been ruined by this Conservative government. Their plan of creative chaos is working wonders and I see Bill Gates is winding us up for another spate of Coronavirus and new vaccines - worse than the last lot.

On 27/04/2022 at 16:06, megilleland said:

I have been told there will be a special meeting to discuss this application at Belmont Parish Council, Kindle Centre on the Thursday 5th May 2022 at 7.30pm. I hope it will be well attended.

The next meeting of Belmont Rural Parish Council is scheduled to take place on Thursday 5th May 2022 at 7.30 pm and will be held at the Kindle Centre, Asda Supermarket, Belmont Road, Hereford HR2 7JE

AGENDA

1. Apologies
To receive and consider apologies for absence.

2. Written requests for Dispensation
To consider written requests for dispensation.

3. Declarations of Interest
To receive declarations of interest on agenda items.

4. To pass a resolution to suspend Standing Orders
To agree to suspend the standing orders for agenda items 5-6

5. Public Participation
To receive / consider questions & comments from the public on agenda item number 6.

6. Planning Application
Three Counties Hotel , Belmont Road Hereford HR2 7BP (221090) 
Hybrid application for demolition of existing hotel and associated structures and erection of Class E foodstore with associated access, parking, servicing, drainage and landscaping (full permission sought) and erection of drive-thru unit with associated internal access and circulation (outline permission sought).

6a–To agree to the formal response to Herefordshire Council on the planning application and as to whether this is supported or objected to by the Parish Council, giving reasons in both cases.

7. Confirmation of Date, time, and Location of the next meeting
Thursday 12th May2022 @7.30 pm Belmont Community Centre
Meeting convened by Councillor Adrian Bridges (Chairman Belmont Rural Parish Council), Dated: 24thApril 2022.

THE PUBLIC AND PRESS ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO BE PRESENT

Please contact the Clerk - Tony Ford, Parish Clerk, Belmont Rural Parish Council e-mail: clerk@belmontrural-pc.gov.uk