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megilleland

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Everything posted by megilleland

  1. Seems that Hereford Rugby Club are also having problems. Note that Herefordshire Council are involved in some scheme to buy the Wye Ground for a £1. Makes a change from them giving away land worth a fortune for nothing ie Bath Street and Blackfriars. You can read the transcript of the High Court hearing here.
  2. Sir Ben Gill wears many hats and I think here he is banging the drum not only for Herefordshie Council, but also Hereford Housing and The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership who are planning to cover the county with extra housing and tarmac. All these bodies are intertwined with each other with the same old names cropping up time and time again telling us what is good for us and better for private finance (PFI) and private corporations (Balfour Beatty, Stanhope et al). Remember this interview (post 7) a few months back concerning a bypass around Hereford. The reality is that it is jobs for the boys. The council is broke, the Marches LEP is making all the major infrastructure plans for the county, the government is slipping a few quid to maintain this unelected body, while praying that we stay in the EU, by agreeing to turn our counties into regional areas. Extract from "The case for bringing regional policy back home" • Over the 2007-2013 EU budgetary period, the UK is contributing roughly £29.5bn to the EU’s structural and cohesion funds, and getting back around £8.7bn, making it the third largest net loser from the funds, after France and Germany. • Of the 37 regions in Britain under the EU’s classification system, 35 are net contributors to the structural funds, with only West Wales and Cornwall net beneficiaries. This means that some relatively poor areas lose out substantially. • For example, we estimate that the West Midlands, which has the lowest disposable income per capita in the UK, pays £3.55 to the structural funds for every £1 it gets back. Merseyside, which has a disposable income of 88% of the UK average, pays in £2.88 for every £1 it gets back. All the regions in the North East pay in more than they get back, as does Northern Ireland (£1.58 for every £1 it gets back). All sub-regions in Scotland are likewise net losers from the structural funds. • Some regions that are under the UK average for disposable income per capita pay far higher contribution ratios than those above the average; for example Devon (94% of the average) pays £6.58 for every £1 it gets back, while Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire (105% of the average) pays £4.49. So this seems be another case of the council tax payer locally and the tax payer nationally putting in more money than he is getting out. The only benefit to some is an increase in their egos.
  3. Following the black wheelie bins for Hereford topic and posts here, I thought I would add some photos taken today on my way back from work. Have we got to live with this squalor or are the local authorities going to get their act together and sort it out. Unfortunately judging by the previous posts here I don't think anyone is interested.
  4. Just to illustrate some history of this site I have pulled the following information off the internet: General view of building showing facade. Short history Old Hereford Pics
  5. So we are not the only ones who have their public assets given away. The only difference is that they are on the streets trying to stop it. Read more here.
  6. Yes I think your right, but it looks as if both institutions are using Blackfriars from information here: Q&A The New University Herefordshire and The Robert Owen Vocational School
  7. In the Hereford Times: p16 13th March 2014 What are they up to! £200 million pounds of council tax payers money to run this contract for the council and now they are looking for other people to do the work. Who signed this off?
  8. Letter in Hereford Times this week from Hereford Civic Society member John Faulkner
  9. I have moved this here so not to distract from Saving the Working Boys Home topic. You need to go back to 2009 to find out how Blackfriars Street Site was disposed of: Higher Education Facility for Herefordshire Meeting: 04/06/2009 - Cabinet (Item 121) 121 HIGHER EDUCATION FOR HEREFORDSHIRE Cabinet is asked to allocate the Council owned Blackfriars site in Hereford for possible use as a Higher Education (HE) Centre and reserve it for that purpose. Additional documents: Appendix 1, item 121 Higher Education in Herefordshire developing more HE locally and shouting about it! Blackfriars 2, item 121 Plan showing ownership of Blackfriars Street site Looks like the council didn't own all the site. Full minutes - Higher Education for Herefordshire and HIGHER EDUCATION FACILITY FOR HEREFORDSHIRE PORTFOLIO RESPONSIBILITY: RESOURCES AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SERVICES - CABINET 4 JUNE 2009 Wards Affected The site is located in Central ward. Benefits will be County-wide Purpose Cabinet is asked to allocate the Council owned Blackfriars site in Hereford for possible use as a Higher Education (HE) Centre and reserve it for that purpose. Key Decision This is a Key Decision because it is likely to result in the Council incurring expenditure above agreed budgets for the service or function (shown as a line in the budget book) to which the decision relates but allowing for virements between budget heads and savings within budget heads of up to £500,000. Recommendation THAT: a) the allocation of the Councils Blackfriars site as a location for a possible Higher Education Centre be approved, and; b) authority be delegated to the Director of Regeneration, in consultation with the Director of Resources, to finalise arrangements subject to development of a robust business plan. Lots of information in this report. Looks like Geoff Hughes was well and truly involved in the negotiations. Read the rest to discover the value of the site in 2009 was £1.2 million and who the The Higher Education for Herefordshire Management Board and consultees where.
  10. I came past the churchyard, behind Morrisons this afternoon and witnessed the usual down and outs sitting on the grave stones drinking out of litre bottles. There is just no respect for those buried there. The whole site is covered and surrounded by litter as reported here (post 6). The mayor Cllr Phil Edwards had launched a fund through his charity to repair/restore the archway that leads in to the churchyard, but I do not know how successful he will be. The wall at the Canal Street end that was driven into has been cleared of rubble, but not repaired. Rumours that Balfour Beatty are getting rid of some of its street cleaning employees beggars belief - you need an army to tidy this place up. The state of the city is just going from bad to worse. The council can't see (they are visually blind), that in order for the consumers to get to their OLM jewel, these visitors will have to sit in traffic columns on damaged roads, negotiate new sets of traffic lights and pass through neglected and blighted areas with its accompanying litter to spend its cash.
  11. Just to recap: BBC H&W Radio: 27 April 2013 Last updated at 15:25 and Ledbury Reporter: 10:03am Saturday 11th January 2014 in News Save the Blackfriars buildings for a private concern, but knock down the Working Boys Home. A slap in the face for council tax payers. Double standards I think.
  12. As Secretary of the Robert Owen Foundation Trustees I would have thought he would have to declare an interest in any negotiations with Herefordshire Council. Did he?
  13. Ledbury Reporter: 4:47pm Thursday 13th March 2014 in News The natives are getting restless!
  14. From Hereford Civic Society: Another group of citizens not listened to by the council. Carry on regardless.
  15. HEREFORD & WORCESTER Fire and Rescue Authority Policy and Resources Committee Tuesday 19 November 2013 10.30 am Worcester Guildhall High Street Worcester WR1 2EY Councillors Mr K Taylor (Chairman), Mr R Adams (Vice-Chairman), Mr A Amos, Mr P Gretton, Mr A Hardman, Mrs R Jenkins, Brigadier P Jones CBE, Mrs M Lloyd-Hayes, Mrs F Oborski, Mr D Prodger MBE, Mr D Taylor, Mr P Tuthill and Mr R Udall. Hereford Fire Station 10. Officers of the Service have been in extensive discussion with Herefordshire Futures, an organisation leading on the regeneration of Hereford City by providing expertise and liaising with key partners. Three sites have been examined in detail as part of a major link-road development scheme, but unfortunately none of these satisfy minimum requirements for a fire station location. After examining a range of other potential options, a new site appears to offer an excellent opportunity for replacement and this is detailed in a separate paper being presented to the Policy and Resources Committee. Report of the Head of Asset Management 7. Asset Management Strategy: Hereford Fire Station Purpose of report 1. To inform Members of an option to replace Hereford Fire Station and gain approval to proceed up to planning approval stage with the project, at which time final approval to complete the project will be requested from the Policy and Resources Committee. Report of the Head of Asset Management (read pages 15 to 18 & Appendix 1
  16. Doesn't explain what she does, but a useful document to show what they at the council should be doing. Not sure if it is up to date as these people tend to move quickly to suit themselves. 14_Part_7_Portfolios_and_Committees_12Feb13.pdf Also their corporate plan. corporate_plan_2013-15.pdf
  17. Wasn't Jarvis on the board of Marches LEP? Seems to have disappeared now. Just found this link to confirm he was. His biography on this site says: Does this explain the link to Herefordshire Council courting Ukraine and Georgia to come to Hereford Enterprise Zone to build aeroplanes or was it drones for the USA?
  18. The proposal for two weekly bin collections is fine if everyone can put their rubbish out on the morning of collection and not days before as I have highlighted in previous posts. If left on the streets until collection, spillage from the bags caused by animals on the street, will mean broken glass, babies nappies and food waste strewn up the street. When people see that no one really minds the rubbish on the street, fly tipping of larger items then begins and the area looks unpleasant and blighted. Still the council may save a few quid and that is more important than a tidy neighbourhood. Previous bin collection topic here for information.
  19. Just in case anyone is wondering what BBLP stands for it is Balfour Beatty Living Places. I noted on 4th Noveber 2013 that their website for this was not up and running and today the same applies.
  20. I think the plan is to kick it off locally, but I imagine they will be leaning towards a regionlism (ie EU) approach through the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership. That's why they are linking up with Ludlow colleges in Shropshire. The local council's role will diminish in education as the overall plan is to be indoctrinated from Brussels.
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