Chris Chappell

Huge problem this! Latest public consultation puts the small holdings at the top of the list of things the public want to sell to raise money! Could be the public do not know what they are talking about, but I do't know! The public may not have the same facts as the council! The other problem is that these small holdings are suppose to be for people entering agriculture who can not afford to buy a farm or rent one in private sector. Tenancies only suppose to be for ten/ fifteen years, to allow for youngsters to come into agriculture. So I wonder how many tenants will have to give up their farms if the are not sold? The whole thing is a mess. Still £48m would keep No1 Ledbury Road, help with adult and children's services, might help public transport subsidies! I just do't know which way to go with this, people or agriculture!!!!

Mick,/Alex, spend a morning with me in Holme Lacy Road, coffee on me! We will spend some time watching elderly and infirm trying to cross one of the most busy roads, only 10 meters from the Pelican Crossing. Why use a crossing when you can cross the road anywhere? We can watch as mums pushing their offspring in front of them, dodge traffic at the mini round about at junction of Chestnut Drive/ Hoarwithy Road rather than use the crossing provided! You can share my tablets that keep my blood pressure low. We can savour the abuse, lovely ancient English words, as we explain that perhaps walking only a few yards to the pelican crossing can spare their lives, while enjoying the various hand signals drivers have learnt to express themselves! I will then drive you round to St Martins Street, where you can express your view to all ages, young and old, fit and disabled, how, after a clean up of the under pass, new lights, a police officer patrolling,24/7, they can all use the Drybridge Underpass to cross the A49!!!. If we have time, I will introduce you to the St. Martins Street Residents and Traders Association. The residents and businesses in St.Martins Street, spent several hours talking, thinking and helping to design the present road lay out at the time of the ASDAapplication. Perhaps spend a little time at the Drybridge Day Centre. If, after a wonderful day out, you still think that doing away with crossings for pedestrians on the junction at A49/Ross Road/Belmont Road/St. Martin Street/Hinton Road then we can go for a drink at the Welsh Club, where I am sure local members can express themselves far better than I. I will go home then and leave you to it. The price of petrol is not a planning consideration. I will continue to talk to local people, other local councillors, users of Hinton Road, Belmont Avenue and regular users of the main roads for their views on the ASDA application as it is today.

The council does not have a view at present on the application, hence the reason for consulting with the public. There are in fact very few statutory groups that have to be consulted. The city council and public, outside the immediate area, are not among them. The future of the junction, as has been said many times, is the responsibility of Highways England. They do have to be consulted about the ASDA application. They are the reason this application has taken so long to decide. Even if Highways England say tomorrow that they will do away with all the traffic lights at this junction, and will make alterations next year, it still does not alter what there is there now and therefore this application! Residents of St. Martins Street have expressed fears that it will take even longer than now to exit on to the A49 at peak times if the garage is built. They expressed concerns that it will take longer than now to cross this junction if ASDA's figures are correct! Some people have expressed to me that it will take longer than now to exit ASDA at peak times. K.Butt. Perhaps we could meet sometime, you name time and day, at peak times, to look at your suggestion about the slip road? My concerns are based around its closeness to the pelican crossing! When the traffic lights have be done away with, I wonder if traffic exiting here from the petrol station, will make it more safe for the pelican crossing than now? perhaps we should meet at 5pm sometime to observe! I would be grateful if there are any surveys been done by bloggers that show traffic movements will not be affected, if they can be sent to the planning office, so that planners have opportunities to review all options.

DILLIGAF, no point in being rude, just trying to get a view point from some of you. The planners and councillors can only make a decision on what is there now not what you or others may want to see. We have the present road junction/ traffic lights situation. So we have to look at the application with that in mind. When I meet with ASDA, I will ask if they are prepared to persuade Highways England, to alter road junction and traffic lights. I will also ask them how they reached the vehicle movement figures they have presented to the planners. I will let them know you think they are incorrect. Thank you all for your factual comments.

My personal view, not a council view. But across Europe there is brightness in some of the most Holy and ancient of places. I do think the laws about listed buildings need to be revisited but am not sure how many listed buildings there are in King Street or Bridge Street. No one can suggest that they are drawn to the river by walking down Bridge Street and admiring the buildings! I do support Listed Building controls as long as they are reviewed in the light of how certain buildings or areas are modernising around them. The city has not gone down hill, in fact it is on its way up with more people coming into the centre, staying longer with more things to do and places to eat, drink and be merry. Shops were very busy last weekend and appear to be week days too. Can we please start being a little more positive.

I am now at the point where as ward councillor, need to seek views of others on this item. I will be meeting with ASDA representatives shortly and they have been in discussions with planners and Highways England. I understand there will be public consultation at ASDA by their representatives in the lead up to Christmas. I understand that ASDA's consultants believe that there will be an increase in traffic movements on this junction of 40% at peak times. 48 vehicles an hour extra. Would like to hear the views, not just of local people, but from anyone who regularly crosses the river either way and uses Ross Road or Belmont Road. I will not have a public view until I have consulted more widely, heard from ASDAs consultants, heard back from their in store consultations and talked to other interested people.

Nothing to do with being trendy or left wing, more to do with brightening up this area and being more positive about the future. Look at some of the buildings in the area. Bridge Steet is another area that could do with more than a lick of paint. How is it that people who seldom go near a church or cathedral will jump to their defence when some thing ' distasteful' happens? I hate the idea of the Spread becoming a fish Restraunt but at least the owners are trying to do something different in this part of the city. Unless you want to buy/ rent a house or buy an expensive suit, or seek legal advise, there is little reason to go to King Street or Bridge Street. We need to bring the city into the 21st century, with the old market site we are getting there. It may not be to our own taste, or what we would do, what Herefordians have traditionally done, but times move on. The next stage coach to leave the 'spread eagle' was about 200 years ago,we missed it!! Perhaps now we need to move on!!!

I remember when this place served up sausages in many different varieties. Not been the same since. As for the colour, best thing to have happened in the area for a long time. Cheers the street up a little. Can we have more buildings brightened up please and all of Bridge Street too.

Wednesday at 11am. Up to 100 veterans and young people will be at the annual commemoration of Rememberance at the St.Martins Street cenatraph. Join us. 1914 - 1918, 57 men from south Wye gave their lives for this country. There was no Hinton, Hunderton, Pudston, Red Hill or Newton Farm estates. Lower Bullingham and Belmont were fields. What did this mean to the families of the area, most of their men must have died. Then, Rotherwas munitions factory, and the toll that took on not just local folk but, mainly women, from Wales and across the Midlands. When the 2nd War ended, Col. Stirling made his camp here for his Special Air Service Regiment. Some of those men lie in a small part of the St.Martins Church grave yard. There are famolies in south Wye to whom the nation owes a great deal of gratitude. For several years now, the south Wye veterans have quietly, and with great dignity, paid their respects at the St.Martins Street cenatraph. They have welcomed the students from local schools, some who are children of serving soldiers. The two age groups have a bonding that crosses the age difference but binds them together by their geographic closeness. Never again must we allow politicians and generals to send men and women to slaughter. If you can, join us. It will mean a great deal to the veterans and our young people.

I agree entirely about many people claiming and when I believe I have come across such a person, I report it. However, do not want that to get mixed up with those who do need help and may not be getting the assistance they need. The council did have, until recently, their own investigation team however these people have now been transferred over to DSS. They still investigate fraud for council. The NHS has its own anti fraud investigators. Thank you Denise Llood for your FB page.

Dillgaf, Oh dear, hear of this sort of thing all the time. Nothing surprises me any more but we can not allow this to go on, it's time to fight back for the vulnerable. If you can let me have some facts etc I can use it when I hope the Social Care and Health Scrutiny Committee take this up.

Hi Denise, it would be very useful if you could get this on FB. You may be aware that I am not awfully good with FB etc so it would be very useful if you could do this for me. My email address is; cchappell@herefordshire.gov.uk Could you also mention I hold two surgeries a month one one first Saturday of the month starting at10.30am at Hinton Community Centre and on the third Thursday each month at the Kindle Centre for an hour starting at 6pm. Although what people tell me on FB or HV I really do need to talk to people one to one to get the facts! Every thing is confidential of course. Many thanks.

I am investigating whether people in receipt of benefits from the council or health are being treated properly. I hope that you and/or your family & friends can help me. I have received reports that some disabled people are not disabled enough to get full financial support despite being unable to feed themselves, toilet or wash themselves, needing two care workers several times a day to turn them or change soiled clothes. I do not want to put ideas into your heads so will say no more. Want you to tell me! I have reason to believe that some professionals are expected to put their professional judgement on one side, a criminal offence, and report that clients do not need the financial support they deserve. Please ask your family, your neighbour, any one you know who is/ has received any form of disability benefit, but now is being means tested, what they have been told. I can not explor this without you, so thanks for your help. I look forward to hearing from you.

No one can say this has not been throughly investigated. All the council's small holdings have been up for review since but recently there has been another review of all the small holdings. 1918 all county councils were asked to put aside land for returning soldiers from the war who wanted to farm. Rent these farms for a few years then move to something else. Times have changed and years move on, no one seems to be entering agriculture in the same way as before. Does the council sell these farms to raise capital? No 1 Ledbury Road, day centres, money for the elderly and disabled. Tough call, but if all the small holdings the council owns raise £50K........! Should I vote to sell and the money go to social care or wait for the next ex service man/ woman who has no farming training, to claim the right to rent one of the small holdings? What would you do?

Well that does it! You guys come on here and critise the Council, yet when the most important document for years about the future of Herefordshire that the Council has produced, comes back from HRH Planning Inspector for public consumption,and the opportunity to have your say about it, none of you speak. WHY? Stop worrying about what certain churches are getting up to, or is happening in 'Free' schools, or if council officers are walking off with high redundancy pay outs, and speak up about issues you may have about the LDP. By your silence I assume you accept the Inspector's report. So no need for councillors to discuss at a specially called meeting next Friday, costing the rate payers at least £5k to put on. Voicers, the voice of Herefordshire, do not care, so why should anyone else? I sent the report to Colin on the 2nd October for publication here. I thought there might be little comment but no comment!!! Come on Voicers surely the future of Herefordshire, your children's future and that of your grandchildren is worth a mention. By your silence you do no favours to HV. Show councillors and the public that Voicers are a serious voice in the future of Herefordshire. Ok, so now I wait for the **** to hit the fan and loads of criticism coming my way for being so blunt and telling it as a true Voicer. But after you given me a beating, your answer to my question is.....? There is an additional council meeting not in the diary. Several of us with prior commitments will be unable to be there. I hope as many Voicers as possible, having been given five days notice of meeting will now attend in order that they can make a valued judgement of the the Inspectors report and make a valued and respected report on here! I will wait, but not hold my breath, for intelligent, thoughtful and constructive pronouncements on report from Voicers. Whether I take any more notice of Hereford Voice depends on if I am convinced that Voicers take things seriously, there may be other web sites where serious issues are discussed!!

I was one who abstained as I am a member of the Task & Finish Group. It was impossible for me to vote in favour of the motion until the Task & Finish Group have made our recommendations to the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee. There is also the matter that there are three organisations involved here. The council, the Wye Valley Health Trust and the Health Commisioners. The later two were not mentioned in the N of M. I was applauded by the parents and some councillors for what I said and the parents have my backing just as they have theirs.

I do not know why they did not let everyone know they were there. On the other hand, it made know difference as they would have been listening, and hearing, what the public said. Maybe if they had made themselves known, there might have been a different public slant on things which would not have been what the CQC wanted!

The Task & Finish group met last week with various parties concerning No1 and we had a visit last Friday afternoon. We intend to visit similar schemes else where to get an idea of how other schemes work. It is true that staff are leaving fairly rapidly, you really can not blame them as they have to look after their own interests. I hope that we will be able to report to the Health Scrutiny committee in October/November with recommendations about its future. Meanwhile, parents are planning ahead with the view of running it as a charity.

health-watch is entirely independent of the health and council. Their chairman, Paul Deneen always gives a good account of himself and attacks when necessary. Will Lindsey runs it from HVOS in Bath Street. Health Watch come to the Health and Soccial Care Scrutiny meeting and at this mornings meeting Paul Deneen gave his by monthly report. I know they are doing a good job. The councillors had an interesting session with CQC at lunch time yesterday. Many subjects were raised including the scandal of Bromyard being proposed for closure, and dreadful lack of communication internally at the hospital. I will look forward to receiving their report!

I have just sent in to the Leader of Council, a question about the number of redundancies, the cost to the council, the financial savings etc. also how many Assistant Directors and Heads of Service have been made redundant in the last six months!. I also want to know what he believes is the effect these redundancies are having on service delivery. Council meets on Friday so we will not have the answers until then. I am looking forward to the visit this week of the Care Quality Commision. There is a public meeting tomorrow evening, councillors on the Health & Social Care Scrutiny Committee meet them tomorrow afternoon. So if you have a concern which you do not think is being addressed by Health or Social Services, now is the time to come forward and report it.

May I have a word please? You know who I am and I will tell it as I see it or with the information I am able to give you. Sometimes it is not possible to give you the information you are asking for simply because it is too difficult on here to explain and then to come back to answer questions. This is why I have a monthly surgery. It is good to give your MP and Councillors a kicking. IF you got the full facts which has seldom been the case on here. When people with false names, or an agenda come on line and slag off everyone/ anyone then HV is brought into disrepute. For at least 12 months, councillors and officers have had a good laugh tabloid its content. Sorry Colin, but you want me to tell the truth?! What Colin is doing now is great and we should support him. Only then will people like myself be prepared to give you the full information you require. So to the poster who suggested that Graham Powell had never cycled down GWW. Never heard of people parking at Belmont and getting their cycles out to use the GWW? You could not possibly know if he did or not so please, only post if you know what you are talking about.

I have not sung national anthem for 50 years, do not intend to start now. When I was Mayor and vice chairman of Herefordshire Council never sang anthem. Have never hidden from my constituents that I am a republican. Although bought up in the Church of England, I left when I realised that by singing and praying weekly for the Queen I was worshipping another God! 'Though shalt have no other God but me.......' But it was more than that. I am not a 'subject', slave, submissive. I am a 'citizen'of the UK and proud of it! I bow to no one accept my constituents, to whom I am answerable. Corbyn was right, he could not be a hypocrite. He and I and millions like us know that most of the men who went off to war in 1914/18 had never been in a Cathedral, and proably would not have been welcomed there anyway. In 1939/45 men went to war because they were conscripted, although in the early years, in the RAF it seemed like a bit of a 'Lark'! In 1951, national service sent men to the Korean War, nothing to do with the Queen, but I suppose you might blame Attlee! When I was Mayor, I wanted to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Falklands war when 29 Herefordshire men, (mainly sas died,). These I guys I respectfully suggest joined the army for a job, not for the Queen although they may have said they were fighting for their country. My Christian beliefs and my socialist beliefs stop me from touching my forelock to anyone. I really do think we should honour those who have given their lives for our country, by ensuring we never have to send our young men to war again. That those who return, wounded and Brocken should be looked after and their families and those of the dead are looked after too. So platitudes in a Cathedral may have their place, but Mr Corbyn, who although I share 85% of his beliefs will be a disaster as Leader, because the press and the country still worship a time long gone by. Good for you Corbyn, But if you are a real socialist, you will ensure that if you can not win the next election, some one else will lead the Party

Roger, no, it is the other way round! I look forward to you supporting my idea of 8 affordable homes but mainly for elderly at the swimming pool site. After all, it is two years now since former cllr B ob Preece and I insisted that this site be used for this type of project. I have been able to confer all the way through this planning application from the beginning. I look forward to your support also, for the planning application for the new Women's Refuge, which has already received some negative responses. It is worrying that you think Hate Crime and Domestic Violence crime are not similar. The consequences of both are often the same and destroy not just victims but their families. Hopefully you will have the opportunity during national Hate Crime week to come to other events where the victims and the groups who support them can explain to you just some of the results of these crimes that have happened in Herefordshire.

I had been asked some weeks ago to attend and to say some words of welcome to those taking part. Hate crime is becoming less frequent in the county but we still have a long way to go before we see it off completely. I have seen all types of hate crime from the verbal to the ful Gbh, just because some one appears to be different! Today we heard from a mother whose downe syndrome daughter had been harassed, spat at, beaten up, stripped naked and murdered by a group of young men because she was different! There was a police officer from Warwickshire, who spoke about the problems he had had when he first joined the force as an ethnic minority police officer. There was Penny Ellis, a TV who recently became chairman of the new Independent Advisory Group. The LIAG is a panel of representatives who advise the police on local policing issues and their effects on the community. For those of us who work in the community, any attempt to stamp out hate crime, in what ever form, is welcome. Racist, sexist, homophobia, abuse of people with mental health or learning disabilities, people who are physically challenged are verbally and physically abused still in the county. Today was about highlighting what is happening, that hate crime will always be challenged when it is reported and that there are systems and groups in place to report the victims of hate crime. I would welcome taking in ten families from Syria into the county and have written to the Leader of Council to tell him so. I have not bothered to read all the comments in the HT because many just made me so sad that after welcoming in Hungarians over 100 years ago, then Poles, many of who are married to Jones, Smith or Brown and a small but hard working Indian and Parkistani community, there are still Herefordians who treat foreigners like something the cat brought in! The police in Herefordshire, working with various partners, are doing a great job trying to stamp out Hate Crime and its sister crime, Domestic Violence. We all have a part to play and already some of us are trying to highlight Hate Crime at an event during national Crime Hate week starting on 10th October.

No 1 Ledbury Road is the most important issue at the moment, we can deal with Blaackmarston at a slower rate. I will be unable to ask Bill Norman questions about legality of process, as he has been made redundant with immediate effect and no long works for Herefordshire Council as I understand it!