Cambo

Yes i am in agreement with that ,the aim is to save the boys home…but if HWFRS agree to the purposed land swap with HC than we all know wot the out come will be!! So a public debate is a good idea & possibly a case can be made as to alternative location for a new fire station?

I take your point biomech although I agree with dippy I don't think you can compare the bulmers woodpecker club with the working boys school!

Does anyone recognise where this is? Just shows wot can be done by keeping the old along with the new!!

Hello mr kenyon then you should read it as it is very informative.there have been a number of different discussions including people suggesting alternative sites for a new fire station!

I have to say I'm disappointed that you have not take more of an interest in this matter, given as you say living opposite the fire station? As it happens I live 150 meters away & since it was announced of HC intentions I've taken a great interest in this subjected!

As I can't see the logic of putting the fire station on bath street & in the process demolishing two buildings?…which is a costly exercise in its self, not to mention its a bad location for a fire station!

Hopefully after reading thread, properly you will have a better understanding on the matter?

I think mr kenyon is some wot lacking in imagination if he thinks demolishing a structurally sound building for a car park is a good idea??

I also believe no one likes to have to park some way away from where they have to go? Unless of course there out hiking!!

With all respect mr kenyon but have you been reading any of this thread @ all???

In Jessie Normans words its a bit like trying to shut the door after the horse has bolted!! He said that to me last year @ Belmont fete after I questioned him about the validity of the purposed link road!!

Well it looks like there going to build the link road whatever as they've shelled out a lot of money already so if they don't it will be a huge financial loss for the city? (Another one to add to the list)

Another email from our friendly neighbourhood fireman about job cuts & how it will affect the county!!

On 11 Mar 2014, at 11:30, Michael Hayes <magicroofer@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi - How come HWFRS have the responsibility of demolishing & cleaning up the fire station that seems unusual to me? as you'd think who ever takes over the site would be responsible for doing that? So who will be responsible for demolishing & cleaning up bath street the council or HWFRS?

Also how do you feel about the job cuts?

Would Hereford be put @ serious risk with the lose of 22 full time firefighters & a engine? Could you cope if there was a major fire say in the city centre again with such a reduced force?

Ps It look like to me that HWFRS have been stitched up by the council on this they have a duty to insure that the new station is in a right location not just to HWFRS but also a duty to the public too & I believe they've failed on this!

Michael,

As far as I am aware, HWFRS are required to clear the current station site on St Owen street, as well as demolishing the buildings on the proposed new site.

Herefordshire council were so keen to offload this site that they wanted contracts signed at the start of January and hand responsibility of the site over immeadiately, however, HWFRS have refused to sign contracts until planning permission is gained for the new station site.

As important a issue as the proposed station is, I see the fight against the proposed cuts as the bigger issue.

Herefordshire is already the ONLY county in the country with only 1 whole time (24/7,365 crewed) fire station. When you look at the population that may seem logical, but with the remote nature of the county, a full time station is vitally important.

The other stations in Herefordshire are retained crewed, by part-time FF's on a pager system. Any time they are called in, there is a minimum of 5 minutes before the engine can even leave the station, pus the relevant travel time to the incident.

For the service, when cuts are required, the second whole time appliance at Hereford is an easy option. They are looking to lose the 2 whole time appliance from Worcester also, and decide to treat Hereford in exactly the same way. Though the fact that Worcester has Kidderminster, Bromsgrove, Redditch wholetime stations, and Malvern, Droitwich and Evesham day-crewed stations in close proximity for guaranteed availability of appliances is overlooked.

The issue with being surrounded by retained stations as we are in Hereford, is that the availability of the appliances is not guaranteed. It is often the case that more than 1 of these outlying stations are unavailable due to crewing deficiencies.

Our wholetime crews at Hereford are often mobilised to incidents along with outlying retained stations around the county. When this happens, there is often a wholetime appliance left covering the city, or our own Retained crew can be mobilised to the station and provide immeadiate stand-by cover. If the cuts are approved, this is unlikely to be the case, and residents of the city may be left to wait for an appliance from Fownhope/Ross/Ledbury/Bromyard/Leominster/Ewyas Harold or Peterchurch, (depending on their availability), a wait of up to 25 mins!!

The question of wether we could cope is a difficult one. The weight of initial attack for any incident forms a big part of the incident commander's tactical plan. If for instance, we were to arrive at a developing house fire, what could be achieved (in terms potential of lives saved/property damage restricted or prevented) by 1 crew or 2 crews is vastly different.

Well the government are all for savings after all there's supposed to be cutting back on spending!

It does dippy but there's nothing saying there going to get planning as locals are not keen on this deal!

I think we need to put the pressure on HWFRS not to go through with it? hereford can't afford a expensive mistake which this will be!!!

we need to start raising question on why they can't have the bus station??

Another thing to think about is this does HWFRS know that HC gave Stanhope the OLM for free??

If not I wonder wot they'd think about this deal then?

Well put Twowheelsgood I couldn't agree more!!

Maybe we could all attend there meeting on 26th? Or is it going to be put back to April 14th as Hereford times released a statement saying a decision will be made then?

& if they did say that the bus station was there preferred location then I'm sure the public would back them against HC anyday?

Well I don't see why not but then again we are talking about HC!!

So maybe we need HWFRS to come out & say that they want it? & Then force a public debate about it? I don't think HWFRS realise that they are in a strong position on this there's elections next year

Not to mention there would be no need to demolish any buildings!!!

I've given the bus station a lot of thought as to the possibilities of putting the fire station there & it is by far a better location than bath street for a hundred reasons & for one the road system there is perfected for HWFRS to be able to reach all parts of the city? As I'm lead to believe by some councillors it needs to be in easy reach of the city centre (that's the old part) in two minutes as fire poses the greatest risk in that area!!

I'm no geek either technology has me befuddled too!!

You should also look @ wot the friendly neighbourhood fire has to say about job cuts & the removal of one engine from Hereford scary reading especially if you ever find yourself caught up in a fire or RTA!!!

Thanks dippy glad to be here!

None wots so ever logical thinking is unheard of @ HC!

Yes the bus was one of the other two sites HWFRS looked @ the other one was somewhere on the purposed new link rd. I know that the bus station was one as it came up in a phone conversation I had with the lawyer for HWFRS a slip up on his part as he did try back tracking?

Hi dippy & gang apologise for being late had a nightmare creating account then my network went down?!

I'm running a Facebook page called save our city where I've been posting bit of info that I've managed to find out. As I see it this is a stitch up by HC on HWFRS one of the locations that HWFRS looked @ was the county bus station however HC refused HWFRS this site because they said it was more valuable as a commercial plot? But when you realise that Stanhope where give the OLM for free when it was originally valued @ £30 million then that reason seems very unjust?!