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Herefordshire's new official flag to be revealed early November. The competition deadline has now passed and the voting for Herefordshire’s new official flag will take place in September and the winning design will be revealed on November 2, the Herefordshire Flag Committee announced today. The shortlisted entries will be named when the schools go back after the August bank holiday and the county’s residents will then have about a month to make their choice. Everyone aged five and over will be eligible to vote. Herefordshire is one of only three of England’s 39 historic counties not to have its own registered flag, alongside Leicestershire and Hampshire. This unadopted design below, which you might recognise, features a red background that represents the county's red earth, and a white and blue wave standing in for the River Wye. The gold lion is taken from the City of Hereford arms, and the bull's head is a bovine nod to Hereford Cattle.

Pepe's Piri Piri to open in former Matabeau Café in Commercial Street Hereford following a new letting agreement. A planning application to extend opening hours to 11pm at the vacant unit. The company's application said: "The proposed extension of hours will allow the business to open until 11pm serving customers with healthy grilled food, coffees and teas." If this planning application is approved, the restaurant will be open from 11am to 11pm seven days a week and will create 8 jobs. The consultation period will end on April 4. Pepe Piri Piri currently has 88 restaurants nationally with a menu offering Burritos, Wraps, Burgers and the famous Piri Piri Chicken plus many other items.

Herefordshire Council has submitted plans to refurbish the library in Hereford. Leading councillors agreed last year to spend up to £230,000 on developing the mezzanine floor at the Hereford Library and Museum on Broad Street. The proposed plans include widening of the existing door and forming an additional opening in the wall in the wall between the room and the library mezzanine. Opening up of the two internal window spaces. Inserting glazed screens within the openings with photographic images of Hereford. Inserting glazed screens to form office space and providing a kitchenette. Repairing the existing lath and plaster soffit and plastered walls with lime plaster. Uncovering and restoring/displaying the gothic window. Addingceiling mounted Breathing Building natural Ventilation system. The existing window W1 is to be removed and replaced with a shallower fixed double glazed window to match existing. The proposals will ensure the library is accessible to all. Planning application P193462/L

Following on from the recent 'food hygiene rating of zero' at the Jalsagor Indian Restaurant in St Owen St Hereford. We placed a request for a copy of the officers report under the freedom of information act. Herefordshire Council's response as follows: Full Report attached: R - GKE00359.pdf

The Jalsagor Indian Restaurant in St Owens Street Hereford was visited in August and given a food hygiene rating of zero, which is the lowest possible score. Ratings are a snapshot of the standards of food hygiene found at the time of inspection. It is the responsibility of the business to comply with food hygiene law at all times. This includes: Handling of food How food is stored How food is prepared Cleanliness of facilities How food safety is managed The food hygiene rating scheme does not provide information on the following factors: Quality of the food Customer service Culinary skill Presentation Comfort For suspected food poisoning, seek medical advice from your GP and contact your local environmental health or food safety team. Understanding ratings The rating shows how well the business is doing overall, based on standards found at the time of inspection. The ratings can be found online and on stickers which are displayed at business premises. The back of the sticker and the online rating will also show the date of the inspection by the local authority’s food safety officer. Ratings are typically given to places where food is supplied, sold or consumed, such as: restaurants, pubs and cafes takeaways, food vans and stalls canteens and hotels supermarkets and other food shops schools, hospitals and care homes A food safety officer from the local authority inspects a business to check that it follows food hygiene law so that the food is safe to eat. At the inspection, the officer will check the following three elements: How hygienically the food is handled – how it is prepared, cooked, re-heated, cooled and stored the physical condition of the business –including cleanliness, layout, lighting, ventilation, pest control and other facilities how the business manages ways of keeping food safe, looking at processes, training and systems to ensure good hygiene is maintained. The officer can then assess the level of confidence in standards being maintained in the future Exemptions There are two groups of exempt businesses which are inspected by the local authority food safety officer but are not given a food hygiene rating: Businesses that are low-risk to public health, for example, newsagents, chemist shops or visitor centres selling pre-wrapped goods that do not require refrigeration, childminders and businesses that offer caring services at home. The rating scale The hygiene standards found at the time of inspection are then rated on a scale: 5 is top of the scale, this means the hygiene standards are very good and fully comply with the law 0 is at the bottom of the scale, this means urgent improvement is necessary To get the top rating, businesses must do well in all three elements which are referenced above. If the top rating is not given, the officer will explain to the business the necessary actions they can take to improve their hygiene rating. A breakdown of the three elements making up the food hygiene rating for business is also provided with the online rating. This information is available for businesses inspected since April 2016 in England and Northern Ireland and for businesses inspected in Wales since November 2014. Detailed information is included in the food safety officer’s inspection report. If you want to see this you could make a Freedom of Information (FOI) request (Opens in a new window) to the local authority that carried out the inspection. You can find the local authority’s contact details by searching for the business and then clicking on the name of the business. The local authority will consider your FOI request and will usually send you a copy of the report. In some cases, the local authority may decide that they cannot do so but will let you know this and explain why. Any concerns relating to a business's food safety can be reported to the local food safety team who are responsible for the business. You can find the local authority’s contact details by searching for the business and then clicking on the name of the business. Ratings can be displayed in an obvious location within the business’ window or door. You can also ask a member of staff what rating was given at the last inspection. Putting a hygiene rating on show is a good advertisement for businesses that meet the requirements of food hygiene law. If the rating is low you can then choose to buy your food or meal from a place with a higher rating. ENGLAND Businesses in England do not have to display their rating at their premises but are encouraged to do so. WALES Businesses in Wales are legally required to display their ratings in a prominent place, like the front door, entrance or window of the business. All businesses in Wales must provide information on their rating verbally if requested in person or over the phone. The scheme applies to businesses who sell to businesses including food manufacturers and wholesalers. Takeaways must include a bilingual statement on menu leaflets and flyers which tells consumers how to find details of the rating on our website. NORTHERN IRELAND Businesses in Northern Ireland are legally required to display their ratings at or near each customer entrance like the front door, entrance or window of the business. Stickers must be displayed in a location where they can be readily seen and easily read by customers before they enter the establishment when it is open for business. All businesses in Northern Ireland must provide information on their rating verbally if requested in person or over the phone. Differences between online ratings and rating sticker displayed There may be temporary differences between the rating displayed at a business and online rating for which there are valid reasons, such as: The business has appealed its latest rating and is awaiting the result. The local authority is in the process of uploading the new rating to our website. Even if a business achieves the top rating there can be a short delay while the local authority updates the website. Local authorities upload ratings at least every 28 days. If you cannot find a rating for business then you will need to contact the local authority responsible for inspecting the business. You should also contact the local authority if you are concerned that a business is deliberately displaying a higher rating to the one on the website to suggest it has higher hygiene standards than it actually does. Businesses with poor ratings Businesses which are given low ratings must make urgent or major improvements to hygiene standards. The local authority food safety officer has several enforcement options available as well as giving advice and guidance to make sure these improvements are made. The food safety officer will also tell the business how quickly these improvements must be made and this will depend on the type of issue that needs to be addressed. If the officer finds that a business’s hygiene standards are very poor and there is an imminent risk to public health, when food may be unsafe to eat, the officer must act to ensure consumers are protected. This could result in stopping part of the business or closing it down completely until it is safe to recommence. Frequency of inspections A new rating is given each time a business is inspected by a food safety officer from the business’s local authority. Each local authority plans a programme of inspections every year. The frequency of inspections depends on the potential risk to public health. The assessment takes account of the following factors: Type of food that is handled The number and type of customers, for example vulnerable groups Types of processes carried out before the food is sold or served Hygiene standards seen on the day of the last inspection Businesses that pose a higher risk are inspected more often than businesses that pose a lower risk, for example a small retailer selling a range of prepacked foods that only need to be refrigerated. The time between inspections varies from six months for the highest risk businesses to two years for lower risk businesses. For some very low risk businesses, the interval between inspections may be longer than two years, however there may be some exceptions to this. In between inspections, local authorities may also monitor businesses in other ways to ensure they are maintaining hygiene standards. If these checks reveal anything that might indicate that hygiene standards have deteriorated, the officer will carry out an inspection and the business will get a new rating. If the local authority receives a complaint or new information about a business that they are not due to inspect, and this suggests hygiene standards are not being maintained, the local authority will investigate and may inspect the business and give it a new hygiene rating.

Hereford Voice Instagram: Church Street, Hereford - a brief history. Church Street dates back to around 800 AD and is split into two parts; the wider section from the Cathedral Close up to East Street, and the narrow passage which leads from there into High Town and which was the beginning of what, in the thirteenth century, was called ‘Cabochelone’ or Cabbage Lane. (Unlike the position of cabbage today, the privileged Norman/French churchmen ate their meat with choice vegetables like the cabbage which would have been purchased in the street, along with exotic herbs and spices.) In the fifteenth century the two parts were separately identified as Brode Cabeige Lane and Narowe Cabeige Lane, which was gentrified in the eighteenth century to Capuchin Lane. The nineteenth century saw it become Church Street with the narrow section being called, rather confusingly as it was furthest from the river, Lower Church Street. Church Street was in St. John’s Parish, where parish officials in the post reformation period applied the laws of settlement to exclude the lame, lazy and sick, thus providing for a ‘polite society’ and maintaining the area’s wealth. However, this did not stop a number of public houses and subterranean drinking dens flourishing in the area. There were three in Narrow Cabbage Lane alone. The first Herefordshire Directory, published in of 1835, lists 26 distinct trades and specialists such as a butcher, baker, fishmonger, tailor, bookseller and milliner. Church Street was seen as a street of commerce and refinement – a position it still holds today. Source

From Westfields to Portfields and everything in between, Hereford’s residents and visitors will be able to get a lungful of fresh air on Beryl Bikes in time for summer. The British urban cycling brand, has announced the launch date of its innovative hybrid bike share scheme that is already helping create greener cities in London, Bournemouth and Poole. An initial rollout of 70 bicycles will begin on Monday 29th of July, before 150 Beryl emerald bikes will be available for business and pleasure across the city. To hire a Beryl Bike, users must use the Beryl app, available for download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play store for Android users. The bikes can be picked up and dropped off in marked ‘Beryl Bays’ that have been selected and approved in conjunction with Herefordshire Council, to ensure the scheme is in line with the needs of the community. With Beryl Bays positioned at key attractions and transport hubs like Hereford Railway Station, Old Market and Hereford Cathedral, there will always be a bike nearby. Riders will have a payment choice of Pay-As-You-Ride (£1 unlock fee + 5p per minute), Minute Bundles (no unlock fee and bundles starting at 100 minutes for £5) or Day Passes (24 hours of unlimited riding for £12). Once their ride is complete, users simply close the lock on the bike to complete their ride and make it available for the next person to use. The three-speed gear bike has a step-through design suitable for riders from 4’11” to 6’5”. They are also fitted with the company’s patented Laserlight Technology, combining a bright, dynamo-powered white light with a green laser projection, visible at night. This allows riders to be seen in blind spots and forewarn pedestrians that they’re on the road when riding in the dark. Through the custom-built reporting dashboard, Beryl will be able to provide Herefordshire Council with valuable insights from the data generated by the bikes. This will help local authorities plan and grow their cycling infrastructure, based on accurate journey data. Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure, said: Phil Ellis, Beryl CEO, said:

We have noticed all this new graffiti locally, some will claim it is street art but the bottom line here is that this is plain criminal damage to someones property and this criminal damage costing the taxpayer thousands of pounds for the local council to clean it up. This has popped up at the Oval and along the Belmont Road over the past week.

The controversial bright yellow and pink shop front colours along Widemarsh Street in Hereford have been approved and the current colours are to be changed inline with current planning conditions. Planning application details: This is how to U Break We Fix store currently looks The new colours below are more inline with current planning regulations. Application P191115/A

Please support and share our latest advertiser: The Wasp Guys The Wasp Guys is a family run company. Originally from Hereford, we spent 20 years living and building our business in Oxted, Surrey. As a team we have been successfully eradicating wasp nests throughout Surrey, Sussex, Kent and London for over 20 years. We now have a family base both in Hereford and Surrey and our small family team can therefore provide an excellent service to both these beautiful places. We can nearly always offer a same day service or you can book us for a specific day that suits you. Please note we operate 7 days a week throughout the Summer, from 7am to 9pm. Our trained technician will invariably be with you for about 15 minutes. Generally all signs of wasp activity around the treated area will be gone within an hour. It's very rare we fail with our 1st treatment. If there were to be any activity after 48hrs, we would return and re-treat the wasps nest free of charge. 100% Guaranteed. Call Nick now: 01432 507300 - Mobile 07761 232470 (mobile number as we are always on the road) THE WASP GUYS (Nick's Wasp Nest Removal) have the expertise to rid any wasp or hornet problem you may have, quickly and efficiently. All work is 100% guaranteed and always at a low price. We are fully insured and DBS (formerly CRB) checked. For a local, efficient, friendly service call us today. Click here for the website and see over 600+ genuine Checkatrade reviews!

Cyclists on Footpaths! Should cyclists be allowed on footpaths? I ask the question because this morning I was walking along Belmont Avenue and a chap on a bike knocked into me from behind and almost knocked me to the floor as he came speeding past me on along the footpath on his bike. He turned around and shouted sorry pal but to be honest it not only startled me but I will probably have a bruise on my arm. I could have easily lost my balance and fallen into the road. I thought riding a bicycle on a footpath was illegal? I appreciate that some people do not like riding on the roads and most of the councils in the country are implementing cycle lanes where they can but if the roads are narrow in the first place it makes it very difficult. I always remeber growing up that the police would tell you to get off your bike and walk on footpaths but that does not appear to happen anymore. I have just seen this article on Sky news

The former Bob Gallier motorcycle warehouse in Berrington Street Hereford is to become 'Little Princess Trust' Centre of Excellence if plans submitted this week are approved. The Little Princess Trust provides real hair wigs free of charge to children and young people up to the age of 24, who have lost their own hair due to cancer treatment and other conditions. Planning application P192461/F Here is a link to the wonderful charity's website where you will find full details of what they do - The Little Princess Website

Burger King to open in Hereford on Monday 12th August. To celebrate the grand opening, BK staff with be in the city centre giving away 1,000 FREE Burgers!

Please share and help find Lyndon. Big into RC community. Also a friend. Thanks https://www.westmercia.police.uk/article/62770/Appeal-to-help-find-missing-man---Hereford

The Green Dragon Hotel Launches New Cocktail Destination for Herefordshire This week sees the opening of the eagerly awaited Offa Bar at The Green Dragon Hotel in Hereford. A key area of restoration for the hotel’s refurbishment programme, bringing this historic hub for agricultural business and community back to life as a high-end cocktail venue for Hereford’s social scene. Historically, The Offa Bar was a place to meet all of the county’s most influential people and socialise with them, something the new owners are aspiring to. The bar will now boast the best mixology in the county, supported by Chase Distillery who will be the house vodka of choice and who sponsored a recent competition to find the bars lead mixologist, Henry Partridge. Henry will be devising an array of classic and seasonal cocktails that will be changed on a regular basis and focused on local drink suppliers. Managing Director Julian Vaughan comments: The local focus is apparent with many local brands already on-board British Cassis, Chase Distillery, Ludlow Gin, Penrhos Gin and an extensive list of local ciders curated by Susanna Forbes author of “The Cider Insider” and co-founder of Little Pomona cider. The Offa Bar will be open from 6 pm to 11 pm on Thursday - Saturday. On other days of the week, the bar can be hired for exclusive use, mixology classes and private cocktail parties. For more information contact Ananda Hill ananda@greendragonhotel.com Thank you to Kie Cummings for the photographs.

Maylord Orchards shopping centre in Hereford has closed their public toilets due to financial pressures. A spokesperson said it's no longer viable for the toilets to be kept open due to the cost of maintaining them. Simon Whiting, centre manager, said: A notice on the Maylord Orchards Facebook page yesterday said:

BBC Crimewatch tonight at 9pm. The senior investigating officer (SIO) of the investigation, DCI Leighton Harding, said: We are offering this reward to encourage people to come forward with information to help us identify those responsible for Christians death. We firmly believe that someone has information which could lead us to those responsible for Christian's death but has not yet come forward. My appeal to them is to think about the impact Christians murder has had on his family, in particular his young daughter who faces a life without her father, and to do the right thing by contacting us. If you have any information it is imperative you come forward to police and allow Christians family the justice they deserve. #speakupforchristian

Can no one at Balfour Beatty and our councillors see the state of our urban roads in the city which are now getting out of hand. When the use of a garden hoe along the kerb would have removed most weeds we are now in a position that the weeds are so established that the only way to treat them would be with herbicides which in turn cause pollution. So the only answer appears to be is do nothing and our streets on our estates take on the appearance of an outback town - the only thing missing is tumbleweed. Together with the inability to get on top of the litter and fly tipping problems and blocked drains around the area it is apparent that the majority of citizens and those elected to represent us have no pride in our environment - a sad state of affairs. The picture of Glastonbury Festival and the accompanying litter say so much about the state of our country and mindset of those responsible. In Australia they appear to have come up with a safe, pesticide-free method of keeping their streets clean and tidy. And ironically this method is used by Glastonbury Town Council to keep their town clean and weed free. Belmont Road Hereford:

'We have lost a National Treasure' Professor Stephen Hawking dies aged 76 and was one of the most brilliant scientists of his generation. The man who made astro-physics understandable His most famous book 'A Brief History of Time' explained the origins of the universe in terms a non scientist could relate to. Published in 1988, A Brief History of Time became a huge hit, selling 10 million copies and being translated into 35 languages. He had visited Hereford several times, most recently in 2015 when the Professor dropped in on a Roller Derby training session and also back in 2014 as one of a party of eminent physicists visiting the city’s cathedral, where they saw the famous Mappa Mundi. Following the cathedral visit, Professor Hawking and his colleagues visited Saxty's bar for a champagne tasting event.

Planning permission has been approved (with conditions) for a 65 bedroom Premier Inn hotel with ancillary restaurant, car park and associated works in Blackfriars Street Hereford. Once complete the hotel will employ around 25 people. Application P174776/F

The scaffolding erected at the Town Hall in Hereford in December 2015 was finally removed today after almost three and a half years! The entrance canopy has undergone extensive repair work as it had settled by approximately 50mm and required additional strengthening steel rods to be placed in order to give additional support and a large part of the canopy has been completely replaced together with remedial terracotta and stone work. There is still some cleaning to be done to complete the project but this fine iconic Hereford building is almost back to its former glory.

The prefabricated bungalows in Beattie Avenue Hereford will soon just become a pile of rubble once the demolition work begins. Hereford Voice previously reported on plans submitted by Hereford Housing back in March of 2018 in this topic for the proposed demolition of 41 existing (prefab bungalows) in Beattie Avenue Hereford and the subsequent construction of 71 bungalows and houses with associated parking, private amenity, access and alterations to highway.

Planning permission has been granted for a new student accommodation block at Station Approach. The application was submitted by the council’s development partners, energy and regeneration specialist ENGIE and Cityheart Partnerships, for purpose-built student accommodation at Station Approach. Hereford College of Arts (HCA), which has a proven need for good quality student housing to support its growth plans, will be the main customer of the Station Approach project. There will also be rooms allocated for students of NMiTE, supporting its development. Station Approach is part of Herefordshire Council’s Development and Regeneration Programme (DRP) in partnership with ENGIE which will deliver the programme over the next 10 to 20 years. The programme will support the council’s economic vision for the county which includes support for the delivery of the new university and Hereford’s existing colleges. The site is located at the heart of Hereford’s transport system, to the north east of the new Hereford City Link Road and provides easy access to Hereford College of Arts (HCA), Hereford station and the city centre. Along with accompanying hard and soft landscaping, cycle parking, and accessible parking with fast charging points for electric cars, there will be public art designed and made by the students. Cllr Harry Bramer, cabinet member contracts and assets, said: Jake Fellows, Major Projects Director for ENGIE’s Places & Communities division, said: Abigail Appleton, Hereford College of Arts, said: Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, CEO of NMiTE, added:

What's all this nonsense about saving the planet. It all started to go downhill when schools dropped home economics in the 1970’s with a switch to computer and design technology, so that all you need to know now is how to handle a tin opener. The demise of home economics skills (cookery, laundry and budgeting) result in a scruffy mindless herd eating on the streets and throwing their tins, wrappers, plastic bottles and lottery tickets anywhere but into a waste bin. The specialty disposal method favoured locally is to deposit waste into someone’s garden hedge. What does this mess (not politics) tell us about our future citizens and their minds. This is the outcome of the Liverpool and Tottenham match in Madrid. No wonder the Spanish get the wrong impression of British tourists.