September 2008

Herefordshire Council is urging groups and organisations working with people who have learning disabilities to apply for cash to help turn project ideas into reality.

Herefordshire Council's decision not to re-open the local education swimming pool at St Martin's, Hereford, and instead provide lessons for youngsters at Hereford Leisure Pool came under the spotlight this week.

Representatives from businesses across the West Midlands flocked to a seminar on asbestos which was jointly run by Herefordshire Council and the Health and Safety Executive.

The number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in the West Mercia region has fallen by 70 per cent since the Safety Camera Partnership was set up, the first annual review conference by the Safer Roads Partnership heard.

A 78-year-old Birmingham man has finally found the Ross home where he was evacuated to during the Second World War - thanks to Herefordshire Council's Tourist Information Centre.

Herefordshire Council's Walking Festival attracted more new walkers this year than ever before, providing a boost to the county's reputation as a tourist destination.

The Rotherwas access road has received the stamp of approval from local businesses which can now send out goods without height or weight restrictions.

Six Herefordshire councillors will be taking democracy into the classroom during the next few weeks to show how relevant and important it is…even to youngsters.

Herefordshire Council is working to resolve a problem with its telephone system which was affected by yesterday's power fault which affected parts of the county.

Herefordshire Council is recommending BT retains 96 per cent of the 111 telephone boxes which it proposes to remove from service.

Pupils and staff at Staunton-on-Wye Primary School are celebrating after learning that their school has been awarded the prestigious Eco-Schools Green Flag for the third time.

A planning application has been submitted by the Royal British Legion to relocate the war memorial which had to be moved during works to rebuild a wall which had become structurally unsafe.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's ward member for Aylestone, has helped to secure a £50,000 boost for Barrs Court School.

Pupils, parents and staff at the new Sutton Primary School and village hall are to have a lasting tribute to the architect behind the building.

Herefordshire Council has acted swiftly to correct a front page article in the Leominster Journal, published today, September 24.

Herefordshire Council's energy efficiency experts are to spend a day at the Kington Information Centre on Tuesday, October 14, to help people in the town better understand how they can save money on their fuel bills.

The mouth-watering Flavours of Herefordshire will go on show at this year's Herefordshire Food Festival, over the weekend of October 25/26.

Herefordshire Council is once again coming to the aid of all county residents struggling with their composting.

Herefordshire Council is to undertake a formal review of the ambulance response service in the county - with particular focus on the market towns of Ledbury and Ross.

Bestselling author Phil Rickman is to sign copies of his new novel "To Dream of the Dead" at Hereford Library on Saturday (October 4).

Traders in Ross have welcomed the flexibility the Local Development Framework will offer in finding future sites for both businesses and housing.

Herefordshire Council is reminding green-fingered residents they could save themselves time by using a garden shredder.

Herefordshire Council has begun works this week to remove an unauthorised 600-metre earth bund containing rubble and waste.

To celebrate UK Older People's Day this year Herefordshire Council is inviting people to drop in for a chat and a cup of coffee.

Herefordshire Council's financial controls and procedures use public money and assets to secure economy, efficiency and effectiveness, according to independent public services watchdog the Audit Commission. In its Annual Governance Report for the last full financial year (2007/08), the commission's district auditor has stated that the council's financial statements represent fairly its income and expenditure.

Herefordshire Council wants to improve the mobile library service and will be asking residents of the county what it thinks about it. New routes and vehicles were put in place last summer and now is the time to see how they have been working and to plan for the future.

Herefordshire Council is moving to arrange good quality childcare for working parents after Ofsted inspectors closed Kington Children's Centre Nursery this week (Thursday 18 September).

Herefordshire Council's archaeological department is launching the final report from a project carried out in the Lugg Valley which unearthed the county's first Henge monument.

This photograph of a giant football has left staff at Herefordshire Council's museum perplexed.

Planning permission for six detached houses at the rear of Hazlenut Cottage, Llangrove, Ross-on-Wye was refused by members of the southern area planning sub-committee at their meeting on Wednesday, September 17.

Planning permission for the renewal of 10 extra car boot sales per calendar year at Ashford Stables, Stoney Street, Madley, was approved by members of the southern area planning sub-committee at their meeting on Wednesday, September 17.

Planning permission for the siting and erection of prefabricated classrooms, wc and kitchen facilities to provide temporary accommodation during the extension of existing school premises at Waldorf School, Much Dewchurch, Hereford, was approved by members of the southern area planning sub-committee at their meeting on Wednesday, September 17.

Herefordshire Council is celebrating the official opening of a new children's centre this month which delivers its services from the heart of the county's rural communities.

If you fancy a cup of coffee and the chance to browse around an historic building in Ledbury, you need to get along to the town's famous Master's House, on Thursday next week, September 25.

Stepnell Limited has been awarded the design and build contract for the new Minster College Building in Leominster.

If you work at Rotherwas there will soon be a chance for you to comment on just how easy it is to get to work these days.

If you're hunting for original Christmas presents you need to hot foot it to Hereford's High Town this Saturday, September 20.

Candidates standing in the forthcoming Belmont Rural parish council election have been confirmed.

With only around one in eight people with learning disabilities exercising their right to vote, Herefordshire Council is holding a special event to help them understand how they can take part in local politics.

Public meetings are taking place across Herefordshire in a bid to fight off plans to close 20 post offices in the county.

Local people are being asked their views on a proposed new national constitution for the NHS.

Broadband is helping many individuals and businesses across Herefordshire and is bringing the world into people's homes.

Candidates standing for election in the forthcoming by election in the Leominster South Ward have been confirmed.

Herefordshire Council is ahead of the game in already running a Mortgage Rescue Scheme using its own capital and has committed £1million to helping homeowners avoid repossession.

Herefordshire-based swimmers Sascha Kindred and Nyree Lewis have been congratulated by the county's civic leaders after their medal success at the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

As schools go back after the summer break, parents and carers of the county's 1850 year six children are being asked to apply for secondary school places for September 2009.

Motorists are being advised that they may face delays on the A49 going south out of Hereford towards Ross-on-Wye.

Herefordshire Council has out-performed many other authorities in the region and across the UK after collecting 98.6 per cent of the council tax it should have during 2007/08.

Hereford's new £5.5-million flood defences passed their first major test over the weekend - holding the River Wye at bay and safeguarding nearly 200 local homes. The riverside barrier, together with the new Belmont roundabout, was made possible after Herefordshire Council injected £2 million from a Section 106 planning gain negotiated in the construction of the new Asda supermarket in the city.

Herefordshire Council's highways staff and contracting partners Amey worked around the clock over the weekend to deal with major problems caused to the county's roads by heavy rains over the weekend.

Herefordshire Council is to arrange a series of public meetings across the county as the battle lines were drawn to support post offices facing the axe.

Herefordshire Council's transport supremos are getting on their bikes to refresh their cycling skills by testing out the council's free adult cycle training scheme.

Spare places are still available for local businesses interested to know more about regulations covering asbestos in their buildings.

Update - 1.00pm Sunday September 7th 2008

With the flooding situation improving or stabilising, Herefordshire Council is closing its emergency information line for the time being after being operational since midnight on Friday.

The new national HPV Immunisation Programme is officially launched this week by the Public Health Minister, Dawn Primarolo. The principal aim of the programme is to protect girls against future risk of cervical cancer.

Herefordshire Council's cultural services are hosting four free events during this year's national Heritage Open Days.

If you go down to the woods…for two days next weekend (Saturday, September 13 and Sunday, September 14) you will find they are inhabited by mystery and magic!

Herefordshire Council is holding a public exhibition on Monday (September 8) on proposals for a park and ride facility at Hereford Racecourse.

Herefordshire Council's trading standards service in conjunction with West Mercia Constabulary carried out a test purchasing survey last month and were shocked to obtain 19 alcohol sales out of 56 attempts by their 16-year-old volunteers.