June 2009

Hereford residents are delighted with works carried out by Welsh Water which have seen an end to the unpleasant smells that used to come from the city’s waste water treatment works at Eign and Rotherwas, a meeting of RAWW (Residents and Welsh Water Liaison Group) heard.

Herefordshire Council and partner organisations are working together on plans to refurbish the Hereford Buttermarket into the city’s prime shopping destination.

Candidates wanting to stand in an election to vote for a new councillor for Walford parish council have until midday this Friday, July 3, to get their nomination forms in.

Traffic has been allowed over Colwall’s new £1.5 million railway bridge for the first time on Friday last week, June 26, after workmen completed work on site.

In 24 out of the 32 indicators determined by the Department of Health, Herefordshire is above the national average and is particular better in terms of avoiding early deaths from smoking, heart disease, stroke or cancer, of ensuring good health for the over 65s, of keeping children out of poverty and encouraging more active children, breastfeeding and securing good GCSE results and educational attainment.

A section of the A4110 at Stretford Bridge, in north Herefordshire, is to be resurfaced later this week.

The switchover to digital television in the West Midlands is on track for 2011 which may still seem some way off, but Herefordshire Council’s trading standards department, Consumer Direct and Digital UK are warning residents to be on their guard against cowboy contractors as the final part of the Rogue Trader Awareness Month Campaign.

Herefordshire Council and West Mercia Police are taking action to allay fears over pedestrian safety and emergency vehicle access within the Bewell Street area of Hereford city centre.

Local NHS and council working together to help people live longer and better.

We will attract more city shoppers by increasing choice, not restricting it, says cabinet member

NHS Herefordshire confirms there have been three cases of swine flu in Herefordshire to date, in the context of over 1,500 confirmed cases in the West Midlands as a whole. The Herefordshire confirmed cases are an older man who returned from holiday to Hereford from an affected area, a university student who returned to the county and a man in his 40s. All have responded well to anti viral drugs.

Villagers in Wellington Health are hopping on board a newly-introduced bus service which they have fought for with the help of Herefordshire Council.

Young children and families in the northern part of Hereford city now have access to new children’s centre facilities as staff have moved into a children’s centre on Widemarsh Common which has been refurbished by Herefordshire Council. 

Ledbury Town Council has three new members following yesterday’s (Thursday, June 25) election.

NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Council have reported the second and third confirmed cases of swine flu in the county.

Herefordshire Council’s cabinet has agreed that final negotiations will now take place on a new retail quarter for Hereford. It will see the city get its first multi-screen cinema, as well as a range of high-quality, household name stores.

The best minds of the planning world will be in Hereford tomorrow (Fri, June 26), when the Planning Officers’ Society holds its annual general meeting in the city.

The much-anticipated opening of the relocated traditional open retail market in Hereford’s city centre on Saturday (27 June 2009) has been temporarily blocked by an interim injunction obtained by a trader from the city’s Buttermarket.

Motorists in Herefordshire are being advised that the A44 at Eaton Bridge, over the River Lugg, will be closed from 9.30am to around 6pm tomorrow, Thursday, June 25.

Affordable housing in the village of Lea will come under the spotlight during a special event to be held in the village hall on Friday, July 10

Talented youngster Sapphire de Sousa Stayton, from Ross-on-Wye, has been by chosen by Herefordshire Libraries to be the first ever Young Poet Laureate for the county.

One of Herefordshire Council’s children’s centres is helping to keep children safe by promoting messages about child safety in a special week-long programme of activities this week (June 22-28).

One hundred school children from thirty Herefordshire schools will join together in a huge annual awards ceremony at Hereford Town Hall on Wednesday July 1st.  The children will be celebrating the work they’ve done to make their world healthier, safer and more environmentally friendly.

Hereford will get its first multi-screen cinema if Herefordshire Council’s cabinet gives the go ahead to a development agreement for the city’s new retail quarter.

Children in the county’s primary and special schools are getting some last minute training in as they prepare for this year’s Herefordshire Youth Games which will see  more than 1,000 school pupils from across the county competing for trophies and medals.

One of Herefordshire Council’s children’s centre managers, Kim Gristy, joined the Prime Minister and other ministers at Number 10 last month to celebrate the opening of 3,000 Sure Start Children’s Centres.

Work to control invasive weeds long the city’s riverbank will start this week (June 22 2009) and is likely to continue for a further three weeks.

One in three people over the age of 65 will fall each year, or around 12,500 people in Herefordshire. Falls are the biggest cause of accidental death for older people, and will often also result in life changing injuries. NHS Herefordshire, the primary care trust, and Herefordshire Council are working with Age Concern and Help the Aged to run an awareness day in Hereford High Town on Tuesday 23 June.

ESG Herefordshire Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Ted Willmott CB OBE as its new chairman, following the decision of Clive Richards OBE DL to retire after more than three years at the helm.

An exercise to show how much rubbish people in Hereford city centre drop each day has shown shocking levels of littering.

Herefordshire PCT and Herefordshire Council have reassured residents and businesses in Leominster that the ash which resulted from the fire earlier this week is no risk to health if handled appropriately.

The Director of Public Health for NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Council, Dr Akeem Ali, has reassured those living in Leominster that there has been no long-term health risk from the fire which ravaged a factory in the town this morning.

Herefordshire Council and NHS Herefordshire can confirm that the Minor Injuries Unit at Leominster Community Hospital has now reopened.

Herefordshire Council can confirm that no bus services are being currently operated in the Leominster area by Lugg Valley Travel as they are unable to access the depot in Southern Avenue.

The fire at Leominster this morning has affected domestic and trade refuse collection rounds due to take place in a number of locations in the north of the county today.

Herefordshire Council can confirm that the A49 has been closed between the north roundabout - where the Fina Petrol Station is - and the Worcester Road roundabout as the road is lined with fire engines pumping water from the river.

Herefordshire Council has responded in several ways to the major fire at Leominster this morning.

Herefordshire Council is delighted to learn that Steven Thomas, music teacher at Whitecross High School and Specialist Sports College, has been awarded Teacher of the Year in a Secondary School at this year’s West Midlands Teaching Awards ceremony.

The Hereford-based architects behind a number of exciting projects in the county have won a major international award for sustainable energy. Architype received an Ashden Award from HRH The Prince of Wales in London last week (11 June 2009) and £15,000 prize money for research and development.

Herefordshire has successfully bid for £2.4 million to help bring together a wide range of services for children, young people and their families in a number of single sites across the county.

Staff and users of Ross-on-Wye’s Ryefield Centre are getting out the bunting in readiness for a Royal visitor next week.

Herefordshire Council has beaten its targets by a long shot when it comes to getting the county’s youngsters involved with sport.

Shoppers in Hereford city centre could be forgiven for thinking they’d stepped back in time when they came across Maid Marion, Friar Tuck and a couple of knights of old in High Town.

Extra security has been put in place following vandalism at the livestock market in Hereford.

Following on from last year’s success at the Local Authority Building Control National Building Excellence Awards, Herefordshire Council’s building control team, in partnership with some of the region’s businesses, have enjoyed further success in the 2009 Awards.

People in Herefordshire are getting ready to celebrate and recognise HM Armed Forces – past, present and future – as part of Britain’s first ever Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 27.

Twelve of the county’s schools are to receive Artsmark awards for the work they have done to increase and improve their arts education provision.

Herefordshire Council is offering Hereford City shop owners and traders an opportunity to apply for a grant to give their shop fronts a makeover.

The shop front grant scheme for Kington Town aims to enhance the physical appearance of the eligible shops and businesses to create a more pleasant environment for shoppers in the north of Herefordshire.

Herefordshire Council joined forces with a wealth of environmental groups to celebrate World Environment Day on June 5.

Candidates standing for a vacancy in the Withy Brook ward on Lower Bullingham parish council and facing an election on Thursday, June 25, have been confirmed.

Candidates standing for vacancies on Ledbury Town Council and facing an election on Thursday, June 25, have been confirmed.

Following voting in the European parliamentary elections for the West Midlands on Thursday last week, June 4, the following MPs have been voted in to represent the region for the next five years:

Philip Bradbourn - Conservative
Malcolm Harbour - Conservative
Mike Nattrass - UKIP
Nikki Sinclaire - UKIP
Michael Cashman - Labour
Liz Lynne - Liberal Democrat

The summer arts season kicks off this weekend with 25 artists exhibiting affordable arts and craft in Hereford’s city centre.

A special seminar takes place on Thursday, June 11, to help anyone who fears time could be called on their local pub.

Nursery and primary school children in South Wye can look forward to being taught in new light, bright and larger than average classrooms next term as their brand new school is finally due for completion.

Smokers across Herefordshire are being warned they may be inhaling more than they bargained for if they buy dodgy cigs.

NHS Herefordshire is taking its chlamydia screening programme on the road over the summer in a bid to increase the number of young people getting tested for chlamydia and gonorrhoea and to offer advice and support on sexual health issues across the county.

Affordable housing in the village of Yarpole will come under the spotlight during a special event to be held in the village hall on Monday, June 15.

NHS Herefordshire has launched a campaign to ensure those susceptible to serious complications from catching flu are given a vaccine to protect them against developing pneumonia.

The public’s views on Herefordshire Council’s highways and transportation services will soon be compared with others across the country, thanks to the second annual National Highways & Transport (NHT) Network Public Satisfaction Survey.

Herefordshire Council is urging county residents to get cycling to celebrate national Bike Week (June 13 to 21).

Herefordshire Council has delivered another year of prudent financial management - coping with severe cost pressures on social care, larger winter road maintenance costs and increased homelessness to meet its budget targets.

 

Coventry Trading Standards has warned of the risks of buying in demand Take That tickets for their Ricoh Arena concerts at the last minute after receiving concerns over the number of 'unofficial' websites offering tickets for next week’s gigs.

NHS Herefordshire and Herefordshire Council have confirmed that the county has its first case of swine flu. A man recently returning from holiday in an affected area contacted the primary care trust out-of-hours service and is now responding well to treatment at home.

Young people in Ledbury can try their hand at alternative sports like cheerleading, judo, laser tag, golf, basketball and dodge ball  thanks to Herefordshire Council and Ledbury Youth First.

As part of its campaign to boost the number of people composting, one of Herefordshire Council’s Master Composters will be in Much Marcle on Saturday, June 13 and Sunday, June 14.

Herefordshire Council’s head of planning and transportation is getting on his bike to help promote the benefits of cycling to his own staff.

Children and toddlers in Shobdon are using jelly to get fit and active – not by eating it, but by racing with it.

Herefordshire Council is holding a public planning consultation event next week for the new livestock market, which is proposed for construction later this year on a new site along the Roman Road in Hereford.

Herefordshire Council is to carry out essential resurfacing works in Bank Crescent, Ledbury, starting on Monday, June 8.