October 2009

At a meeting of its board last week, NHS Herefordshire, the leader for healthcare in the county, received assurance that it has robust systems in place to manage a swine flu pandemic in the county.

Herefordshire Council is to bring in new ‘pay on exit’ parking on a number of key car parks to encourage more people to spend more time in Hereford. The move, which is likely to be popular with city shops and businesses, as well as visitors, will be introduced in the spring next year.

Children are blossoming in Herefordshire and services continue to improve despite the current recession and budgetary constraints.  That was the message Herefordshire Council shared with national politicians and chief executives when children’s services attended the national children and adult services conference in Harrogate last week.

Herefordshire Council is urging county residents not to be spooked by recycling and give their well-carved pumpkins a second chance this Halloween.

Herefordshire Council is launching an SMS text messaging service to ensure that people don’t forget to leave their recycling out for collection.

Can you help choose a name for Herefordshire's newest Enterprise Park? Herefordshire Council is placing a contract for surveys and roadside signage for the county's flagship business park, formerly known as Model Farm in Ross-On-Wye.

The Safer Herefordshire Partnership is urging anyone using fireworks to be aware of the dangers of firework misuse and to follow the firework code.

Herefordshire Council is planning to introduce ‘juice points’ to enable the public to charge up electric vehicles, it was announced at the 350 Climate Change event in Hereford (Saturday 24 October).

Do you have diabetes, or know someone who does?  Are you interested in diabetes services for adults in Herefordshire?  If so, NHS Herefordshire wants to hear from you.

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and transportation, has agreed to look into requests to close part of Knapp Lane in Ledbury on a trial basis.

Herefordshire Council is running a special event on Monday, November 2, so people can have another chance to view plans for the refurbishment of Widemarsh Street in Hereford.

Herefordshire Council’s plans for the redevelopment of the St Katherine’s area in Ledbury – including a new library and customer services building – are nearing completion.

A new flood alleviation scheme that will protect 115 homes and businesses in Hereford was given full approval by Herefordshire Council’s planning committee today (Friday 23 October 2009).

Herefordshire Council’s library service and arts team is working in partnership with The Fetch Theatre to bring an exciting new live show to Leintwardine library on November 9.

Herefordshire Council’s planning committee today agreed to defer consideration of a planning application from NHS Herefordshire for a new £1.5million walk-in health centre within the grounds of the Stonebow Unit, close to the county hospital in Hereford.

Herefordshire Council’s cultural services team is running Sketch a Skeleton activities for families during the half-term holiday.

Young people getting tested for chlamydia will have a special treat in store this Halloween as NHS Herefordshire plans to offer a ‘glo in the dark’ condom to all those who’s test is accepted.

Herefordshire Council’s cultural services team will be at the Maylord Orchards shopping centre on Monday, October 26, to showcase their activities across the county.

Josie Pearson, 23, from Whitney-on-Wye, has been named overall winner of the 2009 Pride of Herefordshire awards for her courage at readapting to life in a wheelchair after a car accident left her with serious injuries.

This week’s announcement that government is to set up a new body to champion the interests of traditional local markets has been welcomed by Herefordshire Council.

Oinks, moos and baas were on the agenda last week when children and parents from Herefordshire Council’s Ledbury Children’s Centre enjoyed a trip to Awnells Farm, Much Marcle to celebrate national Bookstart Nursery Rhyme week.

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, has been rated ‘fair’ in the first assessment undertaken by the newly formed Care Quality Commission.

As part of preparation for the start of its new recycling and refuse service which starts on November 2, wheeled bins are being delivered in the Ledbury area this week.

A group of local people who have shown courage and determination to get their lives back on track following accidents which have left them with brain injuries, are to be honoured next week.

Herefordshire Council is launching a new service next week which will offer a package of support to parents across the county.

Herefordshire Council’s youth service is encouraging young people in South Wye to join in a big art project which will involve planning, designing and painting a mural Banksy-style for the Hinton Community Centre.

Herefordshire Council is growing its own canoe instructors as more young people across the county pick up their paddles and take to the water.

Herefordshire Council is helping break down language barriers by running courses for interpreters.  

Youngsters in Kington are getting political this week as Herefordshire Council’s youth centre joins forces with Lady Hawkins’ High School to host a day of lively debate during local democracy week.

Herefordshire Council’s heritage services team is bringing the work of internationally renowned Brazilian-born artist Ana Maria Pacheco to Hereford Museum.

Herefordshire Council is offering Ledbury residents the chance to get their archaeological finds identified at a special event being held during the October half-term.

As the leaves on the trees start to turn and autumn descends upon us where better to see some amazing autumn colour than Herefordshire Council’s Queenswood Country Park?

Herefordshire Council and Worcestershire County Council's waste prevention team and the Master Composters will be hitting the road later this month to pass on their expertise to make sure residents get the most out of their bins this autumn.

Three multiplex cinema groups have expressed an interest in coming to Hereford as part of the new ESG leisure and retail complex in the city.

Herefordshire Council’s museums are offering county residents the chance to take part in the national Big Draw event.

A new chapter is about to begin for mums and dads with young babies who want to meet up, read and talk about books with other avid readers at Herefordshire Council’s Colwall Library.

Herefordshire Council is expanding its network of child cycle trainers and will, for the first time, be offering the service to high schools.

Herefordshire’s ground-breaking public services partnership has ‘gone live’ on the integration of systems across all of its environment and regeneration services – one of the largest programmes of its kind. It means that services ranging from community protection to planning can readily and securely share information and knowledge to deliver services seamlessly to local people.

Herefordshire Council is consulting with parents, staff, pupils and residents on proposals to build a brand new, contemporary primary school in Leominster.

Voting starts today to find Herefordshire's favourite rhyme as Herefordshire Council helps to celebrate National Bookstart Day 2009.

 

Herefordshire has again achieved a UK first with the integration of Herefordshire Council’s ICT services and the NHS Health Informatics Service, which are now operating as a single team.

Herefordshire Council’s regulatory committee agreed at its meeting on Tuesday, October 6 to defer a decision on a revised set of licence conditions for private hire and hackney carriage vehicles.

Herefordshire Council’s regulatory committee has in principles decided to keep taxi fares in the county at the same level as they currently are, although this is still to be openly consulted upon.

Herefordshire Council is one of the UK’s highest performers when it comes to collecting the council tax owed – achieving a collection rate of 98.5 per cent during the 2008/09 financial year, compared with the average for similar authorities of 96.7 per cent.

A Hereford woman who admitted falsely claiming £14,500 in benefits was today given a 12-month community order when she appeared at Hereford Crown Court.

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, is now set to provide walk-in, GP services in Hereford before Christmas.

Herefordshire Council is seeking the views of county residents and businesses on plans to create a new cycle route between Moreton-on-Lugg and Hereford.

Thomas Andrew Knight, an 18th century Herefordshire horticulturalist, who developed many of the fruit and vegetable varieties that we still eat today, wrote the original ‘Pomona Herefordiensis’ and went on to become president of the London Horticultural Society (later the Royal Horticultural Society) was born 250 years ago this year.

Herefordshire Council is holding a special event in Hereford’s High Town on Wednesday, October 21, to offer county residents advice on how to reduce their fuel bills.

As part of preparation for the start of its new recycling and refuse service which starts on November 2, wheeled bins are being delivered in the city of Hereford this week.

Herefordshire Council, through its service delivery partner Amey Herefordshire, has installed temporary rubber kerbs to help deal with traffic problems in Grove Road, Hereford.

Herefordshire Council is to look into options for providing extra parking spaces in Ledbury to make up for those that will be lost when new facilities, including a library, are built next to the Master’s House.

Herefordshire Council today (1 October 2009) gave the go ahead for the construction of the city’s new £7.1 million livestock market. But the cabinet stressed that it wanted the contractor for the project - Willmott Dixon Construction Ltd – to make sure local firms got the chance to win some of the work.

Hereford’s iconic Buttermarket should be refurbished in traditional Victorian style and promote more food and drink produced in the county. This is the view of the majority of local people who took part in the council survey on the future of the landmark building.

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, is delivering on expectations in terms of improving health care. In the Vital Signs 2008-09 assessment – produced by the national Care Quality Commission – the primary care trust is performing against the expectations set for it in 24 out of a possible 37 areas and is performing ahead of expectations in 7 areas.

Herefordshire’s migrant and seasonal workers are to benefit from a boost in local support services thanks to a successful bid made by Herefordshire Council.

Herefordshire Council is to build on its successful pilot scheme by putting in place two new part-time 20mph speed limits – one at Madley primary school and one at Walford primary school.

An exciting project to develop services for women on important issues they have identified is about to kick off in the South Wye area of Hereford.

A two-day programme of events aimed at everyone, from gastro-tourists through to family groups, has just been announced for this year's Herefordshire Food Festival – which will be held at Hereford Racecourse on October 24 and 25.

The new vision for health and social care services in Herefordshire has taken a major step forward with the setting up of a new Transition Board. The board will produce proposals on how health services in the community, in GP practices and in hospitals can link up, together with social care services, to deliver modern and efficient ‘pathways of care’.

NHS Herefordshire, the leader for health in the county, has been ranked in the top 20 per cent of primary care trusts in England for the quality of its in-patient mental health care.

Herefordshire Council is calling on local entrepreneurs to trade on the county’s outdoor retail markets that operate in Hereford, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye and indoor venues at Hereford (Buttermarket) and Kington (Market Hall).