PAGE 10

Sharing lives with those in need

PAGE 3

Outcome of Ofsted report

PAGE 11

Investing in your local library

See centre pages for regeneration and transformation plans

Welcome to this first edition of Herefordshire Now magazine.

In March 2018 we published our ‘How your Council Tax is spent’ brochure, which was delivered to every household with council tax letters. We had an overwhelmingly positive response from local people who told us they gained a much better understanding of how their council tax was being spent and the council’s priorities.

We have decided to build on this success with Herefordshire Now.

Produced quarterly, it will be available on the council website with a small number of paper copies available through community outlets such as libraries, council buildings and leisure centres.

Each issue will include news and information about council services from across the county. In addition the centre pages will focus on a key area – this issue highlights developments in infrastructure and plans for regeneration and transformation, as well as local neighbourhood planning.

We hope you find it informative. Please get in touch with us and let us know what you think.

Contact us:

herefordshirenow@herefordshire.gov.uk

Cycling is an excellent way to get around, keep fit and have fun so it was great to see so many people at our first bike exchange in August.

In all, 61 pre-owned bikes were available – 25 reclaimed from the Hereford Household Recycling Centre, by Sustrans, and 36 bikes were donated by local people.

On the day, 34 bikes found new homes with cycling enthusiasts of all ages.

Due to the success of the event we are planning to arrange more exchange events later in the year. In the meantime, if you have a bike gathering dust that you would like to donate to a new owner, please get in touch,
email: move@herefordshire.gov.uk
tel: 01432 383150

We were also delighted to welcome 21 people onto our Bicycle Champions programme - an initiative to encourage cycling within the county, including led rides.

We will be running our popular cycling lessons during the October half term holidays.

Learn to Ride - Two-hour sessions for 4-11 year olds to help young riders move from balance bikes or stabilisers onto pedals. Parents are required to stay during these sessions

Cycle Skills - Two-hour sessions for 6-11 year olds to learn more advanced cycling skills. Parents are not required to stay during these sessions

Please note that as demand is very high for Learn to Ride and Cycle Skills sessions, we have to limit them to one session per child.

Led Ride - A short, off-road cycle ride, suitable for all ages. Parents and family members are welcome to join in

Cover picture credit:

Led Easy Ride to Breinton

We have printed 5,000 copies of this magazine at a cost of £499

Please check www.herefordshire.gov.uk/holidaycyclingactivities nearer

the time or follow @hfdscouncil on Twitter and Facebook for updates.

Keeping children and young people safe is our priority

Exam and SATs success

Recent improvements in children’s services have been recognised during the latest Ofsted inspection, but there is still more to do to bring them up to the standard the council is working towards.

Did you know you can sign up to school alerts on our website? You can receive information on any school closures or school transport issues direct to your email as soon as an event happens.

You can also download the Herefordshire term dates calendar direct to your laptop or smartphone calendar.

All the hard work paid off for the county’s students who received their A-level and GCSE results
over the summer.

Well done to the year 6 pupils who sat their SAT tests. Provisional outcomes are well above the national average for the first time.

Congratulations also to the committed teachers and support staff who provided high quality teaching, and to parents and carers for their ongoing support - they couldn’t have done it without you.

•Children in care live in good placements, where their outcomes improve, including their education and health

The council’s recent financial investment in children’s social care services was also acknowledged.

However, the Ofsted report highlighted several areas of weakness, particularly around leadership and management.

Action has already been taken to start to address this, including additional support for social workers and introducing measures to recruit and retain staff.

Ofsted is the national body that inspects and regulates services which care for children and young people.

Their routine inspection in June checked whether council services protect and support children and young people and their families and improve the quality of their lives and futures. The services retained an overall ‘requires improvement’ rating.

The Ofsted report highlighted a number of strengths, including:

•No children seen were found to be at risk of immediate harm

•Children who need immediate help or protection receive our support

•Early help family support services are responsive and intense support is provided when needed

The Ofsted report can be found at
www.reports.ofsted.gov.uk/local-authorities/herefordshire

Back to school - sign up

for alerts

Residents encouraged to
recycle more

Hereford Museum and Art Gallery was recently proud to host Threads of Time - an exciting exhibition from Hereford textile recycling entrepreneurs, Rose Tinted Rags, a culmination of four years creative work. The participants, staff and volunteers worked primarily with recycled and donated textiles and other waste resources, including butter papers and crisp packets, to craft their amazing creations.

Inspired by the 18th century costume collections at Hereford Museum and Berrington Hall, the exhibition included beautifully embroidered waistcoats made from donated textiles and an amazing installation based on an 18th century banqueting table made almost entirely from recycled gold threads.

Rose Tinted Rags is a flagship project of Echo, a Leominster based charity which provides day opportunities for people with a disability or mental health illness.

Find out more at:
www.facebook.com/rosetintedrags

With programmes like Blue Planet motivating people like never before to care about plastics, Recycle Week, 24–30 September, reminds us why recycling is more important than ever and that we all have a role to play.

Now in its 15th year, Recycle Week is a celebration of recycling with the overall aim of encouraging people to recycle more household items.

In Herefordshire our recycling travels to the Worcester Envirosort recycling plant. The plant receives, sorts and dispatches all of the clean recyclables.

Thanks to your efforts, last year 40% of waste in Herefordshire was recycled.

We recorded a video at the recycling plant to learn what happens to your recycling and the materials it can be used to produce after processing.

Threads
of time
exhibition

To find out more visit
www.herefordshire.gov.uk/

recycling

To find out more visit
www.herefordshire.gov.uk/

historyliveshere

Hereford is often congested, as alongside local traffic a large volume of heavy goods vehicles use the route through the city to cross the river on their journey further afield.

A number of measures are being planned to help improve traffic flow in Hereford, which in turn will help improve air quality and reduce noise in the city while unlocking opportunities for new housing and employment.

The proposed Hereford bypass is the key element of this. This new road will provide an alternative route for traffic which will be able to avoid travelling through the city, meaning journey times will be more reliable and making it much easier to travel longer distances across the region.

The reduced congestion in the city will create road conditions that are safer for active travel schemes such as new traffic-free routes, cycle routes and road crossing improvements, which will encourage more people to walk, cycle or use public transport.

Still in the early planning stages, a preferred route for the bypass was chosen in July. The plans are now being developed further. The next phase of public consultation around the bypass and active travel schemes for the city, will provide

the opportunity for residents and businesses to feedback on more detailed proposals. We encourage everyone to take part in the next stage of the consultation. Your feedback is vital in helping us to shape how we move forward.

At the same time it's important we make sure that, through training, young people develop the skills that local employers need.

To achieve this it is essential to have the right infrastructure in place - this includes roads and other transport options, land for business and housing development, education and apprenticeship opportunities and access to broadband.

We live in a beautiful county, with wonderful countryside, a vibrant city and successful market towns. It is no surprise Herefordshire is already home to a wide range of successful trades and industries.

To support future growth and continue to provide opportunities for those who live and work in the county, it is important that new and expanding businesses, large and small, are encouraged to settle here offering employment and helping to build a strong local economy.

A place where people want to live and work

For further information on the proposals, see the council website at:

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/HTP

New
university for Herefordshire

Hereford will soon be home to the first wholly new university in Britain for four decades.

NMiTE (New Model in Engineering & Technology), once fully established, will bring thousands of students to Hereford. The courses on offer will focus on training engineers and technicians for sectors including agricultural-engineering, advanced manufacturing, defence and sustainable living technology.

The university offers a way to address a national shortfall of engineering graduates, while local businesses will also benefit from the knowledge and skills of the people who work and study here.

To attract those who are top in their field to work at the university, and talented young people to study there, it's important to offer housing and easily accessible transport options, alongside a stimulating and attractive environment in which to live and work.

An initial ‘design’ cohort are checking the facilities from a students’ perspective. The first students will arrive at the university in 2020, and will be accommodated in buildings around the city centre.

Drivers using two key routes in the county will notice the improved quality of the road following recent resurfacing work.

The new high-quality surface along a total of three miles on the A4103 and A438 will improve road safety with the new road material designed to have a life of at least 30 years before renewal is required, reducing future costs and disruption in these areas.

The recent resurfacing was the second phase of an £8.5million scheme which was made possible after £5million was secured from the Department for Transport’s ‘Local Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund’ in August last year.

Further resurfacing works funded through the Challenge Fund will take place next year, and will in total restore just under 40 miles of key routes to good condition.

Plans are being developed to make it easier to choose how you travel into and around Hereford, through a new integrated transport hub.

Located by Hereford railway station, the hub will bring together public transport including trains, buses and taxis making it easier to connect from one to the other.

Connected to the new City Link Road, which has already opened up a key cycle route linking the train station, hospital and colleges, further improvements to pedestrian areas in Commercial Road and Blueschool Street will bring a more pleasant walk between the transport hub and city centre.

The redevelopment of the former munitions site on the Hereford Enterprise Zone at Rotherwas, will create space for new and growing businesses to set up and expand alongside facilities for development and innovation.

The project is being funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Herefordshire Council and a loan from the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.

The Shell Store, which is not a listed building, was built in the First World War and used as an ordnance site

during the Second World War. The project will see commercial space created within the existing building, retaining much of the original factory, including its steel roof structure.

Alongside accommodating approximately 25 businesses, the centre will also provide facilities for the new Herefordshire University, NMiTE, with design and workshop space for its engineering students and creating an interface between the new university and businesses.

The centre is due to be completed in early 2020.

Making Ross a capital of
enterprise

With its motorway links and easy access to the Midlands and South Wales, Ross-on-Wye is ideally placed as an enterprise park location.

The council has already secured planning permission for a new 15 hectare business park just outside of the town and work is underway to turn the permission into a reality.

The council will invest £6.5million in the enterprise park’s infrastructure - roads, drainage, utilities and landscaping and will create plots of land for purchase by businesses and investors. The site will provide up to 29,400 square meters of new office and factory floorspace when fully built.

The University of Wolverhampton and Herefordshire Council have secured £9million funding to develop a new centre for cyber security to be located on Skylon Park enterprise zone in Rotherwas.

The defence and security industry is well-established across Herefordshire and is renowned for its high level of expertise. With more than 200 security companies already operating in the county, Herefordshire is also home to the UK’s only defence and security focused enterprise zone at Skylon Park, providing a hub for industry-related companies to work in close proximity.

The new centre will offer high quality research facilities through the University’s Cyber Security Research Institute, as well as providing office space for cyber businesses and advanced training facilities designed specifically to tackle threats in cyberspace.

The new centre will firmly establish Herefordshire as a natural home for cyber security research and innovation, putting the county at the cutting edge of this pioneering field and generating highly skilled and well paid jobs.

Work will commence on the cyber security centre next year and is expected to be open in early 2020.

New centre for cyber security

Work is due to start early next year on a £7.3million redevelopment of Hereford’s Shell Store, transforming the historic building into a flagship business incubation and innovation centre.

Herefordshire

leads the way in

local planning

Fastershire -
getting you

online

There are a range of courses running during 'get online week' in October to help you get the most out of your online device.

How to use your Smartphone - at Hereford Library Monday 15 October, 11am to 1pm

Learn the basics of how to use your smartphone, from apps, picking up emails, using the internet and connecting to the Library Wi-Fi. Bring your own smartphone.

Book at Hereford Library or phone 01432 383600

Introduction to the Internet- Kington Library

Tuesday 16 October, 10am - 12pm

Learn how to search the internet safely and effectively. Laptops will be provided for the workshop.

Book at Kington Library or tel: 01432 260600

Introduction to Emails - Ledbury Library

Tuesday 16 October, 4pm - 6pm

Learn how to set-up an email account, send and receive emails and attachments. Laptops will be provided for the workshop.

Book at Ledbury Library or tel: 01432 383499

How to use your Tablet Computer - Leominster Library

Thursday 18 October, 10am - 12pm

Learn the basics of how to use your tablet. Bring your own tablet. Book at Leominster Library or tel: 01432 383290

Introduction to Emails - Ross-on-Wye Library

Tuesday 23 October, 5pm - 7pm

Learn how to set-up an email account, send and receive emails and attachments. Laptops will be provided for the workshop.

Book at Ross-on-Wye Library or tel: 01432 383280

These free workshops are provided by Fastershire – the partnership between Herefordshire Council and Gloucestershire County Council to bring faster broadband to the two counties.

For more information see www.fastershire.com

Neighbourhood planning gives communities the opportunity to get involved in planning policy, taking charge of and shaping the development of their local area.

The neighbourhood planning process is undertaken by town and parish councils. Herefordshire Council provides support and assistance to ensure the plans meet the council’s strategic planning requirements.

Local people can have a real say in how their community grows, such as by proposing where new homes and businesses can be built and what they should look like.

In Herefordshire, 109 areas have seen community members giving up their time and getting involved in developing their neighbourhood plan. With 40 neighbourhood plans already adopted, Herefordshire has become the lead local planning authority in the UK.

There are always a number of consultations underway from local planning and

development to how your council tax is spent for example.

William Jackson (Chair, Humber, Ford and Stoke Prior Parish Council), Samantha Banks (Team Leader, Neighbourhood Planning) and Councillor Philip Price

Consultations - get
involved

• Pay your council tax

• Report a problem

It's quick and easy to access Herefordshire Council services online. As well as finding out more about all council services, you can

• Register to vote

• Check your bin collection

To find out what else you can do, visit:
www.herefordshire.gov.uk

You can find details of current consultations and

sign up to receive notification of all new consultations at: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/consultations

Find out more about neighbourhood planning at

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/neighbourhoodplanning

Communities pledge to

'Stop the drop'

Herefordshire clear of litter and we’d like to encourage more people, businesses and groups to sign up to the litter pledge to help keep this beautiful county clean.

Local people, community groups, businesses, schools and organisations are being encouraged to sign up and pledge to Stop the Drop.

Around 400 people have already committed to keeping their local community clean through activities such as keeping their area in front of their home clear of litter and taking part in organising litter picks; with businesses keeping car parks and areas around their premises free of litter.

It’s everyone’s responsibility to keep

A new campaign was launched in June to tackle the problem of dog mess throughout the county.

A feature of the campaign is brand new signage to encourage owners to clean up after their dogs, designed by pupils of Holmer School, Hereford.

A new Public Space Protection Order for dog control came into effect in March 2018. Council enforcement officers travel throughout the county taking action against the minority of dog owners who do not keep their dogs under control or clean up after their pets.

You can help us focus our enforcement by letting us know about problem areas– please report dog mess via the Herefordshire Council website.

Introducing walking

and cycle rangers

The rangers team improve the experience of people who walk or cycle in Hereford by helping to keep over 7 miles of off-road cycle routes clear of vegetation and litter.

Herefordshire Council received an Access Fund grant from the Department for Transport to support the scheme, which will be delivered by Bassity’s until March 2020.

   WishHereford

www.WISHerefordshire.org

Wellbeing information

Local services

Events and activities

Jane Denny in her amazing homemade litter dress to highlight what is commonly found on litter picks and Spike highlighting the danger to our local wild animals from dropping litter

Visit:
www.herefordshire.gov.uk/dogpoo

To learn more about the Stop the Drop Campaign and sign up to the
Stop the Drop Pledge please visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/stopthedrop

Let’s keep Herefordshire beautiful

Could you be
a Care Hero?

Being a Shared Lives carer is a rewarding way to give a person who needs a little extra help the chance to access care and support in a normal, everyday way. Carers share their family and community life; this could mean something as simple as cooking and eating a hot meal together, popping to the supermarket, watching TV, gardening or warm company and a friendly ear.

In Herefordshire, over 70 people who need support to lead safe, healthy and independent lives visit

Flu can be a serious illness. Getting the flu jab is the best line of defence to help stop its spread. Getting vaccinated helps to protect you, family, friends and other people who may not be able to have the vaccine due to certain medical conditions and medications.

The earlier you get vaccinated the better. It can take 10 – 14 days for your immune system to respond to the vaccine.

Visit the NHS website www.nhs.uk to see whether you are eligible to receive the free NHS vaccine, if you are unsure contact your GP.

If you are not eligible to receive the vaccine for free then your local pharmacy may offer vaccination for a small charge.

Since the Universal Credit online digital services went live in the county in June, Herefordshire Council staff have been on hand to support customers who need to make a new claim.

Working in partnership with Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), face-to-face support with applying online is now available at council run libraries in the market towns and at Blueschool House in Hereford.

Customers can get help to start a claim and build skills to continue using the online account, using the free to use PCs and WiFi at libraries in the county.

The council also supports customers with personal budgeting to help them move from weekly to monthly payments.

Sharing lives with those in need

A new ‘Care Heroes’ website has been launched as a go to site for anyone interested in working in social care
in Herefordshire.

or live with around 50 approved Shared Lives carer households.

Shared Lives story:
Sadie, Lloyd and Brian, (pictured above)
Sadie, Lloyd and Brian live with Beryl, who is the second generation to support them over the last 40 years. Sadie and Lloyd have been married for 35 years. Living as part of the family with Beryl, they enjoy walking the dog, shopping, tending the vegetable patch, choosing what to eat and where to go on holiday.

Shared Lives supports adults with learning disabilities, mental health problems, or other needs that make it harder for them to live on their own.

Better off

The council has introduced the ‘BetterOff’ website as a single place to find out which benefits people are entitled to and how to apply for them.

The site also provides information on how to find and apply for jobs, along with budgeting advice.

To find out more about the support available when applying for universal credit, how to make an appointment or where you can ‘drop-in’ and speak with somebody, see the council’s website.

Vist:

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/

universalcreditsuppor

To find out more about shared lives and how to get involved, see the council website at
www.herefordshire.gov.uk/sharedlives

To find out more visit the ‘Care Heroes’ website at www.careheroes.co.uk

See

www.herefordshire.

betteroff.org.uk

exhibits; contained within a glass case, it is a rare insight into the inner-workings of a hive. Inspired children can also dress up as a bee or beekeeper to role play everything they have seen in action!

The Black and White House museum, Hereford has once again received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence.

The achievement celebrates businesses that have earned great traveller reviews on TripAdvisor® over the past year through ensuring their visitors received a quality customer experience.

The Black and White House is a magnificent Jacobean half-timbered building in the heart of Hereford City; now a wonderfully preserved house, furnished in period style.

Built in 1621 and home, in the past, to butchers, saddlers and bankers, visitors can explore the rooms which give a glimpse into daily life during the 17th Century.

The daring visitor can dress up and try out the replica beds to fully immerse

themselves in what it was like to live in 17th Century Hereford!

Libraries play a valuable role in the local community, from supporting children and young people in their learning development to being a life-line for people of all ages. The council is continuing to invest in libraries across the county to make sure the buildings continue to offer services the community need now and in the future.

Ross Library has recently benefited from investment to make the most of the space as a place for books as well as activities and events for the community. The library is already home to Jobcentre

Black and White House museum

is officially excellent

Hereford Museum and Art Gallery has welcomed back the busy bees that call the museum home, with the reinstallation of the live hive.

The beehive remains one of the most popular

Plus and will soon provide children’s centre activities to local families.

Leominster Library will see investment in the near future with a refit to ensure that all space is used effectively, and changes to Hereford Library will include opening up a currently unused space for study, computer, events and activities open to the public.

Investing in your
local library

Have you visited yet? Visit www.blackandwhitehouse.org to find out more about the Black and White House Museum, or follow the museum on Facebook to keep up-to-date with special events at

www.facebook.com/herefordmuseums

You can find out more about our museum services
at: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/historyliveshere

Follow @herefordmuseums and
@herefordshirearchives on Facebook

for all the latest events, exhibitions and activities.

For more information
about library services see
www.herefordshire.gov.

uk/libraries or follow
@HfdsLibraries on Facebook

‘Question time’ with
local schools

New
Report it App

You can find dates and details of public council meetings on the council website. Please click on 'council meetings' from the front page.

Did you know you can listen in on council meetings via our website? Click on the meeting date you want to listen to during or after the meeting and an audio link will appear.

A healthy democracy depends upon local people getting involved in decision making at the council.

Recently, pupils from Kingstone High School and Hereford Cathedral School did just that, in the form of a ‘Question Time’ session hosted by Councillor Jonathan Lester, Leader of the Council.

The event, which was held as part of National Democracy Week in July, was an opportunity for the students to learn more about local democracy and how they can take part in decision making in their community.

Don’t lose your voice in
elections

Make sure your current details are on the electoral roll so you can vote in local and national elections.

A household enquiry form has recently been delivered to every household. The form lists everyone currently registered to vote at the property, giving you the opportunity to add any new names or remove any out of date information.

Herefordshire Council registered address

Herefordshire Council, Plough Lane, Hereford, HR4 0LE

Telephone: 01432 260000

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved in local decision making see the council website at:

www.herefordshire.gov.uk/getinvolved

If you have recently moved house, or you are not registered to vote,
head to the gov.uk website at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

You don’t need to access the

normal app stores, instead

download from the council website at: www.herefordshire.gov.uk

management team and the local parish council; with a message being sent to you with your reference and keeping you informed of the progress of the reported issue.

A new ‘Report it’ App launched in September making it easier to report problems to the council from your smart device.

The first roll out of the app allows users to report pot holes, with plans to extend this to other ‘report it’ services such as fly tipping and public right of way over the coming months.

To report a pot hole - take a picture and upload it directly to the app.

The app can automatically pinpoint your location if you are at the problem area.

Your picture and report will be sent directly from the app to our highways