Around the ward

I was kept busy in September talking to local residents about the Aylestone Hill cycle scheme proposed by the council. I summarised the discussions on the blog here. I look forward to seeing how the council responds to the feedback from local residents. I also hope they will link the route to the city centre so it will provide some benefit to local residents.

The heavy rain brought some localised flooding to parts of the wards and this revealed where drains needed clearing. I have to say the teams were quick to respond to reports when I made them. If your property was affected by flooding the council would like to hear from you. You can report a blocked drain on the council’s website or let me know and I’ll report and chase it for you.

I’m still working away trying to find a source of funding to address speeding issues in Old School Lane and parking issues outside the College Road Co-op.

At the councils

I chaired a meeting of Herefordshire Council’s Scrutiny Management Board where we went through last year’s budget outturn (ie how much the council ended up spending) in detail with the cabinet member responsible (Peter Stoddart) and the Council’s Finance Director. We made a series of recommendations that I anticipate the cabinet will act upon. You can read the reports and watch a recording of the SMB meeting on YouTube here.

I attended a meeting of Herefordshire Council’s Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee. We discussed the council’s approach to quality assurance. This is a really important part of how the council can ensure that social work practice continues to improve. We also discussed the revised Improvement Plan for children’s services. You can read the reports and watch a recording of the Children’s Scrutiny session here.

I attended a meeting of the City Council’s planning committee. I’m not a member of this committee but they were discussing a planning application on Penn Grove Road in which there has been considerable local interest. I’m pleased that the committee decided to put in a comment. The City Council does not decide on planning applications: that’s the job of the County Council. But it is consulted and is able to put in comments from a local perspective.

I attended a meeting of the Audit and Governance Committee at Herefordshire Council. I’m not a member of this committee but was substituting for a colleague who was unable to attend. We were considering the report of the external auditors into Herefordshire Council’s accounts. These were signed off very promptly. This is an important part of ensuring the effective governance of the council. You can read the reports and watch a recording of the Audit and Governance meeting here.

Out and about

I went to the relaunch of the Hereford Community Money Advice Service. This was previously known as the South Wye service and the relaunch demonstrates that the service is available north of the river too. This is a volunteer run service. If you are having money difficulties or getting into debt, trained volunteers can visit you, go through all of your paperwork and work with you to get back on track.

It’s a free service and it’s not a phone line, it’s real people coming and working directly with you. If you think this could help you, please get in touch with me and I’ll refer you to the service.