Around the ward

I was delighted to bump into a local resident who said he was “eagerly awaiting” my December update.

I had a site meeting on Old School Lane about, you guessed it, traffic speeds. Fingers crossed the council will now design some traffic calming measures. It looks like there will be funding to install these. I’ll keep you informed.

I also expect some designs to be created to improve the parking situation around the College Road Co-op which should prevent people parking on the pavement close to the junction (over the double yellow lines!) and provide a safe crossing point. Fingers crossed there may be funding for this too.

Huge thanks to the volunteer tree wardens who planted two trees at the entrance to Admiral’s Close to replace the tree that was felled in April.

I’ve also been contacted by residents concerned about traffic speeds on College Road: an ongoing problem which I am working on and parking issues in different parts of the ward.

And staff and students from Hereford Sixth Form College ventured out in the December cold to collect litter from Churchill Gardens.

We’ll be looking for some local volunteers to help with a bit of practical work in Churchill Gardens shortly. Let me know if you might be able to help.

At the councils

I attended a meeting of Hereford City Council’s community development committee. We awarded a range of grants to local organisations. I’m waiting for the city council to publish details of the grants awarded in October and at the December meeting. Once they are published I’ll update here.

I attended a meeting of the full Herefordshire Council. There was a proposal to change some polling stations in the county. I was concerned that these would make things worse for college residents and would not address the frustration that College Estate residents cannot vote in the College Estate. After some debate the proposal was withdrawn and I hope that my concerns will now be taken into account.
You can read the reports and watch a video recording of this full council meeting at Herefordshire Council’s website.

I chaired a meeting of the Scrutiny Management Board. We looked at the financial position of the council after the first six months of the financial year. The committee made some recommendations for the cabinet to consider. You can read the reports and watch a video recording of this scrutiny meeting at the Herefordshire Council website.

Out and about

I visited the new HANDS Hub. It’s a new set of facilities in Berrows Business Centre for all things neuro diverse. It’s managed by Herefordshire Autism and Neuro Diverse Support CIC. For more info visit their Facebook page.

You can always contact me by email, phone or on social media. But if you would prefer to sit down and chat over a cuppa I offer regular surgeries. I held a surgery in November and the next one will be on 11th January.

In fact LibDem councillors take it in turns to run surgeries at our office in St Owen St. So every Saturday morning you will find someone there to chat to and they will be happy to put you in touch with if you live in College Ward.

Around the ward

Hereford Sixth Form College staff and students turned out in force for the monthly litterpick of Churchill gardens. We were also assisted by PCSO Slatter from West Mercia Police.

I wasn’t able to see our local tree warden (Tim) giving a talk about the trees of Churchill Gardens but I heard this was excellent. He has been working with the council to agree some changes to the management of the park and we are planning to set up a Friends of Churchill Gardens group to encourage volunteers to do some practical work on the site. In particular we’d like to open up the old sensory garden and make it more of a wildlife garden.

If you’d like to get involved please get in touch with me.

Even if practical outdoor work isn’t quite your thing we’ll need some help with a (very little) bit of admin work so please get in touch if you’d like to help in that way.

I met two tree wardens and a Balfour Beatty representative to look at a number of tree-related issues. Thanks to the volunteer tree warden network we should be able to replace the tree at the entrance to Moreland Avenue very soon.

At the councils

I attended a meeting of the full City Council. I proposed a motion calling on the county council to end its practice of not replacing street trees which need to be felled. I’m pleased to say this was supported across the council.

I attended a meeting of the city council’s Climate and Biodiversity Committee. Amongst other items we awarded a grant to Hereford College of Art to fund new cycle shelters for both the Folly Lane and College Road campuses.

I attended a meeting of the city Youth Council. Cllr Toni Fagan from Herefordshire Council attended. She wanted to hear from the Youth Council about their work and about how the county council can ensure it listens to the voice of children and young people across all of its services. It was great to see how clear and articulate the youth councillors were on behalf of their peersand I know that Toni was very impressed with her visit.

The views of the youth council, along with other youth engagement projects such as the Ledbury Listening project, were fed into a meeting of Herefordshire Council’s Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee which I attended. We heard of examples where the council is seeking the views of children and young people. We recommended that the council produce specific guidance to help services do more of this work. You can read the papers and see a recording of the Children’s Scrutiny Committee meeting online.

I missed from last months report details of Herefordshire Council’s Scrutiny Management Board (which I chair). In October we looked into how the council delivers capital projects and also into the government’s proposals for devolution and how they will affect Herefordshire. You can read the papers and see a recording of the Scrutiny Management Board meeting online

Out and about

You can always contact me by email, phone or on social media. But if you would prefer to sit down and chat over a cuppa I offer regular surgeries. I held a surgery in November and the next one will be on 11th January. In fact LibDem councillors take it in turns to run surgeries at our office in St Owen St. So every Saturday morning you will find someone there to chat to and they will be happy to put you in touch with if you live in College Ward.

I was once again very proud to be able to represent the people of College Ward at the Remembrance Sunday and Armistice services in the city centre.

Around the ward

I organised a meeting with Lingen Avenue and Geoffrey Avenue residents and a Traffic Management Officer from Herefordshire Council to look at what could be done to stop larger vehicles tearing up the verges on those roads. We came up with a couple of ideas that can be implemented quickly and a couple more that will require some funding to be found in the future.

I was pretty shocked to find that Herefordshire Council is refusing to fund the replacement of some street trees that had to be felled for safety. I’m talking to the tree warden network about sourcing some saplings but I will be lobbying Herefordshire Council to find some funding for, at least, replacement trees.

Balfour Beatty have patched a few of the worst potholes in the ward. If you spot a pothole you can report it on the council’s website or let me know and I’ll report it and keep an eye on it until it is done.

At the councils

I attended a full meeting of Herefordshire Council. The LibDems introduced a motion calling on the council to take some simple steps to make sure drains and gullys are cleared and to communicate better with the public and city, town and parish councils about when drains have been cleaned. I’m pleased to say that this was supported across the council and we’re already seeing positive steps taken by the council. You can read the reports and watch a recording of this meeting on Herefordshire Council’s website.

I attended a meeting of the Community Development Committee at Hereford City Council. We were considering grant applications from local groups. The council hasn’t published the list of grants awarded but as soon as it does, I’ll update you here.

I also attended a meeting of Hereford City Youth Council. The young people have been surveying other young people across the city about their priorities. This work should help to shape the Youth Council’s work over the coming months.

Out and about

I went to an event at the Courtyard to premiere a new film about fostering in Herefordshire. It’s a beautifully made and very short film that I have embedded at the top of this post. I got the chance to talk to foster carers from across the county and hear their stories about the young people they care for and the difference that fostering makes. The council is looking to recruit more foster carers. It’s a vital public service and if it’s something you would consider, please get in touch with the council now.

I also attended the Local Government Association Conference in Harrogate. It was really good to talk to councillors from many different councils across England and to hear how different areas are approaching similar challenges.

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.

The council organised an in-person event as part of the consultation on the Aylestone Hill cycle scheme proposal last night. I was asked to provide an update for a facebook group that covers some streets in the ward. I thought I’d add it here for anyone else who might be interested.

Thank you to the people who came, most of whom were from our ward.

Key points from my perspective:

• the scheme is very likely to go ahead following the broad proposal, probably with work starting in January
• the council will look at all the feedback and see if there are modifications that can be made: for example they already recognise that having downhill cyclists travelling across the mouth of Moreland Avenue could be dangerous. They are looking at bringing the cycle route a little way into Moreland Ave which should slow cyclists and also create a space for a car at the mouth of the road with no cycle route in front of it (I might not be explaining it very well but they haven’t produced any drawings yet)
• at the same time the lights on Aylestone Hill and Commercial Road will be upgraded so they can monitor the amount of traffic waiting and talk to each other. The engineers say this will improve traffic flow up and down Aylestone Hill. The crossings introduced by this scheme will have the same technology.
• the scheme is linked to the plan to create a “transport hub” by the railway station (basically moving the county bus station there). I don’t have a firm timescale for this but the council has the funding and planning permission so I would expect work to start soon. (The BBC reports work could start in December)
• it’s also linked to the plan to prevent cars dropping off in Broadlands Lane for Aylestone and Broadlands which is likely to be introduced after next year’s school holidays. They hope more families will walk and cycle to school…
• several local residents pointed out it won’t really benefit us unless it goes all the way into town (and links to the hospital). The council has a design that would allow that but that scheme has been put on hold by the cabinet (who make most of the decisisons). I’ll keep pushing the relevant cabinet member on that.

You can still give your views until Friday You can always get in touch with me on here to talk about this or anything else.

Quite a short report for this month because I was on holiday (and at a festival) for quite a lot of the month.

Around the ward

I met our volunteer tree warden: Tim and another member of the tree warden network: Mo. They have some ideas about how the council could manage Churchill Gardens to be friendlier for wildlife while still being able to accomodate hundreds of visitors a day and saving money. They are discussing these proposals with council staff. I hope that we’ll be able to consult local people and park users if the council staff think the plans make sense.

We also watered some of the trees they have recently planted. Transporting enough water to make a difference to several trees is a serioues undertaking.

Though most people keep their hedges under control, I have had a few reports of hedges overgrowing pavements in different parts of the ward. You can report these directly on Herefordshire Council’s website or you can flag them up to me and I will report them and chase progress.

The council has been consulting on a proposal for a new cycle route on Aylestone Hill. I’m very disappointed that they have dropped a plan to extend it into the centre of town. Without that link I’m not sure what benefit it brings to anyone. I have asked that the council organise an in-person session so people can see the proposals and talk to engineers. They accepted the idea but no dates have been announced.

Please do give your views on Herefordshire Council’s online tool. I will also collate the comments of anyone who has contacted me directly and provide a summary to the cabinet member and the relevant employees before the end of the consultation.

I’ve also been helping indvidual residents with issues ranging from consumer complaints, to advice on council policies and an unusual question about access to the tip. Please do get in touch with me if you need help with any local issues.

Around the council

There were no council meetings in August but I have been involved in preparing for meetings of the Scrutiny Management Board and Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee in September.

Around the ward

The new vehicle barrier at the entrance to the Old School Lane park has been completed. This took a little while to get over the line but I’m very pleased that it is there. This should reduce the risk of unauthorised encampments on the park.

I am very conscious that if this barrier is successful it will move travelling people somewhere else. There have been travelling people in Herefordshire as long as there have been settled people. I will be asking the Conservative Cabinet at Herefordshire Council what they are doing to make sure there are enough official spaces for travelling people to stay on temporarily in the county.

Hereford Sixth Form Students gave up another lunch break in July to take part in a litterpick of Churchill Gardens. They were rightly proud of what they’ve achieved over this academic year and the Sixth Form has agreed to ask students to volunteer once a month in the new academic year.

I visited a number of local residents who raised issues with me about the local area or difficulties they were having accessing services. I will be taking forward these issues on their behalf. If you would like to raise any issues with me please get in touch.

I learned that the Cabinet no longer plans to build a cycle route that will link Aylestone Hill to the city centre. This makes me very concerned about their proposal to build a cycle route up and down both sides of Aylestone Hill.

At the councils

I attended a meeting of the Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee at Herefordshire Council. We looked at how Children’s Services handles and learns from complaints and made some recommendations. We also heard about progress the service has made since the publication of the Families Commission report and made some recommendations there as well. It was our first opportunity to meet Tina Russell who is the interim director of children’s services. You can watch a recording of the committee meeting and read the reports on the council’s website.

I attended a meeting of the full Herefordshire Council. We agreed to allocate £5M of capital to allow the Cabinet to buy properties to help alleviate the challenge of homelessness in the county. There is a real shortage of housing in Herefordshire and this has many consequences including the fact that the council is supporting over 140 homeless families each month. The LibDems have been pushing the Conservatives to take the issue more seriously and this decision of the full council is a step in the right direction. You can watch a recording of the council meeting and read the reports on the council’s website.

I also attended a meeting of the Community Development Committee of the City Council.

Out and about

On the 4th July I was at the Leisure Centre to witness the count of the votes cast in the General Election. I am aware that very few people get to see the count directly. It really is impressive how the process is carried out accurately and transparently. The fact that we have a robust system to ensure that every vote is kept safe and an accurate result is declared in every constituency is something we can be very proud of in the UK. Congratulations to Jesse Norman and Ellie Chowns on being elected as the two MPs for Herefordshire.

I attended a meeting of the Stronger Hereford: the Stronger Towns Board where we had updates on a number of projects but in particular the plans to develop the Shire Hall. I very much hope this will be a success and I am encouraging the project team to ensure that they have considered making sure the new space is welcoming and inclusive for all the people of the city and county. Stronger Hereford Board Minutes are published on the Stronger Towns website though, I think, the minutes for the July meeting will not be available until they have been approved at the September meeting.

I hope everyone in College Ward has a safe, enjoyable and relaxing summer.

Consultation open

Herefordshire Council has launched a consultation on its plans to build a new cycle route along Aylestone Hill.

You can view the plans and leave your comments on a special website https://uk.planengage.com/herefordshireatt/page/Aylestone_Hill-Home

There is also a drop-in event at the Town Hall on Thursday 25th July 2pm-4pm.

What they are proposing

Key points of the proposals include:

• starting by the students accomodation on Station Approach, the pavement on the station side of the railway bridge will be widened and will be for cyclists and pedestrians to share
• cyclists will be able to cycle on this widened shared path over Barrs Court Road. A little way before the Penn Grove Road junction cyclists will get a two-way dedicated cycle track in between the pavement and the road
• cyclists will be able to cycle up hill and down hill on the same side of the road and cross in front of Penn Grove Road and Moreland Avenue
• Aylestone Hill will lose the central zone used by cars turning left and right
• at the top of Aylestone Hill pedestrians and cyclists will be able to cross using a “Toucan Crossing” (traffic lights stop the traffic and pedestrians and cyclists can cross)
• cyclists and pedestrians will then share the path on the Broadlands side of Aylestone Hill the shared path will cross Broadlands Lane
• cyclists will cross back across Aylestone Hill just before Walney Lane on a Toucan Crossing, they will then cross Overbury Road and join a two-way cycle route in between the pavement and the road
• the two-way cycle route will have a new access to Aylestone Park a little way before the main gates

Why they are proposing this

This proposal would make it easier for people to get by bike from Aylestone Park to the top of Aylestone Hill (and then to the colleges) and from the train station to the top of Ayleston Hill and the colleges.

I have also been told, though it’s not in this consultation, that the council is working on seperate proposals that would connect to this cycle route at the junction by the student accomodation and have a two-way cycle-route all along Commercial Road up to the Kerry. Those two proposals would make it easier and safer for people to cycle from the Aylestone Hill side of the ward into town and back.

Please do have a look and share your views

If you have seen me out and about you’ll know that I get about a lot on my bike. If the council goes ahead with this proposal I would certainly use it but it isn’t really for me. The test for this should be whether it enables people who currently don’t feel confident to cycle along those routes to start cycling.

It will be a big change to Aylestone Hill if it goes ahead and I really encourage everyone to have a look at the proposals and give your feedback.

This reprot is somewhat late for which I apologise. I seem to have had a very busy first few weeks of July.

But back to June

Around the ward

I visited the HCA Degree Show at the College Road Campus. Once again it was an amazing display of creative talent. We’re very lucky to have this resource in our ward and I hope many of you had the opportunity to visit.

I went to a lovely coffee morning at Bryngwyn Court where I had the opportunity to chat to many local residents. We don’t get much opportunity to come together as a community in College Ward so it’s extra-special when we do.

I also attended a very busy meeting of Bryngwyn Court residents. It was great to see so many residents out talking about ways in which their local envirnment could be made better.

With the time of the year I have been reporting and chasing the council to get weeds cut back from footpaths and I must say Balfour Beatty have been pretty responsive.

At the councils

I took part in a scrutiny session looking at how Herefordshire Council is doing at recruiting and retaining social care staff. Having a stable workforce is an important part of improving the work of Childrens’ Services but it’s by no means the only thing that needs to happen. You can read the papers and watch a recording of the session on the council’s website.

I took part in a meeting of the City Council’s Community Development Committee we agreed the following grants to local projects:

• £3,000 for Dream Your Future Families CIC, for the Little Pickles Project.
• £1,075 for Wye Valley Runners, for Subsidised Membership and Running Kit.
• £3,000 for Aylestone Park Association towards the cost of “the Gazebo which is for the benefit of the public”.
• £5,000 for Hinton Community Centre Association Limited, for the Fit & Fed 2024 Project.
• £2,488 for Hereford Community Land Trust, for the Artists Quarter Pilot Project.
• £2,502.18 for St Peter’s & St James’ Church, for the installation of a wi-fi system.
• £2,411.90 for Friends Of Riverside Hereford, for the Dinedor Camping Trip.
• £1,500 for Vennture, for the “Lean-On-me” project.

The Committe also agreed £3,000 for The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC), for their Graffiti Art Project but as I am married to the Principal I didn’t take part in that decision.

If you are involved in a voluntary group delivering projects that will benefit the community take a look at how to apply to the City Council.

I attended a meeting of the Climate and Biodiversity Committee of the City Council and a meeting of the full City Council.

I also attended a meeting of the Cabinet of Herefordshire Council. I am not on the Cabinet but I had asked a question (about the performance of the housing advice line) and wanted to ask a follow-up. I am also (since May) the chair of the Scrutiny Management Board. The Board had made recommendations to the Cabinet before I was appointed but I attended to formally submit them.

Out and about

The City Council has appointed me to the Stronger Towns Board and I attended my first meeting in June. This is a group representing different aspects of the city who meet regularly to help ensure the various projects funded by UK Government as part of Stronger Hereford are delivered and bring the maximum benefit to the city. You can find out all about the projects, the funding and the board by visiting the Stronger Hereford website.

Along with other county councillors I accepted an invitation to talk to representatives of WI groups from across Herefordshire. The Herefordshire Federation particularly wanted to discuss how we could work together to tackle river pollution.

I attended an initial briefing on a Herefordshire Council proposal to develop student accomodation on the college site on College Road. My mum lived in halls there when she was training to be a teacher so, in principle, I think it’s a sensible place to build student accomodation but I will be working closely with the project to understand more about the detail of what they are proposing and to make sure this doesn’t impact negatively on the local community.

Along with other city councillors I visited an open afternoon organised by the Friends of Blackfriar’s Rose Garden. It’s not strictly in my ward but I know many of you visit, not least to drop off and collect your children from St Thomas’s. The volunteer project to look after the rose garden has created a beautiful oasis of calm in what is quite a busy urban part of the city.

I’ve been the councillor for College ward for a year. You’ve been keeping me busy but I am very proud to be able to do this job. I have tried to do the best job I can for the first year and I will carry on trying to do the best job I can for the next three years.

Around the ward

I had the chance to visit Newstead Nursing Home to find out more about the work they do, the challenges of providing care in the current economy and some of their plans for the future. Thanks for making me so welcome.

I was able to show Karen Davis: the new town clerk (who runs the City Council) around College Ward and point out to her some of the issues we face and some of the real strengths of the area. Most of our services are provided by the County Council not the City Council. The City Council can help to influence the County and does have money to spend on community projects. With Karen on board I’m confident the City Council will be working hard for College.

I went hunting for a wandering bench on the Old School Lane park. With Lee from Balfour Beatty we returned the bench to the play park and it was secured back in place. The wandering bench does seem to have been associated with some antiosocial behaviour which got a bit more serious. The police are aware and are working to make sure it is tackled. If you see any antisocial behaviour please report it to 101. You can always let me know too. I meet our local police regularly and point them to any areas where I am aware of concerns.

Thanks to City Council funding the Wildplay team from Herefordshire Wildlife Trust organised a messy play session on Old School Lane park during half term. I popped down and saw a bunch of kids having a really good time and exploring trees, bugs and making some cool toys. We don’t have a community centre in College so it’s hard to find ways to bring the community together but I hope that we can make more use of the park for all sorts of community events in the future.

At the councils

I attended a meeting of the Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee which looked at the work of foster carers. These people are absolutely key to supporting many children across the county and it’s important that they feel supported not just be the council but by all of us who live and work in Herefordshire. If you’d like to consider fostering yourself the council has information for you.

I attended the “mayor making” a ceremony at the City Council that goes back over 600 years. Councillor Kevin Tillet is our new mayor and I wish him every success. I also attended the annual meetings of the county and city councils. At these annual meetings we elect people to some of the key roles on the council. I will be vice-Chair of the Carbon and Biodiveristy Committee at the city council again and I will chair the Scrutiny Management Board at the county council. This last committee keeps an eye on how the council is setting and spending its budgets as well as related issues.

Everywhere else

I was very proud to attend the memorial service for Dr Richard Miller which was organised by St Michael’s Hospice at Hereford Cathedral. Hereford City Councillors attended in our ceremonial robes something that is normally reserved for a few very special occassions such as Rembrance Sunday. This was a mark of the city’s respect for Dr Miller who was instrumental in setting up the Hospice and then in ensuring that it thrived. On a personal note he was my family GP growing up and a doctor who you always felt had all the time in the world for you. My greatest sympathies are with his family and friends.

I went to a conference on the Future of Work at NMITE’s campus in Rotherwas. This was the sort of conference that normally you would have to travel to a big city to attend with a huge range of speakers. It’s great that because we have our own university here I was able to cycle to it. I hope that there will be many more of these sorts of events in the future.

You might have noticed there is a general election. I have been out canvassing with Dan Powell who is standing for the LibDems. He’s a hard worker, local, committed to doing what’s best for Hereford and Herefordshire, and a really nice chap.