Have Your Say

Herefordshire Local Plan 2021-2041 – Place Shaping Consultation

Monday 13 June – Friday 29 July 2022

Place Shaping is the third public consultation to be undertaken in 2022, the results of which will help inform the preparation of a new local plan for Herefordshire. 

Information can be found at the following web address https://hlp.commonplace.is/

The consultation sets out possible options and/or potential strategic development areas for Hereford, each of the County’s market towns together with a range of alternative settlement hierarchies for rural parts of Herefordshire.

The consultation does not set out firm proposals, which will come later in the process, but does look at different ways that Hereford, the market towns and rural areas could be developed over the next 20 years. 

Following the close of this consultation a draft local plan will be prepared.  Much of the evidence base for the plan will be developed over the summer and autumn and, together with the results of the consultations undertaken during 2022, will form the basis to support the plans policies and proposals.  Further consultation upon a draft local plan will be undertaken in 2023.

Herefordshire Council would love to hear your views on the options of potential areas for growth presented for each of the market towns and the rural areas. There is a tile for each to find out more. Please go to the questions tile to answer the questions once you've read the information. 

There are a number of events planned for officers to go out and speak to residents about the options and answer questions. The dates for these events start at the end of June and more information about the venues and times can be found on the events website tile.

For those unable to attend the events but wanting to hear questions answered, we will be uploading the Members’ and Parish/Town Council briefing meetings onto the website.

There is also the chance to suggest areas that may not have been explored as possibilities yet, by pinning your suggestion and comments in the Interactive Map.

For landowners or agents wanting to submit information about a specific site, there is the opportunity on the Call for Sites page.

If you have any questions about the forthcoming consultation, please feel free to contact us.

ldf@herefordshire.gov.uk or 01432 383357.

This year, for the village hanging basket competition, it would be great to make the village colourful for the jubilee and everyone planted their hanging baskets and front of house in royal colours.

These will be judged in July.

1st prize £20,

2nd prize £15,

3rd prize £10

for hanging baskets and front of house.

Do you need advice on debt, benefits, energy, housing or anything else?

The Citizens Advice Bureau can help! Please contact them to have a chat with an advisor and book an appointment. Here's how:

1. Telephone - If you’d like to speak to someone, you can call us on 0344 826 9685.
The telephone advice service is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday from 10am – 3pm.

2. Text - on 0786 00 77 311
Stating (i) your name (ii) your postcode (iii) the type of advice needed (for example DEBT, HOUSING or BENEFITS). They will then call you back on your mobile phone.

3. Email - Online at advice@citizensadviceherefordshire.org.uk for initial contact by email. Please also give a contact phone number in case we need to contact you for more information.

Herefordshire Council would like to know of any property has been affected by recent flooding?  

By letting them know where & what happened, especially if it hasn't been reported, Herefordshire Council & their partners can use the information which may help reduce the future impacts of flooding.

Report it here: https://myaccount.herefordshire.gov.uk/record-a-flooding-incident  

Or contact TalkCommunityEnquiries@herefordshire.gov.uk

Qwell is available across Herefordshire and Worcestershire with free, safe and anonymous, online support and wellbeing advice for adults. 

Below is a link to a free session which is taking place on Friday 18 February 2022 at 11:00.  for you to discover more about the services available and gain resources to help signpost adults to Qwell.

Qwell Information Session for Adults in Herefordshire & Worcestershire Tickets, Fri 18 Feb 2022 at 11:00 | Eventbrite

Did you know that people living in a low income household that receives Universal Credit (at a level below the threshold for free school meals and/or free prescriptions), can now apply for a one-off payment of £60 to help with food, energy and other essential costs?

The one-off payment is available through Herefordshire Council, which has been allocated over £1million by the government as part of a new Household Support Fund to help vulnerable people and families this winter.

Applications close on Monday 28 February 2022. For information and to apply for the grant, visit the Herefordshire Council website.

Do you know anyone that has lost work or been made redundant due to Covid-19? Anyone that has struggled going back to work after being furloughed, or are feeling isolated working from home?

If so, The Cart Shed have a fantastic free programme to help people get back on their feet, to build their confidence and connections back. A fresh start for anyone that’s feeling anxious due to the impact of Covid-19 on their work.

The Post Covid Employment programme offers people a day a week (for 4 to 12 weeks), to take part in woodland activities in our beautiful Herefordshire countryside. Enriching, engaging, supporting wellbeing – all run by the amazing, experienced Cart Shed team.

Businesses can access the free support too, who have employees that have struggled during Covid. Sessions can also help employers who are having to make employees redundant due to Covid-19, to support a successful moving on for their staff.

For more information, contact The Cart Shed on info@thecartshed.co.uk, call 01544 318231, or visit The Cart Shed website. 

Herefordshire Healthy Minds are currently looking for feedback on their “Now We’re Talking for Healthy Minds” website, which they are looking to update.

Healthy Minds have a short survey on their website, which runs until Wednesday 9 February. They would appreciate it if people could take a few minutes to give some feedback through their survey. It’s a great chance to say what you do and don’t like about the website, how easy you find it to navigate around the website, and what suggestions you may have for improvements. 

Complete the survey - thank you for your time.

Herefordshire Wildlife Trust's new wilder website and community maps is a nationwide initiative to encourage more people to get out and take action for nature, whether in their gardens, on local nature reserves or by joining online campaigns. They want to make it easier for people to take action for wildlife and also to connect those that already are. There are loads of wonderful activity happening right across the county and hope that they can provide a way to link groups and individuals together and provide support where it is needed. If you’d like to find out more about Team Wilder you can go to our website: https://www.herefordshirewt.org/Teamwilder

They see the target of 30% of land in recovery for nature by 2030 as key to helping solve the biodiversity and climate crises and so part of what they are doing is mapping out what is being done for nature across the county. This can help in a number of ways, it can show how much is already happening across the county, it will show where there are gaps and areas with little being done and it can help to motivate people to take action in their areas when they see others taking action. They have three different maps at the moment, an individual actions map for things people do at home or in their gardens, a wilder farms map for land owners and farmers and a community groups map.

Additionally, they want to help people to take action for themselves and so hope to provide support in a number of ways, a quarterly e-newsletter which will include possible funding sources and resources like template risk assessments, meetup sessions where to hear what is going on around the county and share knowledge and support and finally a network of knowledgeable people able to support others in their communities with conservation work.

If you are interested visit the Team Wilder website and register on the community maps to get involved!

Be Amazing. Become a Foster Carer in 2022

If you have been thinking about fostering, the New Year is a great time to start your journey. By next Christmas, you could be giving the ultimate gift to a child by transforming their lives.

Fostering ranges from short emergency stays, weekends or holidays, to longer term placements, which means you can find an option which fits in with your work and family commitments.

You will be fully trained and supported, and receive an excellent financial package, plus full allowance to cover all the child’s costs.

Options include:

• Short breaks in your home for children with disabilities
• Supporting a young adult with life skills like cooking, laundry and budgeting
• Therapeutic fostering - working with children with complex behaviours
• Being the forever home that some children need

Call the fostering team on 01432 383240, email us at fostering@herefordshire.gov.uk or visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/fostering

If you spot a problem on the roads or with drainage or a footpath there are a number of ways you can report it to Herefordshire Council

Your one-stop-shop for up to date information is the Herefordshire Council website.

• If you spot a defect on the network, you’ve got two options for reporting it:
• You can raise a report on the council website, via the Travel and Transport page, then subsection Roads.
• Or, you can call our Customer Services Team on 01432 261800. For emergencies, you should always report by telephone.
• When you report issues this way, we can make sure everything is properly logged, assessed, and allocated to the right teams as quickly as possible.
• You can check the progress of a defect, or see if it’s already been logged, via the progress map on council website.

For things to do with Public Rights of Way, including reporting defects, you can check out the dedicated section of the council website. 

• You can also find up to date information about Herefordshire highway works, including road closures and diversions, on one.network.
• Balfour Beatty tweet to @HfdsStreets to let road users know about all things highways. Follow and tell your family and friends too, so you’ll always know when to take extra care.

  You can also find  on Facebook – check out our Herefordshire Highways page.

Balfour Beatty has refreshed the Riparian Responsibilities information to further engage riparian owners to take responsibility for their ditches and drains through awareness, support and guidance.   

Where there is a lack of cooperation and there is a safety risk to highway users, or significant damage to highway, they have now put in a place a process to enable a more formal approach.

Check out these information documents;

Riparian owner good maintenance guide

Ditches and drainage - your responsibilities

Balfour Beatty has also updated the Herefordshire Council website which includes a refresher and updates the information leaflets.

The Rural Crime Team is about to begin using the Neighbourhood Matters website to disseminate crime prevention information and broadcast good news stories. P

Please sign up to the bespoke West Mercia Police Neighbourhood Matters website at www.neighbourhoodmatters.co.uk.

This will enable you to receive crime prevention notices as soon as they are posted. In addition, you may wish to have a look at the West Mercia Police Rural Matters Facebook site which already highlights our activities and includes videos, visits and advice delivered by the team across the rural parts Herefordshire.

As part of the continued development of Talk Community and building on the great work to date, Herefordshire Council are delighted to announce the launch of the Talk Community website - www.talkcommunity.org

The website provides key information about Talk Community including videos, good news stories and launch the summer volunteering campaign – ‘give an hour this summer,’ and provides three areas that support in bringing Herefordshire together:

• How can I help myself?
• How can I help my community?
• How can my community help me?

Herefordshire Council are also changing the name of WISH to become the Talk Community Directory, this will still provide the same great service and functionality but with some minor amendments and name change.  WISH continues to be a highly-valued resource to our communities with its success growing and experiencing a record 59% increase in website visitors in 2020, compared to 2019. The new website address is - www.talkcommunitydirectory.org

Please take the time to visit the website and if you have any feedback email talkcommunitydirectory@herefordshire.gov.uk

Due to the impact of Coronavirus over 5.5 million people are claiming Universal Credit.

Many of them are new to claiming Universal Credit having been negatively impacted by Coronavirus.

For a guide and help to claim please follow this link

Job Centre Plus Link

Keep Herefordshire Warm is Herefordshire Council’s home energy advice service. By providing a freephone advice line, dedicated home energy advisors and grant funding for eligible homes, Keep Herefordshire Warm supports households to use less energy, lower their bills and make energy-saving improvements to their properties.

Homes relying on electric heating may be eligible for free first-time central heating, grants are available for insulation and support for when your boiler needs repairing or replacing. Warm, affordable homes are vital to health and quality of life – and Keep Herefordshire Warm is here to help make the winter months more comfortable.

Call friendly advisors for free on 0800 677 1432, or visit keepherefordshirewarm.co.uk

Pembridge Good Neighbour Scheme are a free service supporting local people in the parish of Pembridge.

If you need someone to for example:

• Fetch a prescription
• Do some shopping
• Walk or feed your pet
• Just call you for a chat

Just give them a call on 07779122499 from 9-5pm

Warmer homes Herefordshire Council is working with E.ON to help people across the county improve the heating of their homes by installing free first-time gas central heating systems in around 300 eligible residents’ homes. 

The project follows a successful funding bid by the Council to the £150 million Warm Homes Fund, established by National Grid, and administered by community interest company Affordable Warmth Solutions. 

Eligible households not connected to mains gas and currently relying on inefficient ways of heating their homes, for example electric storage or panel heaters, could be eligible for the measures, which are part of the Warmer Homes Herefordshire scheme. Subject to eligibility, where there is no existing gas supply to the property, a new gas network connection will also be provided by Affordable Warmth Solutions, usually at no cost. Still funded by Affordable Warmth Solutions, eligible properties (must be without existing central heating, unless the existing system uses solid fuel). Under this rural programme they would be able to support the installation of heating systems– e.g. LPG Gas, or Renewable heating (e.g. heat pumps or biomass systems).

For the full eligibility criteria and to apply, they would encourage any residents to call Keep Herefordshire Warm on 0800 677 1432 or email khw@severnwye.org.uk and take a look at: https://keepherefordshirewarm.co.uk/

Leominster Food bank offer support to those who meet the criteria for food parcels.

A short briefing note is attached which explains how someone gets referred and how it works. 

Please read the attached document HERE to see how to find out if you qualify. 

Contact Details: Food bank mobile is 07715410575 and email address is leominsterfoodbank@gmail.com

Allotments

If anyone in the local area is interested in growing their own, there are two remaining plots still available, probably as 4 half-plots.

Note that advice given by the national allotments organisation is that you should either walk or drive a short distance to allotments, and that working on them can be your daily exercise. If interested get in touch with Richard Goddard on 01544 387571.

Pembridge Film Club

Pembridge Film Nights are obviously suspended for the foreseeable future, but we are planning "Film Nights At Home", when we will agree a specific film to watch at a particular time on iPlayer or on Curzon Home Cinema. The intention is that this gives a communal feel to film-viewing, and we could discuss our thoughts about the films afterwards in a WhatsApp group (or similar). If anyone is interested, contact us at info@pembridgefilmnights.org.uk and we'll add them to the mailing list.

If you walk the Parish Footpaths for your daily exercise please stick the the public footpaths.

Keep your dog on a lead and pick up it's mess and take it home with you please!!

Please click for the  Definitive Footpath Map  and just enter your postcode.

Click HERE for a link  to local shops open and offering service in Kington

Click HERE for a link to local shops open and offering services in Presteigne.

Message for all parishioners in Pembridge Parish.

Here to Help!

Thank you to all those who have registered on the website and returned your information slips over the last week, this information is helping to identify possible volunteers and vulnerable people, so if you haven’t sent yours in yet please do to clerk@pembridgeparishcouncil.gov.uk or post to the address on the letter.

You should have by now received a letter from Herefordshire Council in response to the Covid 19 outbreak providing simple steps to take and support contact details.

You can call the support line on 01432 260027 or email talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk

Over the coming weeks it is important our community looks out of each other, please think about your neighbours or elderly people nearby, give them a quick phone call to check all is well and please offer help if you can.

If you are or know someone in need of help, Pembridge Good Neighbour Scheme (PGNS) are organising volunteers to call on for essential supplies, prescriptions and well being contact.

PGNS - Please telephone 07779 122499  between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday.

If you are able to volunteer you please let us know clerk@pembridgeparishcouncil.gov.uk or help in the wider county please contact www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19help

There are some local business offering home delivery. Here are some but by all means not all, if you know of any others please let us know and we will update the list.

Townsend Farm Shop - https://www.thewhatmeatcompany.co.uk or Call 01544388527

The Steppes – deliveries from the shop - 01544388506

Red Lion for Takeaway -  01544388007

Bells in Almeley – 01544327216 – email – thebellsinnalmeley.com

Lyonshall Garden Centre - Delivery service for garden needs - 01544340214

Helpful Links

NHS – Information on Symptoms

Herefordshire Council – Information

Gov.uk – Masses of information for all areas

Please remember there are scams operating on all platforms.

• Do not give your bank details to anyone claiming to help you. Never give your PIN number to anyone either.
• Do not click through on emails or other message links  - visit their webpage instead
• Do not sign contracts with third parties who claim to be acting on behalf of the Council.

Please use these details if you are concerned about the wellbeing or safeguarding of children or vunerable adults

More information Here