Month: March 2021

Herefordshire Council declared a climate emergency in March 2019, strengthened in December 2019 to a ‘climate and ecological emergency’. The council is committed to promoting and encouraging healthy and sustainable forms of transportation, such as walking and cycling, which are better for the individual and the environment.

According to the Government, cycling has risen by around 200% since the first lockdown, and to support this momentum, Herefordshire Council has funded Life Cycle to provide up to four free cycle stands for workplaces, complete with free installation through its Take a Stand® scheme.

The scheme will provide cycle parking to help people on bikes better access local jobs and services. The benefits to businesses can be huge, to their staff, and with the resulting rise in footfall increasing retail spending by as much as 500%.

To apply and for further information please visit www.lifecycleuk.org.uk

The car parking charge structure in Herefordshire is to be simplified, making it easier than ever for you to make an informed decision about where best to park your car.

The new structure, which will see the price of parking divided into bands relative to proximity to the City or town centre, will incentivise people looking for longer-term parking to park further from the centre – giving you the option to balance spending less on parking with a short walk, and ensuring there are plenty of spaces available in the centre for short term users.

Parking will also be free in all market towns on Sundays and after 6pm every day, while in Hereford the charged parking period has been reduced down by two hours and will now be free after 8pm every day.

The new charges, which will be easy to understand, will take effect in May and more details of charges at each location can be found on the Herefordshire Council website.

Effectively managing the demand for parking spaces allows us to ensure the turnover of spaces to help with availability, reduce congestion and improve air quality. We want our historic city and town centres to be clean, vibrant and busy centres where people can meet, shop, eat and work.

Parking charges have not been increased in five years (since 2016). The council has listened to key stakeholders around the county and considered the revised parking structure very carefully to attain a balance that encourages more active travel without deterring visitors.

Car parking charges in Herefordshire are comparable with those in neighbouring counties, and are there to ensure that there are spaces available when people need to use them. The new banding structure will mean that parking slightly further from the city or town centre saves a bit of money on the price of parking while increasing footfall which supports local businesses.

We want people who come to shop or enjoy local hospitality to consider staying for longer by parking in one of our car parks that are a short walk from the centre so they don’t have to rush their day or evening out. This keeps spaces available in the centre of town for those who want a short stay.

Alongside necessary increases we have brought in free Sundays for all the market towns and have frozen prices at Merton Meadow in Hereford which is our largest car park out of the town centre, reduced prices at St Martins (swimming pool) from £1.20 per hour to £1.00 and extended the off peak season ticket to be available to all Market towns. We also offer an off peak hours season ticket which allows parking in any car park between 5pm and 9am for £75 per year or £25 per quarter.

We are continually listening to our key stakeholders around any improvements, or alternatives, that they may suggest. Should we need to conduct a review of how the new system is working in the near future then we will do that.

The funds generated from parking charges are used to maintain local car parks, and any surplus funds provide vital contributions to other important services for local people, including school transport and public transport.

Herefordshire residents are being invited to take inspiration from artist Grayson Perry and create their own works of art – a tapestry, textile or collage – with a selection to be displayed at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery at the same time as Grayson Perry’s ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’ exhibition, from October 2021.

Grayson Perry is one of the UK’s best known artists. Recently he has highlighted how art can help improve wellbeing through his popular Channel 4 television series Grayson’s Art Club, where he talks to artists, creatives, celebrities and viewers about art and lockdown.

Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences exhibition will be at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 9 October until Saturday 18 December 2021, on loan from the Arts Council Collection. Inspired by William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress the six large scale tapestries explore class mobility and the influence social class has on our aesthetic taste.

As part of a Herefordshire community art project, selected locally produced pieces of tapestry, textile or collage, in any media, will be chosen to be displayed at the same time, and a digital gallery of all the submitted works will also be created.

If you would like to submit your work please contact Julia Radburn at jradburn2@herefordshire.gov.uk. The closing date for submissions is 4 September 2021.

For further details please see the Herefordshire Council website www.herefordshire.gov.uk/graysonperry

The new opening times will be 8am to 6pm on the following days:

• Bromyard: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday
• Hereford: 7 days a week
• Kington: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Ledbury: Wednesday and Saturday (Plus 9.30am to 1pm Sunday)
• Leominster: 7 days a week
• Ross-on-Wye: Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (10am to 5pm on Bank Holiday Mondays)

To ensure safety and efficiency, residents are still required to book slots to visit the Household Recycling Centres. Only those who have booked a slot will be allowed entry.

This can be done online or, for those unable to book online, by contacting the Herefordshire Council customer services team on 01432 260051, who will book a slot for you.

The Household Recycling Centres are only open to Herefordshire residents, and the booking system is in place to ensure the safety of staff by controlling numbers of visitors and prevent queues at sites. Residents can book up to four slots every two weeks and will receive a pass before visiting. An address and vehicle registration number are needed to secure the booking.

To ensure the safety of staff, contractors and each other, please continue to observe all the relevant guidelines.

To book online and for more information, please visit Herefordshire.gov.uk/recycling

Thousands of Herefordshire residents, considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), will no longer have to follow the current guidance on shielding from April 1.

Around 11,000 people in the county have been taking extra measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 but, with the virus case numbers currently low and the rollout of the vaccination programme, the government is lifting its restrictions and the guidance for CEV is changing.

Those in the CEV category will receive a letter in the next two weeks notifying them they can start following national restrictions alongside the rest of the population from April 1. It will include advice to help reduce their risk of catching COVID-19.

Steps to minimise risk include maintaining strict social distancing, keeping their overall social contacts at low levels and working from home where possible.

CEV people are thought to be at very high risk of serious illness from coronavirus. They were a high priority for COVID-19 vaccinations and more than 90 per cent of the CEV population in England have now received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

The government has recommended the current shielding recommendations should be replaced with practical advice on managing risk of exposure to the virus.

This includes advice to:

• continue to work from home where possible, but if not possible, can return to the workplace
• go to shops and pharmacies, but take practical steps to minimise any risk (e.g. shopping and travelling at quieter times of the day)
• CEV children and young people should return to school and college

Supermarkets have agreed to continue to offer priority access to delivery slots for CEV individuals already receiving them for a grace period – currently to 21 June. Herefordshire’s Talk Community can continue to offer support for those needing help with shopping and those self-isolating.

After 31 March, CEV will not be eligible for statutory sick pay and Employment and Support Allowance due to shielding. The advice is to return to work, if they cannot work from home, and that returning to work is safe.

The free medicine delivery service will end after 31 March and CEV individuals are advised to ask if friends, family or volunteers can collect medicines for them. If they have to go themselves, they are advised to visit pharmacies at quieter times.

Herefordshire’s Director of Public Health Dr Rebecca Howell-Jones said:

“Thousands of people across Herefordshire have seen their lives severely disrupted due to shielding during the pandemic.

“I would like to thank them for their patience and commitment to following the national guidance on shielding. They have played a significant part in protecting themselves from this devastating virus.

“I would also like to thank the hundreds of volunteers across Herefordshire who came forward to support those people largely confined to their own homes, as well as family members and friends who helped to keep them safe.

“We know some people may feel apprehensive about leaving home after such a long time, while others will welcome additional freedom but, with the prevalence of the virus in the community at low levels, the government feels now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines.

“However, if you have been shielding, we strongly urge you to take extra precautions from 1 April to keep yourself as safe as possible, such as continuing to observe social distancing and working from home. If you are one of the few CEV who have not yet taken up the offer of COVID-19 vaccination, I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible.”

The government will continue to monitor all of the evidence relating to COVID-19 and adjust this advice if there are any changes in infection rates.

During the pandemic Herefordshire’s Talk Community COVID-19 response team had worked with volunteer organisations across the county to provide vulnerable residents advised to shield with additional support if they had gaps in their isolation plan.

The Talk Community Helpdesk received thousands of phone calls from residents needing additional support and more than 1,500 volunteers were on hand to provide vulnerable people with food and medication collections, as well as help with general daily tasks such as posting letters and pet care. Support is still available through Talk Community

To protect yourself and others, you must remember: Hands. Face. Space.

• Hands – wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water often, and as soon as you get home – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Face – wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
• Space – stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble.
• Vaccination – take up COVID-19 vaccination when you are invited to do so.

Herefordshire children are set to benefit from free school meals support during the Easter holidays, thanks to a scheme funded through the Government’s winter Covid grant.

The scheme has already funded meals for over 3,600 eligible children during the Christmas holidays and February half term, helping to prevent vulnerable Herefordshire families from going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.

Primary and secondary school aged pupils who are eligible for benefits related free school meals will receive meal provision of £80 directly through their schools and will be contacted by their school prior to the Easter holidays.  Families with an eligible child that haven’t received information before the holidays should get in touch with their child’s school direct.

Children who are eligible for the early year’s pupil premium and are not in a school setting, will receive a voucher posted direct from the council.

Parent and carers who have recently experienced a change in circumstances and think that their child may now be eligible for free school meals can apply by completing a form on the council’s website.

Councillor Felicity Norman, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

“We are delighted to be able to extend our financial support for the free schools meal provision into the Easter holidays.

“We know the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for everyone.  We encourage families who may be experiencing financial difficulties and need a bit of extra support to find out if their child is entitled to free meal provision by visiting the council’s Free School Meals webpage.”

For more information about the free school meals scheme for the Easter holidays, please visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/holidaysfsm