Vicky Hancock

Elderly residents targeted by loft insulation scam

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Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service is warning local elderly residents not to fall for a spray foam loft insulation scam that is currently targeting Herefordshire.

In recent days many residents have contacted the council to say they have been cold called on the telephone by a company falsely claiming to be backed by the council and government. The company makes false claims that fibre glass insulation causes damp and condensation in the loft and a surveyor needs to visit and inspect the property.

David Hough, Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service Manager, said:

“Herefordshire Council’s Trading Standards Service has received intelligence to suggest that a rogue company has targeted hundreds of local people in the last week with the loft insulation scam. The telephone call is a ruse to send a commission-only salesman who will pressure and deceive consumers into paying for expensive and unnecessary spray foam loft insulation, costing up to £5000. Replacing fibre glass insulation with spray foam insulation offers no additional benefits.

“The council has a zero tolerance policy on rogue trading and our Trading Standards team will work tirelessly to crack down on anyone preying on vulnerable residents. The sale of spray foam loft insulation is connected to the sale of waterproof wall and roof coatings which are all common cold calling scams, targeted at retired home owners. We urge local residents to avoid becoming a rogue trader victim simply by not engaging with any cold callers, whether on the telephone or at the door.”

Residents who are interested in loft insulation and other energy efficiency measures can find out more by calling 0800 677 1432 or by visiting the Keep Herefordshire Warm website at www.keepherefordshirewarm.co.uk

Anyone concerned about the activity of a cold caller is urged to contact the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133 or visit the Herefordshire Council website for more consumer advice www.herefordshire.gov.uk/scams

Phased reopening of libraries begins with the launch of a new ‘Click and Collect’ service

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Click and Collect’ service for books and green garden waste bags will be available from today at Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye libraries.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  As part of phased reopening plans, Hereford, Leominster, Ledbury and Ross-on-Wye libraries have launched a ‘Click and Collect’ service for pre-ordered books and green garden waste bags.

Although the library buildings will remain closed for the time being, the entrance foyers to the libraries will be available as Click and Collect pick-up points for the pre-ordered books and bags and for customers to return library items.

The Click and Collect points will be open:

  • Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 2pm – 4pm
  • Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am – 1pm

To use the Click and Collect service for books, customers will need to complete an online form and the library staff will put together a selection of books.  Customers will be contacted when their order is ready to collect.  Details on how to order Click and Collect library books can be found at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/libraries/clickandcollect.  For assistance or further information please contact libraries@herefordshire.gov.uk or telephone 01432 261556.

Green sacks for garden waste that have been pre-ordered online may also be collected from the Click and Collect libraries. Customers must order and pay for the sacks online and allow at least two working days before their visit as there will be no financial transactions at the sites at this phase of the re-opening process. Details of how to order and collect sacks from the library sites, along with information on any other outlets selling sacks can be found at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/gardenwaste

The council is following national guidance for libraries by taking a phased approach to reopening to ensure the safety of customers and staff. Risk assessments have been completed and safety measures put in place, including the quarantine of all returned items for 72 hours before being returned to stock in line with Public Health England guidelines.

The online library services remain as popular as ever and includes resources like Ancestry family history, which library members can now use free from home. The BorrowBox eBook and eAudiobook app has thousands of free titles available, including the latest bestsellers and children’s books, and the brand new PressReader service provides access to a wide range of popular newspapers and magazines.

Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said:

“Our library Click and Collect service is the first step in reopening our cultural services in a ‘COVID-19 secure’ way. Cultural services continue to play an essential part of our health, wellbeing and prevention of social isolation. With this in mind, we are working hard to get all of our library, museum and archive services open to the public as soon as it is safe to do so. All the safety measures we put in place now will be reviewed as we continue to open the rest of our cultural services in the near future.  Thank you to everyone for your continued support to this critical sector.”

Council launches parking review

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Following a month of free parking in council car parks to support local businesses (charges resume Saturday 25 July), a county-wide review of parking charges has been launched.

The review will look at the parking charges and concessions structure with a view to encouraging people to visit our towns and city centre while making the best use of the available spaces and reducing congestion.

Local stakeholders will be asked for their input as part of the review, which is expected to be completed later this year.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport explains:

“It will always be necessary to have some parking charges – to control the availability of spaces and congestion in the very high demand areas and to encourage people to walk or cycle into town where they can.

“The council has not made major changes to its parking charges since February 2016. Exactly what the revised charging structure looks like will depend what stakeholders tell us and may include concessions such as no evening charging, cheaper rates for car parks that are a little further away, and so on. It would be good to find the balance that allows for a quick drop-in or pick-up but generally encourages people to park a little further out and walk in, to spend much more time in our shops and hospitality outlets.

“It is critical we get the views of retailers and our hospitality sector to achieve a balance that works for everyone.”

Making more space to move around our towns and city safely

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As shops re-open, people return to work and more people visit Hereford and the market towns, the government has asked local authorities to introduce temporary measures that give pedestrians and cyclists the space they need to maintain social distancing and travel safely.

The measures, which will include using temporary barriers and signage to widen footways, some timed or partial road closures and dedicated cycle lanes, will allow more space to walk and cycle in busy areas. Speed reductions to 20mph on some streets will help pedestrians and cyclists feel safer where road space is shared.

The temporary measures, which are being introduced week beginning 20 July, are being funded by government Emergency Active Travel Funding, which has allocated £20,000 to Herefordshire to promote walking and cycling for short and local journeys. The temporary nature of the measures will allow them to be reviewed and additional funding is expected in the coming months to install further measures.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member infrastructure and transport, explains:

“During lockdown lots of people took the opportunity to travel locally in a different way, with a huge number choosing to walk or cycle instead of using their cars for short distances. This made a big difference to congestion, to people’s health and to general feeling of wellbeing and quality of life. In our City and towns it was fantastic to see people choosing to leave their cars at home if they could and use their bikes or feet. It was particularly nice to see more families cycling together, feeling safer with the reduced traffic.

“As the restrictions are lifted we want to provide as much space to cyclists and pedestrians as possible to encourage them to continue with that and to free up pavements for safe queuing and distancing. We want people to feel relaxed when they come into town and to spend more time and money within our towns and City. It is important that we can adapt how we use space to support this.

“We’ve consulted with the City and town councils and local businesses and amended some of our initial proposals as a result of their feedback. Now is a good time for everyone to consider how they travel locally and what is better not just for our road network around Herefordshire but what is good for us and the planet. There will be further active travel measures considered over the summer.”

Full details including location maps are available on the Herefordshire Council website at: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19travelmeasures

All county Household Recycling Centres to reopen next week

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All Household Recycling Centres in the county will reopen from next week.

The following household recycling centres will be open for pre-booked vehicles only.

Bromyard (from Tuesday 7 July)
Kington (from Friday 10 July)
Ledbury (from Wednesday 8 July)
Ross on Wye
Residents wishing to use one of these recycling centres must book their visit online and receive a pass before visiting. You must be a resident of Herefordshire and provide your address and vehicle registration number. You can book a slot up to two slots every two weeks.

Hereford and Leominster Household Recycling Centres are also open with no booking required.

Please do not visit unless it is necessary for you to do so and read the full guidelines before you visit to see how the sites will operate and to book your visit.

Anyone who is self-isolating or has Covid-19 symptoms must not visit a household recycling centre.

Councillor Gemma Davies, Cabinet Member for Commissioning, Procurement and Assets, said: “I would like to thank residents for their patience while we have been working to safely reopen our recycling centres. This has not been an easy task and our staff and contractors have done a fantastic job. We continue to advise residents to take measures to avoid creating waste and manage it at home. If you do need to visit, please be patient because we expect sites to be busy.

“We are still very much in a global pandemic, so please observe social distancing rules at all times, come to the recycling centres alone where possible and wear gloves and suitable footwear. Most importantly, please act responsibly and respectfully towards other visitors and staff.”

To book, and for more information please visit the Herefordshire Council website.

Parking charges lifted temporarily in town and city car parks to support business

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To support local business during this particularly difficult time and encourage people to visit their high street rather than shop on-line, Herefordshire Council is offering free parking on street and in council car parks* from Saturday 27 June until Friday 24 July 2020.

Cllr John Harrington, Cabinet member for infrastructure and transport explains:

“After listening to the concerns expressed by parish and town councils, by ward members and particularly those from businesses and Hereford BID, I’ve taken the decision to reintroduce free parking for four weeks, to help give retailers and the hospitality trade a much needed boost at this critical time.

“We hope to be able to follow this with a scheme later in the year with incentives to encourage people to stay for longer for less money, encouraging them to spend more time supporting our retail and hospitality outlets, particularly our independent businesses.
“Like every other council across the country we have parking charges for several good reasons. Charges help us to encourage people to travel in a different way, by walking or cycling for example. For those that want to or must drive, varying those charges allows us to encourage shoppers and other visitors to park outside the urban centres by charging them less for staying longer, whilst those that want to park right in the centres are expected to pay more. Charges keep spaces turning over especially in the City and town centres.
“Ideally we would love people to really think about travelling a different way in town, especially when you consider for example that over 50% of the residents of Hereford travel less than two miles to shop or commute to work. We have all been encouraged by the boost in walking and cycling lockdown brought and we intend to support those ambitions in any way we can whilst recognising some folks must travel in by car.
“Herefordshire Council has made a commitment to support local business, encourage people to visit our historic city and market towns, and buy locally. After years of austerity and with challenging financial times ahead we cannot afford to provide free parking forever as we use this income to subsidise public transport and school buses. So, in the longer term we will be looking at other ways to encourage people to safely visit our wonderful city and historic market towns. There is an opportunity to look to do things in a different way while supporting local business.”