Dear Parish Councils

 

Please find below a brief summary of how things are from a ward councillor perspective. A recent power point from the chief executive showed that the take up in Herefordshire was indeed low amongst West Mercia local authorities and in this situation it may be harder to comprehend the necessity of social and economic lockdown.

 

 

 

However, perhaps the biggest concern Herefordshire-wide are our care homes and the late and inadequate ongoing provision that has been made for the elderly and their carers.

 

 

The pictogram right shows we have a high proportion of older residents who do not necessarily live in care homes but who are vulnerable and it is particularly in this area, as well as for those families that are suffering the financial effects of the lockdown that local resilience groups have made a strong impact.

 

 

 

Local Response to the Covid19 Pandemic

 

Despite the fact that areas as solidly rural and dispersed as GVN face greater challenges during this pandemic because of ‘access to services’-it has been overwhelming to see that our sense of belonging and the ‘live’ even if under used footpaths of community ‘spirit’ are being trodden again.  Like the hopeful trays on seeds on my windowsills this community spirit has taken root as  it is planted out there in our hills and valleys. If we can respond to this with the sensitivity and love that is in abundance on the whatsapp groups, facebook, telephone helplines and business generosity – who knows what else we can do?

 

Building on this live stream of community ‘wealth’ seems to me to be an imperative going forward from this. I remember well my paternal grandmother who lived through the war years in London talking with nostalgic longing about the sense of community that the adversity generated.

 

Across the board there has been a lot of care given to the art of matching volunteers with those who need help; consideration being given not only aptitudes of volunteers, proximity to those needing help but also temperament and outlook – like placement of guests at a wedding?!

 

Bredwardine: Bredwardine Beating Coronavirus  - a lady called Karen has been co-ordinating they also have a whatsapp group

Clifford /Hardwicke, - have 6 volunteers detailed on a leaflet (printed and delivered via a local 36 mile run!) to every resident giving contact details of where to phone for help

Jenny Bullough 01497 831416

David Jones 01497 831357

Annie Hill - 07930150567

Christine Bates-  01497 831422

Emma Cowersey - 07702241725

Brian Morgan - 07970 970454

And 2 fb pages: Clifford Buzz and Clifford Community Notice Board and

We are Clifford

 

Caring in Cusop- a leaflet with contact details of how to receive support has been circulated to every resident. Contacts:

Rev Luci Morriss 01497 821877  

Celia Cundale (church warden) 07790925616 or 01497 821 076

Jane Stannard (parish clerk) 01497 821076

Alison Matthews 01497 820152 and Ian Jardin 01497 820377

 

Dorstone: the link here is: Lisa Aubrey Cosslett on 01981 550273 her email is lisa.cosslett@gmail.com  Plus a very active Dorstone Forum facebook page.

 

Peterchurch – the link here is Holly at the Hub in Peterchurch:

A telephone helpline is open from 11am -2pm every day of the week on:

01981 551143

 

Tyberton and Preston-on-Wye, Moccas and Blakemere have a very active and successful whatsapp group: Corona Preston/Blakemere  

The co-ordinators are:

Heather Gorringe: 07766402502

Woody- 07811196279  info@taffs.t

 

Food

Food networks have been a big concern for many in the ward –as it is very difficult still to get a slot with the bigger supermarkets for online delivery.

 However - there are local initiatives to get food deliveries going from both local suppliers and from supermarkets too. Clearly economies of scale make it more difficult for smaller suppliers to offer the cheaper food from the supermarkets – and this gap is not always levelled up by subtracting the cost of travelling to the supermarket – but it does go some way towards it. A great array of local suppliers have stepped in to cover at least some of the gap created by the national lockdown.

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Transport

The Council have had to make firm budget decisions and so we have had rural council subsidised bus routes cut – this naturally creates stress and difficulty for those able bodied who rely on public transport to get around but in the face our emergency there is very little else that can practically be done. I am confident that each community cluster in GVN has in place the networks of resilience necessary to help one another whatever our circumstance and to bear up. Please see below for details for decision made by Richard (HC officer for Economy and Environment) following government order on April 1st.

 

B4348

Sadly I have now to report that the bid for the road was unsuccessful – the reason given was that Herefordshire had recently won a bid of this sort in another part of the county and so other bids in the UK were preferred ahead of ours. Sorry.

 

Committee work

 We are now operating meetings via the council protected Webex network:

The review of the Waste management strategy by the task and finish group proceeds as does the review of the Council’s response to the Declaration of Climate Emergency.

 

All Councillors

 

·      are being invited to take part in a seminar ReThinking Governance which aims to review the way in which the Constitution of the council

facilitates or obstructs good open governance.

·      To contribute via a seminar towards the Hereford Transport Strategy review for which there is now considerably more data and a good framework for assessment of options.

·      The Alliance as a group will be discussing where we are in relation to the review of the Core Strategy (which was due in 2019 and is now overdue) at our next meeting.

 

I am sure that most parish clerks will be aware of the initiative put forward by Farm Herefordshire and Nick Read of the Bulmer foundation to have a bank of volunteers to help farmers in the event of Covid19. So if you have agricultural skills please step up –it could be a life saver for both farmer and stock!

I include the form below:

 

Since I have not heard from the parish councils since the onset of the pandemic I take it that parish council meetings are on hold? I am still here and best reached via my home line (as the council phone is unreliable in certain parts of the house) 01981 250720

 

Some planning matters are beginning to trickle through and do please alert me to any that need my further and or immediate consideration.

 

I would encourage Parish Council Clerks to apply for the PPE funds they have been notified of by Philipa Lydford :

https://www.westmercia-pcc.gov.uk/about-your-pcc/pcc-grants-scheme/

as we may well need more of these for even just our regular volunteers as time goes on.

 

I am emailing Jesse Norman to encourage him to vote for the Local Electricity Bill on April 28th but he says that although he is a supporter – he cannot as he is in the Treasury. I am currently asking him which constitutional rules prevent a member of the Treasury from voting in this matter as this appears to me very archane.

 

Best wishes to everyone.

Cllr Jennie Hewitt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you provide practical help to a farmer infected by Covid-19?

 

Herefordshire Farming Support – Volunteer Form

Farming organisations and charities within Herefordshire are compiling a list of potential volunteers able to provide practical support for fellow farmers who are unable to look after their livestock because they, or their staff, are self-isolating. Please note that we are only accepting volunteers aged between 18 and 65.

The Directory is being held by Borderlands Rural Chaplaincy (BRC) on behalf of the participating organisations.

If you would like to be included as a volunteer complete the attached form and send it to Nick Read at BRC, using the email address: agchap@btinternet.com

Nick can also be contacted on 07973 361055 if you want to discuss any issues.

The information you supply will not be released to anyone else, it is solely for the purposes of providing the best match between a farmer who needs help and a potential volunteer.

This is intended to be a temporary arrangement (during self-isolating), and therefore it is not anticipated that volunteers will be used for periods longer than two weeks.

 

How it will work

If you send the volunteer form you will get confirmation that it has been received by BRC, together with some general health and safety and biosecurity information.

You will only be contacted again if a farmer has requested support and you have the right skills and are reasonably located geographically to provide help.

It is for you and the host farmer to discuss the detailed arrangements.

Let BRC know the outcome of the discussions so that we can ensure that farmers are being supported.

It has to be your responsibility to ensure that you work safely and legally, so please do not take on any task for which you do not have relevant experience or the necessary certifications.

 

 

 

If your circumstances change, notify BRC so that we can remove you from the volunteer directory.

Please supply the following information:

Name and address

 

 

 

Contact telephone number

 

e-mail address (please write clearly)

 

Confirmation that you are between the ages of 18 and 65          YES       NO

 

Relevant experience:

Livestock you have worked with (tick those which apply):

BEEF CATTLE                             DAIRY CATTLE                           SHEEP

PIGS                                        

 

Certifications (tick those which apply)

MANUAL HANDLING                             FORKLIFT                                  TELEHANDLER

MAST                                                   TRACKED MACHINE                   ATV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decision taken April 1st  by Director for Economy and Place Richard Ball

1. To operate a minimum service level of the core bus network during the COVID-19 outbreak emergency response

2. To utilise remaining available contracted bus services to operate additional routes with the aim of supporting key worker journeys and opportunities for vulnerable members of the community (many of whom will hold a bus pass) to access food and medical services during the COVID-19 outbreak emergency response.

3. Service demands will be monitored and further amendments may be made in response to ensure that bus services are focused on supporting key workers and vulnerable members of the community.

4. It is anticipated that these temporary measures will be required until at least the end of June 2020 at which point a further decision may be required.

5. For contracts which are normally payable quarterly in arears we will make monthly payments in arears helping alleviate cashflow challenges for operators.

 

The public bus network in Herefordshire, both subsidised and commercial has seen a dramatic decline in passenger numbers following Government instruction to stay at home, and maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 outbreak. Services have seen passenger numbers as low as 3% of normal levels and are not sustainable as commercial routes. To support bus operators by assisting them to reduce operating costs whilst maintaining a suitable public transport network council contracted services have been redeployed to operate the core bus network. This will ensure operators receive adequate income to operate the routes whilst at the same time ensuring a suitable network is available for key workers and vulnerable members of the community.

The core bus network is defined in the council’s Local Transport Plan (LTP) as the minimum level of service that will be provided. The network ensures links between market towns and Hereford City and a range of