Do the math

I’m getting the feeling I’m living in a parallel universe to everyone else.

In the Hereford Times of March 1, we learn that local football as a sport is dying a slow death.

But this is the same sport now identified as benefitting from a proposed £700,000 meretricious 3G 15 meter floodlight facility in the conservation area on the top of Aylestone Hill.

The following week the Hereford Times has another full page report by the “legal beagle” for the Hereford FA, Mr Paul Tomkins, who tells us everyone goes to the gym rather than play football and there is thankfully no funding for a planet killing 3G floodlight sports pitch in Herefordshire.

But there’s more: the plan for the artificial pitch has bee put together with the headmaster of Aylestone School, Mr Simon Robertson.

The embattled head who has presided over this failing school and who is the subject of two, yes two, damning Ofsted reports also highlighted in the March 8 edition of the Hereford Times.

Quite clearly neither of them are able to "do the math" as the Americans say.

I suggest the relationship between the Herefordshire Football Association and Aylestone School is dissolved and they kick this otiose scheme to the back of the net and get back to the fundamentals of running their respective organisations.

Jeffrey J Hancorn, Hereford

In decline

On March 1 you reported on the decline of adult football in the county, with the number of teams much reduced and the pitches on the King George V grounds reduced to two, neither used. Herefordshire FA’s consultation exercise is a frank admission that it does not know the causes of falling demand for the sport it leads. On March 8 you reported on the Ofsted inspection of Aylestone School, which still ‘needs improvement’ in all areas two years after the last inspection. As one who wishes all our children the best education possible, and a lifelong football fan, both stories saddened me.

 What to make then, of the battle the Aylestone Conservation Area Action Group is fighting with both Aylestone School and the HFA against their application to build an artificial, fenced, floodlit football pitch over the school’s beautiful, multi-purpose grass playing field? If successful, they would destroy the field forever, cause damage to wildlife, trees and the Lugg, blight the county’s oldest Conservation Area and significantly impact the quality of life of all the school’s neighbours.

 In return for all this loss the school would get a ‘better’ football pitch and the HFA would get another commercial facility. The school’s Ofsted report makes no criticism of its sports provision and the HFA cannot fill the pitches Hereford already has. The leaders of the school and the HFA should attack the causes of the problems they face, not build a shiny new toy to distract from those problems.

Will Finn, Aylestone Hill 

Last chance

This is the last week of the Council’s 'bypass project consultation' – paid for by diverting £600,000 of our money from other essential expenditure including the severe weather budget. We have been 'consulted' before and the results were clear.  When asked what the Council should be prioritising we the electorate said ... improve options for people travelling by buses, bikes and on foot – all in preference to improving conditions for car travel.  These priorities could be addressed right now, at a fraction of the cost of the proposed bypass and leave money over for improved public services such as libraries, museums, arts and parks. This spending, along with the new university, will boost the local economy in more sustainable ways than a polluting bypass.   Attracting investment into the city does not require a bypass, but rather the creation of an environment that people want to visit, live and work in.The ‘consultation’ to garner support for the preferred route of the Western Bypass does not include a simple box to say 'No, we don't want one'.  Having seemingly discounted a more cost efficient and geographically more rationale “eastern link”, they are now kindly offering us the opportunity to pick our preferred route within a narrow western corridor. All the alternatives go through areas of outstanding natural beauty, protected woodland, listed buildings and destroy much of the natural attraction of the Wye Valley. There will be air and sound pollution for the whole city.The only way forward is to vote them out and get councillors in place that respect the views of local people, that are open to modern solutions that protect rather than destroy our local environment.

Barry Jenkinson, Hereford

Speak up

Residents of Hereford’s Kings Acre and Roman Roads are rightly concerned about the impact of having nearby entry points to the proposed new 'western bypass'.

The residents on other incoming roads in Belmont, Lyde, Burghill, and further east etc may currently be less worried.

However, do these residents really think that the council isn’t bound to add more access points to the proposed new road and its likely eastern extensions, resulting in theirs becoming yet another major thoroughfare to the centre?

The council’s own briefing papers admit that the access points are not yet determined, although council staff at their current consultation locations have been eager to say they are.

Unfortunately this is just one of the many inaccuracies and falsehoods the council has been spreading – the £140 million proposed for the road does NOT include any of the supposed “sustainable” measures, indeed there is no budget for these; there is absolutely no evidence to back up the claim of the proposed new road shaving a few minutes off north-south journeys along the A49; city centre traffic and pollution will not decrease but quite the opposite.

Make sure you make your thoughts clear to the council by March 20. Otherwise, you may find it is too late to stop this scandalous project proceeding.

Kate Seekings, Hereford

Lorry figures

Visiting the library’s exhibition covering ‘The Bypass’ recently, I overheard an official there assuring a lady that the bypass certainly would considerably reduce the number of lorries driving through Hereford. This pleased her enormously. He then said the bypass would commence at the beginning of next year at Clehonger/Rotherwas.

In fact the recorded number of lorries on Greyfriars bridge is 1500 a day and has been declining since 2000 onwards. This is just 3.2% of all the traffic. Lorries will always need to come INTO Hereford City to resupply the many supermarkets and large company stores here, plus the likes of The Old Market, Cargill, Heineken, Bulmers etc. additionally there are several, large lorry parks within the city’s limits.

It is the Southern Link from the A49 to Clehonger that MAY start next year, but there is still no guarantee of available money as Herefordshire has not completed a business case to convince the Department of Transport who hold the funds.

Keith Farnes, Hereford

Keep it free

I read with concern in your issue of March 8 of the proposal to offer commercial enterprises the opportunity to manage the Public Library service according to Councillor Bramer. As you rightly state, this is a statutory service - it is also a free service in so far as borrowing or access to reference books is concerned.

I cannot imagine that any private provider would take on the management of this service without a financial return and would be sorry to see what has been since the middle of the 19th century, when the first Public Libraries Act was passed, a free service which has brought culture, recreation, education and information to the masses.

This council has a poor track record when it comes to the Public Library Service; levels of staff, particularly professional, have been cut to the bone; book funds reduced; opening hours reduced; library building stuffed with other services so reducing the space available for library activities; even a proposal to sell off the purpose-built library in Leominster which was achieved against the odds in the days when Hereford was amalgamated with Worcester. But the answer is not to hand the service over to outside bodies but to see that Council Tax receipts are spent on the services for which they are intended.

F.A. Milligan, Hereford

Snow help

I would like to thank several Leominster residents who helped when I was stranded on my way to West Wales: firstly - the guy in Leominster Auto Supplies (Lance?). I needed a new windscreen wiper but as my car was stuck in the hotel car park I walked the half mile in thick snow to the store, and Lance kindly offered me a lift back to the hotel. Later on, when the shop had closed, he came out of his way and fitted the wiper.

I then decided to clear the 10 inches of snow from my car and as I started a couple came along and the gentleman insisted on clearing it for me. Later I thought I'd clear the snow around my car and another couple came along and the gentleman again cleared it. Such kindness from the people of Leominster! Thank you!

Susan Hough, Aberaeron

Horse saved

Despite my best preventative efforts, my 22-year-old horse, Twinkle, went down with severe impaction colic on March 3. Her home at Welsh Newton Common had been cut off for two days by 8ft high snow drifts. The road had been cleared just an hour before she became ill, so thankfully the vet was able to get through.

I would like to thank Watkins Contractors Ltd, of Gillow Farm, St Owens Cross, for working day and night to clear the rural roads of snow; and my vet, Jessica May of Three Counties Equine Hospital who drove for almost an hour in appalling driving conditions to treat Twinkle.

Without the assistance of these hardworking, uncomplaining heroes, my horse would probably have died. She has now made a full recovery. Thank you to everyone involved.

Hilary Boughton, Welsh Newton Common

Meals matter

IT is disheartening to know that the Royal Voluntary Service in Hereford is to cease its Meals on Wheels deliveries on April 20.

There is a modern, somewhat patronising misconception, that all elderly people want is once-a-week social interaction. Many do. Many simply want a hot meal – for which they pay – delivered to their home five days a week.

Government is emphasising the need for a ‘joined up’ approach to the care of the elderly. If people are to be supported in their own homes and maintain sound health and independence, something as simple as a hot meal every day can make the difference. This has to be more cost effective than taking up a hospital bed or residential care. Meals on Wheels is not a panacea but adequately managed, it has an important role to play in achieving this aim.

Schools have meals delivered on a daily basis. Presumably day care centres are similarly served. Could these services be linked and include our vulnerable elderly residents? The volunteers and potential customers are out there and with advertising, more would come forward and the service would become cost effective.

If government – local and national – wants to cut the cost of social care, Meals on Wheels is precisely the sort of service they should be supporting.

Linda Wolsey, Wellington

Poor parking

I totally agree with J Stevenson (Letters, March 8) that the people going to the leisure centre don't park in the car park provided because they have to pay. There should be double yellow lines from the allotments down to the filling station, then the police and traffic wardens can enforce the 'no parking' restrictions, otherwise they are powerless. Also Enterprise Vehicle Hire use that stretch as a car and van park. When you are travelling north, you must go over the white line, putting you on the wrong side of the road.

C W Taylor Hereford Local pride Thank you everyone involved with the Borderlines Film Festival at the Courtyard Theatre. Once again it was a heart warming experience sharing different cultures but common humanity.  Social order, personal relationships, extremes and the ordinary were all there  - underlaid with the potential for change that deeper understanding brings. And up there at the top of the poll were Herefordshire films and way of life. Of equal delight was the free event showing the work of young filmakers. What creativity. What a privilege to have such quality locally. We have so much to be proud about.

Barbara Ferris, Dinedor

Human touch

On February 14 I suffered serious chest pains. Returning from Birmingham by train, after a difficult journey, I drove to A&E, where I was checked out almost immediately and then seen by the duty doctor, who was professional and thorough. From then, until my discharge from Lugg Ward four days later, the support given was nothing short of superb.

Thank you one and all for the care, dedication and, above all, the professional service provided.

Throughout, I felt personally looked after, not as a number to be processed but as a human being with specific emotional and physical needs.  

Dr Jeff Beatty, Whitney-on-Wye