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Search the Public Notice PortalAnger has been expressed at a continuing “eyesore” on the Hereford skyline – for which no one seems to be taking responsibility.
City councillor and chair of the Hereford Civic Society Jeremy Milln asked, in a personal capacity, why scaffolding has adorned the rear of Jacob’s Court to the rear of Commercial Road for 15 years – at public expense.
He said the “unattractive modern five-storey steel tower”, converted into ten flats in the early 2000’s with the addition of a glazed stairwell, was “found to be unsafe and scaffolded in 2010”.
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Having pressed the matter with the council in 2023, Mr Milln was then told by Cabinet member for environment Elissa Swinglehurst that the cost of the scaffolding to date was around £65,000 – which the council “will seek to recover”.
But Mr Milln pressed her last week that this had not happened, while a scheme to re-clad and re-glaze the rear lift and stairwell, approved in October 2022, “is imminently due to expire”.
“Before anyone is injured by it, its unsafe panels must be replaced and the eyesore scaffolding and sheeting removed, if only to put a stop to the continuing drain on the public purse,” he said.
Coun Swinglehurst replied: “We recognise the need to bring this issue to a speedy conclusion and are working with the owners’ management committee.”
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Unsatisfied with this, Mr Milln said: “I ask again, what is the timetable for carrying out the remedial work and recovering some £80,000 of Herefordshire council’s taxpayers money that has been spent on scaffolding a building that is privately owned?”
Coun Swinglehurst replied: “The situation is ongoing, so it’s very hard to give you a definite timeline because conversations are in train, so we can’t really say any more than that at this point.”
Local businesswoman Alison Rogers, director since 2010 of the Jacob’s Court Residents Company and the applicant behind the 2022 planning application for works to the building, was asked to comment.
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