This is the update submitted for the February Dilwynner
I’m delighted that the success of the “Dartnell crossing” bridge on the footpath between Dilwyn and Weobley, near where the road bridge was repaired, is to be followed with another foot-bridge down by Fields Place, this time led by Dilwyn Parish Council, supported by the Weobley Team. (Who are wasting no time in also replacing the bridge just above Weobley church). It’s been hard work getting this new approach over the line, but the cost savings are huge, and I am committed to helping get all those footpaths around Herefordshire as a whole serviceable, for ourselves, and also for tourism.
Our contractors have been busy with the remedial work after the A4112 closure, most notably in Fields Place Lane, around the Homme, and Gadbridge Road; and I’m hoping to get works done north of the road, too. We’ve also been working with landowners to take the opportunity to address some more drainage issues while roads are resurfaced. There will be further work later in the year, when weather allows, and I am continuing to look for further repairs required – please do get in touch if you have any.
Beyond this, I’ve recommended a number of roads for repair; most notably continuing to ask for full overhaul of Dilwyn Common Lane, Watery Lane, and The Pitch. In that area, the enhancements by Welsh Water near the pumping station seem to have worked, and the new drainage has helped… but there is still more work to be done getting the water away down to the brook. The drainage people at HC are aware.
We continue to work to address the routes taken by HGVs, and in particular improving the signposting for Tyrells. I do think that the signage works planned at the moment (which were initially requested years ago, but I’ve managed to get back on-stream) are helpful but not the full answer – I’m not going to get in the way of them, but again there is more to be done.
The news from Herefordshire council continues to be dominated by cost concerns, as Westminster focuses funding away from rural areas. It is outrageous, scant reward for the turnaround of the Herefordshire finances over the last few years, and there will be consequences to what we can deliver, especially as most of the council spending is on statutory, ie non-discretionary, services. We are currently working through the budget, and I am extremely keen to keep the grant scheme that allow parish councils to do work on the ditches, hedges, footpaths etc.
But this means that again – despite us delivering savings in our operational activity - council tax will have to go up again this year. I am extremely disappointed by this and continue to resist the default assumption that it will go up each year.
However there are lots of bits of good news coming through – the highlight being the huge turnaround in Children’s Services, which only a few years ago was at risk of being “taken over” by central government given the failings in it. It has now been awarded a “Good” status, with leadership scored “Outstanding”. I’ve seen the hard work that went into that from the staff all the way through to the Cabinet Member and Leader, and it is a worthy recognition of a turn around of a vital service.
We also have confirmed who will take over from Balfour Beatty. The new firm is M Group, but the most important point is that when they take over in the summer, they will be working on a different basis from the current contract, which will give us much better control as to what is done. To change the operating model was an early decision after the local elections in 2023, but has taken a while to come through; I’m excited to see the benefits coming on-line.
Being the Dilwynner, this report covers issues for Dilwyn, as well as the broader Herefordshire Council picture. For details of projects and casework elsewhere in my ward, see updates in the Magpie and Pyonear, or of course here!
Please do get in touch if there’s anything I can help with, or even something you would just like to discuss. I can be contacted on 07884 268624 or [email protected] While I do urge you to follow me on Facebook for updates, please don’t message me via Facebook Messenger – there are clear examples of some of those not g