NEWS FROM WARD CoUNCILLoR CAROLE...

LINGEN WEB WARD COUNCILLOR ARTICLE SUMMER 2021 

Hopefully we are now well on our way out of this awful pandemic and that we will experience no further lock downs which are so damaging to residents mental health, schooling and the economy. 

Road surfaces around Lingen and Walford continue to deteriorate and many are in a very poor state. The Portfolio Holder has decided that only about 30% for the next 3 years of the capital budget for Balfour Beatty will be spend on road resurfacing compared to almost 70% previously and that the other 70% will now be divided between drainage projects and bridge repairs. His thinking is that if laying water cannot be kept of the highway, then it is a waste of money resurfacing roads as the water will just lift the tarmac once again. I recognise that this is a controversial decision but I do understand the logic behind this. However, he outcome of this decision is that the resurfacing budget has been cut by 40% and only two carriageways in the whole of Mortimer ward will receive any significant resurfacing. 

It is essential that residents continue to report potholes via the website as some of our C & U roads are not frequently inspected by Balfour Beatty, in fact many of the U roads are only inspected annually. You can also now via the Herefordshire Council website app also report fly tipping and upload a photograph if you wish to do so. 

As many of you will be aware, the parish council, Walford Flood Group and myself have at last received a copy of the Environment Agency’s proposals with regard to flood relief in Walford & Leintwardine. The findings of the report are disappointing but probably not unexpected and both myself, the parish council and the flood group will be challenging many of the assumptions and views put forward by the Environment Agency.

Most of Border Group Parish falls within the River Lugg pollution catchment area and at present there is a huge problem with phosphates polluting the river. The effect of this is that any planning application in the ward has to strictly comply with criteria set out by Natural England. In essence this has meant that a number of applications have either been refused or put on hold at the present time. This situation is unlikely to change until Herefordshire Council has an acceptable Nutrient Management Plan. 

Herefordshire Council has appointed a new Chief Executive, Paul Walker who commenced with the Authority at the beginning of May. His previous post was in Harrow and prior to that he was in Copeland. 

Finally, as summer approaches let us hope for fine weather and that many of the events that Lingen puts on each year will once again be able to take place bringing such pleasure to the local community. 

If you wish to contact me, please do not hesitate to email carole.gandy@herefordshire.gov.ukor telephone 01568 780483 or 07792882133