Councillor Jonathan Lester suggested the council should have a named vote on all decisions until they find a better arrangement for recording votes at meetings. “I must protest. We have just undertaken inadvertently to secret ballots when voting,” he said during Friday s (March 5) full council meeting. “In response to the press article about voting intentions, and the way there seems to be some confusion as to who votes in what way. “I would urge us to have a named vote on all our votes until this matter can be resolved. “I don’t wish to make a big issue about it, but there seems to be an issue with the integrity of the council if there is a question mark about how people are voting.”
TEMPERS have flared in a town council meeting as members disagreed over plans for a new car park on a floodplain. Bromyard town councillors were debating whether to spend upwards of £25,000 on putting a bid forward for a new car park on the floodplain behind Sherford Street. But while the planning committee recommended full council back the idea in the meeting on February 22, there were concerns from Coun Johnathan Lester and others about the sparse details of the proposals. Planning committee chairman Coun Roger Page scolded some councillors for a total lack of understanding about Herefordshire Council s market town investment plan, which will see all county towns contribute ideas to economic development agents Rose Regeneration.
TEMPERS have flared in a town council meeting as members disagreed over plans for a new car park on a floodplain. Bromyard town councillors were debating whether to spend upwards of £25,000 on putting a bid forward for a new car park on the floodplain behind Sherford Street. But while the planning committee recommended full council back the idea in the meeting on February 22, there were concerns from Coun Johnathan Lester and others about the sparse details of the proposals. Planning committee chairman Coun Roger Page scolded some councillors for a total lack of understanding about Herefordshire Council s market town investment plan, which will see all county towns contribute ideas to economic development agents Rose Regeneration.
Council tax will rise by 4.99% for the 2021/22 financial year in Herefordshire. COUNCIL tax in Herefordshire will go up by almost 5% from April. County councillors have today approved the 2021/22 revenue budget which will see a 1.99% increase in core council tax and a 3% rise for the adult social care precept. The ruling coalition of Independent, It’s Our County and Green Party councillors said these rises are needed to help pay for the growing costs of providing services. This increases the charge for a band D property to £1,652.30 representing a rise of £78.52 per year. Finance and corporate services cabinet member Liz Harvey said 2020 did not turn out like they had had expected.
Councillors voted to stop the progress of the southern link road which would have connected A49 with the A465 and western bypass schemes and remove them from their capital programme. Councillors Jim Kenyon and Bob Matthews unsuccesfully proposed an amendment to keep some form of a southern link road. Infrastructure and transport cabinet member John Harrington said the climate emergency is the most pressing issue affecting the county and said a western road would not ease congestion. He said an eastern link could take under 10 years to complete but there are things that can be done in the city to reduce traffic congestion.