http://www.dailyfix.co.uk en-us N/A info@dailyfix.co.uk Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:47:00 BST 20 http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/55201/1/Olympic-Handover-Flag/Page1.html
East Staffordshire Borough Council will be taking part in a nationwide flag raising event on Sunday 24th August at the Town Hall in Burton upon Trent. Local young athletes, who recently received Sports Scholarship Awards from East Staffordshire Borough Council, will help raise a special London 2012 Olympic flag alongside the Deputy Mayor of the Council, Geoff Morrison and Councillor Bernard Peters, Deputy Leader for Health, Environment and Leisure.

The flags will be raised at 2.30pm at the Town Hall to coincide with the handover of the Olympic flag to the Mayor of London during the closing ceremony of the Beijing Games.

To celebrate the handover of the Olympic Torch, Meadowside Leisure Centre, Uttoxeter Leisure Centre and Shobnall Leisure Complex will be offering the following free activities on Sunday, August 24th.

Shobnall Leisure Complex - free tennis, athletics track, golf and bowls.
Meadowside Leisure Centre and Uttoxeter Leisure Centre - free junior swims.
There will be no need to book courts, just turn up on the day and play.

The events will mark the start of a four year journey for the UK and East Staffordshire which will aim to ensure that the London 2012 Games are a resounding success and achieve wide ranging benefits for people in the borough.

Deputy Mayor of East Staffordshire, Councillor Geoff Morrison said: “While the Olympic Games in 2012 are happening in London, it is clear there’s strong support for them throughout the length and breadth of the country.

“Raising the Olympic flag at the Town Hall will prove to be a proud and exciting event for these young athletes from East Staffordshire.

Councillor Bernard Peters, Deputy Leader for Health, Environment and Leisure added: “The borough has a thriving sporting community, supported strongly by East Staffordshire Borough Council, and we are all proud of the achievements of our future sporting stars.

“East Staffordshire Borough Council has a major role to play in ensuring that young people across the borough are nurtured not only for the possibility of representing their country at future sporting events but most importantly to guarantee that they lead a positive, healthy life.” ]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Mon, 18 Aug 2008 14:29:40 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/55201/1/Olympic-Handover-Flag/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/54597/1/Drugs-Intervention-Programme-helps-cut-crime-in-Herefordshire/Page1.html
Since January this year, the programme has received 78 new referrals to the service, 32 of which have come directly from prison, and the programme has consistently exceeded targets set by the government to offer drug treatment to people in the criminal justice system.

This success can be linked to recent figures showing that since 2005, domestic burglaries have fallen by nearly 50% in Herefordshire with vehicle crime also falling by 20%.

Furthermore, between October 2006 and September 2007, the number of drug related offences in Herefordshire dropped by over 15%.

DIP aims to get drug-misusing offenders out of crime and into treatment, as well as helping them to access other support relating to issues such as physical and mental health, employment and housing. It helps break the destructive cycle of drugs-offending-prison, which has a direct effect on drug related crime levels in the county.  

Home Office statistics show that this a more cost effective option than putting offenders through the criminal justice system repeatedly without support to help them address their drug problem. For every £1 spent on drug treatment, at least £9.50 is saved in health and crime costs.

Geoff Hughes, Chair of Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership, said: “DIP offers a win-win solution - drug-misusing offenders get help through treatment and support; communities suffer less crime and criminal justice costs are reduced.”

For more information, please contact Adrian Turton on 01432 260324.

]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:37:06 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/54597/1/Drugs-Intervention-Programme-helps-cut-crime-in-Herefordshire/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/54343/1/Visit-Tamworth/Page1.html Visit Tamworth has been launched.

The website has details of Tamworth accommodation (hotels, bed & breakfast and self catering), Tamworth attractions, restaurants, shopping and business.

Link: Tamworth
]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Wed, 13 Aug 2008 13:18:05 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/54343/1/Visit-Tamworth/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/52037/1/Herefordshire-Connects-a-the-way-forward/Page1.html
A revised vision and a refocused set of aims, costs and benefits for Herefordshire Connects was approved by cabinet when it met on Thursday, July 31.

The vision is that the programme, which will combine a number of inter-related projects, will simplify and streamline the way people access and use public services in Herefordshire, by allowing them to use services at a time and location that is suitable to them.

Members heard that the Connects programme is on schedule to successfully implement a new social care system in November to support children’s services and adult social services in improving care services for vulnerable children, adults and families.

Cabinet was advised of the risks of other key ICT systems failing, which could happen due to the large number of old systems currently requiring upgrading that are inadequately connected to provide customers and staff with a high standard of service.

The programme of change will provide the technology to support staff to improve services in areas such as Herefordshire’s Info Shops and Info by Phone, environment and planning, support services in human resources and finance and managing performance.

This requires the selection, with the council’s strategic advisors, Deloitte, of a significantly smaller number of market proven, good value for money systems and integrated applications (software programmes), consistent with the council’s procurement policy.

These systems will make effective use of the council’s recent investments in ICT and support the joint delivery of Herefordshire Public Services with the Primary Care Trust and other partners.

Cabinet agreed that a report setting out recommendations from this selection process will be drawn up by the council’s joint management team, with the support of Deloitte, and considered when cabinet meets in October.

]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:25:11 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/52037/1/Herefordshire-Connects-a-the-way-forward/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/51615/1/Two-admit-flytipping/Page1.html
The first man, from Hereford, was accused of dumping household waste in Grafton Clehonger.

The second man, from Ross-on-Wye admitted dumping household waste at Rudhall Lane, Rudhall.

John Bobin, Herefordshire Council’s anti social behaviour unit manager, said: “Flytipping is a completely unacceptable practice and we take any reports of illicit dumping very seriously and will not hesitate to prosecute in such cases.

“We have plenty of household waste sites in the county where people can take their rubbish legally and even if they need to transport their rubbish in trailers or commercial vehicles all they need to do is get one of the free permits available from Info in Herefordshire centres,” he added.

]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:27:23 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/51615/1/Two-admit-flytipping/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/51613/1/A53000-for-School-Travel-Plans/Page1.html
The money will be shared between the schools, who will receive between £4,000 and £10,000 each depending on type and size, and will be used for capital schemes to encourage more sustainable ways of travelling to school – walking, cycling, using the bus or car sharing.
 
For example, some schools are planning to spend the grant on improved cycle parking and lockers for helmet and equipment storage. 

The schools who developed Travel Plans this year are:

Brampton Abbotts Primary             Marlbrook Primary
Broadlands Primary                        Whitbourne Primary
Ewyas Harold Primary                    John Kyrle High School       
St James, Kimbolton, Primary        Blackmarston Special School
Longtown Primary                         The Priory Centre, Leominster

So far, 86 per cent of Herefordshire schools, including independents, have developed Travel Plans with strategies for cutting car use on the school run.  Many of these schools are having great success in increasing the number of pupils who walk and cycle, or park and walk to school.

Herefordshire Council School Travel Advisers are working towards the target of 100 per cent of schools with a Travel Plan in place by 2010. ]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:21:44 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/51613/1/A53000-for-School-Travel-Plans/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50364/1/Work-to-improve-Herefordshireas-roads/Page1.html
Surface dressing is a cost effective way of restoring and preserving road surfaces. It involves a coating of bitumen being sprayed onto the road surface followed by one or more layers of hard stone chippings. As the bitumen sets, the chippings stick to the road surface and are further embedded by rolling in.

The process is rapid, compared to many other surfacing techniques and avoids lengthy closures and disruption to road users, however drivers do need to travel very slowly on the newly laid surface to prevent chippings being dislodged.

Inconsiderate drivers travelling above the recommended speed cause chippings to be thrown up which can damage vehicles, property and pedestrians..

Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “We are taking many measures to reduce inconvenience to motorists, during these essential maintenance works and we ask that motorist to take care when driving through our sites.”

To reduce the inconvenience to all we:

• Give advance notice of works to residents and drivers;
• Provide advisory and warning signs from the time of treatment to the time when the road is ready for normal use
• Regularly sweep the road and footways to remove loose chippings;
• Ensure that surface dressing is carried out to a high standard;
• Minimise hazards and disruption to traffic through effective traffic management;
• Ensure all complaints are investigated and appropriate corrective action is taken. 

]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:54:56 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50364/1/Work-to-improve-Herefordshireas-roads/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50209/1/Benches-help-to-boost-tourism/Page1.html
The benches have been donated by community and environmental charity Welcome to our Future, with funding coming through The Severn Waste Environmental Fund (Landfill Communities Fund) and they have also paid for a promotional leaflet for the route.

Vincent Playdon, Herefordshire Council’s rights of way officer, said: “A major part of our role is to enhance the county’s potential for tourism and the leaflet will be an excellent way to promote the Mortimer Trail to the visitors who come to the county to enjoy the excellent walking routes.

“The trail runs 30 miles between Kington and Ludlow and the benches will serve as a nice resting place along the route, all adding to the Mortimer Trail Experience,” he added.

Councillor Sebastian Bowen, chairman of Welcome To Our Future, said: “I am delighted we are able to encourage more people to walk in the beautiful countryside of Herefordshire and enjoy all of the health benefits associated with getting out into the fresh air.

“The scheme also shows the value of excellent co-operation between Herefordshire Council and Welcome to the Future, an Agenda 21 company,” he added.

The benches were fitted in the spring and the leaflet has just gone out to Tourist Information Centres and Info centres across the county.

The leaflet also promotes the Official MT Guide Book which is available at bookshops and TICs throughout the county.
 ]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:48:12 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50209/1/Benches-help-to-boost-tourism/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50177/1/Green-Flag-Award-for-Stover-Country-Park/Page1.html Newton Abbot has received a Green Flag Award for the fifth consecutive year.

The Park is among a record 743 green spaces in England and Wales to receive the honour from the Civic Trust, and recognises it among the best green spaces in the country. It has been another successful year for Stover Country Park and Local Nature Reserve, and it is proving equally popular with visitors and wildlife.

Rare Downy Emerald Dragonflies were recorded to be breeding for the first time at the site in a newly renovated pond below the aerial walkway. Experts have been searching for them for over 15 years.

Dormice are having another successful breeding season in specially designed boxes, and a pair of Nightjar successfully reared two young on the heathland, while on Stover Lake three pairs of great crested grebe were present with two young hatched in July.

Councillor Margaret Rogers, Devon County Council Executive Member for Environment, said: "It is a great achievement for Stover Country Park to have won the Green Flag Award for five years running. Devon is fortunate to have such a unique green space that provides excellent access for visitors, and the wildlife is flourishing which is testament to the hard work by the County Council Rangers and volunteers."

Councillor John Smith, Devon County Council Deputy Leader and local County Councillor for Kingsteignton, said: "The staff and volunteers at Stover Country Park have surpassed themselves by winning this award yet again. It takes a great deal of time and effort - much of it in people's spare time from the volunteers that help with everything from tree planting, nest box repairs, path maintenance, boardwalk construction, habitat work and wildlife recording. Their dedication and commitment is reflected in this superb award."

The Country Park, which is owned and managed by Devon County Council, is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and listed on the register of Historic Parks and Gardens. It hosts the Ted Hughes Poetry Trail and earlier this spring a new outdoor classroom was added to the children's poetry trail area.

The 114 acre site attracts over 200,000 visitors a year. So far in 2008, a team of four Devon County Council Rangers, supported by volunteers, have accommodated visits from 1,009 pupils and students. That includes 34 schools, three pre-school nurseries, two colleges and one international visit from French students. In addition, 14 community groups and organisations held activity visits to the park including local scouts, guides, and conservation groups.

Green Flag Award winners are judged to be welcoming, safe and well maintained with the support and involvement of the local community.

For more information visit: www.greenflagaward.org.uk. ]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:29:02 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50177/1/Green-Flag-Award-for-Stover-Country-Park/Page1.html http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50176/1/First-Miles-Without-Stiles-routes-open/Page1.html
A three-mile loop around Cradley and Mathon and a two-mile stretch of paths around Colwall are the first Miles Without Stiles routes to be opened in the county. Both routes lie within the Malvern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Herefordshire Council’s cabinet member for community services and economic development, said: “We are keen to ensure as many people as possible can get out and about to enjoy the county’s beautiful countryside. Removing stiles makes these routes far more accessible for anyone who has mobility problems and for people who want an easy walk without having to clamber over stiles.

“We are keen for these two routes to be the first of many stile-free routes throughout the county. To encourage this, we will supply and fit any gates for free if they are replacing stiles on public footpaths,” he added.

The Miles Without Stiles initiative has been part funded by Natural England through the Malvern Hills AONB Partnership. Partnership funding has also helped to improve signage and provide route map leaflets.

Paul Esrich, manager of the Malvern Hills AONB Unit, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support Herefordshire Council in this new initiative. The Miles Without Stiles routes are an excellent example of how partnership working can help to demonstrate best practice within this nationally important landscape.”

The leaflets have been designed to help people better understand whether walking routes are suitable for their ability. The leaflets include a description of surface types, gradients and restrictions such as narrow bridges and steps.

They also give a brief history of the walking area and inform of any historic features to be found en route.

Vincent Playdon, Herefordshire Council area rights of way officer, said: “We are trying to get away from giving out route gradings and saying whether our routes are more suitable for certain fitness abilities than others.

“We are all different and what one person thinks is an easy route may be more of a challenge to another.

“Our new route format will inform walkers and they can then make their own mind up as to whether the whole route is suitable for them or whether they would just like to walk certain sections which they feel they can manage,” he added.

Any landowners wishing to replace stiles with gates on a public footpath should contact Vincent Playdon, Herefordshire Council area rights of way officer, on 01432 383221.

]]> no@spam.com (Chief Editor) Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:25:29 BST http://www.dailyfix.co.uk/articles/50176/1/First-Miles-Without-Stiles-routes-open/Page1.html