Major changes to the way 14-19 year olds are educated across the county were given the thumbs up at an event which attracted more than 60 delegates from schools, colleges and other organisations last week. The event, which aimed to pull together all the different strands of work with this age group in Herefordshire, took place at the Royal National College for the Blind on 31st October. The county's schools, colleges, training providers, the Learning and Skills Council, Connexions and Herefordshire Council all signed an agreement to work collaboratively to raise standards and improve the achievement of the county's young people.

The way education is provided for 14-19 year olds is currently being reformed. There is a new commitment to all young people for them all to undertake learning or training to the age of 18 by 2015. In addition, significant changes are being made to the content and range of courses and qualifications young people can choose to take and the way they can be trained or educated. The reform has been called for as a result of evidence that the country's top performers do well, but that other young people in the UK are lagging behind young people from Europe and Asia and the gap is growing.

'We don't deliver well for all learners in the UK at the moment,' said Polly Garnett, 14-19 strategy manager. 'Even those who do well academically can struggle when they leave formal education because they don't have the knowledge and skills to prepare them for the world of work. White, working class boys are one of the most under-performing groups in education nation-wide, and we need to change this quickly if we are to prevent a large proportion of our young people from failing to reach their full potential.'

At the heart of the reform is the concept of creating an individual learning programme for each young person which focuses on what the student wants to learn rather than what is on offer at their school or college. With 17 new diplomas at three different levels on the horizon, together with GCSEs, A levels, apprenticeships and a drive to extend young people's experiences in the world of business, enterprise, entrepreneurship and employment, students may soon attend more than one place of learning. It is anticipated that many young people will use a mixture of providers which will sometimes require them to spend time at a different establishment than their main school or college. To make this work successfully, all organisations providing education for 14-19 year olds across Herefordshire need to work collaboratively and in a culture of mutual trust.

Councillor Jenny Hyde, cabinet member for children and young people, said, 'We have already begun to change the way we help our young people and many schools and colleges have arrangements in place to help their students access courses in other establishments, including the workplace. This new way of working provides Herefordshire with an exciting opportunity to make a real difference to young people's lives and career aspirations. All young people have a right to success, not just those who achieve high academic grades. 'Signing up to this collaborative agreement paves the way for working together to bring these changes about and improve standards and opportunities for our children.'

Climate change is a major challenge to us all and local Charity and Voluntary groups can be at the forefront of reducing our energy intake in Herefordshire.

As well as saving money, using energy more efficiently will also help by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2), and other harmful greenhouse gases that enter the atmosphere. The benefits of sustainable energy for the community will be outlined courtesy of the Energy Saving Trust and Herefordshire Voluntary Action at an “Effective Energy” training event to be held at Hinton Community Centre on Monday, 19th November. It is a great opportunity for community groups and individuals to learn about sustainable energy use and how it can be of use both environmentally and financially.

Did you know that reducing your room temperature by 1°C could cut your heating bills by up to 10 per cent? It will also outline how groups can reduce the energy consumption of existing community buildings and design and develop ideas for new ones. The many grants and incentives that are available will also be covered.

A community project that promotes sustainable energy can help bring a community together, save money and help the environment. This is a great chance to find out about what can be achieved as well as the support that is available. The event will run between 10 am and 4pm. To book a place, contact Clare O’Grady on 01432 343 932 or outreach@herefordshireva.org.

The wheels are in motion for the creation of a Herefordshire health watchdog with a big job to do. Changes in Government legislation mean an end to the current Public and Patient Involvement Forums (PPIF), with them being replaced by one county wide Local Involvement Network (LINk) that will, for the first time, be responsible not only for health but also social care issues.

The network will involve a wide range of Herefordians whose voices are seldom heard, including busy workers, children, people with disabilities, remote rural dwellers and ethnic minorities, to make sure they have their say in how services are run. The new body, to be launched early next year, will have powers to ensure public and patients' views are taken seriously.

The Link will be able to enter premises and assess services, collect views of service users and expect responses when requests for information are made to committees and organizations. Under the new legislation, Herefordshire Council is tasked with identifying a host, which will in turn recruit members of the Herefordshire Link

'Working in partnership with colleagues in the Primary Care Trust (PCT), we're beginning to advertise for an appropriate host group which will then promote Herefordshire Link and begin recruiting,' said Sara Siloko, Health Services Officer at Herefordshire Council. 'With the Public Service Trust coming on stream soon, it's a good time to be bringing the public voice of health and social care closer together too.'

Councillor Olwyn Barnett, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Health, said, 'The establishment of Herefordshire Link is a major step change in the accountability of those who provide health and social care services in the county. Through LINks, a wide range of local people and communities will have the power to influence what level and quality of health and social care services are provided and also how they are run. They will have the authority to gather issues of local concern and refer these on to scrutiny committees.'

Herefordshire is the first place in the country to have a single chief executive running both the council and the primary care trust. Herefordshire Council voted on Friday, 2nd November to confirm the appointment of Chris Bull, who is currently deputy chief executive of Southwark Council in London. He will also fulfil the role of chief executive of Herefordshire Primary Care Trust.

Chris Bull will lead an enhanced partnership designed to improve public services, achieve better value for money and ensure that Herefordshire continues to make decisions on how local public services are delivered. Chris Bull was joint chief executive of Southwark Primary Care Trust and strategic director of social services with Southwark Council for five years, a role in which he led one of the largest primary care trusts in London with a budget of £400 million, alongside a council social care budget of £120 million. He achieved excellent performance across health and social care, delivering better services for local people. Last year he acted as Southwark Council's interim chief executive and is a member of the London Health Commission, which leads health improvement across the capital.

Originally from the West Midlands, Chris Bull has family in Worcestershire. He is able to start work as chief executive for Herefordshire Council and Herefordshire Primary Care Trust before the end of the calendar year. Final stage selection involving four short-listed candidates took place in Herefordshire in September by a panel that included all council political leaders and the chairman and non-executive directors of the primary care trust. The appointment was recommended to be ratified by all elected members of the council at the full council meeting, in accordance with the council's constitution.

Creative young women are being offered free jewellery making workshops at Hinton Community Centre this month. The council's youth service runs a very successful girls' group every Wednesday at Hinton Community Centre between 7pm and 9pm and the community youth worker, Sarah Melia is always thinking of new activities and experiences for the girls to try.

Leominster based jewellery maker, Dawn Turton will offer the girls beginners workshops on Wednesday 7th and 21st November, where they will learn how to make beautiful necklaces, bracelets and, if they show some skill, earrings using wire and beads.

Sarah Melia, community youth worker, said, 'The girls' group has been running for over two years and is going from strength to strength. We get around twenty 11-19 year olds joining in every week. The girls are great fun and love trying new things. It's a great way for them to make new friends and try different activities without getting distracted by the boys. With Christmas on the horizon, we thought jewellery making would be a great activity to try. Other events on the horizon include karaoke, cooking, football and more arts and crafts.'

No previous experience is needed for any of these activities and they are all free of charge. To reserve a place, ring Sarah Melia on 01432 383376, text 07792880199 or pop into the Hinton Community Centre on Wednesdays between the hours of 7and 9pm.

Herefordshire Council is supporting new campaign, 'Love Food Hate Waste', that reveals we are throwing away a staggering third of the food we buy in the UK - most of which could have been eaten. The astonishing statistic follows pioneering research undertaken earlier this year by WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, which shows that for every three bags of food shopping we bring home, we effectively put one straight in the bin.

The campaign was launched on Saturday, 3rd November by celebrity chef and presenter Ainsley Harriott who said, 'The amount of food we throw away is criminal and we all need to take action and start changing our behaviour. That's why I'm supporting Love Food Hate Waste.'

'It is sad that so much good food is being wasted needlessly,' explains Dr Liz Goodwin, WRAP Chief Executive. 'At a cost of £8b a year, it's a serious issue that not only impacts on the environment but our pockets too. The 'Love Food Hate Waste' campaign has been created to raise awareness of the problem and provide information on what simple steps can be taken to combat the problem, which has a significant environmental impact. Our research showed that 90 per cent of us are completely unaware of the amount of food we all throw away. Once attention is drawn to it however, we know that people are surprised and keen to take action.'

Most of the food thrown away ends up in landfill where it produces methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. Although this is only part of the picture. All the embedded energy used to produce, package, transport and store food which could have been eaten, but instead ends up being thrown away, produces the equivalent of at least 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. WRAP believes that action on food waste would deliver big environment benefits.

'If we could all halt the amount of potentially edible food being wasted in this way, we would make a big impact - the same as taking 1 in 5 cars off UK roads,' explains Liz Goodwin.

In addition to press advertising and a supporting PR campaign that features celebrity chefs, home economists and well known personalities, the Love Food Hate Waste campaign features a website lovefoodhatewaste.com which gives advice, ideas on preparation, storage, portioning and recipes. The campaign is also fully supported by the Women's Institute, who are launching their own 'Love Food Champions' initiative, which will reach out to communities and provide on the ground support on how to minimize food waste across the UK.

'We are passionate about food and preventing waste. We want to help individuals and families to reduce waste and that's why we are strongly supporting 'Love Food Hate Waste,'' said Fay Mansell, NFWI Chair. Ainsley Harriott, the popular TV chef is supporting the campaign, along with a host of other chefs and well known celebrities. He adds, 'This campaign is aimed at everyone. You don't have to be a chef to know how to cut down on food waste, you just need to care about your food and your pocket and the rest follows.'

Richard Wood, Herefordshire Council's waste services manager, said, 'Our waste prevention team has been working hard to raise awareness about food waste reduction for some time. We welcome WRAP's new 'Love Food Hate Waste' initiative and we hope our communities will embrace this new message which has the potential to help the environment and save them money in the process.'

The council's Waste Prevention Team have arranged road shows promoting the new campaign and will be visiting supermarkets at the following locations: They will be from 11am - 3pm at:

Tesco, Ledbury on Sunday, 11th November
Sainsbury's, Hereford on Tuesday, 13th November
Tesco, St Peters, Worcester on Thursday, 15th November
Asda, Bromsgrove on Friday, 16th November
Morrisons, Malvern on Saturday, 17th November
Morrisons, Leominster, Sunday, 18th November
Sainsbury's, Kidderminster on Monday, 19th November
Waitrose, Droitwich on Wednesday, 21st November
Waitrose, Malvern on Friday, 23rd November
Asda, Hereford on Monday, 26th November
Sainsbury's, Redditch on Tuesday, 27th November
Tesco, Worcester Warndon 0n Wednesday, 28th November
Morrisons, Redditch on Sunday, 9th December

Whitecross Hereford High School and Specialist College scooped the national award for Best Sustainable Innovation at the Local Authority Building Control Awards. The building contractors Stepnell should be congratulated for their achievement both in design and execution. The award recognizes excellent innovation in thermal excellence, lighting (natural and electric) and work under the Constructing Excellence Demonstration Project.

George Salmon, head of commissioning and improvement, said, 'When Whitecross was built, the design was firmly based on green and sustainable guidelines and I am pleased this has been recognized at a national level. The brief from the school, governors and Herefordshire Council was to produce a building which not only maximized the use of natural light but which would also keep energy and water usage to a minimum and this has been achieved.

Mr Mark Wakeford, Managing Director of Stepnell, said, 'This is a prestigious accolade that recognizes the huge amount of work that our whole team did to ensure the community around Whitecross has a sustainable school. We are very proud that we beat stiff competition to the award and it demonstrates what is possible in the exacting standards of local education.'

Alan Lyons, Project Manger of Stepnell for the school has also been named gold award winner in the PFI Projects category of the Construction Manager of the Year Awards. This award recognized Alan's exemplar work in delivering the scheme on time to a high quality and his work with the local community through the Considerate Contractors Scheme.

The school's design uses a ducted fresh air heating system. This system provides heated fresh air to classrooms. This air supply is therefore regulated and not as wasteful of energy as opening windows would be. The constantly supplied fresh air also produces a good working atmosphere and aids attentiveness in lessons. The heating system was designed in conjunction with the high levels of insulation and heavy mass of the buildings, to provide a finely controlled environment.

The school's most obvious green measure, as viewed from the outside, is its sedum roof covering which has been laid over the majority of the roof surfaces on the school. Sedum is an alpine succulent and, as well as helping the school blend into its environment, it also absorbs rainwater and therefore reduces the amount of storm water discharged into the local Yazor Brook. At Whitecross, going to the loo provides a contribution to the environment too. The school has low usage cisterns and the taps close by themselves to save water A green travel plan for the new school was also drawn up and bicycle sheds and a mini bus waiting shelter were incorporated into the final design of the school.

Whitecross has also been awarded a Green Apple award from the Green Organization. The Green Organization is an independent, non-political, non-profit making environment group dedicated to recognizing, rewarding and promoting environmental best practice around the world and the awards scheme is now in its 13th year.

People in Hereford will be reminded about the potential dangers of driving at a hard hitting road traffic collision demonstration which is to be held by Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership in the city centre on Thursday, 8th November.

The display, to coincide with Road Safety Week, will see crews from Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Service, West Mercia Constabulary and West Midlands Ambulance Service rescue casualties from a crash scene. The scene, which will replicate a real road traffic collision, will involve a car and three casualties, played by volunteers. The actions taken by the emergency services will be the same as in real collision. The demonstration will give spectators a detailed account of the actions undertaken by those first to arrive at the scene of a collision, including medical care given by paramedics and the use of cutting equipment by the fire service to extricate a casualty from a badly damaged vehicle.

A number of local organizations will also be on site in High Town, including representatives from the Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership team, West Mercia Police, West Mercia Safer Roads Partnership, Herefordshire Advanced Motorists, RoadPeace and Herefordshire Council's Road Safety Unit, who will all be handing out road safety information and advice between 10.30am and 2.30pm. Staff from Halfords will also be on hand to advise people about child car seat fitting.

People in Herefordshire are more likely to be involved in a driving incident than they are becoming a victim of crime. However, the number of people killed or seriously injured on the county's roads dropped from 147 in 2005 to 119 in 2006, and Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership is hoping that through education and events such as this, the downward trend will continue.

Geoff Hughes, Chair of Herefordshire Community Safety and Drugs Partnership, said, 'The event is a timely reminder about the consequences of dangerous driving. We are coming to a time of year when our roads can be particularly hazardous due to the weather conditions. Unfortunately, some people may also be tempted to drink and drive. Some people might find the display shocking, but we hope that by demonstrating the consequences of dangerous driving we can encourage people to think twice before getting in their car, and continue to reduce the number of unnecessary deaths on our roads.'

For further information about road safety, visit www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk or contact Herefordshire Council's Road Safety Unit on 01432 260947. For more information about this event, please contact Susanne Graham on 01432 260324 or Alison Grange on 01432 260658.

Herefordshire Council's officers and councillors met more than 100 residents from Colwall and Colwall Green to discuss the latest position regarding Colwall bridge. The special meeting, held on Friday, 26th October was attended by Councillor Brian Wilcox, Herefordshire Council's Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation, ward member, Councillor Roy Stockton and engineers from Network Rail, Herefordshire Council and the council's consultants Owen Williams. Leominster MP Bill Wiggin chaired the meeting.

Politicians and engineers answered questions from residents regarding the bridge closure and its reopening. Councillor Brian Wilcox said, 'Colwall Bridge is top of our priorities and we will be working with our partners to make every effort to return the bridge to service as soon as it is safe to do so. If there is any opportunity for light traffic to safely use the bridge, as an interim measure, then that will be taken and we will reopen the bridge as soon as it is deemed safe to do so and we can get the necessary signage and any weight restriction measures in place. Consultant engineers, Owen Williams have now carried out a second inspection of the 110 year old Colwall Bridge which is a major step towards reopening it to traffic. In the meantime, Herefordshire Council is working closely with Network Rail and Owen Williams to minimize the effect and duration of the closure.'

The inspection, carried out over three nights in October, involved comprehensive inspections by two engineers on all visible elements of the bridge. This included:

· Measurement, recording and photographing of all defects
· Measurement and recording of all section sizes and spans
· Bricks were removed at two locations (the arches supporting the road) to determine the condition of hidden parts of the cross girders. Results of this detailed and complex assessment will be made available at the end of the year.

Herefordshire Council is continuing with its two-option strategy for the bridge:

· Inspection to determine the capacity of the bridge
· Considering installing a bailey bridge at a cost of £450,000.

The assessment will determine what load the bridge can take and bailey bridge designs have now been submitted to Network Rail so they can assess how the proposed bridge will affect the existing one. Many residents were also concerned at the poor quality of the diversion routes, claiming there had been many near accidents on them.

Councillor Wilcox said, 'The inspection frequency on the diversion routes has been raised to monthly, which is the highest level of inspection the council operates, and we have also included these routes on our primary winter gritting routes.'

Herefordshire Council is to consult businesses on the introduction of a 'Scores on the Doors' scheme for eating establishments.

The council's commercial team has written to most of the food businesses in the county asking for their views on Scores on the Doors (SD), a scheme where the hygiene ratings given by inspectors to food businesses are presented to the public.

The aim of the proposed scheme is:

· To provide consumers with a user friendly way to access the information they need to make informed choices about where to eat in the area.
· To encourage food businesses where deficiencies are found to improve their standards of food hygiene, leading to greater food safety.
· To ensure that those food businesses achieving consistently high standards of food hygiene are publicly recognized and rewarded.

Food inspections lead to scores related to compliance with hygiene. These will be translated into star ratings for each business with five stars being the best and no stars being the worst. The scheme will apply to all food premises within the county and it is intended that the last inspection result will be made available on the website. A certificate will also be issued for businesses to display at their premises if they so wish. It is hoped that the scheme will become operative in late January 2008.

Andy Tector, Herefordshire Council's Head of Environmental Health and Trading Standards, said, 'By giving the public access to the food hygiene ratings, it is hoped this new scheme will both promote food safety and empower consumer choice. Similar schemes have existed in the United States and Canada for more than 10 years and many authorities there have been able to encourage improvements in food safety standards by making the results of inspections available on the internet.'

The consultation ends on Monday, 12th November 2007. Business who wish to record their views can do so by completing the questionnaire they have been sent. If you have not received a form or it has been misplaced then please contact the council on 01432 261761.

Planning permission for the erection of nine homes at 62 Old Eign Hill, Hereford, has been approved by the central area planning subcommittee.

The development will provide a mix of four, three and two bedroomed homes with the existing period house on site being retained and refurbished. Three letters of objection were received raising concerns regarding increased traffic and loss of privacy.

Members of the central area planning subcommittee were minded to refuse planning permission for the erection of 81 homes with associated parking on land at Venns Lane, Royal National College for the Blind, at their meeting on Wednesday, 24th October.

Members considered that the proposed development would be out of character with the area and harm the amenities of local residents. The decision has now been referred to the head of planning services who will determine whether the subcommittee decision stands or whether the application should go to the main planning committee for determination.

The site presently forms part of the Royal National College for the Blind's campus. Outline planning permission was approved in May this year for 70 properties on the site. The Royal National College for the Blind said they needed to raise the number of homes to 81 to help pay for the increased cost of building their new sports facilities and halls of residence. These facilities need to be in place by early 2009 as a training venue in association with the Olympics and Paralympics and the staging of the World Blind Football Championships in summer 2010.

The homes, of which 14 would be affordable, were to be a mixture of terrace, semi detached and detached, one, two, three, four and five bedroom homes and two bedroom apartments with associated parking, landscaping, cycle links and open space.

Hereford City Council objected to the scheme because they felt it was over intensive development of the site. Hereford Civic Society supported the plans in principle but felt the site would be rather crowded. Thirty four letters of objection or comment together with a petition from residents of Loder Drive with 55 signatures was received. The main concerns raised included the increased volume of traffic and impact on local residents.

Members of the central area planning subcommittee have refused planning permission for six two bedroomed maisonettes and four two bedroomed flats on land to the rear of Prospect Place, St Martins Avenue, Hereford, expressing strong concerns in relation to the safety of the access onto St Martins Avenue.

The site falls within Hereford City Conservation Area, an Area of Archaeological Importance, is within a category three flood zone and is identified as an established residential area within the Herefordshire Unitary Development Plan. The Environment Agency currently object to the development because it lies within flood zone 3 of the River Wye and is therefore considered to be at high risk of flooding.

Herefordshire Council's conservation manager supported the bold contemporary design, saying it would make a positive addition to the conservation area and commented that the proposal '… vividly expresses our aspirations for the city, elevating the standard for development and providing an interesting juxtaposition between the Victorian and Georgian properties in the locality and modern architecture of the 21st century.'

Hereford City Council recommended refusal feeling the scheme was over intensive development. Twenty one letters of objection were received. The main points raised were the site has significant historical interest to Hereford and that the contemporary design was harmful to the character of the area. Concerns were also expressed at an increase in traffic and the fact the site is in a flood plain.

The search is on to find Herefordshire's favourite local attraction as the county joins local authorities nationwide to promote its visitor hot spots. Ten of the county's most popular places have been listed on Herefordshire Council's web site under the heading 'Pride of Place', and members of the public are urged to vote for their favourite online.

Areas up for nomination are Bredwardine Church, Herefordshire Cathedral, Ledbury Town Centre, Weobley black and white village, Lower Brockhampton Manor, River Wye at Capler Hill, Victoria Bridge in Hereford, Dore Abbey and Broadfield Court.

Councillor Adrian Blackshaw, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Community Services, said, 'Living in such a beautiful rural area, we are spoilt for choice when it comes to finding favourite places. We have selected just ten places for nomination and want members of the public to let us know which is their favourite. We hope people will join in this nationwide campaign and help us put Herefordshire on the map. To vote, simply click onto the 'Pride of Place' icon on the front page of our web site at www.herefordshire.gov.uk. You can also see and vote for other areas around the country.'

The Pride of Place poll is part of a nationwide initiative, and can be accessed until Friday, 30th November 2007 after which the results will be released.

Herefordshire Council's cabinet have given the final go ahead to protect the Rotherwas Ribbon archaeological site for future generations, explore opportunities it might present for tourism and resume full construction of the Rotherwas access road, an essential transport link for the county's key employment site housing 125 companies.

The decision echoed its earlier one of Thursday, 6th September, which had been 'called in' by councillors for scrutiny on Monday, 24th September. Then, the environment scrutiny concluded, after a four hour discussion, that the original decision was the right one. So, the Rotherwas Ribbon came full circle and back to cabinet for final sign off.

Cabinet heard that the council was making progress with its application for funding from English Heritage to enable further archaeological investigation of the presumed course of the Ribbon. This will help define the extent and nature of the find and allow the council to consider opportunities for tourism, heritage and education. Depending on the results of any further investigation, the council proposes to prepare a conservation plan and determine how public access to the Ribbon could be achieved, evaluating the potential for a permanent visitor centre.

The council had stopped work on the road around the Ribbon site in April this year when it was first discovered. It announced the find to councillors and citizens in May and gave escorted tours of the site to around 1,000 people in July. English Heritage has been involved since the discovery of the Ribbon and its experts have advised that the council's engineering solution, to cover the site with layers of protective membranes and sand, will protect it for future generations. This was essential as leaving the Ribbon exposed to the elements would eventually destroy it.

The council covered the site in August to protect it after archaeologists conducted a fingertip clean of the surface to carefully remove deposited silt. The cabinet had previously considered other options such as abandoning or re-routing the access road to avoid the archaeological find. But this could have cost council taxpayers from £6 million for diverting the road around the Ribbon, up to £110 million for building a tunnel under the archaeological site. However, it decided that the original route was the most efficient way of ensuring the success of the £20-million Rotherwas Futures project to the south of the city of Hereford.

Welcomed by business, the project will include a flood alleviation scheme, create new jobs and help Herefordshire's economy to compete. The cabinet congratulated county archaeologist Dr Keith Ray on the 'universally acknowledged standard and quality of his work on the Ribbon'.

For further information: Herefordshire Council on 01432 260006.

The case against My Tony Blows, landlord of the Dog Inn public house at Ewyas Harold, was adjourned at Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, 26th October. Mr. Blows indicated to the court that he was intending to plead not guilty to all three charges laid by Herefordshire Council for offences under the new, smoke free legislation which came into effect in England on Sunday, 1st July 2007.

Mr. Blows faces the following charges:

1. Mr Tony Blows being a person responsible for the management of the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire failed to discharge a duty to which he was subject by section 8 (4) of the Health Act 2006, namely as the person in control (or concerned in the management) of smoke-free premises, did fail in his duty to cause persons smoking there to stop smoking on the evening of Saturday, August 4 2007.

2. Mr Tony Blows did, on the evening of Saturday August 4, 2007, smoke cigarettes contrary to Section 7(2) of the Health Act 2006 in premises, namely the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, that are smoke free by virtue of Section 2 of the Health Act 2006.

3. Mr Tony Blows being a person responsible for the management of the Dog Inn public house, Ewyas Harold, Herefordshire failed to discharge a duty to which he was subject by section 8 (4) of the Health Act 2006, namely as the person in control (or concerned in the management) of smoke-free premises, did fail in his duty to cause persons smoking there to stop smoking on the afternoon of Monday July 23, 2007.

A trial will now be held on Monday, 21st January which will be heard by the district judge.

A Herefordshire farmer who admitted moving cattle and sheep when there was a total ban on livestock movements due to foot and mouth restrictions was given a conditional discharge at Hereford Magistrates Court on Friday, 26th October. Nigel Bevan, aged 52, of Coldbrook Farm, St Weonards, who was charged with moving the livestock on Friday, 14th September, was also ordered to pay £548.09 in costs.

Mr Kevin O'Keefe, prosecuting for Herefordshire Council, told the court Mr Bevan was seen by one of the council's health and welfare officers transporting four rams and four cattle two days after an order had been signed banning movement of livestock. Mr Bevan was moving the animals from one of his farm sites to another, a distance of about five miles.

In mitigation, Mr Bevan admitted he had broken the law but said that he was concerned about the welfare of his animals. The four cows he transported were heavily pregnant, one of which in fact calved the following day and suffered from milk fever, a potentially fatal disease. He also said that the law was far from clear at the time of the outbreaks.

Mr Mike Higgins, Herefordshire Council's animal welfare manager, said, 'As an authority, our first priority must be to ensure the health and welfare of all animals in the county. This farmer's actions could have caused the spread of disease and we felt it was only proper to prosecute him. The county was badly affected by the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and we must all be aware of legislation which aims to prevent this happening again.'

Children and young people in Herefordshire get some of the best opportunities for school sport in the country according to figures released by the Department for Children, Schools and Families this month.

The figures shows that in England, school targets on sport have been met a year early, with 86 per cent of pupils now participating in at least two hours of physical education and school sport per week. In Herefordshire, this figure is 93.5 per cent, an increase of six per cent from last year and the third highest figure in the country.

In nearly every performance indicator set by the government for PE and sport in schools, the Whitecross and Minster School Sport Partnerships who work with the county's schools to achieve national targets, are well above the average. The county has the third highest percentage of children taking part in inter school competitive sports, with 70 per cent taking part in internal school competitions. On top of that, all Herefordshire schools have a sports day where pupils come together in differing forms of competition. Herefordshire also has twice the number of pupils involved in leadership and volunteering than the national average.

The county has the third highest percentage of pupils involved in leading parts of lessons, running activities at lunchtimes and after school as well as running and supporting competitive events and festivals. Herefordshire Council and the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Sports Partnership are working together to encourage young people to continue with their sports and activities in the evenings and weekends by providing opportunities to join local clubs in their locality.

In a rural county, transport issues and the location of clubs has made this challenging, but both school sport partnerships have made progress and on average schools link to six or seven clubs. Work with gifted and talented pupils has continued to grow, with eight per cent of young people now identified and multi skill academies established earlier this year.

Councillor Jennny Hyde, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said, 'I am delighted that so many of our children are getting involved in school sport. Being healthy and physically active is very much part of the Every Child Matters agenda. The PE curriculum has changed considerably over the last few years so that children can try a broader range of activities than ever before, which is good news as traditional school sports don't appeal to everyone. Herefordshire's success in exceeding Government targets is down to excellent partnership working between schools, sports clubs and the school sports partnerships. I congratulate them for raising sporting activity levels across the county and helping our children enjoy more active lifestyles.'

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