Volunteers ‘undermined’ by council

Hereford councillor Paul Rone says volunteers, who have worked on community bids for government funding, have been “completely undermined” and will lose out to Herefordshire Council backed projects.

Hereford was named in September 2019 as one of the 100 places in the UK to share in the government’s £3.6 billion Towns Fund which aims to support economic growth in towns and cities.

Up to £25 million will be available for regeneration projects in the city to create new jobs, help train local people and boost growth.

Local people were asked how they want to see Hereford grow and to identify major projects that would bring about economic and social improvements. And an investment plan will be submitted to government to agree specific projects.

An independent board, backed by Herefordshire Council, has been established to lead this work.

But Redhill ward councillor Rone says many local bids face an unfair advantage from projects which have been submitted by the county council.

He asked for the council to withdraw its projects to give the “little man and woman an opportunity to do what they think is best for where they live”.

“It’s full of bids to better the south Wye area in particular and the city as a whole,” coun Rone said.

“All bids had to be worked on in a frenzy to meet the soft deadline of November 16.

“Some felt it was too short notice so capitulated. Others pooled resources, took time off work, missed weekends off to complete the deadline date.

“Bids by social clubs, groups and even social entrepreneurs where then completely undermined by this authority launching bids totalling some £25m on scheme which could be described as either not suitable or completely missing the point.

“And all these were submitted two days late.

“Council schemes for Maylord Orchards shopping centre as well as Rotherwas and cycleways. All these schemes prepared by experienced council officers against the tenacity and goodwill of what must only be describe as amateurs, to a certain degree.

“Would the council leader agree that council projects should be paid for by prudent spending and borrowing and leave these once in a lifetime windfall to clubs, groups, associations and social entrepreneurs for whom they are designed?

“This late bid of wanting 80% of the total pot available smacks of greed or is it desperation?”

Council leader David Hitchiner said they were not prepared to withdraw their bids.

He said any decision made would be made by the Stronger Towns board and the council only has one vote on it out of 15.

“The council was late in providing its projects, partly because I wasn’t quite sure if the council should be putting projects forward.

“But then the council was criticised for not putting projects forward so the council needed to make sure it did.

“We need to work together on this. It’s about what is best for the town.

“The community has been fantastically engaged. Over 50 different projects valued at £75m.”