JustBeingCP

The next 24 hours is going to see Herefordshire, the West Midlands and wider United Kingdom battered with storm like conditions.

As a disability rights campaigner and wheelchair user who is unable to venture out during severe weather conditions as it becomes too dangerous to use the pavement network because of large amounts of standing water, I would like to urge the public to remain vigilant and check in on those who are vulnerable around you.

In January 2019 I worked with Itv Central’s Mark Gough to highlight and urge Herefordshire Council to do more when it comes to protecting our counties most vulnerable during severe weather events that batter Hereford and our market towns of Ledbury, Leominister, Kington, Bromyard.

At the time Herefordshire was in the middle of a cold snap which could have seen the county hit with massive amounts of snow, frost and ice.

In a statement at the time from Herefordshire Council in response to my plea for them to do more during severe weather events they said: We have gritted all primary and secondary routes today as well as key footfall areas, council car parks and cycleways. We continue to monitor the situation and have crews on standby 24/7 to ensure that our highways network remains as safe as possible.

It is not possible to grit all roads and footpaths in Herefordshire as part of our winter service operations, added a council spokesperson.

I would like to again urge Herefordshire Council and those responsible for maintaining our roads and footpath networks to consider those who are most vulnerable within our county when you are ensuring that the network across the county is free from standing surface water.

I do however appreciate that it is a massive challenge for all who are involved in ensuring that are our highways and footways are 100% safe during severe weather incidents during the months of November, December and January.

Please can I also urge the council in Herefordshire to monitor the amount of standing surface water that is left on our footpath network across the county so that if our most vulnerable need to venture out they can do so in confidence that they will not be put at risk of having an accident and hurting themselves.

If I had to give a message to the Herefordshire public during this severe weather episode then it would be this, Please help the authorities in our county by checking in on our vulnerable neighbours and relatives over the next day and into this weekend.

Please can I also ask all of my followers and readers who take the time to this blog to share it far and wide on your social media pages so that my message cam reach as many of our most vulnerable in society as possible.

I would also like to thank my readers and follows for taking the time out of your incredibly busy schedules to read my latest blog.

Cam