Register office to move out of town? (From Ledbury Reporter)

Register office to move out of town?

4:40pm Saturday 1st September 2012 in Ledbury

LEDBURY registration office could close as births and deaths are set to be registered at Hereford.

Herefordshire Council has proposed the registration office at the town council office should close as many births and deaths happen at Hereford County Hospital.

The move would see Ledbury people register at Hereford or by appointment at the county council offices on St Katherine’s car park.

A report by John Jones, Herefordshire Council’s head of governance, and Richard Beavan-Pearson, assistant director for customer services said: “Evidence shows that the vast majority of births that take place in Herefordshire occur at Hereford Hospital. Similarly, a high number of deaths that are registered show they happen at Hereford Hospital.

“It is now proposed to centralise the provision of registration services in Hereford and, in doing so, we will increase opening hours to give greater flexibility.

“We will open for longer in the day to allow those who want to register after work.

We would also deal with registrations on Saturdays.

Both these services are not currently available.”

But town councillor Annette Crowe said: “It’s a sign of the times, all these little services being taken away.

“Why talk about giving greater powers to the community when they are eroding things that are already there?”

Ledbury people have until Friday, September 28, to make their views known.

Anyone wishing to express a view on the matter should write to John Jones, head of governance, Herefordshire Council, Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford, HR1 1SH, by the deadline.