Mary Stenson

Dan Morgan has become general manager of The Feathers Hotel on Ledbury High Street. The Herefordshire native has held a range of hospitality roles, including managing gastropubs in Surrey, reopening the Boat Inn in Solihull and returning to Ross-on-Wye to reopen The Hope and Anchor. The Coaching Inn Group’s managing director, Adam Charity, said Morgan would be an asset. The 20-room hotel, which includes a restaurant, bar and courtyard garden, occupies a timber-framed building dating back to around 1560.

Anthony Harris, 25, pleaded guilty at Worcester Magistrates' Court to driving above the 70mph limit on the M50 near Pendock. He was fined £369, received six penalty points, and was ordered to pay £130 in costs and a £148 surcharge.

Plans for an asphalt pump track at Martins Way Park in Ledbury have reached the formal planning application stage. The proposal follows a survey of more than 600 local young people, who identified improved parks and sports facilities as priorities. Herefordshire Council says the continuous loop of rollers and berms would address a gap in provision for younger teenagers, while Councillor Stef Simmons is urging the community to submit views during the planning consultation.

Cattle and sheep grazing locations on the Malvern Hills have been confirmed from July 27. Cattle and sheep will be present near Worcestershire Beacon, East Pinnacle, Castlemorton and Hollybed Commons, while sheep will graze East Black Hill and the area between British Camp and Gullet Quarry. Cattle will also be on the Old Hills, Broad Down and East Ragged Stone, and ponies will graze year-round on the Old Hills.

John Holmes, headteacher of John Masefield High School in Ledbury, welcomed Herefordshire Council proposals to increase the school’s capacity by 150 pupils, from 750 to 900, to meet demand linked to local housing developments. The expansion will add a form of entry in each year group, while near-term improvements include a canopy, an enlarged canteen and a second practical food room. Further teaching spaces, a larger library and other upgrades are subject to planning approval. The project forms part of a £5.39 million council schools investment programme funded through the Department for Education’s Basic Need Capital Grant, alongside improvements at Weobley High School. Holmes said the school would preserve its community values and commitment to students as it grows.