Scaffolding could be removed after 15 years

Work to remove scaffolding erected around privately-owned flats 15 years ago will commence in summer, according to a councillor.

The scaffolding around the rear of five-storey Jacob's Court, Hereford, was put up in 2010 "to prevent glass windows from the building falling on to the public".

It has cost Herefordshire Council about £400 a month with total costs adding up to roughly £80,000 after more than a decade.

Councillor Elissa Swinglehurst said the authority was at an "advanced stage of negotiation" with the new owners of the building and aimed to ensure the necessary safety works were completed.

Hereford City councillor Jeremy Mill has campaigned against the scaffolding and previously described it as an "eyesore" in the city.

He argued the scaffolding had provided "no public benefit" for more than two years and called for a breakdown of recoverable costs to the council.

Swinglehurst promised him at the council's annual budget-setting meeting that these would come in a later written response, the Local Democracy Reporting Service reported.

"After 15 years, I'm pleased to say that meetings this week look as if they are going to resolve the Jacobs Court issue, with works commencing this summer," she added.

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.