Herefordshire Council is scheduled to meet on 10 October 2025 to discuss a range of issues, including the number of councillors per ward, the Leader's report, and several notices of motion. The meeting will also include questions from both the public and council members. Councillors will also be asked to approve the schedule of full Council meeting dates in the 2026/27 municipal year.

Electoral Review

The council is expected to discuss the Local Government Boundary Commission for England's (the Commission) electoral review, specifically the number of councillors per ward. The council must recommend whether it wishes to retain one member per ward electoral arrangements.

The report states that the council's member working group has already convened to consider the Commission's review and that their unanimous view is to retain the current one member per ward arrangements.

The report also notes that:

the Commission has no pre-determined view on what local electoral arrangements should look like in Herefordshire prior to completing their review. They will be led by the evidence, guided by their local consultations and will consider any recommendations that the council may wish to propose on local electoral arrangements.

The Commission has stated that it will endeavour to construct a uniform pattern of wholly single member wards/divisions except where that would not be the best balance of our statuary criteria of electoral equality, community identities and interests and effective and convenient local government.

Leader's Report

Councillor Jonathan Lester, Leader of the Council, is expected to present a report on the activities of the cabinet since the last council meeting on 25 July 2025.

The report is expected to include updates on key areas such as:

• Alternative Provision Procurement Framework: A framework of commissioned providers who are able to deliver alternative provision for children who are not able to attend school and those needing additional support.
• Domestic Abuse Strategy: The Domestic Abuse Strategy for Herefordshire 2025 to 2028, which aims to prevent and respond to domestic abuse through a collaborative approach.
• Children and Young Persons' Improvement Plan: Phase 3 of the plan, which aims to bring continuity and continued focus, pace and measures to the improvement journey of Children's Services.
• Merton Meadows Flood Alleviation: The drawdown of the remaining £1.2 million from the Brownfield Land Release Fund to procure, appoint, commission and commence the works to deliver the flood alleviation scheme on the Merton Meadows sites.
• Ross Enterprise Park: Expenditure of up to £7.229 million to progress delivery of Ross Enterprise Park (phase 1) into the next phase of construction.
• Hereford Enterprise Zone Retained Business Rates: Expenditure of retained business rates from the Hereford Enterprise Zone held in the Enterprise Zone Business Rates Growth Reserve, to deliver a county-wide business growth, skills and inward investment programme.
• Housing Delivery: Updates on the Merton Meadow Urban Village Programme, the acquisition of the John Venn Building, and progress at Buttercross in Leominster.
• City and Market Town Public Realm Investment: Allocation of £1.2 million for City and Market Town Public Realm Investment during 2025/26, with £200,000 allocated to each of the city and market towns of Bromyard, Kington, Ledbury, Leominster and Ross-on-Wye.
• Road Safety Schemes: £3 million investment for road safety schemes split over 2025/26 and 2026/27, directed toward delivering highway improvement schemes at known collision cluster sites, including the A465 junction with B4348 Locks Garage, Allensmore, and the B4203 junction with B4204 High House Crossroads, Upper Sapey.
• Wye Valley Natural Landscapes: Acceptance of a number of funding awards from the National Grid, DEFRA, the Welsh Government and Natural Resources Wales, totalling £3.8 million, to contribute to the future management and duties of the Wye Valley National Landscape.
• Hereford Western Bypass: The first phase of the Procurement Strategy for the Hereford Western Bypass, giving authority to procure a pre-construction services agreement for the design and enabling works.
• Phosphate Income/Credits: Update on phosphate income received and the number of dwellings for which planning permissions have been released.
• Herefordshire Suicide Prevention Strategy: The Suicide Prevention Strategy for Herefordshire 2025 - 2029, which has been developed in collaboration with local partners and highlights commitment to reduce the number of local lives lost to suicide.
• Corporate Peer Challenge: The report on the outcome of the Local Government Association Corporate Peer Challenge, held 23 - 26 June 2025, and the council's action plan in response to the recommendations for publication.
• Budget Report: The Q1 budget report which forecasts the position for 2025/26.
• Medium Term Financial Strategy: Update on the Medium Term Financial Strategy.
• Risk Management: Update on the status of corporate risks at the end of Quarter 1 2025/26.

The Leader's report also refers to the council's Delivery Plan 2025-2026, which outlines how the council's priorities and objectives will be achieved.

Motions on Notice

Three motions are scheduled to be debated:

Child Friendly Herefordshire

Councillor Toni Fagan, Chairperson Children and Young People Scrutiny Committee, is expected to propose a motion for the council to adopt a formal policy of Child Friendly Herefordshire, embedding the principle of putting children and young people's safety and wellbeing at the heart of all decisions. The motion also calls for ensuring children and young people have meaningful opportunities to shape decisions that affect them, and for the executive to work with partners to create a county-wide partnership for Child Friendly Herefordshire.

Protecting Community Safety in Herefordshire - Opposing Cuts to PCSO Hours

Councillor Robert Owens is expected to propose a motion opposing the decision to limit Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) evening working hours across Herefordshire. The motion requests the Chief Executive to write to the Police and Crime Commissioner, urging a reversal of this decision, and for the Leader of the Council to communicate the council's opposition to Herefordshire's MPs.

Improving Access to Employment, Education and Leisure for Young People Aged 16–19 Through Bus Provision

Councillor Rebecca Tully is expected to propose a motion supporting the expansion of affordable, accessible bus travel for 16–19 year olds in Herefordshire to improve access to education, employment, and training, reduce social isolation, and enhance health outcomes. The motion also requests the executive to prepare proposals for inclusion in the 2026/27 budget for a pilot extension of the transport assistance scheme for 16-19yr olds in education to enable travel on evenings, weekends and holidays, and for the Leader of the Council to write to the Secretary of State for Transport, urging support for pilot schemes and action on the Transport Committee's recommendation to explore national free or discounted travel for young people.

Chairman and Chief Executive's Announcements

Councillor Roger Phillips, Chairperson of the Council, and Paul Walker, Chief Executive, are expected to make announcements. Councillor Roger Phillips's announcements include information about the 80th anniversary of Victory in Japan, the Rural Services Network (RSN) conference, the Three Choirs Festival, and the unveiling of a new stone statue of a bulldog at the King George V Playing Fields¹. Paul Walker's announcements include information about the Local Government Association's Corporate Peer Challenge, the refreshed medium-term financial strategy, the Care Quality Commission's inspection of Adult Social Care Services, the appointment of a new Chief Technical and Data Officer, the Local Government Boundary Commission's electoral review, the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme, the Pride in Place Strategy, the Herefordshire Employment & Skills Conference, the Baton of Hope, the fostering team's nomination at the West Midlands Children's Services Team Excellence Awards 2025, the newly formed Integrated Care Board (ICB) cluster, and the retirement of Jane Ives, Managing Director of Wye Valley NHS Trust. Paul Walker also mentions the passing of Mark Yates, Chair of the Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust, and David Fleet, former Mayor of Hereford.

Public Questions

Members of the public have submitted questions in advance of the meeting. These questions cover a range of topics, including:

• The design of the Southern Link Road.
• Overdevelopment in small rural market towns such as Ledbury.
• The effectiveness of the western bypass in reducing congestion in Hereford.
• The state of the five-storey steel tower at Jacob's Court in Hereford.
• Funding for sewerage capacity improvements in Hereford, Leominster and Rural Areas.
• The cost of the Southern Link Road.
• The number of homes levied and 'released' under the phosphate credit scheme since 2019.
• The introduction of an Article 4 Direction² to Herefordshire's other Market Towns.
• The funding of the proper care and maintenance of public open spaces.
• The provision of reports submitted by all agencies for Review Child Protection Conference to parents and older children.
• Herefordshire Children's Services.

Council Questions

Members of the council have also submitted questions in advance of the meeting. These questions cover a range of topics, including:

• The state of Belmont Road in Hereford.
• The number of people on the Homepoint list.
• Air pollution measurements taken over Hereford city during the last four years.