About Us
This is Herefordshire
Council Information and Reports
The Herefordshire Council Plan 2024–2028 is built around the vision of “Delivering the best for Herefordshire in everything we do.” The plan focuses on improving people’s wellbeing, protecting and enhancing the environment, and supporting sustainable economic growth while transforming the council to be more efficient, innovative, and value-driven. Central to our approach is strong partnership working to achieve these priorities and deliver lasting benefits for the county.
The council approved a net revenue budget of £231.5m for 2025/26, including a 4.99% increase in council tax and approved savings of £3.9m in the Children & Young People Directorate.
The Q2 2025/26 Budget Report shows a forecast net overspend of £7.0m at Quarter 2, with management action estimated at £3.3m to reduce the forecast overspend to £3.7m. The report highlights continuing pressures from increasing demand across social care budgets, temporary accommodation and SEN transport services.
In June 2025, we participated in a Corporate Peer Challenge conducted by the Local Government Association. The peer team highlighted strong internal collaboration and positive relationships with partners. See the final report in the link above.
The Herefordshire Big Economic Plan, published in March 2023, sets out a vision for a vibrant, inclusive, and zero-carbon rural economy by 2050. Developed with partners across sectors, it focuses on six priorities: people, community, environment, enterprise, infrastructure, and investment. The plan outlines five-year actions to boost skills, wages, and sustainability, with delivery overseen by a new Economy and Place Board.
The outturn position for the year ended 31 March 2025 was a net underspend of £0.5m after the use of reserves and implementation of recovery plan actions and expenditure controls in place throughout the year.
The council managed in-year cost pressures in the delivery of adult social care services, temporary accommodation and SEN and home to school transport budgets. A total of £8.6m of savings were delivered in 2024/25 (56% of the target for the year). Savings not delivered recurrently were mitigated and have been carried forward for delivery in 2025/26.
Employee and Workforce Information
The Workforce Strategy 2024–2028, approved in May 2024, sets out priorities such as talent development, leadership growth, succession planning, and employee engagement. Developed through staff and union consultation, the strategy underpins a unified “one council” culture to support service delivery and organisational resilience.
Designed to measure employee engagement, gather honest feedback, and track progress on workplace culture and communication. the survey check-in report serves both as an internal reflection tool and a leadership accountability measure. It helps us identify cultural strengths, set priorities for employee wellbeing and engagement, and shape future organisational development efforts.
The Council’s roadmap for responding to our staff’s voice, identifying what is working, what needs improvement, and how the we will act to enhance employee experience, culture, alignment and support over the next two years.
It’s more than just a list of actions: it signals commitment to listening, adapting, and embedding change, with a view to creating an environment where staff feel valued, engaged, supported and aligned with organisational purpose.
Environmental Partnerships
Herefordshire Council is an active partner in the River Severn Partnership, a broad, cross‑border collaboration spanning England and Wales that brings together county councils (including Herefordshire), national agencies, environmental organisations, academic institutions and the private sector to build climate resilience and economic growth within the Severn catchment The council plays a role in delivering shared strategies to reduce flood risk, improve water resource management, and enhance environmental assets across the catchment area. It supports natural flood management measures, ecological enhancement, and the development of smart technologies such as 5G‑driven public service and rural infrastructure projects enabled through a £3.75 million Government grant, as part of the partnership’s innovation region initiative. Through its involvement in the River Severn Partnership, Herefordshire Council contributes to pioneering policy innovations and award‑winning projects that turn rivers from liabilities into strategic assets fostering sustainable local economies and resilient communities
Herefordshire Council is a founding member of the Marches Forward Partnership, a cross-border alliance with Shropshire, Powys, and Monmouthshire focused on rural economic growth, green innovation, and improved connectivity. It participates in quarterly strategic board meetings to guide shared priorities, including the local food economy, town centre regeneration, and education-led enterprise. The council also supports the Marches Environmental Investment Platform, which funds climate resilience projects such as the Severn Valley Water Management Scheme. Through the Marches Manifesto, developed with community input, Herefordshire helps shape proposals on nature recovery, transport, skills, and digital access for submission to the UK and Welsh governments.
Political Composition
Herefordshire Council is comprised of 53 councillors. The political composition of the council is:
Conservatives - 20
Liberal Democrats - 12
The Green Party - 9
Independents for Herefordshire - 7
True Independents - 2
Labour - 1
Unaligned - 2
Total - 53
Our Values and Behaviours Framework
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Developing and maintaining relationships based on a culture of transparency and open communication. Supported by integrity and the confidence that you are reliable and fulfil commitments.
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Demonstrating truthfulness, integrity, and transparency in all communications, decisions and relationships. Being trustworthy, reliable, and accountable for your actions. Acting with sincerity and fairness, even in challenging situations.
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Taking ownership of individuals and collective actions, decisions and delivering on commitments. Being reliable, fulfilling obligations and being accountable for outcomes and results. Proactively contributing to the achievements of your own, the team and council goals.
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Embracing diversity, equity and inclusion by recognising and valuing the unique perspectives, backgrounds and experiences of our staff, customers and residents. Creating an environment where every individual is valued, respected and can belong.
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Upholding high standards, ethics and integrity to guide our actions and decisions. Demonstrating commitment to creating and delivering value in our work by recognising and appreciating each other, our resources, processes, customers, community and environment.
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Demonstrating a genuine and caring understanding of others’ feelings, perspectives, and experiences. Listening attentively, acting with compassion, supporting with respect and kindness and considering the impact of our actions on others.
