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{{short description|Unitary local government authority for the county of Herefordshire in England}}
{{short description|Unitary local government authority for the county of Herefordshire in England}}
{{about|the modern unitary authority|for the county council of 1889–1974|Herefordshire County Council}}
{{about|the modern unitary authority|the county council of 1889–1974|Herefordshire County Council}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox legislature
{{Infobox legislature
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Herefordshire was one of the [[historic counties of England]]. Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], taking over the administrative functions of the [[quarter sessions]]. [[Herefordshire County Council]] existed until 1974 when the county was merged with neighbouring [[Worcestershire]] to form a new county of [[Hereford and Worcester]].<ref>[[Local Government Act 1972]]</ref>
Herefordshire was one of the [[historic counties of England]]. Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the [[Local Government Act 1888]], taking over the administrative functions of the [[quarter sessions]]. [[Herefordshire County Council]] existed until 1974 when the county was merged with neighbouring [[Worcestershire]] to form a new county of [[Hereford and Worcester]].<ref>[[Local Government Act 1972]]</ref>


Hereford and Worcester was abolished and Herefordshire re-established as a county on 1 April 1998. Formally the area is both a [[non-metropolitan county]] called "Herefordshire" and a [[non-metropolitan district]] called "County of Herefordshire", and it has a district council that also performs the functions of a county council.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1867|access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> The council's formal name is therefore "County of Herefordshire District Council",<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The County of Herefordshire District Council (Electoral Changes) Order 2002|year=2002|number=187|access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> but it styles itself "Herefordshire Council".<ref>{{cite web |title=Herefordshire Council |url=https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/ |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> The council created in 1998 was granted the right to use the coat of arms of the earlier county council which had been abolished in 1974.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997|year=1997|number=2618|access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>
Hereford and Worcester was abolished and Herefordshire re-established as a county on 1 April 1998. Formally the area is both a [[non-metropolitan county]] called "Herefordshire" and a [[non-metropolitan district]] called "County of Herefordshire", and it has a district council that also performs the functions of a county council.<ref name=structural>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996|year=1996|number=1867|access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Historical information from 1973 onwards |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ordnancesurvey.co.uk%2Fdocuments%2Fboundary-legislation-changes-from-1973.xls&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK |website=Boundary-Line support |publisher=Ordnance Survey |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> The council's formal name is therefore "County of Herefordshire District Council",<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The County of Herefordshire District Council (Electoral Changes) Order 2002|year=2002|number=187|access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> but it styles itself "Herefordshire Council".<ref>{{cite web |title=Herefordshire Council |url=https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/ |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> The council created in 1998 was granted the right to use the coat of arms of the earlier county council which had been abolished in 1974.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997|year=1997|number=2618|access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>


==Premises==
==Governance==
As a unitary authority, Herefordshire Council performs the functions of both a county council and a district council. The whole county is also covered by [[civil parish]]es, which form a lower tier of local government.
The council has its headquarters at the Council Offices on Plough Lane in [[Hereford]]. The building was formerly the headquarters of [[H. P. Bulmer]] and was bought by the council in 2009 to use as offices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tanner |first1=Bill |title=Herefordshire Council scales back HQ plan |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/9314442.herefordshire-council-scales-back-hq-plan/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=22 October 2011}}</ref> Council meetings also transferred there in 2022.<ref name=2022meeting>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 13 May 2022 |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=8764&Ver=4 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>


===Political control===
[[File:Brockington - Herefordshire Council headquarters - geograph.org.uk - 841849.jpg|thumb|left|Brockington: Council's headquarters 1998–2014]]
The council has been under [[no overall control]] since 2019. Following the [[2023 Herefordshire Council election|2023 election]] a minority [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] administration took control of the council.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pearson |first1=James |last2=Jones |first2=Megan |title=Minority council elects Conservative leader |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cv2dqw014ejo |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=BBC News |date=19 May 2023}}</ref>
When the council was created in 1998 it had its headquarters at Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford. Brockington had been built as a house in 1909 before serving as the headquarters of [[Herefordshire Constabulary]] from 1946 and then as the offices of [[South Herefordshire]] District Council from 1977 until 1998, in which time it was substantially extended.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lowe |first1=Jon |title=Heritage Statement: Brockington, Hafod Road, Hereford |url=https://myaccount.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents?id=28e47d2f-b16b-11e6-9067-0050569f00ad |website=Herefordshire Council |publisher=Heritage Collective |access-date=17 November 2023 |date=2016}}</ref>


The first elections to the new Herefordshire Council were held in 1997, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1998.<ref name=structural/> Political control of the council since 1998 has been as follows:<ref name=electionscentre>{{cite web |title=Compositions calculator |url=https://www.electionscentre.co.uk/?page_id=3825 |website=The Elections Centre |access-date=19 September 2022}}</ref>
The council continued to meet at Brockington until 2014, after which it was sold and the site redeveloped.<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 18 July 2014 |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=5051&Ver=4 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tanner |first1=Bill |title=Herefordshire Council completes a move out of its Brockington HQ |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11433267.herefordshire-council-completes-a-move-out-of-its-brockington-hq/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Office functions moved to other buildings the council owned, notably the former Bulmers offices on Plough Lane. Council meetings were generally held at the [[Shirehall, Hereford|Shirehall]] in Hereford between 2014 and 2020, when the ceiling there collapsed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Carmelo |title=Ceiling collapses at Hereford Shirehall |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18525702.ceiling-collapses-hereford-shirehall/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=18 June 2020}}</ref> Following the resumption of in-person meetings following the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] a conference room for meetings was established at the Council Offices on Plough Lane, first used for a full council meeting in May 2022.<ref name=2022meeting/>

==Elections==
{{for|historical political control and leadership|Herefordshire Council elections}}
The council uses the [[Leader and cabinet|Leader and Cabinet]] constitutional model.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=251|title=Committee details - Cabinet|date=16 March 2019|website=councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk}}</ref> It was run by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] until 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?VW=TABLE&PIC=1&FN=|title=Your Councillors|date=16 March 2019|website=councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk}}</ref>

===Immediately following 2019 local elections===
The [[2019 Herefordshire Council election|2019 election]] resulted in the Conservative Party losing its majority on the council for the first time since 2007, winning 13 seats. Independents made gains and became the largest group on the council after winning 18 seats, 15 of which formed the Herefordshire Independents Group. The Liberal Democrats and Greens also made gains at the expense of the Conservatives. It's Our County lost four seats, down to 8.

Following negotiations, a three-way coalition between 'Herefordshire Independents', 'It's Our County' and the Green Party was formed. Herefordshire Independents took four cabinet positions, and the Leader of the Council, the Greens took two cabinet positions and Deputy Leader of the Council and It's Our County took the remaining two cabinet positions.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/17657676.independent-councillor-set-to-lead-herefordshire-council/|title=Independent councillor set to lead Herefordshire Council|date=22 May 2019|website=Hereford Times}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:left; padding-left:1em"
| width=125 align="center" | '''Date'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Herefordshire Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]'''

!style="background-color: #08A651; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''It's Our County'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]'''

!style="background-color: #000000; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''Vacant'''

| width=125 align="center" | '''Coalition Majority'''


{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!colspan="2"|Party in control!!Years
| align="center"|'''3 May 2019'''
| colspan="2" align="center"|15

| colspan="2" align="center"|13

| colspan="2" align="center"|8

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|6

| colspan="2" align="center"|3

| colspan="2" align="center"|1

| colspan="2" align="center"|+7

|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || 1998–2000
|}

The Ross North poll was postponed after the death of a UKIP candidate, leading to one unfilled vacancy at this point.

===Defections and resignations===

Following disagreements about a new by-pass road in the Herefordshire Independents group, five councillors left to form a new group, 'True Independents'.<ref>{{cite news | last = Garcia | first = Carmelo | title = Eastern bypass spat splits ruling group | newspaper = [[Hereford Times]] | date = 2019-06-05 | url = https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/17684813.eastern-bypass-spat-severs-ruling-group/ | access-date = 2019-06-08}}</ref>

Separately, Sue Boulter resigned shortly after being elected for It's Our County, in Whitecross, creating a second vacancy and temporarily reducing the number of It's Our County councillors.<ref name=autogenerated1 />

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:left; padding-left:1em"
| width=125 align="center" | '''Date'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Herefordshire Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]'''

!style="background-color: #08A651; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''It's Our County'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|True Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]'''

!style="background-color: #000000; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''Vacant'''

| width=125 align="center" | '''Coalition Majority'''

|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2000–2007
| align="center"|'''5 June 2019'''
|-
| colspan="2" align="center"|10
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || 2007–2019

| colspan="2" align="center"|13

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|6

| colspan="2" align="center"|5

| colspan="2" align="center"|3

| colspan="2" align="center"|2

| colspan="2" align="center"|-3

|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|No overall control}} || 2019–present
|}
|}


===Two by-elections===
===Leadership===
The [[leader of the council|leaders of the council]] since 1998 have been:<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieDocHome.aspx?Categories=-13297 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=24 September 2022}}</ref>

The Liberal Democrats won the by-election in Ross North the day after the five True Independents defected from the Herefordshire Independents.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/18298/ross_north_ward_election_6_june_2019.pdf|title=Ross North Ward - Declaration of result of poll|date=6 June 2019|website=Herefordshire Council}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:left; padding-left:1em"
| width=125 align="center" | '''Date'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Herefordshire Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]'''

!style="background-color: #08A651; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''It's Our County'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|True Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]'''

!style="background-color: #000000; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''Vacant'''

| width=125 align="center" | '''Coalition Majority'''


{| class=wikitable
! Councillor !! colspan=2|Party !! From !! To
|-
|-
| Terry James<ref>{{cite news |title=Split row resolved |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/ |access-date=24 September 2022 |work=Birmingham Mail |date=5 February 1998 |page=29}}</ref> || {{party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=right|1 Apr 1998 || align=right|23 May 2003
| align="center"|'''6 June 2019'''
|-
| colspan="2" align="center"|10
| Roger Phillips || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|23 May 2003 || align=right|27 May 2011

|-
| colspan="2" align="center"|13
| John Jarvis || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|27 May 2011 || align=right|24 May 2013

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|5

| colspan="2" align="center"|3

| colspan="2" align="center"|1

| colspan="2" align="center"|-4

|-
|-
| Tony Johnson || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|24 May 2013 || align=right|9 Mar 2018
|-
| Jonathan Lester || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|9 Mar 2018 || align=right|24 May 2019
|-
| David Hitchiner || {{party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=right|24 May 2019 || align=right|19 May 2023
|-
| Jonathan Lester || {{party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=right|19 May 2023 || align=right|
|}
|}


===Composition===
Following Sue Boulter's resignation upon her election, her husband won the resulting by-election.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/18505/whitecross_ward_election_11_july_2019.pdf|title=Whitecross Ward - Declaration of result of poll|date=11 July 2019|website=Herefordshire Council}}</ref>
Following the [[2023 Herefordshire Council election|2023 election]] and a subsequent by-election in October 2023, the composition of the council was:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/may/04/elections-2023-results-live-local-council-england#le-full-results|title=Local elections 2023: live council results for England|publisher=The Guardian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=McEwan |first1=Gavin |title=Election win in Herefordshire's Golden Valley for writer Matthew Engel |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/23885584.election-win-herefordshires-golden-valley-writer-matthew-engel/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=28 October 2023}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:left; padding-left:1em"
| width=125 align="center" | '''Date'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Herefordshire Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]'''

!style="background-color: #08A651; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''It's Our County'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|True Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]'''

!style="background-color: #000000; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''Vacant'''

| width=125 align="center" | '''Coalition Majority'''


{| class="wikitable"
! colspan=2| Party
! Councillors
|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}} || align=center|21
| align="center"|'''11 July 2019'''
|-
| colspan="2" align="center"|10
| {{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}} || align=center|12

|-
| colspan="2" align="center"|13
| {{Party name with colour|Green Party of England and Wales}} || align=center|9

| colspan="2" align="center"|8

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|5

| colspan="2" align="center"|3

| colspan="2" align="center"|0

| colspan="2" align="center"|-3

|-
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Independent politician}} || align=center|8
|-
| {{Party name with colour|It's our County}} || align=center|2
|-
| {{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}} || align=center|1
|-
! colspan=2|Total !! align=center|53
|}
|}


Of the eight independent councillors, four sit with local party It's our County as the "Independents for Herefordshire" group, three form the "True Independents" group, and the other does not belong to any group.<ref>{{cite web |title=Your Councillors by Party |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?FN=PARTY&VW=LIST&PIC=0 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref> The next election is due in 2027.
===Unaligned Independents join the Herefordshire Independents===


==Elections==
By the end of the summer, former Hereford city mayor Jim Kenyon had temporarily joined the Herefordshire Independents to bolster their numbers, and since left again to sit as the last remaining standalone independent, as the other two previously unaligned independents have since joined the ruling coalition of Herefordshire Independents, taking Herefordshire Independents to 12 seats.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.eveshamjournal.co.uk/news/regional/17902689.former-mayor-leaves-council-group/|title=Former mayor leaves council group|date=14 September 2019|website=Evesham Journal}}</ref>
{{also|Herefordshire Council elections}}
Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 Herefordshire has comprised 53 [[Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom|wards]], each of which elects one [[councillor]]. Elections are held every four years.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Herefordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2014|year=2014|number=20|access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>


==Premises==
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:left; padding-left:1em"
The council has its headquarters at the Council Offices on Plough Lane in [[Hereford]]. The building was formerly the headquarters of [[H. P. Bulmer]] and was bought by the council in 2009 to use as offices.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Tanner |first1=Bill |title=Herefordshire Council scales back HQ plan |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/9314442.herefordshire-council-scales-back-hq-plan/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=22 October 2011}}</ref> Council meetings also transferred there in 2022.<ref name=2022meeting>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 13 May 2022 |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=8764&Ver=4 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref>
| width=125 align="center" | '''Date'''


[[File:Brockington - Herefordshire Council headquarters - geograph.org.uk - 841849.jpg|thumb|left|Brockington: Council's headquarters 1998–2014]]
!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
When the council was created in 1998 it had its headquarters at Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford. Brockington had been built as a house in 1909 before serving as the headquarters of [[Herefordshire Constabulary]] from 1946 and then as the offices of [[South Herefordshire]] District Council from 1977 until 1998, in which time it was substantially extended.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Lowe |first1=Jon |title=Heritage Statement: Brockington, Hafod Road, Hereford |url=https://myaccount.herefordshire.gov.uk/documents?id=28e47d2f-b16b-11e6-9067-0050569f00ad |website=Herefordshire Council |publisher=Heritage Collective |access-date=17 November 2023 |date=2016}}</ref>
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Herefordshire Independents]]'''


The council continued to meet at Brockington until 2014, after which it was sold and the site redeveloped.<ref>{{cite web |title=Council minutes, 18 July 2014 |url=https://councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=291&MId=5051&Ver=4 |website=Herefordshire Council |access-date=18 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Tanner |first1=Bill |title=Herefordshire Council completes a move out of its Brockington HQ |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/11433267.herefordshire-council-completes-a-move-out-of-its-brockington-hq/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=26 August 2014}}</ref> Office functions moved to other buildings the council owned, notably the former Bulmers offices on Plough Lane. Council meetings were generally held at the [[Shirehall, Hereford|Shirehall]] in Hereford between 2014 and 2020, when the ceiling there collapsed.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Garcia |first1=Carmelo |title=Ceiling collapses at Hereford Shirehall |url=https://www.herefordtimes.com/news/18525702.ceiling-collapses-hereford-shirehall/ |access-date=18 November 2023 |work=Hereford Times |date=18 June 2020}}</ref> Following the resumption of in-person meetings following the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] a conference room for meetings was established at the Council Offices on Plough Lane, first used for a full council meeting in May 2022.<ref name=2022meeting/>
!style="background-color: {{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]]'''

!style="background-color: #08A651; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''It's Our County'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Green Party of England and Wales}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Green Party of England and Wales|Greens]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|True Independents]]'''

!style="background-color: {{party color|Independent}}; width: 3px;" |
| width=100 align="center" | '''[[Independent (politician)|Independent]]'''

| width=125 align="center" | '''Coalition Majority'''

|-
| align="center"|'''14 Sept 2019'''
| colspan="2" align="center"|12

| colspan="2" align="center"|13

| colspan="2" align="center"|8

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|7

| colspan="2" align="center"|5

| colspan="2" align="center"|1

| colspan="2" align="center"|+1

|-
|}


==Outsourced services==
==Outsourced services==
Line 346: Line 139:
*Human Resources & Finance – outsourced to a limited company named "Hoople", which is wholly owned by the Council and Wye Valley NHS Trust
*Human Resources & Finance – outsourced to a limited company named "Hoople", which is wholly owned by the Council and Wye Valley NHS Trust
*Leisure – Halo Leisure (A not-for-profit trust which operates all leisure services)
*Leisure – Halo Leisure (A not-for-profit trust which operates all leisure services)
*Social Housing – [[Herefordshire Housing]] (A not-for-profit trust which operates all housing and accommodation services)
*Social Housing – Herefordshire Housing (A not-for-profit trust which operates all housing and accommodation services)
*Commercial Services – Amey Wye Valley Services (A commercial venture which maintains roads, grounds, street lighting, etc.)
*Commercial Services – Amey Wye Valley Services (A commercial venture which maintains roads, grounds, street lighting, etc.)
*Waste Management – Severn Waste Management (Responsible for bin collection, sorting and recycling)
*Waste Management – Severn Waste Management (Responsible for bin collection, sorting and recycling)

Latest revision as of 06:03, 6 July 2024

This article is about the modern unitary authority. For the county council of 1889–1974, see Herefordshire County Council.

Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Roger Phillips,
Conservative
since 19 May 2023[1]
Jonathan Lester,
Conservative
since 19 May 2023
Paul Walker
since May 2021[2]
Structure
Seats53 councillors[3][4]
Political groups
Administration (21)
  Conservative (21)
Other parties (32)
  Liberal Democrat (12)
  Green (9)
  Independent (8)
  It's our County (2)
  Labour (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
4 May 2023
Next election
6 May 2027
Meeting place
Council Offices, Plough Lane, Hereford, HR4 0LE
Website
www.herefordshire.gov.uk

Herefordshire Council is the local authority for the county of Herefordshire in England. It is a unitary authority, combining the powers of a district and county council.

History

[edit]

Herefordshire was one of the historic counties of England. Elected county councils were created in 1889 under the Local Government Act 1888, taking over the administrative functions of the quarter sessions. Herefordshire County Council existed until 1974 when the county was merged with neighbouring Worcestershire to form a new county of Hereford and Worcester.[5]

Hereford and Worcester was abolished and Herefordshire re-established as a county on 1 April 1998. Formally the area is both a non-metropolitan county called "Herefordshire" and a non-metropolitan district called "County of Herefordshire", and it has a district council that also performs the functions of a county council.[6][7] The council's formal name is therefore "County of Herefordshire District Council",[8] but it styles itself "Herefordshire Council".[9] The council created in 1998 was granted the right to use the coat of arms of the earlier county council which had been abolished in 1974.[10]

Governance

[edit]

As a unitary authority, Herefordshire Council performs the functions of both a county council and a district council. The whole county is also covered by civil parishes, which form a lower tier of local government.

Political control

[edit]

The council has been under no overall control since 2019. Following the 2023 election a minority Conservative administration took control of the council.[11]

The first elections to the new Herefordshire Council were held in 1997, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until the new arrangements came into effect on 1 April 1998.[6] Political control of the council since 1998 has been as follows:[12]

Party in control Years
Liberal Democrats 1998–2000
No overall control 2000–2007
Conservative 2007–2019
No overall control 2019–present

Leadership

[edit]

The leaders of the council since 1998 have been:[13]

Councillor Party From To
Terry James[14] Liberal Democrats 1 Apr 1998 23 May 2003
Roger Phillips Conservative 23 May 2003 27 May 2011
John Jarvis Conservative 27 May 2011 24 May 2013
Tony Johnson Conservative 24 May 2013 9 Mar 2018
Jonathan Lester Conservative 9 Mar 2018 24 May 2019
David Hitchiner Independent 24 May 2019 19 May 2023
Jonathan Lester Conservative 19 May 2023

Composition

[edit]

Following the 2023 election and a subsequent by-election in October 2023, the composition of the council was:[15][16]

Party Councillors
Conservative 21
Liberal Democrats 12
Green 9
Independent 8
It's our County 2
Labour 1
Total 53

Of the eight independent councillors, four sit with local party It's our County as the "Independents for Herefordshire" group, three form the "True Independents" group, and the other does not belong to any group.[17] The next election is due in 2027.

Elections

[edit]
See also: Herefordshire Council elections

Since the last full review of boundaries in 2015 Herefordshire has comprised 53 wards, each of which elects one councillor. Elections are held every four years.[18]

Premises

[edit]

The council has its headquarters at the Council Offices on Plough Lane in Hereford. The building was formerly the headquarters of H. P. Bulmer and was bought by the council in 2009 to use as offices.[19] Council meetings also transferred there in 2022.[20]

Brockington: Council's headquarters 1998–2014

When the council was created in 1998 it had its headquarters at Brockington, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford. Brockington had been built as a house in 1909 before serving as the headquarters of Herefordshire Constabulary from 1946 and then as the offices of South Herefordshire District Council from 1977 until 1998, in which time it was substantially extended.[21]

The council continued to meet at Brockington until 2014, after which it was sold and the site redeveloped.[22][23] Office functions moved to other buildings the council owned, notably the former Bulmers offices on Plough Lane. Council meetings were generally held at the Shirehall in Hereford between 2014 and 2020, when the ceiling there collapsed.[24] Following the resumption of in-person meetings following the COVID-19 pandemic a conference room for meetings was established at the Council Offices on Plough Lane, first used for a full council meeting in May 2022.[20]

Outsourced services

[edit]

Herefordshire Council has outsourced the following services:

  • Human Resources & Finance – outsourced to a limited company named "Hoople", which is wholly owned by the Council and Wye Valley NHS Trust
  • Leisure – Halo Leisure (A not-for-profit trust which operates all leisure services)
  • Social Housing – Herefordshire Housing (A not-for-profit trust which operates all housing and accommodation services)
  • Commercial Services – Amey Wye Valley Services (A commercial venture which maintains roads, grounds, street lighting, etc.)
  • Waste Management – Severn Waste Management (Responsible for bin collection, sorting and recycling)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Council minutes, 19 May 2023". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  2. ^ Moreau, Charlotte (4 May 2021). "New chief takes up the reins at Herefordshire Council". Hereford Times. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  3. ^ About Herefordshire Council – Herefordshire Council
  4. ^ Open Council Data UK – compositions councillors parties wards elections
  5. ^ Local Government Act 1972
  6. ^ a b "The Hereford and Worcester (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1996/1867, retrieved 17 November 2023
  7. ^ "Historical information from 1973 onwards". Boundary-Line support. Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  8. ^ "The County of Herefordshire District Council (Electoral Changes) Order 2002", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2002/187, retrieved 17 November 2023
  9. ^ "Herefordshire Council". Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  10. ^ "The Local Authorities (Armorial Bearings) (No. 2) Order 1997", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1997/2618, retrieved 18 November 2023
  11. ^ Pearson, James; Jones, Megan (19 May 2023). "Minority council elects Conservative leader". BBC News. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  12. ^ "Compositions calculator". The Elections Centre. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Council minutes". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  14. ^ "Split row resolved". Birmingham Mail. 5 February 1998. p. 29. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Local elections 2023: live council results for England". The Guardian.
  16. ^ McEwan, Gavin (28 October 2023). "Election win in Herefordshire's Golden Valley for writer Matthew Engel". Hereford Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Your Councillors by Party". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  18. ^ "The Herefordshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2014", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2014/20, retrieved 18 November 2023
  19. ^ Tanner, Bill (22 October 2011). "Herefordshire Council scales back HQ plan". Hereford Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Council minutes, 13 May 2022". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  21. ^ Lowe, Jon (2016). "Heritage Statement: Brockington, Hafod Road, Hereford". Herefordshire Council. Heritage Collective. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  22. ^ "Council minutes, 18 July 2014". Herefordshire Council. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  23. ^ Tanner, Bill (26 August 2014). "Herefordshire Council completes a move out of its Brockington HQ". Hereford Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  24. ^ Garcia, Carmelo (18 June 2020). "Ceiling collapses at Hereford Shirehall". Hereford Times. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
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52°03′11″N 2°41′38″W / 52.053°N 2.694°W / 52.053; -2.694

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