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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.
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>{{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>
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>{{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>


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===Defections and resignations===
===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>
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, councillor 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>{{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>
Separately, Councillor 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>{{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>


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===Two by-elections===
===Two by-elections===


The Liberal Democrats won the by-election in Ross North the day after the gang of 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>
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>


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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 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>


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Revision as of 19:06, 5 May 2020

Herefordshire Council
Herefordshire Council logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Chair of the Council
Cllr Sebastian Bowen, Herefordshire Independents
Leader of the Council
Cllr David Hitchiner, Herefordshire Independents
since May 2019
Chief Executive
Alistair Neill
since December 2012
Structure
Seats53 councillors
Political groups
Administration (10)
  Herefordshire Independents (10)
Opposition (42)
  Conservative (13)
  It's our County! (7)
  Green (7)
  Liberal Democrat (7)
  True Independents (5)
  Independent (3)
Vacant (1)
Elections
First past the post
Last election
2 May 2019
Next election
May 2023
Meeting place
Shirehall, Hereford
Website
www.herefordshire.gov.uk

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

History

The Council was formed on 1 April 1998 following the split of Hereford and Worcester back into two separate counties. The Council initially had its headquarters at Brockington House, 35 Hafod Road, Hereford[1] but moved to Plough Lane in Hereford in 2009.[2][3] Formal meetings of the council are held at the Shirehall in Hereford.[4]

Elections

It has adopted the Leader and Cabinet constitutional model.[5] It was run by the Conservatives until 2019.[6]

Immediately following 2019 local elections

The 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.[7]

Date style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Herefordshire Independents style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Conservative It's Our County style="background-color: Template:Green Party of England and Wales/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Greens style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Lib Dems style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Independent Vacant Coalition Majority
3 May 2019 15 13 8 7 6 3 1 +7

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'.[8]

Separately, Councillor 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.[9]

Date style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Herefordshire Independents style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Conservative It's Our County style="background-color: Template:Green Party of England and Wales/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Greens style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Lib Dems style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | True Independents style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Independent Vacant Coalition Majority
5 June 2019 10 13 7 7 6 5 3 2 -3

Two by-elections

The Liberal Democrats won the by-election in Ross North the day after the five True Independents defected from the Herefordshire Independents.[10]

Date style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Herefordshire Independents style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Conservative It's Our County style="background-color: Template:Green Party of England and Wales/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Greens style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Lib Dems style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | True Independents style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Independent Vacant Coalition Majority
6 June 2019 10 13 7 7 7 5 3 1 -4

Following Sue Boulter's resignation upon her election, her husband won the resulting by-election.[11]

Date style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Herefordshire Independents style="background-color: Template:Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Conservative It's Our County style="background-color: Template:Green Party of England and Wales/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Greens style="background-color: Template:Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Lib Dems style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | True Independents style="background-color: Template:Independent/meta/color; width: 3px;" | Independent Vacant Coalition Majority
11 July 2019 10 13 8 7 7 5 3 0 -3

Outsourced services

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)

Elections

Main article: Herefordshire local elections

References

  1. ^ "New £12m Hereford care community opens to the public". Healthcare Business. 29 April 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  2. ^ Council, Herefordshire. "Contact us". www.herefordshire.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Herefordshire Council scales back HQ plan". Hereford Times. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  4. ^ "Agenda and minutes Council". Herefordshire Council. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 29 September 2019.
  5. ^ "Committee details - Cabinet". councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk. 16 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Your Councillors". councillors.herefordshire.gov.uk. 16 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Independent councillor set to lead Herefordshire Council". Hereford Times. 22 May 2019.
  8. ^ Garcia, Carmelo (2019-06-05). "Eastern bypass spat splits ruling group". Hereford Times. Retrieved 2019-06-08.
  9. ^ "Independent councillor set to lead Herefordshire Council". Hereford Times. 22 May 2019.
  10. ^ "Ross North Ward - Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Herefordshire Council. 6 June 2019.
  11. ^ "Whitecross Ward - Declaration of result of poll" (PDF). Herefordshire Council. 11 July 2019.


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