To review performance for Quarter 3 (Q3) 2025/26 and to report the performance position across all Directorates for this period.

Councillor Stoddart cabinet member for finance and corporate services introduced the report

The Cabinet Member presented the Q3 Performance Report for 2025/26, covering progress against the Council Plan 2024–28 and Delivery Plan 2025–26, for the period October–December 2025. 

It was highlighted that 200 of 250 milestones (80%) due by Q3 were either completed or on track for delivery by year?end (Appendix A). 

The highlights of the Capital Programme were noted.  There was continued progress on major schemes including Hereford Transport Hub, Holme Lacy Road Active Travel, Phosphate Mitigation Integrated Wetlands, Western By?Pass, Employment Land at Ross Enterprise Park, and multiple schools capital projects.  Most schemes also remained on track, with some experiencing managed delays.

Regarding the Council Plan Themes:

People:

Of 87 milestones: 35 completed, 29 were on track, 16 were at risk, with a small number not started, discontinued or at significant risk. There was ongoing work to strengthen multi?agency safeguarding, particularly around child sexual exploitation, with targeted actions being developed.

Continued progress on joint commissioning for children with complex needs, despite national system challenges.  Development of the Prevention in Adult Social Care Strategy was noted as nearing completion, with strong stakeholder engagement.

Place:

Of 89 milestones: 52 were on track, 19 were completed, 12 were at risk, 2 had not yet started, 3 were paused and 1 was at risk of not being completed by the end of the financial year.  It was highlighted that cabinet approved the Public Realm contract in December 2025 which supported the continued delivery of high quality sustainable local services.  Development of a new Cultural Strategy in partnership with the Herefordshire Cultural Partnership was ongoing. Delivery of the public EV charge point remained red due to external provider delays, and it was confirmed that year?end targets will not be met. 

Growth:

Of 39 milestones: 18 were on track, 12 were completed, with a small number at risk or not started.  Progress on a new skills and employment strategy was ongoing, informed by national policy changes.  There was continued collaboration with NMiTE, particularly focused on opportunities within the defence and security sector, though progress had been slower than planned.

Transformation:

Of 40 milestones: 20 were on track, 15 were completed 3 were at risk and 2 were paused.

There were successful pilots of AI solutions, including Magic Notes in social care and M365 Copilot, with work ongoing to support wider adoption.  The revised Hoople contract was also completed in November 2025.  A first draft Herefordshire Outcomes Framework, aligned with the forthcoming Local Government Outcomes Framework was in development. 

Members were directed to Appendix A for the full status of the Q3 Delivery Plan milestones.

Comments from cabinet members:

The Cabinet Member for adults, health and wellbeing reported that rough sleeping numbers were higher than expected, with 12 individuals across three sites, some on private land with landowner consent and others on public land. Despite daily outreach efforts, engagement has become increasingly difficult where individuals did not wish to accept support, although some have accessed Lee’s Place. It was also noted that affordable housing delivery has exceeded targets, with 193 homes provided and 383 families housed. In relation to public health, health checks have been carried out for homeless people and families in temporary hotel accommodation, demonstrating the council’s commitment to supporting vulnerable residents.

The Cabinet Member for Transport and Infrastructure noted that the electric vehicle charging points project was currently rated red due to challenges beyond simply installing units, including reliance on external partners and the likelihood that additional investment will be required. Ongoing safety concerns around Peterchurch Primary School was raised and it was queried if a zebra crossing on the main road outside the school, as planned, still formed part of the project.  

The cabinet member for Children and Young People commented on the funding arrangements across health, education and social care.  It was explained that the Integrated Care Board now operates across a larger four?authority cluster, creating capacity and decision?making challenges, particularly for children’s safeguarding and continuing healthcare. While an agreed and efficient process for shared funding decisions has not yet been established, cases are currently being resolved through escalation, which is not seen as sustainable. The council is developing a case study to evidence these issues and will share it with the Integrated Care Board and partner authorities, with the aim of jointly challenging and improving the current funding decision?making process.

The cabinet member for economy and growth reported that the Ross?on?Wye Enterprise Park has now been launched, with contractors on site clearing land and making the first four plots available. They highlighted the importance of supporting businesses beyond site development by bringing them together through day?to?day engagement. It was also noted that a business hub has opened in Leominster, work is underway to find a similar location in Ledbury, and support is being provided for a hub in Ross?on?Wye, with the County BID team also operating from that office.

The cabinet member for Local Engagement and Community Resilience reported that a recent parish council summit provided useful insight into local engagement, highlighting the importance of working closely with parish councils and ensuring funding was accessible and targeted appropriately. They also referenced the launch of a new scheme for the year ahead and encouraged engagement with it.

Group Leaders were invited to offer their views:

Independents for Herefordshire outlined their views and noted:

It was raised that previously identified issues remained unresolved and had been relabelled or deferred instead. It was raised that residents judge the council on real?world outcomes, such as road conditions, planning decisions and access to care, rather than reports and performance metrics. The commitment of officers and external pressures were acknowledged but noted that the report focused too heavily on presentation, colour?coding and narrative, with little clarity or tangible impact.  Concerns regarding unspent budgets, routine delays, deferred environmental targets, reactive highways management and poor communication were raised. 

The Liberal Democrat Group outlined their views and noted that:
The transformation programme was criticised for focusing too heavily on delivery status rather than real impact, questioning why some elements were marked as complete when the underlying model appears unresolved. Concerns were raised about the growing housing crisis, noting increasing numbers of families in temporary accommodation and insufficient progress on delivering new housing, alongside limited engagement with city ward councillors. Weaknesses in performance reporting was noted and requested ‘indicators’ to show trends over time to better understand progress. It was noted that the “discharge from home” indicator remained static despite being close to target, unlike other areas such as children’s social work assessments which showed clear improvement, and questioned whether further improvement is realistically achievable

The Green Group outlined their views and noted that:
It was acknowledged there was some progress but stressed that significant work remained, particularly in relation to alternative provision for young people, which was a critical need in the county. Concern was expressed about the discontinuation of the preschool project, recognising this was linked to government funding but emphasising its importance. Ongoing concerns were also raised about joint funding arrangements with the Integrated Care Board and the impact on vulnerable families. The decision to remove the Hoople arrangement from the scrutiny agenda was commented on and it was raised it should be brought back for review. A call for stronger cross?council engagement was made which would involve all councillors rather than Cabinet?level oversight.

In response to comments made the cabinet members noted that:

It was noted there were many positive performance indicators, and it was curious for others to comment negatively and imply there was a false narrative.  Regarding these positive performance indicators, it was highlighted that the council had spent record levels on road resurfacing and maintenance, which was having a positive impact on communities across the county.  Children services had dramatically improved and the outstanding management and leadership that Ofsted graded the council was highlighted.  It was raised that the council was in a financially robust position compared to other authorities requiring exceptional financial support.  Lastly, the council had also launched ‘back the bypass’ campaign because it was improving the infrastructure of the county and the transport infrastructure.

It was raised that the current road conditions were the result of underinvestment by the previous administration, noting that the council was now spending significantly more on road maintenance amid damage from severe weather. It was noted that in 2022, during the last full year of the previous administration, 7 miles of road were resurfaced and 9 were surface dressed. Whilst, in 2025, the council had resurfaced 64 miles of road, and 58 miles were surfaced dressed. 

It was highlighted there would be an allocation of small discretionary budgets to all ward members to address local issues. It was acknowledged that challenges remain, but it was emphasised that the council was delivering improvements across the county. Strong performance in children’s services was highlighted, noting good and outstanding management and delivery under budget, contrasting this with previous approaches. It was highlighted that effective delivery depended not only on funding but on strong leadership, difficult decision?making and focusing on outcomes for residents.

The Leader of the Council concluded the discussions. Councillor Stoddart proposed the recommendations and the Leader seconded for the decision before them which is that Cabinet:

That Cabinet:

a) review performance for Q3 2025/26

The recommendations were unanimously approved.