To review performance for Quarter 4 (Q4) 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.

 

Cabinet received a report on progress against the Council Plan 2024-2028 and Delivery Plan 2025/26. Members noted that 184 of 255 milestones had been completed during the year, representing a 72% delivery rate, with 60 milestones to be carried forward into 2026/27 and 11 discontinued.

 

Progress was reported across the Council’s capital programme, including the Hereford Transport Hub, Holme Lacy Road Active Travel Improvements, phosphate mitigation projects, school expansion and maintenance schemes, and improvements to council estate assets.

 

Under the People theme, Members noted 67 of of the 87 milestones were completed, 8 were rolled over 26/27, 8 were parked as waiting on other interdependent activity  and rolled over 26/27 and 4 were discontinued.

 

Members noted progress in improving early years support and school readiness, successful foster carer recruitment resulting in performance above the national average, strengthened domestic abuse partnership working, co-production of the carers annual report, and the awarding of grants to improve community facilities across the county.

 

Under the Place theme, Members noted 57 of the 89 milestones were completed 57, 10 were rolled over to 26/27, 19 were parked as waiting on other interdependent activity and 3 milestones had been discontinued.

 

Progress was noted in community infrastructure programmes, parish-led highways and drainage improvements, River Wye restoration and catchment partnership working, and development of the county’s Nature Recovery Strategy, with publication deferred to allow full consideration of consultation responses.

 

Under the Growth theme, Members noted of the 39 milestones, 27 were completed, 4 were rolled over to 26/27, 4 were parked as waiting on other interdependent activity and 4 milestones had been discontinued.

 

Members noted progress in delivering affordable housing, including plans for the Merton Meadow and Essex Arms sites, refurbishment of a city-centre property to provide affordable homes, and ongoing work on the Buttercross development in Leominster. While the refurbishment tender had been delayed until April 2027, the additional time would support the development of a well-designed scheme and help ensure high-quality outcomes.

 

Under the Transformation theme, it was noted 33 of the 41 Milestones were completed, 2 were parked as waiting on other interdependent activity and 5 were rolled over into 26/27.

 

Members noted strengthened governance arrangements with Hoople Ltd and preparations for review of the Service Level Agreement. The development of a local Outcomes Framework, aligned to the Government’s Local Government Outcomes Framework, was also reported, with implementation planned from Quarter 1 2026/27.

 

Performance against key indicators was reviewed. Positive performance was reported in children's social care assessments, children in care reviews, planning application processing, affordable housing delivery, business grant support and staff sickness levels. Challenges remained in relation to supporting a small cohort of long-term rough sleepers and in maintaining people at home following discharge from hospital.

 

In conclusion, Cabinet noted the overall delivery rate and the commitment to progress outstanding milestones during 2026/27.

 

Comments from cabinet members:

 

Members received an update on the winter night shelter, which operated for 177 nights until April 2026 and provided accommodation for 74 individuals at risk of rough sleeping. The shelter, managed by Care in Communities Partnership supported by other agencies and voluntary organisations, accommodated up to 16 people per night, including emergency pod provision.

 

All service users received needs assessments and support from a range of partner organisations. Members noted the positive outcomes achieved, with approximately 66% of shelter users moving on to alternative accommodation and no longer rough sleeping. Ongoing support continued for several individuals through outreach services.

 

Thanks were expressed to the organisations, volunteers and partners who supported the shelter, including those who provided meals, wellbeing support and practical assistance. It was noted that the level of usage demonstrated the ongoing need for the service and the value of the collaborative approach taken.

 

Members thanked the Public Rights of Way and Flood Risk Management teams for successfully delivering the Parish Council Grant schemes, recognising the value of directing funding to local priorities and community-led projects.

 

It was also noted that, by the end of the financial year, over 100 miles of road had received resurfacing or surface dressing treatments, representing approximately 5% of the county’s highway network. Members recognised this as a significant achievement in the delivery of the highways maintenance programme.

 

Members noted that construction of the new Peterchurch Primary School was progressing well and remained on schedule for completion in autumn 2026. The new facility was welcomed as a significant investment that would provide enhanced educational provision for Peterchurch, the Golden Valley and the wider surrounding area.

 

Members noted that the 255 delivery plan milestones should be considered in the context of the Council’s responsibility for delivering more than 800 services across a wide range of areas, including highways, children's services, adult social care and support for carers. Recognition and thanks were given to the Council’s workforce for their continued commitment and contribution in delivering services for the benefit of the residents of Herefordshire.

 

Members noted that the awarding and mobilisation of the new Public Realm contract represented a major achievement, involving approximately two years of preparation and significant work across multiple council teams. It was reported that, three weeks into the contract, implementation had progressed smoothly, reflecting the dedication and hard work of officers involved in its delivery.

 

Group Leaders were invited to offer their views:

 

The representative for Liberal Democrat Group outlined the views of their group and raised that:

Acknowledged the success of the Council’s fostering programme, highlighting the approval of 37 new fostering households and the placement of 69% of children in foster care. However, concerns were raised that, while the report demonstrated significant activity, several key projects remained delayed, including alternative education provision, active travel schemes and the development of a new central library.

 

Concerns were also expressed regarding changes made during the year to the rough sleeping performance indicator and target. It was suggested that performance reporting should remain clear, consistent and transparent, with any amendments to indicators fully explained to Members to support effective scrutiny and accountability.

 

The Green Group Leader outlined the views of their group and raised that:

 

A Member recognised and thanked officers for their work in delivering the Council Plan milestones. While acknowledging progress made during the year, concerns were raised regarding the 60 milestones carried forward into 2026/27, which were considered indicative of delays in areas including homelessness, transport, road safety, commissioning, digital services, climate action, capital projects and support for children with disabilities.

 

The Member expressed concern that active travel, road safety and bus-related projects had not been prioritised to the same extent as major road schemes and noted that a significant proportion of planned public realm investment in market towns would be carried forward into the next financial year.

 

Further concerns were raised regarding delays to environmental initiatives, including carbon reduction measures, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and wider environmental strategies. The Member suggested that these delays could have implications for economic growth, health outcomes and inequalities, and called for greater transparency in reporting both achievements and areas where progress had not been made as planned.

 

The representative for Independents for Herefordshire outlined the views of their group and raised that:

It was noted that the overall delivery rate of 72.16% was broadly comparable to previous years and suggested that, given the Council’s ambition, some milestones were always likely to be carried forward. While acknowledging progress made, the Member expressed disappointment that several major capital projects remained in progress or delayed and hoped to see these completed in the coming year.

 

The Member congratulated the fostering team on its strong performance and welcomed the increase in foster care placements. They also commented that many of the report’s achievements were described qualitatively and suggested that more measurable outcomes would strengthen performance reporting.

 

Questions were raised regarding governance arrangements with Hoople Ltd, including the timetable for agreeing a new Service Level Agreement. Clarification was also sought on the Local Government Outcomes Framework, including the targets against which performance would be measured.

 

Concerns were expressed about the increase in residual household waste and the reasons for the variance between forecast and actual affordable housing delivery figures. The Member also queried the revised rough sleeping indicator and sought clarification on its rationale.

The Member noted the length of stay of some users of the winter shelter and suggested this could warrant further examination by Scrutiny to better understand the circumstances involved.

 

The Administration’s achievements were acknowledged but highlighted several areas of concern regarding delayed or undelivered projects.

 

Concern was expressed that funding allocated to reduce flood risk had been carried forward, and it was requested that this investment be progressed as quickly as possible.

 

Questions were raised regarding the Southern Link Road Full Business Case, including when it would be available for public and Member consideration, the timetable for Political Group Consultation, and the release of supporting papers. A request was also made for the underlying traffic data to be provided separately and for clarification as to whether the business case would include assessment of induced traffic impacts on the wider road network, including routes through Madley and Clehonger.

 

Further clarification was sought regarding changes to phosphate permitting arrangements involving Welsh Water and the potential implications for housing development in the north of the county.

 

Concerns were also raised about highway improvement schemes that had not yet been delivered, with a request that priority be given to progressing these projects.

 

Finally, concern was expressed about further delays relating to the procurement of a city centre building (John Venn building), with the view that continued delays reflected poorly on the Council.

 

The True Independents Leader outlined the views of their group and argued that:

Did not attend for this item. 

 

In response to the comments made:

 

It was noted that significant progress had been made across a large number of projects and milestones. While some projects remained in progress and had not yet been completed, this reflected the complexity and timescales involved rather than any lack of commitment.

 

Cabinet reaffirmed its commitment to delivering key projects and addressing longstanding challenges facing the county. It was acknowledged that all Members would wish to see projects delivered as quickly as possible, but that major initiatives require time to implement. Assurance was provided that the administration remained fully committed to progressing and delivering these important projects, with its resolve unchanged.

 

In response to questions regarding homelessness reporting, it was explained that the revised indicator focuses on individuals sleeping rough who have been offered support but are not engaging with services. It was considered that this measure provided a more accurate reflection of the cohort presenting the greatest challenge and was therefore a more appropriate performance indicator.

 

Clarification was also provided regarding the winter night shelter. It was noted that the shelter operates seasonally, typically from November to April, although it can open earlier in response to adverse weather conditions. Individuals can stay each night throughout the operating period if required. It was emphasised that the shelter has not been classified as temporary accommodation.

 

Suggestions that the report presented an overly positive view of performance were rejected by cabinet members, stating that reporting was undertaken accurately, transparently and truthfully, with both achievements and areas of delay clearly identified. It was emphasised that where projects had been delayed, the administration accepted responsibility and reported this openly.

 

It was reiterated that the administration’s role was to deliver for the people of Herefordshire, noting that alongside the 255 Council Plan milestones, the Council continued to provide more than 800 services across the county.

 

Example of progress was set out under the Transformation Programme, which comprised of  three themes including ‘Customer’, ‘The Way We Work’ and ‘Fix the Basics’. Examples of completed and ongoing initiatives included the Children’s Improvement Plan, garden waste service improvements, digitalisation of children's and licensing services, online registrar booking systems, Public Rights of Way process reviews, support for working-age adults, predictive and preventative care models, virtual homes implementation, the Youth Employment Hub, Household Support Fund delivery, and work to support inclusion of neurodiverse children in schools.

 

It was highlighted that the Council would not be complacent and would continue to pursue service improvement and excellence.

 

In response to questions regarding highway improvement schemes, it was explained that one delayed scheme involved a trial reduction in the speed limit, undertaken at the request of local residents. The delay reflected the Council's decision to carry out the trial and review its effectiveness before implementing permanent measures.

 

Regarding flood risk investment, it was noted that when the current administration took office in May 2023 there was one officer within the flood risk team, compared with four officers currently.  Members were advised that additional capacity had enabled increased investigation and response work following flooding events in 2024.

 

It was further noted that £2m had been allocated within the capital programme for flood mitigation measures. However, it was considered important that investment decisions be informed by appropriate evidence and assessment, including consideration of downstream impacts, effectiveness of proposed interventions, and opportunities to secure external funding from organisations such as the Environment Agency and DEFRA.

 

Members were advised that Section 19 flood investigation reports were being completed to inform future investment decisions and ensure funding was allocated fairly and effectively across the county.

 

Reference was also made to the Parish Drainage Grant Scheme, through which £1m had been invested in local drainage improvements, including measures to address surface water and highway flooding.

 

Assurance was given that the administration remained committed to progressing flood mitigation projects while ensuring that investment was targeted to areas of greatest need.

 

Members were advised that progress on the third integrated wetland scheme had been affected by two factors: changes to flood zone classifications by the Environment Agency and tighter discharge permit requirements. These changes affected the viability of the proposed wetland, as sufficient water flow and phosphate levels are required to generate phosphate mitigation credits, and the updated cost-benefit assessment no longer supported delivery of the scheme.

 

It was noted that work was continuing to identify alternative solutions. Regular engagement was taking place with housebuilders, private mitigation schemes were being pursued, and discussions were ongoing with Natural England regarding a broader range of phosphate mitigation measures as part of wider environmental development plans. It was anticipated that this work would provide a wider range of options to support future development and phosphate mitigation across the county.

 

A Member expressed disappointment that the discussion had focused heavily on delays rather than the overall scale of delivery being undertaken by the Council. It was noted that, given the breadth and complexity of the Council’s programme, not all projects could be delivered simultaneously.

 

In response to comments regarding active travel schemes, it was explained that the Aylestone route had been postponed because it could not be delivered concurrently with the Cadent gas works. The delay was therefore a practical consequence of coordinating major infrastructure projects.

 

The Member emphasised the importance of taking a strategic approach to infrastructure planning, particularly considering future housing growth requirements in Hereford. Members were encouraged to work collaboratively to ensure that appropriate infrastructure is delivered to support sustainable development and meet the needs of communities across Herefordshire.

 

A Member highlighted the significant progress being made at Ross Enterprise Park, noting that the project had been awaited for around 20 years and that construction was now underway. It was reported that six businesses had already expressed interest in the site and that planning for a second phase was underway. The development was described as an important opportunity to support employment growth and create higher-paid jobs within the county. Members also noted ongoing master planning work for Ross-on-Wye, including provision for schools, healthcare and other infrastructure needed to support future growth.

 

In response to concerns about delays to the city centre building (John Venn building) it was explained that progress had been affected by issues relating to securing the freehold of a flat within the building and changes in legislation. It was noted that these matters had been resolved and that while the project had been delayed, such schemes are often complex and can take time to progress.

 

The Leader of the Council concluded the discussions. Councillor Stoddart proposed the recommendations, with the Leader seconding.  The Leader directed that the decision to be put before Cabinet is:

 

That Cabinet:

a)    review performance for Q4 2025/26; and

 

b) agree any outstanding key milestones from Delivery Plan 2025/26 (see Appendix A) are carried forward to the Delivery Plan 2026/27

 

The recommendations were unanimously approved.