Respecting our past, shaping our future.
We aim to improve the sustainability, connectivity and wellbeing of our county by strengthening our communities, creating a thriving local economy and protecting and enhancing our environment.
We aim to improve the sustainability, connectivity and wellbeing of our county by strengthening our communities, creating a thriving local economy and protecting and enhancing our environment.
Underpinning these aims are the themes of connectivity, wellbeing and sustainability, which sit at the core of our policy making, planning and design for the future.
We know that in the future transport systems must, and will, change, so we need to rethink our investment now in transport infrastructure to tackle the 21st century challenges of climate emergency and to support the wellbeing of our population.
That is why we support a new bridge to the east of Hereford and the development of cycle lanes and public transport rather than encouraging more and more private transport.
Being better connected is not just about the physical infrastructure. We all need a bit of help from time to time. During such tough times, we believe it is vital to the support people and finds ways to help them to connect to the rich tapestry of services provided by the voluntary sector and to their own community.
We will always safeguard the most vulnerable in our communities, but we want to enable everyone to feel more strongly a part of their local community too.
We want all children and young people in this county to have a great start in life and be healthy, safe and inspired to be the best they can be. Our young people should be proud to grow up here in Herefordshire and we also want them to feel able to build their lives here.
This requires us to deliver good learning facilities, great job opportunities and homes that young people can afford to buy or rent. We recognise that for some children and young people life can be particularly tough, and we are determined to address the inequalities which put these children and young people at a disadvantage.
We place arts and culture at the centre of our plans for Herefordshire. We do this to recognise the value heritage and creativity bring through generating income from our fantastic exhibitions and events and by nurturing people’s overall wellbeing. There is growing evidence of the social value that cultural services provide in our communities, particularly in combatting social isolation. We recognise that we will only be able to deliver on our ambition by working together effectively.
We must have financial resilience to enable us to continue to serve the people of Herefordshire, to invest prudently in the county and to continue to deliver the services that our residents need. This will continue to remain at the forefront of our thinking.
Our ambition is for Herefordshire to be an exemplar of 21st century rural living where market towns and rural communities are properly valued and recognised for the contributions they make to the success of the county. We will achieve this by recognising and building upon the strengths of our people, our places and our past while embracing the future by taking proven concepts and systems developed in modern cities and adapting them for rural Herefordshire so that we create a county which is better connected in every way.
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Environment
Protect and enhance our environment and keep Herefordshire a great place to live Minimise waste and increase reuse, repair and recycling Improve and extend active travel options throughout the county Build understanding and support for sustainable living Invest in low carbon projects Identify climate change action in all aspects of council operation Seek strong stewardship of the county’s natural resources Protect and enhance the county’s biodiversity, value nature and uphold environmental standards |
Community
Strengthen communities to ensure everyone lives well and safely together Ensure all children are healthy, safe and inspired to achieve Ensure that children in care, and moving on from care, are well supported and make good life choices Build publicly owned sustainable and affordable houses and bring empty properties back into use Protect and improve the lives of vulnerable people Use technology to support home care and extend independent living Support communities to help each other through a network of community hubs |
Economy
Support an economy which builds on the county’s strengths and resources Develop environmentally sound infrastructure that attracts investment Use council land to create economic opportunities and bring higher paid jobs to the county Invest in education and the skills needed by employers Enhance digital connectivity for communities and business Protect and promote our heritage, culture and natural beauty to enhance quality of life and support tourism Spend public money in the local economy wherever possible |
ENVIRONMENT
Herefordshire has a rich, beautiful and varied natural environment which cleans our air, channels our water, supports wildlife in all its many forms, lifts our spirits and keep us well.
We recognise that healthy, connected and vibrant ecosystems strongly support the local economy, improve health and wellbeing and make the county an attractive place to live and to visit. It is vital that we protect and enhance this environment while stewarding it for future generations.
One of the effects of climate change will be that our weather becomes more unpredictable, with longer periods of both dry and wet weather, where each of these may also be more severe and intense. Significant areas of Herefordshire are low-lying and liable to flooding: climate change further increases the risk and severity of that flooding (including flash flooding) throughout the county.
In March 2019, Herefordshire Council unanimously declared a Climate Emergency. In 2020 we extended this to include an ecological emergency. We aim for the council to become carbon neutral by 2030. If re-elected, we will continue to consider the impact of climate change and the opportunity for carbon reduction in every aspect of our work.
In addition we will continue to invest in low carbon projects such as renewable energy systems, using energy efficiency measures and electric vehicles to further reduce our carbon footprint and our daily running costs. We will support this commitment by ensuring that tree planting and habitat enhancement is prioritised.
Herefordshire has excellent biodiversity and natural assets and its natural environment supports a wide range of habitats. The richness of biodiversity within Herefordshire is reflected in the number of nature conservation sites within the county, including the Rivers Wye and Lugg which benefit from European protection as ‘Special Areas of Conservation’ because of their unique and invaluable biodiversity. We will continue to push for a massive clean up of our rivers.
We are proud of our rich rural heritage and will work in partnership with our farming community and land managers to promote sustainable stewardship of the County’s farmland, soils and woods. We are committed to creating greater public awareness of the part each of us can play in supporting nature and biodiversity in the county.
Herefordshire has a rich, beautiful and varied natural environment which cleans our air, channels our water, supports wildlife in all its many forms, lifts our spirits and keep us well.
We recognise that healthy, connected and vibrant ecosystems strongly support the local economy, improve health and wellbeing and make the county an attractive place to live and to visit. It is vital that we protect and enhance this environment while stewarding it for future generations.
One of the effects of climate change will be that our weather becomes more unpredictable, with longer periods of both dry and wet weather, where each of these may also be more severe and intense. Significant areas of Herefordshire are low-lying and liable to flooding: climate change further increases the risk and severity of that flooding (including flash flooding) throughout the county.
In March 2019, Herefordshire Council unanimously declared a Climate Emergency. In 2020 we extended this to include an ecological emergency. We aim for the council to become carbon neutral by 2030. If re-elected, we will continue to consider the impact of climate change and the opportunity for carbon reduction in every aspect of our work.
In addition we will continue to invest in low carbon projects such as renewable energy systems, using energy efficiency measures and electric vehicles to further reduce our carbon footprint and our daily running costs. We will support this commitment by ensuring that tree planting and habitat enhancement is prioritised.
Herefordshire has excellent biodiversity and natural assets and its natural environment supports a wide range of habitats. The richness of biodiversity within Herefordshire is reflected in the number of nature conservation sites within the county, including the Rivers Wye and Lugg which benefit from European protection as ‘Special Areas of Conservation’ because of their unique and invaluable biodiversity. We will continue to push for a massive clean up of our rivers.
We are proud of our rich rural heritage and will work in partnership with our farming community and land managers to promote sustainable stewardship of the County’s farmland, soils and woods. We are committed to creating greater public awareness of the part each of us can play in supporting nature and biodiversity in the county.
COMMUNITY
Our ambition is to make wellbeing inevitable here in Herefordshire by putting physical and mental health at the heart of everything we do. 'Talk Community' is a key initiative by which we aim to progress this objective.
Talk Community is an approach which focusses on the people within our communities, the place and space in which they live and the economy in which people work. The initiative sets out to help people use their and their community’s strengths to help one another to live well, stay safe and maximise their independence. Talk Community looks at how people can best be supported and can support each other to achieve this, and how communities and businesses can develop to meet the local needs of each community.
Where vulnerable people of all ages need formal care it is really important to us that it is of high quality and that it enables people to reach their goals. We will continue to improve outcomes for children in care, and moving on from care, and support them to make good life choices.
Demand for adult and children’s social care services is increasing both in terms of the number of people and also in the cost of delivering care. Social care will also consider other things besides care services, such as community support and the use of new technology which can contribute to meeting any desired outcomes.
There are key public health challenges for the county that we want to address including poor oral health, obesity and cold homes. We will work with partners to address these issues through an oral health action plan, physical activity strategy and measures to tackle fuel poverty.
We will also intend to use our planning and licensing functions, our contracting power and partnerships to influence and create healthy physical and cultural environments that support wellbeing.
We are committed to supporting our NHS partners across Herefordshire to deliver their long-term ambitions within our communities. We will work with them as the lead partner on prevention and wellbeing initiatives.
We recognise that arts and culture plays a huge part in our plans. We want culture and creativity to be part of our residents’ everyday lives, whether by engaging with our many fantastic exhibitions and events; supporting the health and wellbeing agenda by recognising the significant social value that can come from cultural services such as libraries and arts; or by increasing inclusivity by providing all our residents with more opportunities to benefit from our varied cultural activities. We are committed to working with the Herefordshire Cultural Partnership to ensure that Herefordshire continues to build on our many strengths and successes.
Our ambition is to make wellbeing inevitable here in Herefordshire by putting physical and mental health at the heart of everything we do. 'Talk Community' is a key initiative by which we aim to progress this objective.
Talk Community is an approach which focusses on the people within our communities, the place and space in which they live and the economy in which people work. The initiative sets out to help people use their and their community’s strengths to help one another to live well, stay safe and maximise their independence. Talk Community looks at how people can best be supported and can support each other to achieve this, and how communities and businesses can develop to meet the local needs of each community.
Where vulnerable people of all ages need formal care it is really important to us that it is of high quality and that it enables people to reach their goals. We will continue to improve outcomes for children in care, and moving on from care, and support them to make good life choices.
Demand for adult and children’s social care services is increasing both in terms of the number of people and also in the cost of delivering care. Social care will also consider other things besides care services, such as community support and the use of new technology which can contribute to meeting any desired outcomes.
There are key public health challenges for the county that we want to address including poor oral health, obesity and cold homes. We will work with partners to address these issues through an oral health action plan, physical activity strategy and measures to tackle fuel poverty.
We will also intend to use our planning and licensing functions, our contracting power and partnerships to influence and create healthy physical and cultural environments that support wellbeing.
We are committed to supporting our NHS partners across Herefordshire to deliver their long-term ambitions within our communities. We will work with them as the lead partner on prevention and wellbeing initiatives.
We recognise that arts and culture plays a huge part in our plans. We want culture and creativity to be part of our residents’ everyday lives, whether by engaging with our many fantastic exhibitions and events; supporting the health and wellbeing agenda by recognising the significant social value that can come from cultural services such as libraries and arts; or by increasing inclusivity by providing all our residents with more opportunities to benefit from our varied cultural activities. We are committed to working with the Herefordshire Cultural Partnership to ensure that Herefordshire continues to build on our many strengths and successes.
ECONOMY
We will support an economy which builds on the county’s strengths and resources.
A thriving and prosperous economy is vital if we are to provide sustainable, well-paid
and rewarding job opportunities to local people. A vibrant local economy improves quality of life for everyone and also generates the income through Council Tax and business rates that we need to support local services.
Herefordshire faces a number of significant economic challenges. Although overall unemployment levels are very low, our average wage levels are also very low. The county has a greater proportion of retired people than the national average. Our retired residents make very significant contributions to the voluntary and third sector locally, but also contribute to house prices being high and to the lack of availability of social housing for younger families.
Limited higher education opportunities in the county mean that most of the county’s younger people leave the county to study beyond A-level. It is important that we increase the number of better paid job opportunities that are available so as to attract our university educated young people to return and to encourage others to move here to live.
For those who do choose to live here, the county offers a very good quality of life. The majority of our schools are assessed as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ and Herefordshire’s natural assets, cultural offer and strong sense of community make the county a highly attractive place to live, learn, visit and to invest.
More than 90% of our businesses are small to medium sized enterprises, or micro businesses, and business start- ups in Herefordshire are more successful than the national average.
The high profile Hereford Enterprise Zone, known as Skylon Park, is attracting new high-tech businesses to the county and delivering a growing number of well-paid jobs, whilst also regenerating a large brownfield site to the south of the city.
Alongside supporting our bedrock businesses and attracting exciting new ones we are determined to work with all sectors of the business community to implement a community wealth building initiative. This involves four key principles:
1. Spend more locally – Work with large local employers to build strong local supply chains and increase the amount of money which stays in the local economy
2. Skill-up – Encourage continuous investment in our local workforce and a culture of lifelong learning in our community
3. Strengthen the use of our assets - Be more creative in how we use and share our collective assets, increase our local investment, encourage the development of new businesses and explore new methods of financial support
4. Speak up and out – Give the wider community a meaningful say in shaping economic plans and local investments. We will do this through transparent decision-making, well publicised public consultation and by engaging positively with key stakeholders on the future plans for Herefordshire.
We will support an economy which builds on the county’s strengths and resources.
A thriving and prosperous economy is vital if we are to provide sustainable, well-paid
and rewarding job opportunities to local people. A vibrant local economy improves quality of life for everyone and also generates the income through Council Tax and business rates that we need to support local services.
Herefordshire faces a number of significant economic challenges. Although overall unemployment levels are very low, our average wage levels are also very low. The county has a greater proportion of retired people than the national average. Our retired residents make very significant contributions to the voluntary and third sector locally, but also contribute to house prices being high and to the lack of availability of social housing for younger families.
Limited higher education opportunities in the county mean that most of the county’s younger people leave the county to study beyond A-level. It is important that we increase the number of better paid job opportunities that are available so as to attract our university educated young people to return and to encourage others to move here to live.
For those who do choose to live here, the county offers a very good quality of life. The majority of our schools are assessed as ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ and Herefordshire’s natural assets, cultural offer and strong sense of community make the county a highly attractive place to live, learn, visit and to invest.
More than 90% of our businesses are small to medium sized enterprises, or micro businesses, and business start- ups in Herefordshire are more successful than the national average.
The high profile Hereford Enterprise Zone, known as Skylon Park, is attracting new high-tech businesses to the county and delivering a growing number of well-paid jobs, whilst also regenerating a large brownfield site to the south of the city.
Alongside supporting our bedrock businesses and attracting exciting new ones we are determined to work with all sectors of the business community to implement a community wealth building initiative. This involves four key principles:
1. Spend more locally – Work with large local employers to build strong local supply chains and increase the amount of money which stays in the local economy
2. Skill-up – Encourage continuous investment in our local workforce and a culture of lifelong learning in our community
3. Strengthen the use of our assets - Be more creative in how we use and share our collective assets, increase our local investment, encourage the development of new businesses and explore new methods of financial support
4. Speak up and out – Give the wider community a meaningful say in shaping economic plans and local investments. We will do this through transparent decision-making, well publicised public consultation and by engaging positively with key stakeholders on the future plans for Herefordshire.
Herefordshire is a great place to live with a beautiful and unique natural environment - we will work in partnership with our farming and business community to protect and enhance this wonderful asset for future generations while ensuring that we balance this sensitively with playing an active part in the modern world.