THE Leader of Herefordshire Council has told the Hereford Times he is to stand down within the next week for “health reasons”.
 

Councillor John Jarvis will remain in the role only until the council’s Conservative group meets on May 9 to elect a new leader.
 

In accordance with the council’s constitution, the leader of the majority group becomes council leader.
 

But the appointment of a leader needs ratification from the full council, and the ruling Tories have a majority of one going into a full council meeting on May 24 when the appointment will be up for debate.
 

Coun Jarvis confirmed this morning that he was leaving the leader’s role over his health. He intends to remain ward councillor for Kerne Bridge until the council’s next full term elections in 2015.
 

“Any future role I might play at cabinet level is at the discretion of the new leader,” he said.
 

Speculation within Brockington already puts three candidates out front to succeed Coun Jarvis.

They are: Councillor Philip Price, deputy council leader; Councillor Graham Powell,  cabinet member for education and infrastructure; and Councillor Tony Johnson, cabinet member for financial management.
 

First elected to Herefordshire Council in 2006, Coun Jarvis held the environment and strategic housing cabinet portfolio for four years before being appointed leader of the council after the election of May 2011.

Confirmation of his standing down from the leader’s role was now being put out to Tory group members.
 

See next Thursday's Hereford Times for more on this story.