Herefordshire goes to the polls today: summary

Here at the Hereford Times we do not presume to influence our readers about which way they should vote. We urge only that they DO vote.

This is your chance to have your say, to vote for the candidates you think have it in them to guide Herefordshire to an even better future.

Without your involvement democracy does not work and your entitlement to complain about decisions made in your name is undermined. Please vote!

You can find your nearest polling station here.

With power currently distributed between six parties and groups (see diagram below), the chances of any one sweeping to outright victory are slim. The current Independents for Herefordshire-Greens coalition are not standing against each other, but nor are they standing in every ward.

Meanwhile, there is evidence that voters are engaging less with the coalition’s wider vision for the county and more with bread-and-butter issues.

At a meeting organised last week by Herefordshire Wildlife Trust featuring councillors from all parties except the Liberal Democrats and True Independents, council leader and Independents for Herefordshire councillor David Hitchiner admitted that during campaigning, “No one as mentioned the environment, they talk about potholes in the roads, which disappoints me.”

• Our local democracy reporter Gavin McEwan has been covering the run-up to the local elections in depth. Read all his reports here

The Greens’ leader in the county Coun Ellie Chowns agreed that “on the doorstep, it has basically been potholes and planning”.

And though the meeting showed broad agreement among the parties on the county’s environmental priorities, the question of whether to build a bypass to the west of the city, which the current administration cancelled; to the east, which it favours; or to build both, or neither, remains perhaps the key divide.

• If you are interested in local politics our Herefordshire politics group on Facebook has all the latest insights from our local democracy reporter Gavin McEwan and others

For the Conservatives, who along with the LibDems favour reviving the western bypass plan, Coun Elissa Swinglehurst said: “Either choice will have environmental costs. But is the Lugg Meadows [to the east of the city] are touched, I will lie in front of a bulldozer.”

Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm today. Voters need photographic ID such as a passport or driving licence to vote.

The Hereford Times will be covering the election results live as they come in on Friday. Subscribe now for access to all our reports... with far few adverts and access to our fantastic reader rewards scheme.