WE are reminded of the benefits to shop locally, a view I completely agree with, and to look elsewhere instead of the national, and often multinational companies, when smaller businesses provide the same or often better services.

But why is it that we don’t apply the same thinking when it comes to the big contracts in our county that affect our everyday lives?

At the recent general election I spoke with thousands of Herefordians on their doorsteps and I always started by asking, “What are the biggest issues for you?”

Predominantly, it was the state of our high streets, the housing shortage our county faces and the state of our roads, plus the need for new infrastructure.

I, along with other Lib Dem councillors, believe that when our current contract ends in 2026, we must also look at local options for our next roads and maintenance contractors.

Local contractors often mean less waste, closer inspection and accountability. This also has untold benefits for our local economy by employing local trades to carry out the work that is often “brought in” by out-of-county contractors.

Regarding our town and city centres, it’s a long-held belief of mine that local contracts with lengthsmen would help keep our high streets clean and presentable.

The current state of our streets and the lack of maintenance is an embarrassment, as there is no budget for jobs such as cleaning up graffiti, fixing broken signs, and tidying up our footpaths – all jobs lengthsmen could be carrying out.

As for housing, we need to shift away from the big FTSE 100 companies, who often seem more interested in building large executive houses for profit.

Let’s be clear: this county has a local housing shortage. We need to give the next generation of locals the decent homes they are crying out for.

This can only be done by building homes in sensible places at sensible prices so that Herefordians making a living here can actually afford to buy here too. Equally, by using local builders they can train up apprentices meaning we can close our skills gap.

Large corporations have their place in Herefordshire, but maybe it’s time to go back and look locally.

DAN POWELL

LIB DEMS LEADER, HEREFORDSHIRE COUNCIL