Herefordshire Council used untaxed vehicles after public realm change

One employee, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed that some 15 vehicles, including school minibuses, were driven without road tax for most of June, following the termination of the council’s public realm contract with Balfour Beatty.

In response, a Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: "A small number of council-owned vehicles managed under our previous public realm contract were found to be untaxed during the transition to the new public realm arrangements in June 2026.

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"The issue came to light during a review of vehicle documentation following the contract handover," they explained.

"Immediate action was taken to check the fleet, remove the affected vehicles from use, and ensure they were taxed before being returned to service," they said.

They added the council has since reviewed the process and strengthened its procedures to ensure vehicle taxation, registration documentation, and other compliance requirements are checked and monitored as part of any future contract handovers.

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"The vehicles did not return to service until all necessary requirements had been met," the council’s spokesperson said.

"We can reassure those who travel in council-owned vehicles that we take their safety extremely seriously."

At the start of last month, the council took back overall control of highway maintenance and other so-called public realm services in the county, with works now being carried out by its new delivery partner M Group along with local contractors, in a move intended to provide a better-value, more responsive service.