COUNCILLOR Jonathan Lester has been re-elected as leader of Herefordshire Council for the coming civic year at the authority’s annual meeting.

Cllr Lester was first appointed Leader in 2018 and again at the beginning of the current administration in 2023.

On his re-appointment, Cllr Lester said: “I am deeply honoured to have been re-elected as Leader of this council. As we now enter the final year of the current administration, I remain as determined as ever to deliver the very best for Herefordshire in everything we do.

“Over the past year, the council has continued to deliver against our priorities, with a clear focus on improving services and outcomes for residents, supporting those most in need, and maintaining sound financial management.

“We have continued to improve children’s services, which are now rated as “good”, with “outstanding” leadership by Ofsted.

“We have supported thousands of children and young people across the county, including over a thousand with education, health and care plan and hundreds receiving specialist transport or care.

Cllr Lester stated that over 6,000 adults had been supported with support and had carried out around 5,000 needs and occupational therapy assessments and adapted 1,200 properties to help people live more independently at home.

Cllr Lester explained to members that 52 miles of roads had been resurfaced with a further 58 miles surface-dressed, and in the first nine months of last year the authority fixed 15,113 potholes.

Cllr Lester continued: “We have launched the Ross-on-Wye Enterprise Park and have launched an inward investment campaign to help attract and enable economic growth and hundreds of new jobs.

“All this has been delivered while at the same time facing increasing and more complex demands, significant funding challenges.

Also re-elected at the annual meeting of the Council was Cllr Roger Philips who remains chairman of the council while Cllr Kevin Tillett was reappointed as his deputy.