Herefordshire compared with councils in West Midlands
Compared with the 11 councils in West Midlands.
- Residents
- 192,539 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,574 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where Herefordshire sits
2
measures in the bottom quarter
4
measures below the middle
8
measures in the top half
Herefordshire compares worst with councils in West Midlands on:
- relief cases ending with a home secured (11th of 11; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (10th of 11; 1st is lowest)
It compares best on:
- council tax collected in the year it was due (1st of 11; 1st is highest)
- fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents (1st of 11; 1st is lowest)
- enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents (1st of 11; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 57.0% | 37.6% | Top half 5th of 11 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 5.2 | 4 | Bottom quarter 10th of 11 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 33.8 | 36.5 | Top half 4th of 11 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 10.0% | 11.7% | Below the middle 6th of 10 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 100.0% | 79.2% | Top half 1st of 10 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | No figure | 68.2% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | No figure | 68.8% | No council homes | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | No figure | 75.4% | No council homes | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | No figure | 57.8% | No council homes | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | No figure | 82.6% | No council homes | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | No figure | 1.8% | No council homes | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | No figure | 74.7% | No council homes |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 97.4% | 94.9% | Top half 1st of 11 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 3.7 | 19.7 | Top half 1st of 11 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 137.9 | 45.9 | Top half 1st of 11 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 39.1% | 37.2% | Top half 4th of 11 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 2.2 | 1.7 | Below the middle 7th of 11 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 13.6% | 6.5% | Below the middle 8th of 11 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 56.8% | 52.1% | Top half 5th of 11 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 14.9% | 29.1% | Bottom quarter 11th of 11 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | Herefordshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 88.0% | 91.2% | Below the middle 7th of 11 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | Herefordshire | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £329 | £340 | 7th of 9 | |
| Adult social care | £558 | £500 | 1st of 9 | |
| Public health | £56 | £82 | 8th of 9 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £50 | £42 | 2nd of 9 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £109 | £100 | 2nd of 9 | |
| Highways and transport | £33 | £40 | 9th of 9 | |
| Culture and leisure | £25 | £35 | 8th of 9 | |
| Planning and development | £38 | £25 | 2nd of 9 | |
| Central services | £53 | £44 | 2nd of 9 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,250 | £1,227 | 4th of 9 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated Herefordshire’s children's services good at its last full inspection, in November 2025.
- Outstanding
- 4 of the 11 councils in West Midlands
- Good
- 5 of the 11 councils in West Midlands, including Herefordshire
- Requires improvement
- 2 of the 11 councils in West Midlands
- Inadequate
- 0 of the 11 councils in West Midlands
Over time
Herefordshire against the median of councils in West Midlands.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- Herefordshire: 57.0%
- Median (councils in West Midlands): 37.6%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- Herefordshire: 5.2
- Median (councils in West Midlands): 4
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- Herefordshire: 39.1%
- Median (councils in West Midlands): 37.2%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- Herefordshire: 3.7
- Median (councils in West Midlands): 19.7
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is Herefordshire. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.