These essential services include the maintenance of our roads, green areas and public spaces, as well as street cleansing, lighting, highway drainage and winter gritting.

The proposed contract, due to begin on 1 June 2026, would see the council take back day-to-day control of public realm services with a clear and simple focus on achieving high quality and value for money, where the contractor is paid based on pre-agreed rates for each item of work.

Cabinet will consider the recommendation to award the contract at its meeting on Thursday 18 December.

Councillor Dan Hurcomb, Cabinet Member for Local Engagement and Community Resilience, said: “We know that public realm services are at the heart of everyday life, from safe well-maintained roads and clean streets to looked after green spaces. 

“A new contract that delivers in the right way for Herefordshire has been a key priority for us and I am pleased that we are firmly on track to see a new model in place for June 2026.  

“Quite simply, the proposed contract aims to deliver improvements that residents will notice and will allow Herefordshire to take back control of where money is spent across our public realm on a day-to-day basis.” 

If approved, the new contract will also create opportunities for town and parish councils to commission additional services, giving communities a clear path to addressing the issues that matter most to them. 

The provider would also deliver ‘social value commitments’ such as local employment, and supply chain development, helping to strengthen Herefordshire’s economy as well as carbon reduction initiatives.

If Cabinet approves the recommendation on 18 December, the council will enter a mandatory legal standstill period before signing the contract in January 2026. The provider, referred to as successful bidder can’t legally be named until that period ends.

Mobilisation will then begin immediately after signing, with a transition period to ensure a smooth handover from the current provider.

Until then, the Council and Balfour Beatty Living Places will continue to work together to deliver public realm services under the current contract and are committed to supporting a seamless transition.

The cabinet papers are available to view on our website here.