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Landowners, Agents or Developers are invited to submit sites that have potential for future development

Herefordshire Council is now reviewing the long term availability of development land across the county, the below consultation is underway to help establish if Herefordshire Council can meet the targets set by central government.

Herefordshire Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA) 2020- Call for Sites

The Council’s Strategic Planning Team are preparing a ‘call for sites’, whereby landowners, agents or developers are invited to submit sites in order for them to be assessed on their potential to accommodate future development.

Those who have submitted the details of sites to us through these exercises on previous occasions will be contacted at the beginning of this process (week commencing 3 August) so that they are made aware of this. The call for sites will also be publicised on the council’s website, and will run for 6 weeks until midnight on Monday 14 September.

The assessments have, in the past, been published in a document known as a “Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA)”. However, on this occasion, it will be referred to as the “Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (HELAA)”, as it will assess land with both housing and employment-based development potential where appropriate.

This is a document that we are as a planning authority required to produce and update regularly by national planning policy (NPPF paragraph 67). The document is a technical exercise and does not in itself form any planning policy, or allocation of land for development. To be clear, the inclusion of a site within the document does not mean it will be identified in the Local Plan or be granted planning permission should a planning application be made.

The assessment does, however, provide evidence to underpin the preparation of some Local Plan documents and Neighbourhood Development Plans. Previous publications are available to view on the council’s website.

A number of Parish councils have also carried out or commissioned similar site assessment work of their own, in order to provide evidence in the preparation of NDPs. Therefore, on this occasion for the first time we shall be seeking to make use of the findings of this work. We will be contacting Parishes and requesting that, where possible, this assessment data is shared with us to feed into the preparation of the HELAA.

For those interested, more information is available on the dedicated call for sites web page: https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/callforsites2020  

Road ahead closed and diversion signs

ROAD CLOSURES – AUGUST 2020 – 10.08.20

Highway Works – Resurfacing Works

B4214 Edwyn Ralph Village

Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 28 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

Highway Works – White lining and cats eyes’ installation (where applicable) following surface dressing works already carried out

All works will take place between 08.00 hours and 18.00 hours each day.  The surface dressing works are scheduled to take one day to complete under a road closure with subsequent days scheduled for the white lining and cat eyes’ installation (where applicable), also planned under daily road closures.

A466 Derestriction – C1234 Crossroads, St Weonardsdate change

[Between Village sign and Reduce Speed sign]

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

B4521 County Boundary to A466, Broad Oakdate change

[Between Junction of A466 (as marked) and County Boundary to Wales]

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

A466 – B4521 to 40 mph, St Weonards (2 sites) – date change

[Between junction at B4521 and HRA joint in Village]

White Lining – Tuesday 11 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

B4348 Hardwickedate change

[Between junction at B4352 and joint at Farm entrance]

White Lining at Junction only – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

C1226 Haywood Lane, Hereford (2 Sites) – date change

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

C1263 – A49T to 30mph, Kings Thorn (2 Sites) – date change

[Between A49 junction at joint to bus stop in Village]

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

A4110 Abbey Court Farm towards C1107, Wigmoredate change

[Between Court Farm and Wigmore Village]

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

A456 Easton Lodge to County Boundary, Little Hereforddate change

[Between Eaton Lodge and County Boundary to Wales]

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

B4355 – Lower Flintsham to The Stagg, Titleydate change

[Between Lower Flintsham and The Stagg PH]

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020 and Thursday, 13 August 2020

Highway Works – Surface Dressing – Combi Works

C1061 Thornbury – New dates

[Between Junction of B4214 at joint to outside Thornbury Farm entrance]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

White Lining – Date TBC

U75238 Watery Lane, Near Hay on Wye

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and junction at Frog Lane]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 25 August 2020

U74200 Upper Maes Coed, St Margarets

[Between Cadifor Farm and Iron Pear Tree]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

C1114 Park House to C1115, Near Pencombe

[Between Marsh Court joint and Park House, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020 (No road markings)

U74209 Tremorithic Road, Bacton (Sites 1 and 2)

[Between Hilling Grange Farm at joint and Fair Oak Farm at joint]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020 (No road markings)

U73411 Pinnocks Place, Allensmore (Sites 1 and 2)

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and Crossroads]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 25 August 2020

C1174 C1175 to C1165, Coddington

[Between junction at Broad Oak Farm and junction, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 20 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 26 August 2020

C1064 B4214 to U65018, Collington

[Between Field Farm House at joint to junction at point]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 20 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 26 August 2020

U65022 The Gains Road, Linley Green

[Between Stone House at junction and Farm, top of hill]

Surface Dressing – Friday, 21 August 2020

New Roundabout Construction

A4110/B4529 Lawtons Cross, Mortimer

Roads closed from Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 30 October 2020

A combination of phased road closures 24/7 and traffic signals will be in operation, as follows:

Phase 1:             B4529 closure west of junction with A4110

                             Monday, 24 August 2020 to Friday, 18 September 2020

Phase 2:             B4529 closure east of junction with A4110

                             Monday, 14 September 2020 to Friday, 16 October 2020

Phase 3:             A4110 north of junction with B4529

                             Monday, 5 October 2020 to Friday, 23 October 2020

Phase 4:             A4110 south of junction with B4539

                             Monday, 5 October 2020 to Friday, 30 October 2020

Please refer to the attached summary plan showing the extent of work.     A plan for each phase is available if required – please let me know and I will happily forward on.

Bridge Works

U75232 – Pont-y-Weston Bridge, Dorstone – New dates

Tuesday, 1 September 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 8 September 2020

Works taking place between 08.00 hours and 16.00 hours daily – there will be access to residents

Breaking out excess concrete, and shuttering around the upstream right abutment. Repairing Downstream right training wall.

Other Road Closures

C1257 – Symonds Yat West Road (Ferrie Lane)

Road closed until further notice

B4224 – Fiddlers Green, Fownhope

Structural wall failure and landslip

Full road closure in place until 31 December 2020

U71411 – Garway Court Lane – New date

Carriageway deterioration

Full road closure in place until Friday, 11 September 2020

Road ahead closed and diversion signs

ROAD CLOSURES – JULY/AUGUST 2020 – 27.07.2020

Highway Works – Resurfacing Works

A4103 Roman Road, Hereford

Thursday, 23 July 2020 to (and including) Friday, 31 July 2020

Road closed 09.30 hours to 15.30 hours daily.  No weekend working

Please refer to diversion plan for these works

A417 Bend near Entrance to Whitwick Manor, Lower Eggleton

Thursday, 30 July 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 4 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily (no weekend working)

A438 Hollybush

Monday, 3 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 7 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

B4214 Edwyn Ralph Village

Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 28 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

Highway Works – Surface Dressing Works (including white lining and cats eyes, if appropriate) – Revised Dates

All works will take place between 08.00 hours and 18.00 hours each day.  The surface dressing works are scheduled to take one day to complete under a road closure with subsequent days scheduled for the white lining and cat eyes’ installation (where applicable), also planned under daily road closures.

A466 Derestriction – C1234 Crossroads, St WeonardsNew dates

[Between Village sign and Reduce Speed sign]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 3 August 2020

White Lining – Monday, 10 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Monday, 10 August 2020

B4521 County Boundary to A466, Broad OakNew dates

[Between Junction of A466 (as marked) and County Boundary to Wales]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 3 August 2020

White Lining – Monday, 10 August 2020

A466 – B4521 to 40 mph, St Weonards (2 sites) – New dates

[Between junction at B4521 and HRA joint in Village]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 3 August 2020

White Lining – Monday, 10 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Monday, 10 August 2020

B4348 HardwickeNew dates

[Between junction at B4352 and joint at Farm entrance]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 and Wednesday, 12 August 2020

C1226 Haywood Lane, Hereford (2 Sites) – New dates

[Extent of works TBC]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

C1263 – A49T to 30mph, Kings Thorn (2 Sites) – New dates

[Between A49 junction at joint to bus stop in Village]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

A4110 Abbey Court Farm towards C1107, WigmoreNew dates

[Between Court Farm and Wigmore Village]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

A456 Easton Lodge to County Boundary, Little HerefordNew dates

[Between Eaton Lodge and County Boundary to Wales]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

B4355 – Lower Flintsham to The Stagg, TitleyNew dates

[Between Lower Flintsham and The Stagg PH]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 and Wednesday, 12 August 2020

C1061 Thornbury – New dates

[Between Junction of B4214 at joint to outside Thornbury Farm entrance]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

Highway Works – Surface Dressing – Combi WorksRevised Dates

U75238 Watery Lane, Near Hay on Wye – New dates

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and junction at Frog Lane]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 25 August 2020

U74200 Upper Maes Coed, St Margarets – New date

[Between Cadifor Farm and Iron Pear Tree]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

C1114 Park House to C1115, Near Pencombe – New date

[Between Marsh Court joint and Park House, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020 (No road markings)

U74209 Tremorithic Road, Bacton (Sites 1 and 2) – New date

[Between Hilling Grange Farm at joint and Fair Oak Farm at joint]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020 (No road markings)

U73411 Pinnocks Place, Allensmore (Sites 1 and 2) – New dates

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and Crossroads]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 19 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 25 August 2020

C1174 C1175 to C1165, CoddingtonNew dates

[Between junction at Broad Oak Farm and junction, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 20 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 26 August 2020

C1064 B4214 to U65018, Collington – New dates

[Between Field Farm House at joint to junction at point]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 20 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 26 August 2020

U65022 The Gains Road, Linley Green – New date

[Between Stone House at junction and Farm, top of hill]

Surface Dressing – Friday, 21 August 2020

New Roundabout Construction

A4110/B4529 Lawtons Cross, Mortimer

Roads closed from Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 30 October 2020

A combination of full road closures 24/7 and traffic signals in operation – further details to follow soon

Bridge Works

U75232 – Pont-y-Weston Bridge, Dorstone

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 25 August 2020

Road closed between 08.00 hours and 16.00 hours daily

Building sandbag walls either side of water course to isolate.  Removing excess silt build up.  Building new concrete invert and repairing scour under abutment.

Other Road Closures

C1257 – Symonds Yat West Road (Ferrie Lane)

Road closed until further notice

B4224 – Fiddlers Green, Fownhope

Structural wall failure and landslip

Full road closure in place until further notice

U71411 – Garway Court Lane – Revised end date

Carriageway deterioration

Full road closure in place until Wednesday, 14 August 2020

Road ahead closed and diversion signs

ROAD CLOSURES – JULY AND AUGUST 2020

Highway Works – Resurfacing Works

A480 Yazor Church Junction to Mansel Lacy

Wednesday, 15 July 2020 to (and including) Friday, 17 July 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

[White lining scheduled for Friday, 24 July 2020 under road closure]

A438 Junction with C1151 to Ashperton, Nr Durlow Common

Friday, 17 July 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 21 July 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily.  No weekend working

[White lining scheduled for Friday, 24 July 2020 under road closure]

A44 Between Headbrook and Hattons Garden Roundabout, Kington – NIGHT WORKS

Wednesday, 22 July 2020 to (and including) Friday, 24 July 2020

Road closed 20.00 hours to 06.00 hours each night

[White lining scheduled for Saturday, 25 July 2020 before 06.00 hours]

A44 Junction with C1110 to Stoke Prior

Monday, 20 July 2020 to (and including) Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

[White lining scheduled for Friday, 24 July 2020 under road closure]

A4103 Roman Road, Hereford – Revised road closure times

Thursday, 23 July 2020 to (and including) Friday, 31 July 2020

Road closed 09.30 hours to 15.30 hours daily.  No weekend working

Please refer to diversion plan for these works

A417 Bend near Entrance to Whitwick Manor, Lower Eggleton

Thursday, 30 July 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 4 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily (no weekend working)

A438 Hollybush

Monday, 3 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 7 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

B4214 Edwyn Ralph Village

Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 28 August 2020

Road closed 09.00 hours to 17.00 hours daily

Highway Works – Surface Dressing Preparatory Works

All works will take place between 08.00 hours and 18.00 hours each day.

C1061 Thornbury

[Between Junction of B4214 at joint to outside Thornbury Farm entrance]

Monday, 13 July 2020

C1174 – C1175 to C1165, Coddington

[Between junction at Broad Oak Farm and junction, as marked]

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

C1064 – B4214 Junction to U65018 Edwin Loach Junction, Collington

[Between Field Farm House at joint to junction at joint]

Tuesday, 14 July 2020 to (and including) Thursday, 16 July 2020

Highway Works – Surface Dressing Works (including white lining and cats eyes, if appropriate)

All works will take place between 08.00 hours and 18.00 hours each day.  The surface dressing works are scheduled to take one day to complete under a road closure with subsequent days scheduled for the white lining and cat eyes’ installation (where applicable), also planned under daily road closures.

A4110 Abbey Court Farm towards C1107, Wigmore

[Between Court Farm and Wigmore Village]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 30 July 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 5 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Thursday, 6 August 2020

A456 Easton Lodge to County Boundary, Little Hereford

[Between Eaton Lodge and County Boundary to Wales]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 30 July 2020

Kielylock (Additional sealant to minimise chip loss) – Monday, 3 August 2020 / White Lining – Wednesday, 5 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Thursday, 6 August 2020

A466 Derestriction – C1234 Crossroads, St Weonards

[Between Village sign and Reduce Speed sign]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 27 July 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 4 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

A466 – B4521 to 40 mph, St Weonards (2 sites)

[Between junction at B4521 and HRA joint in Village]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 27 July 2020

Kielylock – Monday, 3 August 2020 / White Lining – Tuesday, 4 August 2020 / Cats Eyes – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

B4355 – Lower Flintsham to The Stagg, Titley

[Between Lower Flintsham and The Stagg PH]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 30 July 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 5 August 2020 and Thursday, 6 August 2020

B4521 County Boundary to A466, Broad Oak

[Between Junction of A466 (as marked) and County Boundary to Wales]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 27 July 2020

Kielylock – Monday, 3 August 2020 / White Lining – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

B4348 Hardwicke

[Between junction at B4352 and joint at Farm entrance]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 28 July 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

C1226 Haywood Lane, Hereford (2 Sites)

[Extent of works TBC]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 28 July 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 4 August 2020

C1263 – A49T to 30mph, Kings Thorn (2 Sites)

[Between A49 junction at joint to bus stop in Village]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 28 July 2020

White Lining – Monday, 3 August 2020

C1061 Thornbury

[Between Junction of B4214 at joint to outside Thornbury Farm entrance]

Surface Dressing – Thursday, 30 July 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 5 August 2020

Highway Works – Surface Dressing – Combi Works

C1174 C1175 to C1165, Coddington

[Between junction at Broad Oak Farm and junction, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 19 August 2020

C1114 Park House to C1115, Near Pencombe

[Between Marsh Court joint and Park House, as marked]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 11 August 2020 (No road markings)

C1064 B4214 to U65018, Collington

[Between Field Farm House at joint to junction at point]

Surface Dressing – Tuesday, 11 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

U73411 Pinnocks Place, Allensmore (Sites 1 and 2)

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and Crossroads]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 10 August 2020

White Lining – Tuesday, 18 August 2020

U75238 Watery Lane, Near Hay on Wye

[Between Crossroads opposite Bell View and junction at Frog Lane]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 10 August 2020

White Lining – Monday, 17 August 2020

U74200 Upper Maes Coed, St Margarets

[Between Cadifor Farm and Iron Pear Tree]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 10 August 2020

White Lining – Monday, 17 August 2020

U65022 The Gains Road, Linley Green

[Between Stone House at junction and Farm, top of hill]

Surface Dressing – Wednesday, 12 August 2020

White Lining – Wednesday, 19 August 2020

U74209 Tremorithic Road, Bacton (Sites 1 and 2)

[Between Hilling Grange Farm at joint and Fair Oak Farm at joint]

Surface Dressing – Monday, 10 August 2020 (No road markings)

New Roundabout Construction

A4110/B4529 Lawtons Cross, Mortimer

Roads closed from Monday, 24 August 2020 to (and including) Friday, 30 October 2020

A combination of full road closures 24/7 and traffic signals in operation – further details to follow soon

Bridge Works

C1122 – Laystone Bridge, Marden  (C1122 from C1120 to Wellington Crossing, Marden) – No access for emergency vehicles during the road closure

Monday, 22 June 2020 to (and including) Friday, 17 July 2020

Full road closure 24/7

Installation of scaffolding and bridge parapet wall repair

U75232 – Pont-y-Weston Bridge, Dorstone

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 to (and including) Tuesday, 25 August 2020

Building sandbag walls either side of water course to isolate.  Removing excess silt build up.  Building new concrete invert and repairing scour under abutment.

Other Road Closures

C1257 – Symonds Yat West Road (Ferrie Lane)

Road closed until further notice

B4224 – Fiddlers Green, Fownhope

Structural wall failure and landslip

Full road closure in place until further notice

U71411 – Garway Court Lane

Carriageway deterioration

Full road closure in place until Wednesday, 15 July 2020

Information Sheet for elected members and senior leaders: The Annual Canvass and Canvass Reform

June 2020

What is the annual canvass?

The purpose of the canvass is to identify everyone who should be on the electoral register. This means identifying citizens and inviting those who should be registered but are currently not to join the register, as well as identifying electors who are no longer at a property and should therefore be removed from the register. A revised version of the electoral register must be published by 1 December each year, following the conclusion of the annual canvass. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments are looking to implement legislation that extends the deadline for publication of the register to 1 February 2021.

Previously, Electoral Registration Offices (EROs)[1] in Great Britain were required to send every household an annual canvass form, which required a response regardless of whether there have been any changes in the household. EROs were also required to follow up any non-responses with a further two reminder forms and carry out a household visit, if required.

Why did the canvass need to change?

This previous canvass process was widely recognised to be outdated and cumbersome. The one-size-fits-all approach, incorporating numerous prescribed steps, took little account of differences within and between registration areas. It was heavily paper-based, expensive, complex to administer and it stifled innovation. It was also clear that the process led to confusion for citizens. As a result, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments passed legislation to update the canvass process. This project is known as ‘canvass reform’.

What is the purpose of canvass reform?

Given the previous limitations of the canvass process, the purpose of canvass reform is:

  • to make the process simpler and clearer for citizens;
  • for EROs to have greater discretion to run a tailored canvass which better suits their local area;
  • to reduce the administrative burden on EROs and the financial burden on taxpayers;
  • to safeguard the completeness and accuracy of the registers;
  • to maintain the security and integrity of the registers; and
  • to include the capacity for innovation and improvement, with a model that is adaptable to future change.

What does this mean for elected members?

For elected members, the most important message is to understand the nature and purpose of the reforms and their impact on the public and the ERO for your local authority, as outlined in the different sections below. This should enable you to manage any questions you might receive about the reforms specifically as well any questions about the canvass in general.

To best equip you for any questions from the public, we would recommend speaking to your ERO to understand how the canvass is being run in your area, as the canvass is tailored to each area and timings and contact methods will vary.

What does this mean for senior leaders within the council?

Likewise, if you are a senior leader, you should make sure you have a solid understanding of the reformed canvass process and what it means for the public and your electoral services team.

Beyond that, your ERO and their team will be best placed to advise on how you can help. We anticipate they will need your support in working with teams across your authority including IT infrastructure and communications teams, plus teams holding local data, such as Council Tax, Housing and the Register Office. This will not only support EROs this year when faced with the challenge of coronavirus, but subsequent years when they continue to deliver the reformed canvass.

Canvass reform is designed to enable EROs to modernise the canvass process; reduce administrative burden and include the capacity for innovation and improvement. Future change will be easier if EROs can access the datasets they need to conduct local data matching; to source relevant contact details; and also to data mine for new additions and deletions to the register. Your influence and support could be incredibly useful in enabling them to meet their most fundamental statutory requirement: safeguarding the completeness and accuracy of the electoral registers.

How is the reformed canvass different?

The reformed canvass process incorporates a ‘data matching step’ at the start in which registered electors are compared against datasets to see if they match. EROs are required to conduct ‘national data matching’ against data held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and have the option to conduct ‘local data matching’ against local data sources such as council tax data. The results of this process then informs EROs whether the elector(s) living in each property are likely to have changed or not. If the results show that the elector(s) in a property matches the national or local dataset, then EROs have the discretion to canvass that property through a streamlined canvass process (Route 1) where a response is only required if there is a change to report. As a result, EROs do not need to ‘chase’ these Route 1 properties for a response.

This allows EROs to concentrate their resources on the properties where the data matching indicated that a change was likely (‘Route 2’). This ‘unmatched’ group of properties are required to respond to the canvass communications they receive from their ERO, and the ERO is required to make a minimum of three contact attempts where they do not receive a response. 

In addition, the reformed canvass enables EROs to use modern communications channels. In contrast to the old canvass process – in which the law only allowed for paper forms and household visits within the chasing cycle – EROs can now conduct telephone canvassing instead of household visits and send e-communications (e.g. emails and text) instead of using paper forms.

These additional communication channels will hopefully promote increased volumes of online registration.

Further changes to the canvass include but are not limited to:

  • A tailored route for properties with multiple occupants who do not form a single household (‘Route 3’). EROs can now canvass properties such as care homes or student accommodation using a more effective and streamlined approach, by working with a ‘responsible person’ at the property to obtain data and invite the occupants to register to vote. While many EROs already have good contacts with these types of properties and work with them to deliver the annual canvass, they now have a clear framework for doing so.
  • New IT functionally: EROs are administering the reformed canvass on updated Electoral Management Systems (EMS) with new functionality and have received training, both procured by the Cabinet Office.

Through these changes, the reformed canvass provides a more modernised, efficient and streamlined approach. It moves away from the one-size-fits-all process and allows EROs to adapt their canvassing process to suit the needs of their registration areas and to concentrate their resources on the properties that are likely to benefit most.

Moreover, canvass reform is expected to see significant savings for taxpayers in future years, providing an average saving of over £20m annually, over a ten year period, across Great Britain.

What does this mean for electors?

Canvass reform has made the process simpler and clearer for citizens as electors in properties where a change is unlikely – based on data matching results – now only have to respond to canvass communications if they have a change to report. In addition, through the introduction of e-communications and updated messaging on paper forms, electors who do need to report a change are encouraged to provide their response online, rather than having to fill out and post back a paper form. 

The reform also continues to ensure that everyone entitled to register to vote has the right to participate in the democratic process by requiring EROs to contact every household in Great Britain at least once within the canvass process.

Some local authorities and valuation joint boards in Scotland will be running public awareness campaigns to highlight the changes and encourage people to respond to email and telephone canvassing. This is particularly important for the 2020 canvass as it may reduce the need for household visits, which presents challenges due to the coronavirus pandemic and the need for social distancing.

What does this mean for your electoral administrators?

The reform to the annual canvass is important in allowing EROs to adapt and tailor their canvass process to best suit their registration areas. Whereas EROs may have previously been able to update and adapt last years’ canvass plans, in 2020 EROs will create a new canvass plan based within the new legal framework.

This new plan will differ from before by treating some property groups differently, based on the results of data matching, and so it should enable EROs to concentrate their resources on properties where a change in electors at a property is more likely.

The plan will also differ by requiring EROs to choose communication methods from a wider range of options based on the needs of their area. Depending on what decision is made, EROs may then need to go through a data gathering exercise to ensure they have the contact details they need to conduct the canvass in the most appropriate way.

These canvass plans will then need to be reviewed year by year as EROs learn what works best in their area.

In 2020, EROs will also need to conduct national data matching for the first time in a live environment and then continue to go through this exercise annually before starting their canvass. Each year they can also choose to conduct local data matching to supplement the results of the national data match. By opting to do local data matching, EROs may be able to ‘top up’ the results of the national data matching, which would enable them to canvass more properties using the streamlined route.

All this has major implications on the training of staff; recruitment of temporary staff; team resources and updating the processes in place for managing responses to canvass communications.

It is worth highlighting that EROs are having to manage all this change at a time of the increased pressure placed on working environments caused by the coronavirus pandemic. This creates a particular strain for the requirement to conduct household visits where telephone canvassing is not possible.

The Cabinet Office and our partners have been working with EROs to prepare them for the changes needed to implement canvass reform including training, advice and guidance. This includes working with the Electoral Commission and others on guidance to help administrators with the decisions they may need to take to manage the particular challenges faced locally and nationally as a result of the current public health situation. You can find this Guidance online here: England, Scotland and Wales.


[1] As an ERO’s duties may, in practice, be carried out by deputies and/or appointed staff, we use the term ‘ERO’ throughout this guidance to mean the ERO and whoever is carrying out the ERO’s functions on their behalf.

St Marys Church to reopen for Private Prayers

From 13th June, we have been advised that our church may be opened for individual private prayers. In order to do this safely we will be opening St Mary’s Church, Credenhill on Wednesdays and Sundays from 2-4pm beginning on Wednesday 17th June.

It will be kept locked in between these times to ensure any virus present is dead before reopening. Revd Rana Davies-James will be present during opening hours to advise. We will endeavor to keep things as clean as possible but please don’t come if you are not feeling well or have symptoms that may indicate Corona Virus.

Warm Blessings

St Marys Church, Credenhill.

New housing allocations scheme for Herefordshire

A new housing allocations scheme and upgraded website is being introduced in Herefordshire from mid-June to offer improved access to affordable rented accommodation for prospective tenants.

The changes to Home Point, Herefordshire’s current system for allocating affordable housing, will come into effect from Monday 22 June.  The new system will include an improved allocations rating scheme to make applying and bidding for properties easier and provide applicants with more choice over the types of housing they can apply for.  The Home Point website (www.home-point.info) will also receive a new look making it more user friendly.


Everyone registered on the current housing allocations scheme will receive a letter informing them of the changes and when they come into effect and any action that they will need to take. Under the new scheme Home Point will no longer operate the green, amber and red banding system.  This system has been replaced with 4 Bands A to D for applicants on the council’s housing register and see the introduction of a Band E that will enable applicants to apply directly to the housing associations.

The current system stopped receiving new housing applications from 5 June.  Registered applicants will be able to continue to bid for advertised properties until Monday 15 June and then the system will be unavailable for a week whilst the changes are implemented.  The new system will be available for new applications and bids from Monday 22June.

Making online public services accessible

The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 came into force 23rd September 2018

These regulations mean public sector organisations have a legal duty to make sure websites and apps meet accessibility requirements under the following timescales:

  • Public sector websites published on or after 23 September 2018 must be compliant by 23 September 2019. Any websites published after this date must be compliant before going live.
  • Public sector websites published before 23 September 2018 must be compliant by 23 September 2020.

Useful information and guidance is available here: https://accessibility.campaign.gov.uk/

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