Town faces second year without a mayor

A historic Herefordshire market town faces having no mayor for the second year running.

Ledbury Town Council failed to elect a mayor a year ago when the sole nominee, Coun Liz Harvey, declined the position on health grounds but said she would still take on the role of council chairman, usually held jointly with the mayoralty.

At the same meeting, Coun Malcolm Hughes declined a nomination to become Deputy Mayor, though he did later accept the role of “deputy chairman”.

By convention, deputies are given the option of taking on the main role the following year. But Coun Hughes has now confirmed: “I’m not putting myself forward this year.”

Coun Harvey was also asked if she would stay on as chairman. The council’s Annual Meeting is on May 14.

In Ross-on-Wye, town councillors not in the majority Liberal Democrat group complain of being excluded from key positions including mayor.

Independent town councillor Daniel Lister, the last non-LibDem to hold the role, in 2020-21, said: “There is a proposal for the mayor to be appointed based on length of service rather than by a simple vote.

“Currently there isn’t much chance of it being anyone else.”

But deputy mayor Sarah Freer of the LibDem group said she will not be putting herself forward to the vote on May 11 as it “hasn’t come at a time when I am able to meet my responsibilities both to the council and at home”.

In Hereford, Coun Cat Hornsey of the LibDems has already been named Mayor-Elect, with Coun Elizabeth Foxton, who also serves as a county councillor with the Independents for Herefordshire, as Deputy Mayor-Elect.

These positions will be confirmed at the council’s Annual Meeting in St Peter’s Church on May 12.

In Leominster, Coun Alan Williams, the town’s mayor in 2023 and currently its deputy mayor, said he had been “looking forward to doing it again”, but facing health issues and the need to care for his wife, he had instead put forward Coun Gillian Murdoch for the position.

She is due to take on the role at its Mayor Making in the town’s Priory church on May 15.

In Kington, current Deputy Mayor Coun Martin Woolford is expected to be confirmed as Mayor at a full council meeting on May 18, while in Bromyard, current deputy Coun Clare Davies was asked if she would be seeking the role as Mayor.