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Town Hall & politics · Herefordshire Council

No party holds a majority on Herefordshire Council

Orleton is run by Herefordshire Council, with Orleton parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on Herefordshire Council. Its MP is Dr Ellie Chowns (Green), member for North Herefordshire.

Council tax 2026–27

£2,577

Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.

Where it goes →
Band D council tax
£2,577
2026–27, a year
Ward councillors
1
1 ward · Herefordshire, County of
MP
Dr Ellie Chowns
Green · North Herefordshire
Turnout, July 2024
69%
North Herefordshire · England 60%
What stands out · In brief

How Orleton’s politics has changed since 2021

No majority on Herefordshire Council

The Conservatives, the largest group, hold 21 of its 53 seats as elected, 6 short of the 27 needed. The Liberal Democrats hold 12, the Greens 9, independents 8, It's Our County (Herefordshire) 2 and Labour 1. Who’s in charge ↓

Council tax

A Band D bill in Orleton is £2,577 for 2026–27; Herefordshire Council keeps 80% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 57% in ten years, in line with England’s 56%. Council money ↓

Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.

Who’s in charge

No party has a majority

Seats by party as elected. A party needs 27 of Herefordshire, County of’s 53 seats to run the council alone.

Unitary council · 53 councillorsHerefordshire CouncilNo overall control
GreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenGreenLabourLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratLiberal DemocratIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentIndependentConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeIt's Our County (Herefordshire)It's Our County (Herefordshire)53seats
  • Conservative21
  • Liberal Democrat12
  • Green9
  • Independent8
  • It's Our County (Herefordshire)2
  • Labour1

Latest election: May 2023.

GreenLabourLiberal DemocratIndependentConservativeOther parties

Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.

Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.

Who runs Orleton

The councils that run Orleton

One council runs every main service here.

Town or parish councilOrleton parish council

Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.

100% of Orleton’s residents · Band D precept £96

Unitary councilHerefordshire Council

Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.

Website ↗

Who to ask

Bins and recyclingHerefordshire Council
Planning applicationsHerefordshire Council
Council housing and homelessnessHerefordshire Council
Council tax billsHerefordshire Council
Parks and leisure centresHerefordshire Council
Allotments, play areas, benchesOrleton parish council
Potholes, roads and streetlightsHerefordshire Council
Schools and school placesHerefordshire Council
Adult and children’s social careHerefordshire Council
LibrariesHerefordshire Council
Tips and recycling centresHerefordshire Council
Police priorities and budgetWest Mercia Police police and crime commissioner
Fire safety visitsHereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue

From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.

Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.

Who represents Orleton

From the parish to Westminster

Every elected tier that speaks for Orleton, from the most recent elections.

  1. 1
    Town or parishParish tier
    Orleton parish council
  2. 2
    Herefordshire Council1 ward · 1 councillor
    Dan Hurcomb
  3. 3
    Police and crime commissionerWest Mercia Police · elected May 2024
    John-Paul Campion
  4. 4
    House of CommonsNorth Herefordshire
ConservativeGreen

Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.

Councillors

1 councillor for 1 ward

Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.

Bircher
631 residents · 17% in Orleton
  • Dan HurcombConservative · May 2023
Conservative
Show as a table
WardSeatsElectedWhen
Bircher17% in Orleton · 631 residents1 seat · May 20231
Dan Hurcomb
May 2023

Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Herefordshire Council’s website lists who sits now.

Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).

Local elections

Herefordshire council election, May 2023

Results in the wards that make up Orleton, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.

Seats won in Orleton’s wards1 seat · 4 May 2023
Conservative1

1 ward voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.

Next elections

No election is scheduled yet for Orleton’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.

Who can I vote for? ↗
Bircher4 May 2023
Dan Hurcomb ElectedConservative49.2%
Sebastian BowenIndependent33.7%
Tessa Emmaline Smith-WinnardGreen8.9%
Angharad Beverly PopeLiberal Democrat8.2%

1,533 votes for candidates

ConservativeLiberal DemocratGreenIndependent

Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.

Parliament

Orleton is in North Herefordshire constituency

The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Orleton).

North Herefordshire · general election4 July 2024
Ellie Chowns ElectedGreen43.2%
Bill WigginConservative31.5%
Andrew DyeReform UK16.0%
Jon BrowningLabour6.4%
Cat HornseyLiberal Democrat2.9%
Michael GuestSocial Democratic Party0.2%

50,362 votes for candidates · majority 5,894

MP for North Herefordshire

Dr Ellie Chowns

Green, MP since 4 July 2024.

69%

turnout in July 2024: 50,362 votes from 72,797 registered voters. England: 60%.

Majority 5,894 of 50,362 votes (11.7%): the 224th-narrowest of 543 in England.

LabourConservativeLiberal DemocratReform UKGreenOther parties

MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.

Council money

Orleton’s Band D council tax is £2,577 a year

Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.

COUNCIL TAXBand D · 2026–27 · a Band D home in Orleton
Orleton parish councilparish precept£95.54
Herefordshire Councilcouncil£2,067.64
West Mercia police and crime commissionerpolice and crime£306.50
Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Authorityfire and rescue£107.22
A year£2,576.90
Bills by band run from 6/9 of Band D (Band A) to 18/9 (Band H). Discounts and support reduce many bills.

Herefordshire Council keeps £2,067.64 of a Band D bill (80%); the rest goes to the Orleton parish council, the West Mercia police and crime commissioner and the Hereford & Worcester Fire and Rescue Authority.

Band D since 1998

£0£500£1K£1.5K£2K£2.5K£3K200020052010201520202025England, 1993–94: £567.95England, 1994–95: £580.11England, 1995–96: £609.00England, 1996–97: £646.00England, 1997–98: £688.00England, 1998–99: £747.00England, 1999–00: £798.00England, 2000–01: £847.00England, 2001–02: £901.33England, 2002–03: £975.56England, 2003–04: £1,101.75England, 2004–05: £1,166.56England, 2005–06: £1,213.81England, 2006–07: £1,267.91England, 2007–08: £1,321.32England, 2008–09: £1,373.08England, 2009–10: £1,413.84England, 2010–11: £1,439.22England, 2011–12: £1,439.33England, 2012–13: £1,444.13England, 2013–14: £1,455.60England, 2014–15: £1,467.98England, 2015–16: £1,483.58England, 2016–17: £1,529.56England, 2017–18: £1,590.55England, 2018–19: £1,671.46England, 2019–20: £1,749.88England, 2020–21: £1,817.67England, 2021–22: £1,898.48England, 2022–23: £1,965.71England, 2023–24: £2,065.05England, 2024–25: £2,170.99England, 2025–26: £2,280.21England, 2026–27: £2,391.52Herefordshire, County of, 1998–99: £658.17Herefordshire, County of, 1999–00: £729.11Herefordshire, County of, 2000–01: £774.67Herefordshire, County of, 2001–02: £845.96Herefordshire, County of, 2002–03: £936.86Herefordshire, County of, 2003–04: £1,070.93Herefordshire, County of, 2004–05: £1,177.71Herefordshire, County of, 2005–06: £1,228.63Herefordshire, County of, 2006–07: £1,285.31Herefordshire, County of, 2007–08: £1,336.06Herefordshire, County of, 2008–09: £1,399.28Herefordshire, County of, 2009–10: £1,454.53Herefordshire, County of, 2010–11: £1,492.62Herefordshire, County of, 2011–12: £1,493.25Herefordshire, County of, 2012–13: £1,494.92Herefordshire, County of, 2013–14: £1,519.24Herefordshire, County of, 2014–15: £1,552.36Herefordshire, County of, 2015–16: £1,583.96Herefordshire, County of, 2016–17: £1,644.79Herefordshire, County of, 2017–18: £1,702.24Herefordshire, County of, 2018–19: £1,785.47Herefordshire, County of, 2019–20: £1,882.86Herefordshire, County of, 2020–21: £1,954.77Herefordshire, County of, 2021–22: £2,051.61Herefordshire, County of, 2022–23: £2,113.88Herefordshire, County of, 2023–24: £2,221.40Herefordshire, County of, 2024–25: £2,329.51Herefordshire, County of, 2025–26: £2,449.17Herefordshire, County of, 2026–27: £2,574.37Herefordshire, County of £2,574England £2,392

Herefordshire, County of’s Band D bill has risen 57% in ten years, from £1,644.79 in 2016–17, in line with England’s average (56%). It was £658.17 in 1998–99.

Your bill by band

Band A 6/9£1,718
Band B 7/9£2,004
Band C 8/9£2,291
Band D 9/9£2,577
Band E 11/9£3,150
Band F 13/9£3,722
Band G 15/9£4,295
Band H 18/9£5,154

A Band D home in Orleton, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.

Council budgets per resident, 2026–27

ServiceHerefordshire, County ofvs England
Adult social care£526+£39
Children’s social care£347+£57
Roads and transport£52+£11
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34−£27
Bins, street cleaning, environment£62−£57
Libraries, leisure, culture£19−£25
Planning and development£33+£7
Public health£64−£14
Running the council£39−£20
Other£13−£6
Orleton’s councils, per residentEngland, all councils
Show as a table, with Herefordshire
Herefordshire, County ofOrleton’s councilsHerefordshireEngland
Adult social care£526£526£487
Children’s social care£347£347£290
Roads and transport£52£52£41
Housing (not council homes’ rents)£34£34£61
Bins, street cleaning, environment£62£62£119
Libraries, leisure, culture£19£19£44
Planning and development£33£33£26
Public health£64£64£78
Running the council£39£39£59
Other£13£13£19
Total, schools apart£1,189£1,189£1,234

Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Herefordshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.

Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.

Get involved

Having a say in how Orleton is run

Register to vote

It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.

gov.uk ↗
Contact your councillors or MP

Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.

WriteToThem ↗
Report a pothole or a broken streetlight

GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.

gov.uk ↗
Watch or speak at a council meeting

Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.

herefordshire.gov.uk ↗
Comment on a planning application

Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.

herefordshire.gov.uk ↗
Stand for election

The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.

Electoral Commission ↗

Questions about how Orleton is run

Which council runs Orleton?

Orleton is run by Herefordshire Council.

Does Orleton have a town council?

Yes: Orleton has its own parish-tier council (Orleton parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £96 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.

Who is the MP for Orleton?

Dr Ellie Chowns (Green) is the MP for North Herefordshire, which covers Orleton.

How many councillors does Orleton have?

1 ward councillors represent Orleton’s 1 ward.

When are the next elections in Orleton?

No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Orleton’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.

How much is council tax in Orleton?

Band D council tax in Orleton is £2,577 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).

Who controls Herefordshire Council?

No party has a majority. As elected, Conservative 21 · Liberal Democrat 12 · Green 9 · Independent 8 · It's Our County (Herefordshire) 2 · Labour 1 of 53 seats; a majority needs 27. The council’s website lists who leads it now.

Who won the 2023 council election in Orleton?

In Orleton’s wards on 4 May 2023, Conservative 1 of the 1 seats up. The Conservatives had the largest share of votes, 49.2%.

Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.