AN council opposition leader questioned the success of the Fastershire scheme.

During a Herefordshire Council cabinet meeting, Cllr David Harlow, cabinet member for economy and corporate service, spoke about the successes of the council during an end of year budget report.

The report said that the council had rolled out broadband through the Fastershire programme, so that the majority of premises in the county can now access a faster broadband.

But Cllr Anthony Powers, leader of It's Our County, asked what the true picture of Fastershire connectivity is as large parts of the county are still without a fast broadband service.

He said just two miles away in Breinton, he only has a download speed of between 3.8 and 4.6MB.

Cllr Harlow said 83 percent of the county has got access to superfast broadband, with average speeds of around 30mb per second.

He said by the end of 2018 they want to provide or to offer broadband to 94 percent of Herefordshire properties.

Cllr Harlow said the council had underspent by £600,000 for the tax year 2016/17.

He said more people over the age of 65 were supported to live at home resulting in a reduction of people being admitted into residential or nursing care, which means Herefordshire now places 18th best out of 152 English authorities.

Cllr Harlow said early years’ outcomes for children improved to the top 25 percent in England.

He said they have also reduced the use of agency staff and have received planning approval for the Southern Link Road, to start the western bypass, and the City Link Road is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

But Cllr Powers said there were still concerns about pressure on the community and voluntary services, pollution and domestic violence, among other things, and it would be wrong to not face the reality of this in the report.

But council leader Tony Johnson said: "It has been said the report highlights the good stuff and doesn't share much of the bad stuff. It doesn't share all the good stuff either. We regard it as a balanced report."

Cllr Terry James, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said the public mostly talk to him about the state of the county's roads.

He said: "There has been some improvements but as we travel around the county I don't think the roads have ever been in a worse condition that they have at present."

Cllr Johnson said the council is making resources available for the roads.