Hertfordshire is known for its lush green landscapes, rich history, and idyllic garden towns and villages, but it is also a major engine for UK growth. From a booming multi-million movie industry to a world-leading cell and gene sector centred in the golden triangle, Hertfordshire boasts an economy that is larger than many city regions. It’s this quality of life and access to a thriving economy that attracts residents from all walks of life to locate here.
The Hertfordshire Growth Board has already set its vision and missions, taking a unified approach with leaders from the county, district, and borough councils, as well as the NHS, Police and business. From new employment opportunities and quality and sustainable homes, to healthy places that are well connected for the digital age with a sustainable transport infrastructure, the Growth Board has ambitious plans and is ready to work closely with the new Government and MPs.
I’ve been Chief Executive of St Albans City and District Council since 2017 and I’ve overseen various projects, including new sports and cultural centres in Harpenden, and a cycling and community hub in St Albans. I’ve also been involved in developing a seven-acre site in the heart of St Albans and the Strategic Local Plan for housing and development.
Naturally my ambitions for St Albans play a major part of my involvement in the Hertfordshire Growth Board where I’ve led on setting up aspects of the Transport mission. I’d like to see public transport better joined up regionally, particularly east to west. That would require a whole county approach and will need input from central Government to make it happen.
Hertfordshire’s growth potential
We have a strong track record of innovation, with leading clusters in space and defence – responsible for a third of the world’s satellites, built in Stevenage – and the county is Europe’s top cell and gene cluster. Yet a short drive down the A1 in Elstree and Borehamwood, and Watford we’re at the centre of the UK’s film production industry that’s set to rival Hollywood.
Our proximity at the centre of the golden triangle between London, Oxford and Cambridge is what gives us the edge, and in Hertfordshire we have the luxury of affordable key development sites for large organisations to set up shop and invest.
But it’s not just about big business because our town centres and high streets are bustling with independent shops and cafes. It’s these local businesses, run by local people that help to keep us fuelled and they’re part of the reason why so many visitors come.
Transforming transport
Our transport infrastructure has always been a hot topic but we’re eager to improve our public transport links as well as build on our existing active travel networks.
One standout example is HertsLynx which acts a bit differently to your traditional bus service. It operates in North Herts, East Herts and Dacorum, and doesn’t follow the usual bus timetable. Instead, passengers can use an app to choose a pick-up and drop-off point. This has been popular with residents and a welcome improvement.
Working with a new Government
A change of administration offers the opportunity to reset our relationship with Government. Our biggest priority is to work collaboratively to showcase what makes Hertfordshire unique, so that our asks to Government come with an offer from us that evidences a return which supports the country at large.
Hertfordshire is an engine of growth with £42bn GVA pa. We contribute more to UK plc than many city regions.
As well as our strong track record of innovation, with leading defence, space, and biosciences’ sectors, we pioneered the first garden cities and new towns, and councils locally are already committed to building thousands of additional new homes and generating new jobs in the next 10 years.
But we are facing barriers to further growth. The new Government could unlock these through a strong devolution deal so we can tailor interventions to the needs of residents and businesses.
We must ensure economic growth is inclusive and sustainable; that we get high quality, sustainable housing growth in the right places; and that we protect our outstanding natural landscapes including our globally significant chalk streams.
To do this, we need more funding and local powers over skills, business support, regeneration, housing and strategic planning, transport, sustainability, energy, and digital infrastructure.
Making an impact
The Growth Board and our partners have come a long way in the last 12-18 months. The Hertfordshire Economic Board has already launched a Hertfordshire Film Office which works with film and TV creatives, and major studios globally to secure suitable shooting locations in the county. This is a service that the industry has welcomed with open arms and makes it easier and faster for studio execs to scout locations and get filming.
Invest Hertfordshire, which is the county’s new inward investment service, promotes development and opportunity sites in the county so that businesses can make easy decisions on where to locate or invest.
We have also secured additional Government funding for Hertfordshire, targeting the roll-out of Full Fibre coverage to around 7,000 premises in hard-to-reach and rural areas of the county.
To strengthen our role as planning authorities, I’ve started work on improving planning resilience in the county so that we can better meet the growth needs of the county.
Hertfordshire is open for investment and is ready to work with Government and other funding partners to secure deals and drive inclusive growth for the benefit of our residents, communities, and businesses.
Openreach has announced today that it is upgrading a further 20 towns and villages in Hertfordshire as part of its commercial investment in digital infrastructure across the UK.
Residents living in Berkhamsted, Much Hadham, Tring and 17 other local communities are next in line for Full Fibre and the roll out supports Hertfordshire County Council’s and the Hertfordshire Growth Board’s Digital Access For All mission that aims to ensure every Hertfordshire resident has access to best-in-class connectivity by 2050.
Cllr Richard Roberts, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board said:
“As our digital landscape continues to grow, both Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Growth Board are thrilled to see Full Fibre rolled out to even more residents and businesses. We continue to work with Openreach and other telecoms companies throughout the county, ensuring everyone has access to the information and assistance they need. Together, we will empower our communities to thrive in an increasingly connected world.”
Kieran Wines, Openreach’s regional director for the East of England said:
“This is a huge infrastructure success story across the region. No company is building faster or further in Europe, that we’re aware of.
“We won’t be stopping either. We plan to build even further across the region, to more cities and towns, and our most rural communities.
“And our engineers, of which 3,000 live in the region, are doing this at a rapid pace – despite this being a hugely complex engineering project.
“Our fibre checker has the latest information about our work in your area, but only 27% of premises in Hertfordshire which can order a new ultrafast service have done so, as upgrades aren’t automatic. Once Full Fibre is available where you live, you’ll need to place an order with a provider of your choice to get connected and we’ll do the rest!
“Openreach’s network offers the widest choice of providers such as BT, Sky, TalkTalk, Vodafone and Zen – which means people have lots of choice and can get a great deal.”
Cllr Ben Crystal, Leader of East Herts District Council said:
“We are delighted to see this Full Fibre roll-out reach further into our district. Becoming better connected within and between our communities will improve the day-to-day lives of our residents, whilst also creating greater opportunities for local businesses to engage with innovative technologies and modern practises.”
Openreach has also refreshed its online map and postcode checker to give a clearer, regularly updated view of its plans and progress between now and 2026.
The map now shows the levels of current and future expected full fibre coverage as of today, taking data from all of its build programmes, whilst the postcode checker continues to offer the most personalised view of the connectivity available to an individual home or business.
Further updates will be provided as any additional locations are added in future.
The locations in Hertfordshire:
- Barkway
- Berkhamsted
- Much Hadham
- Puckeridge
- Stanstead Abbotts
- Tring
The Care Leaver Covenant has gained a new signatory as Hertfordshire County Council pledged its continued commitment to support care leavers as they continue their journey to live independently.
As part of its commitment, the County Council is calling on local businesses, organisations, districts and borough councils to also sign up. Encouraging local employers and housing providers to reach out to these young adults by offering support and opportunities as they take their next steps into adulthood.
Fiona Thomson, Executive Member for Children, Young people and Families, said: “We know that our care leavers face additional challenges as they transition to adulthood: living independently, often with little family or community support. Many care-experience people say that discrimination has also contributed to negative outcomes in their lives. Our care leavers have told us that it’s important that we sign up to the National Care Leaver Covenant, which we are able to do now that we have found a way to offer council tax reimbursement for them until the age of 21.”
The National Care Leaver Covenant is a promise made by the private, public and voluntary sectors to provide support for care leavers aged 16-25 to help them live successful lives. The covenant pertains to all areas which impact on care leavers’ opportunities to thrive, including housing support, training and employment, work experience, or partnerships with local businesses.
Signing the Care Leaver Covenant is one element of the Council’s commitment to improve outcomes for care leavers. Recently, Hertfordshire agreed to treat care experience as a protected characteristic. This means that when policies and services are developed, it will assess the impact of these on people with care experience making sure that they are not negatively impacted by decisions taken.
Fiona continued, “As the corporate parents for children and young people in our care, it’s important that we lead the way and encourage all those we work with to look at how their practice and policies are impacting care leavers and encourage them to do all they can to support people leaving care. By working together, we can build bright futures for our care leavers.”
As well as The Local Offer for Care Leavers, Hertfordshire County Council has recently extended the lifelong links programme; strengthening contact with people important to them to create support networks and providing stability. It has also expanded the Care Leaver Service to provide personal advisors with more capacity and time to dedicate to the young people and the popular Ohana support group for care experience young parents.
Useful contacts and links
The Local Offer of Care Leavers
Lifelong Links Programme
Ohana support group
Samantha.jeffery@hertfordshire.gov.uk
www.mycovenant.org.uk
As the world marks the International Day of Forests on March 21, Hertfordshire stands proud as a testament to the integral relationship between nature and mental wellbeing. The county’s lush green spaces, from ancient woodlands to sprawling parks, not only harbour rich biodiversity but also serve as sanctuaries for mental wellness and advocates for active travel.
Hertfordshire’s forests, such as the Ashridge Estate, Heartwood Forest, and Cassiobury Park, are invaluable reservoirs of biodiversity. Hertfordshire’s diverse landscape boasts a myriad of green spaces, ranging from expansive woodlands to urban parks, each playing a vital role in supporting biodiversity. These green corridors serve as habitats for a rich tapestry of flora and fauna, preserving the county’s natural heritage and enhancing its ecological resilience. Through strategic planning and sustainable development, the Hertfordshire Growth Board is committed to safeguarding these green assets, ensuring their continued protection and enhancement for future generations to enjoy.
In addition to their ecological significance, Hertfordshire’s green spaces offer huge benefits for good mental health and wellbeing, providing residents with opportunities for relaxation, recreation, and rejuvenation amidst nature’s tranquillity. Research has shown that spending as little as 20 minutes a day in green environments can alleviate stress, improve mood, and enhance overall mental health. As a Growth Board mission – Healthy and Safe Places for All – the Hertfordshire Growth Board understands the importance of incorporating green infrastructure into urban planning initiatives, creating vibrant and inclusive spaces that promote wellbeing and quality of life for all.
Furthermore, Hertfordshire’s green spaces serve as catalysts for active travel, encouraging residents and visitors to embrace sustainable modes of transportation while enjoying the county’s natural beauty. From scenic walking and cycling routes to green corridors connecting urban centres, these initiatives promote physical activity, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance the overall health and vitality of our communities. By investing in active travel infrastructure and promoting environmentally conscious transportation options, the Hertfordshire Growth Board aims to create a more sustainable and resilient transportation network that meets the needs of both current and future generations.
Forogh Rahmani, Director of the Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “As we mark the International Day of Forests, we celebrate Hertfordshire’s green spaces as invaluable assets that contribute to the health, prosperity, and wellbeing of our residents and communities. Through collaborative efforts and forward-thinking initiatives, we are committed to preserving and enhancing these green corridors, ensuring that Hertfordshire remains a vibrant and sustainable place to live, work, and thrive.”
To read more about Hertfordshire Growth Board’s Vision and Missions.
Vision and Missions
For enquiries contact Luke Fisher, Senior Campaigns Officer.
Email
