The Hertfordshire Growth Board has moved to ensure effective communication and maintain strong relations with the construction and development Industry with the creation of a new forum for the county.
A proposal for the new Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board (HIDB) was approved at a meeting of the Growth Board on Tuesday (7 September), with its first meeting likely to take place in November.
To enable that approach and close engagement with the development industry, the 11 Hertfordshire councils forming the Growth Board, along with the Local Enterprise Partnership, has chosen MPC and Curtin & Co to be its partners on the formation of the HIDB.
The HIDB will bring together councils and the sector to work on delivering the infrastructure and homes needed in Hertfordshire. A joined-up approach, epitomising the collaborative ethos of the Growth Board itself, with the development and construction sector is seen as vital to delivering the best possible growth – including the building of up to 100,000 new homes needed in Hertfordshire by the mid-2030s.
Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts District Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Planning Partnership, has also been appointed Chair of the newly-established Infrastructure and Development Board.
Councillor Haysey said: “The formation of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board is further evidence that, in our county, matters around growth and development are treated in a very inclusive manner.
“It means we can and will have a much more co-ordinated approach, as it is very important for borough and district councils – and all of the partners – to have strong relationships with developers, builders and landowners. We are looking forward to working even more closely with developers so we can deliver the type of growth that Hertfordshire expects and deserves.”
Richard Roberts, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said:
“It is fantastic that the Growth Board is leading the way on making sure that Hertfordshire has effective and beneficial engagement with the development sector. By establishing the Infrastructure and Development Board, it will reinforce and bolster the way we deliver high quality sustainable growth.
“I have no doubt it will be hugely instrumental in helping us to drive innovation in Hertfordshire – to influence the pace of delivery, the quality of development and also enable us to get the type of feedback we need and analyse the issues facing the construction sector. This approach will also be vital in making sure our residents feel engaged and have the opportunity to help to shape plans in their communities.”
Nikki Davies, Managing Director of MPC, said:
“We are delighted to be partnering with Hertfordshire Growth Board to assist in establishing the new Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Development Board. Fostering meaningful dialogue between local authorities, the development industry and key stakeholders in the region is a core business principle for MPC.
“Through digital engagement, analysis and communications management, we are looking forward to helping facilitate important discussions on the positive change that good growth can deliver for communities in Hertfordshire.”
Nick Stanton, Joint Managing Director of Curtin&Co, said:
“Councils in Hertfordshire face great opportunities to secure the infrastructure improvements they know the county needs by working with developers and key stakeholders. At Curtin&Co, we know that honest, open dialogue is key to removing the traditional distrust that surrounds large-scale developments and ensures that communities benefit from strong, local growth.”
Organisations in the development sector who are interested in joining the Hertfordshire Infrastructure & Development Board are being urged to register their interest by contacting Chris Criscione at chriscriscione@mpc.email
Richard Roberts is the Conservative Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and was elected as Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board on 22 June, 2021.
He was first elected to the County Council in 2003 as the member for Kings Langley and has previously served as the Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Cabinet Member for Public Health, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Cabinet Member for Partnerships and Performance. He is Chairman of the Health and Wellbeing Board and became Leader of the Council in May 2021.
Richard is also a Trustee of Community Action Dacorum.
Alongside the delivery of the core services, Richard’s priorities are supporting the county’s recovery from Covid-19; developing the way in which our Health and Social Care system delivers for Hertfordshire; delivering on the commitment to tackle climate change, inspiring our residents to do the same; whilst ensuring responsible and sustainable growth for the county.
Richard is driven by a desire to allow people to live the lives they want to, in the towns and villages residents call home, with the opportunity to learn, work, contribute to society and enjoy Hertfordshire’s beautiful countryside. He recognises that there are concerns for the future around pollution and climate change, jobs and education, good health and wellbeing, and a desire to protect our green spaces, amongst many other issues.
Having achieved a Bachelor’s in Geology from Sheffield University and a Masters in Environmental Studies from Strathclyde, Richard spent 15 years working in the international oil industry before moving to Hertfordshire. He is married with two grown up daughters, and enjoys running, tennis, gardening and walking with his three dogs.
Hertfordshire Growth Board is to champion the ‘Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire’ campaign and drive growth, economic recovery and renewal across the county.
Hertfordshire Growth Board is made up of the County Council, the 10 district and borough councils and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Working together is how we continue our ‘joint’ success and create opportunities for everyone, now and in the future.
By highlighting the opportunities for Herts based businesses, the ‘Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire’ campaign signals that the county is open for enterprise and innovation.
Now with Hertfordshire Growth Board sponsoring this campaign, it sends out a very positive message of collaboration with public and private sector leaders working together to ‘build back better post pandemic’.
Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “It has never been more important for businesses and public sector organisations to work together to help drive the growth of our economy and create a sustainable future for everyone. The past 12 months have placed an incredible toll on our communities. We are delighted to support this campaign and help create the right conditions for our people, places and businesses to flourish.”
Briege Leahy, Chief Executive of Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce said: “Herts Chamber is delighted to have Hertfordshire Growth Board’s support with this campaign. In what has been an incredibly challenging year, the Chamber team and I have seen that businesses are keen to offer assistance to others wherever they can, which has been further highlighted in our Hertfordshire Heroes Award category in the Inspiring Hertfordshire Awards.
The ‘Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire’ campaign’s purpose is to help re-build Hertfordshire and highlight commercial opportunities for Herts-based businesses, and it is lovely to see how much take up we have received. We invite all Herts enterprises to get involved and spread the news that the county is open for new business and we will share contract opportunities for those seeking suppliers from within Herts.”
The Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire campaign, sets out to achieve a number of objectives in 2021:
- Promoting ‘Buy Local’
- Organising Supply Chain, Meet the Buyer and Networking events
- Showcasing Hertfordshire Professional Services
- Launching a platform via the NEW Herts Chamber website to facilitate introductions to companies who have county-based contracts requiring suppliers, talent and services
- Focusing attention on the talent pool of Hertfordshire residents by helping promote apprenticeships and other recruitment opportunities
So far, the campaign has delivered a number of events including the Supply Chain Summit on 11th February, a Meet the Buyer webinar with BAM Construction on 26th February, an event on Sustainability with Ambition Broxbourne on 22nd April and numerous Virtual Networking events which have proven very popular throughout the pandemic.
The Chamber Events Team are in the process of organising further webinars on the topics of Apprenticeships in partnership with Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Sustainability and Meet the Buyers/Leaders. If you are interested in watching any of the Chambers previous webinars, you can do so through the website.
Companies and organisations interested in taking part in the ‘Let’s Keep the Heart in Hertfordshire’ campaign should contact editorial@hertschamber.com or visit the website.
Her#LetsKeeptheHeartinHertfordshire #KeeptheHeartinHerts
Hertfordshire is taking affirmative action to tackle the climate crisis and help businesses further along the net-zero pathway. Here we look at the transformative steps taken, what this means for our future communities and what steps you can take now to minimise your impact on the environment.
In 2019, Hertfordshire County Council declared a climate emergency and called for immediate action. Its Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy and Action Plan set out a route-map to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 by reducing emissions and ultimately improving the quality of life of residents and their local environment.
1. Lead in its own operations such as; how it provides services and manages its buildings.
As one of the largest employers in Hertfordshire with responsibility for around 80 per cent of services including schools, social services, public transportation, highways, waste disposal and trading standards, the county council has a duty to set an example.
It recently secured £23.5m from the Government’s £932m funding pot to reduce carbon emissions from public buildings including hospitals, schools and council buildings. The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme funds low carbon heating systems, such as heat pumps, and energy efficiency measures like insulation and LED lighting.
This award will give businesses confidence that Hertfordshire is committed to investing in green technology. Supporting construction and manufacturing sectors towards a more competitive and sustainable future. It will also encourage the growth of new, low carbon industries in the county, creating skilled jobs and businesses and enabling Hertfordshire to build back better, greener and faster.
The county council has also secured an £18,000 grant as part of the Local Government Association’s Net Zero Innovation Programme. Councils and universities can apply to the Programme to address climate challenges at a local level.
An example of this partnership in action and how it can support the local community is the recent collaboration between the University of Hertfordshire and the county council. By collecting and analysing care home data, they are able to identify areas for improved energy solutions, helping the home to operate more sustainably and manage this cost effectively.
2. Enable sustainability with its programmes, policies and decisions.
For change to happen, a collaborative approach needs to be taken across the county. March 2020 saw the creation of the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership, made up of the county council, the 10 district and borough councils and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (members of the Hertfordshire Growth Board).
In its first year, the partnership agreed priorities for countywide projects and detailed action plans are being prepared to support four key themes: water, biodiversity, transport and carbon reduction.
3. Inspire businesses and residents to take action.
In leading by example, Hertfordshire is inspiring businesses and residents to take action. Working in tandem with Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the county council is supporting businesses as they transition to meet the UK’s net zero targets. Businesses can access help, including green grants, advice on reducing their carbon footprint and how to take sustainability actions by visiting Hertfordshire Growth Hub – https://hertsgrowthhub.com/.
Not only is taking sustainability action the right thing to do, but it can result in a significant competitive advantage. Increasingly, businesses now need to demonstrate to their customers and clients’ tangible commitments to Net Zero goals. Businesses are often surprised by the actual cost savings made by taking environmental action along with the less tangible benefits of staff engagement and talent retention. New ways of thinking on how to do things differently, cleaner and greener, can lead to product and process innovation and growth opportunities.
In addition to working with districts and borough councils, the county council is actively engaging with landowners, farmers, local businesses and other organisations to ensure that sustainability remains a key priority. Social media campaigns and a residents’ survey are all helping to encourage people to lead more sustainable lives.
In recognition of the UK hosting the United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, in Glasgow this November, Hertfordshire is planning its own climate summit. Hertfordshire COP26 will be a virtual event with some live local activity across the county, spanning several days (1-5 November) to demonstrate how climate change is affecting Hertfordshire and how we are all working together in our race to zero.
For top tips on how your business can help achieve a more sustainable Hertfordshire, read this month’s edition of the Herts Chamber magazine (pg44).
Hertfordshire Growth Board is working closely with the Hertfordshire Climate Change and Sustainability Partnership to deliver climate change action, reduce the carbon footprint and achieve lasting sustainable change. Find out more: www.hccsp.org.uk
Hertfordshire Growth Board with the Institute of Place Management (IPM) has drawn up a ten-point checklist to help town centres re-open safely and recovery quickly from COVID-19.
The checklist gives guidance on how to safely reintroduce footfall and build back better post pandemic to stakeholders that have a role to play in delivering town centre measures
It follows a workshop organised by Hertfordshire Growth Board and led by IPM in March. This brought 35 Hertfordshire leaders together to develop local knowledge about place-making and place management, highlighting different actions they can take to support recovery.
The checklist aims to help revive and maintain footfall safely and tackle future challenges in a consistent, evidence-based way. It identifies small interventions that can be made at a local level, enabling and empowering stakeholders to improve their own places and adapt to the ‘new normal’.
A report has also been produced which includes best practice resources and encourages local authorities and partners to use their immediate plans for high street recovery to help pave the way for long-term transformation of town centres.
The Government’s Welcome Back Fund is providing councils across England a share of £56 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support the safe return to high streets. Just over £1m has been allocated to Hertfordshire to help create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism.
The report also suggests measures that could be introduced countywide across all of its town centres to support re-opening and deliver cost savings.
Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “This is a great example of how well we can work together as a county when we have the kind of committed, proactive leadership that we now see bearing fruit through the Hertfordshire Growth Board.
“Local place management and leadership are more important than ever as we emerge from COVID-19; places that work together will recover more quickly. This checklist will equip our stakeholders with the tools to proactively adapt their high street plans and tackle future challenges to their areas.”
Ka Ng, Interim Chief Executive of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: “We moved fast with our partners across Hertfordshire to produce a practical checklist. But reopening high streets is more than that. It is bottom up and top down collaboration between people who love their towns, high streets and places and who understand that to seize new opportunities and face the future, we need to work together. It is the start of a conversation.”
Hertfordshire LEP is celebrating 10 years of driving economic growth and productivity through innovation, job creation, improved infrastructure and increased workforce skills.
Since our formation in 2011, we have managed over £325m of UK and EU public funding to respond to the needs, challenges and opportunities within our county. We work hand in hand with partners to deliver the skills that local employers seek, and increase education, employment and apprenticeship opportunities for local people to boost the county’s prosperity.
Through our business support provision and strategic interventions, we are creating the right conditions for our SMEs to grow and for our high value sectors to flourish. We are championing the regeneration of our towns, and the development of vital transport and digital connections, to enable our places to realise their full potential.
With government’s ambition to evolve the way it supports local growth and levelling up for the long term, there is now an opportunity to strengthen the key role LEPs play in driving forward economic growth in our areas.
We look forward to working with government and local businesses on the next stage of LEP evolution, and setting a new direction that will underpin Hertfordshire’s economic recovery.
Read our latest newsletter for key highlights of what we’ve achieved so far as we celebrate our decade of delivery.
Mark Bretton, Chair, Hertfordshire LEP and the LEP Network
Contracts have now been signed and completed to release £171m of government funding for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) project.
The original bid was led by Hertfordshire County Council on behalf of local authority partners Essex County Council, East Herts, Epping Forest and Harlow District Councils, the Harlow Gilston Garden Town under the Harlow Gilston Garden Town Partnership, supported by leading affordable homes-led placemaker, Places for People.
The successful bid was confirmed in the 2020 budget, with funding from Homes England and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, under the Housing Investment Grant.
This investment shows the government’s confidence in Hertfordshire County Council’s ability to build the infrastructure needed to support new homes and growth. The partnership can now start to deliver on its commitments of 20,000 new homes across the Garden Town by 2040, including 10,000 new homes in the Gilston Area Allocation with at least 3,000 in place by 2033, together with employment and new community facilities.
Mark Kemp, Hertfordshire County Council’s Director of Environment & Infrastructure said: “We are delighted to have completed the contracts for this government funding of key infrastructure for Harlow Gilston Garden Town. The partnership between central and local government, Homes England, Places for People and the Garden Town speaks to the commitment to building back better and delivering the ambitions and visons we all set out for Harlow Gilston.”
Sophie White, Homes England’s Director of Infrastructure Grants, said: “We are committed to working with ambitious local authority partners seeking to meet their local housing needs through delivery of key infrastructure. Our multimillion-pound funding will provide strategic transport infrastructure for the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, unlocking 10,000 new homes and allowing Hertfordshire County Council and its strategic and delivery partners to deliver the vision for the new Garden Town.”
An Essex County Council Spokesperson said: “This agreement and subsequent funding will help deliver vital infrastructure for local residents and businesses, enabling the proposed housing developments and boosting jobs and growth.
“We have always been bold in our ambitions to enable sustainable growth in Essex, and this project will help to ensure there is vital infrastructure in place to support housing and economic growth in this area. I would like to thank Homes England, Hertfordshire County Council and all partners involved. This is another big step for major sustainable infrastructure in our county, in particular in Harlow.”
Scott Black, Group Executive Director – Developments, Places for People, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with Hertfordshire County Council and other key stakeholders to secure this important funding for the early delivery of key transport and community infrastructure that is required to facilitate the new community at Harlow Gilston Garden Town.
“We will continue to work with the council, Homes England and our other local authority partners to deliver much needed private and affordable homes for local people, together with the supporting facilities required to ensure the new community will thrive over time and become a new garden town we can all be proud to be associated with.”
Richard Cassidy, Chief Executive at East Herts District Council said “We are pleased that by working with key partners this important milestone has been achieved. The Gilston area development forms a key part of the housing delivery strategy for East Herts and securing this funding will ensure that the growth is supported by the right level of infrastructure.”
Brian Keane, Chief Executive of Harlow Council, said “Harlow Council has been pleased to support the work led by Hertfordshire County Council in securing the HIG funding. As Harlow sits at the centre of the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town we have a strong vested interest in ensuring that there is high quality infrastructure in place and we are delighted that this contract has now been signed which will help to ensure that this becomes a reality.”
A Spokesperson for Epping Forest District Council said: “This commitment from the Government to unlock and accelerate much needed growth through the delivery of vital infrastructure is a fantastic step towards realising the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town vision. We are proud to be working within a partnership centred around an ambition for the Garden Town to be a joyful and equitable place to live with sociable streets, sustainable transport, generous green spaces, and high-quality homes; at the forefront of innovation, enterprise, and health. This funding is crucial to ensuring there is the right infrastructure in place from the start to support this vision.”
A Harlow & Gilston Garden Town spokesperson said: “The Garden Town would like to thank Hertfordshire County Council for successfully realising this investment on behalf of the Garden Town partner Councils and to thank Essex County Council for their commitment to partnership working with Hertfordshire.
“This significant and timely Government backed £171m investment, for new and enhanced infrastructure, is exactly the investment we need to help reopen our post lock down economies and start the delivery of a thriving and functioning Garden Town.”
Click here to find out more about the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town project.
If you missed our Growth Board meeting on 30 March, you can watch the recording again, above, to get the latest updates from our members and view all related documents here.
The next Hertfordshire Growth Board meeting will take place on 22 June and the Board Papers and link to view will be published. The Board welcomes the views and opinions of the public and are committed to listening to your concerns raised and managing them promptly and effectively via our Petitions Scheme. This scheme applies to both paper and e-petitions.
The Chancellor announced over £1 billion funding for a further 45 towns in England through the Towns Fund, including £37.5 m for Stevenage, the publication of the government’s Build Back Better: Plan for Growth and £4.8 billion UK-wide Levelling Up Fund which provides guidance for local areas on how to submit bids.
The Budget also unveiled plans for a taskforce designed to stimulate housebuilding using modern methods of construction (MMC), backed by £10m of government funding. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) will establish the Taskforce, backed by £10 million of seed funding, to accelerate the delivery of MMC homes in the UK. The taskforce will work closely with local authorities and Mayoral Combined Authorities to bring forward ambitious proposals, such as those being developed by Hertfordshire Growth Board andthe enterprise zone, Hertfordshire Innovation Quarter. With over 100,000 homes to build by 2036, Hertfordshire has a strategic commitment to speed up the delivery of new homes.
Find out more about how we are using offsite to accelerate the delivery of homes in Hertfordshire.
A new two year super deduction tax benefit to give 130% rebate on investment could also provide significant stimulus for contractors investing in areas like Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and digitalisation to meet expectations set out in the new Construction Sector Playbook.
Stevenage is one of the biggest winners in Hertfordshire in this year’s Budget. It is to receive £37.5m, one of the highest allocations, following a successful application to the Government’s Towns Fund led by Stevenage Development Board, and supported by key stakeholders including Stevenage Borough Council, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire Growth Board.
Find out more about the Stevenage Town Investment Plan.
Levelling Up Fund: Announced at the Spending Review, the £4.8 billion fund will support town centre and high street regeneration, local transport projects, and cultural and heritage assets.
The prospectus provides guidance for local areas on how to submit bids for the Fund and sets out the approach for the first round of the Fund, which will prioritise bids that can demonstrate investment or begin delivery on the ground in the coming financial year. Capacity funding will be allocated to local authorities most in need of levelling up in England. The index is based on a combination of metrics including need for economic recovery and growth, need for improved transport connectivity and need for regeneration. A separate appendix lists local authorities by priority category from 1 to 3. Stevenage, Dacorum, St Albans, East Herts, Three Rivers and Welwyn Hatfield are in priority category 3, with Watford, Hertsmere, North Herts and Broxbourne in priority 2.
Read the HGB Budget 2021 summary here.
Hertfordshire’s leading organisations are committing to sustainable housebuilding, which will see the county use offsite manufacturing (OSM) and modern methods of construction (MMC), to accelerate the delivery of sustainable homes.
An informal consortium of nearly 20 housing providers, led by Watford Community Housing and supported by Herts Innovation Quarter, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Hertfordshire LEP, has committed to scale up its use of OSM methods to speed up the progress of the county’s target to build 100,000 new homes by 2036, and enable the county to meet its net zero carbon targets.
The Hertfordshire Offsite Manufacturing Programme is streamlining the operational route to delivery by adapting planning policies, procurement routes and operational approaches to support the use of OSM to deliver sustainable growth for Hertfordshire. Standardisation is also being put in place, to help the consortium members achieve economies of scale, as well as optimising good design and place-making principles.
OSM market leaders Stewart Milne Timber Systems and Elements Europe are working in partnership with the programme, to help embed the foundations for accelerated delivery, building expertise and capacity within local delivery teams.
Hertfordshire is also encouraging the use of MMC and OSM through Herts IQ, the county’s Enterprise Zone with its innovation partner BRE, and global leader in the built environment and founding partner of the UK’s Construction Innovation Hub. Herts IQ is attracting a cluster of smart construction and clean tech companies on prime commercial sites near J8 of the M1.
The Hertfordshire OSM programme is expected to deliver a raft of benefits for both housing providers, home owners and tenants, including reduced carbon, higher levels of sustainability, less construction waste and lower total development cost, due to lower whole life costs and lower costs in use.
MMC and OSM can achieve around 37% better thermal performance than Building Regulations, meaning lower energy consumption and energy bills. It also offers higher standards of fit and finish at handover, without time consuming snagging helping housing providers secure earlier rental income and less neighbourhood disruption.
Patsy Dell, Director of Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board said: “Hertfordshire is heralding a new era of housebuilding by embracing offsite to deliver homes at scale to meet our future needs.
“Thanks to the OSM programme, we can not only accelerate housing delivery but ensure that it is underpinned by best practice in design and sustainability, creating homes fit for the future that will support generations to come.”
Tina Barnard, Chief Executive, Watford Community Housing said: “We’re proud to be leading this consortium to help drive the supply of sustainable homes for Hertfordshire.
“We plan to utilise offsite construction methods for at least 50% of the homes built by Watford Community Housing and our J-V partners over the next four years, to deliver environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient homes for our customers.
“In doing so, we’ll also support Homes England in its goal to ensure that at least a quarter of the homes delivered through its funding programmes make use of offsite construction.
“We are already well underway with our Northcotts development in Watford, which is due for completion in summer 2022 and will deliver 18 new homes built using modular construction methods.”
Richard Whitehead, Board member at Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Chair of Herts IQ said: “We’re committed to supporting the use of offsite methods of construction in Hertfordshire because it delivers many benefits to both housing providers and residents.
“With Herts IQ, we’re creating the right conditions for offsite manufacturers and supply chains to innovate, collaborate and thrive in Hertfordshire and we look forward to welcoming more forward thinking, sustainable companies to join our growing business community.”