The start of this year heralded a new era of openness for Hertfordshire Growth Board.

On 26 January, all members of the Growth Board came together for our first meeting as a Joint Governance Committee. This marked a significant milestone: all Growth Board partners took the Joint Committee governance through their local democratic process last year. The move to a statutory joint committee strengthens our governance and commitment to collaborative working on the economic and growth challenges we face in Hertfordshire.

This enhanced governance builds on our commitment to collaborative place-based working laid down in our Memorandum of Understanding. The new model of leadership, decision making and accountability is set out in our Integrated Governance Framework.  

Since June 2020, our Board Papers have been available to view on the Documents section of our website. This new governance means that Board Papers and Meetings are now published seven days in advance, allowing member of the public to attend and submit questions and any petitions it wants the Growth Board to consider.

Due to lockdown restrictions, all meetings are held electronically, enabling them to be recorded; you can view our first meeting as a Joint Governance Committee here. Public petitions can also now be presented to the Growth Board if they include at least 500 signatures of people living or working in Hertfordshire.

As we start 2021, the impact of COVID-19 continues to be significant but we have not allowed our important work on progressing our priorities and ambitions for good growth to be derailed in the process.

We now have a very clear set of ambitions to take forward; a Growth Board dedicated team, a strong visual presence and identity and a national platform in which to build greater dialogue and engagement.

We know that the last year was extremely challenging for our businesses and communities and that while the vaccine roll-out provides hope, the path of this pandemic is still not fully known.

Our Board Members have given a very clear steer on the priority themes for 2021, the projects they want taking forward and where they want the Board to be by December 2021. This work programme, set out in our January Board Papers, together with the new joint committee will help protect our communities and businesses from the impact of the virus upon our economy.

Patsy Dell, Director – Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board

Stevenage Borough Council and East Herts District Council are the last two of 11 councils on the Hertfordshire Growth Board to officially announce their support for the new statutory joint committee.

Building upon the success of the Growth Board collaboration over the last two years, the new committee, made up of Hertfordshire Council Leaders and Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, will work within a democratic framework in all its future decision making. 

This increased openness and transparency in the meetings of the Growth Board will provide a means for businesses, stakeholders and residents to understand how the work of the Board will support the delivery of good growth with long-term benefits for Hertfordshire.

Councillor David Williams, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “The joint committee is a positive step and an important evolution of the Growth Board governance. The County Council supports the work of the Growth Board and its commitment to ensuring residents, businesses and stakeholders are part of the county’s Growth journey, from meetings right through to delivery. We welcome the increased openness and transparency this joint committee will bring.”

Councillor Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, said: “We are delighted to support the formalisation of the Hertfordshire Growth Board meeting arrangements. Working together, the Hertfordshire Districts & Boroughs, the Local Enterprise Partnership and the County Council will be much better placed to bid for and hopefully secure strategic infrastructure funding from the Government that will speed up the delivery of key strategic infrastructure and much needed social and affordable homes.   

“It will also enable us to support other key initiatives that will be fundamental to the recovery of the county post covid including Community Wealth Building, tackling climate change and the ongoing development of our world class science and technology sector. In Stevenage we are working hard to realise our residents’ top priority of regenerating the town centre which we know is both good for the town and good for Hertfordshire.”

Councillor Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts Council, said: “In East Herts, we are committed to growing our local economy as well as supporting the Growth Board and championing the need for additional infrastructure investment in Hertfordshire. We are pleased to support the new joint committee and look forward to working alongside all our partners to develop the Growth Board.”

Planning reforms create an important role for the Hertfordshire Design Review Service, to support its local planning authority partners in the delivery of high-quality and well-designed sustainable development.

The Government has consulted on its Planning White Paper for reform of the planning system, which  includes a new focus on “design and sustainability, placemaking” and “the creation of beautiful places.”

It proposes to deliver the design quality of new development through locally prepared design guidance and codes with community input, which set rules for the character and appearance of new buildings and places.

Whilst the emphasis on design quality is welcomed, the reforms are likely to present significant challenges for local planning authorities in terms of resourcing and the recruitment and retention of the relevant expertise for the preparation of guidance and codes within tight timescales.

In 2017, research supported by the Urban Design Group and Place Alliance identified that urban design skills and capacity within English local planning authorities was low and declining, including the ability to produce proactive design guidance.

In 2020 this situation continues to worsen, and for Hertfordshire is exacerbated by its proximity to London, which offers competitive salaries and an attractive lifestyle for young professionals.

The Hertfordshire Design Review Service (HDRS) can help to plug this resources gap by providing professionals from a range of natural and built environment disciplines to supplement and support planning services. Its members can be recruited with ease, via an established framework agreement at competitive rates, for a bespoke piece of work, or to provide input throughout the duration of a project lifecycle.

The White Paper follows the launch of the National Design Guide, which helps local authority officers and councillors understand the key characteristics of ‘place’ and key design issues that need to be addressed and anticipates a national model design code. It is the intention that these national documents should then inform local level design guides, design guidance and codes, produced in collaboration with local communities.   

HDRS can help local authorities and developers by providing an integrated approach to design, so that environment, health, employment, movement, housing, place-making and lifestyle, are addressed in an integrated and sustainable manner. It does this by reviewing projects at conceptual, sketch and final design stage. It can make it easier for local authorities to establish priorities and can help both local authorities and developers save time and money.

Jon Rowland, Joint Chair of the Hertfordshire Design Review Service says, “Design is important. We need to stop reacting and start setting the agenda. Just building housing estates over the countryside to achieve quantity isn’t the answer. With housing projects of significant size, such as urban extensions or new settlements, it is important to get the fundamentals right. HDRS has shown that it can help local authorities and developers achieve better schemes.”

The Design Review Network has met to discuss the implications of the White Paper proposals.  It reflected on its collective experience and identified critical challenges in terms of ensuring that community engagement is meaningful, and that design codes are ‘fit for purpose’ and have the teeth to deliver genuine high-quality design and sustainability outcomes – a challenge which they agree design review panels are well equipped to meet.

Indeed, HDRS is well placed to support this process. Its members have the knowledge, skills and expertise to facilitate community workshops and enable participants to articulate what they value about where they live and translate those qualities into a set of effective rules which are easily applicable yet robust.

This blog was written by Jennifer Owen, Building Futures & Landscape Team Leader at Hertfordshire County Council. For more information about HDRS please visit, https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/microsites/building-futures/building-futures.aspx

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Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is the latest of 11 councils on the Hertfordshire Growth Board to officially announce its support for the new statutory joint committee.

Building upon the success of the Growth Board collaboration over the last two years, the new committee, made up of Hertfordshire Council Leaders and Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, will work within a democratic framework in all its future decision making. 

This increased openness and transparency in the meetings of the Growth Board will provide a means for businesses, stakeholders and residents to understand how the work of the Board will support the delivery of good growth with long-term benefits for Hertfordshire.

Dacorum Borough Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, North Hertfordshire District Council, Broxbourne Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and Watford Borough Council have all given their formal support for the new joint committee.

Councillor David Williams, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “The joint committee is a positive step and an important evolution of the Growth Board governance. The County Council supports the work of the Growth Board and its commitment to ensuring residents, businesses and stakeholders are part of the county’s Growth journey, from meetings right through to delivery. We welcome the increased openness and transparency this joint committee will bring.”

Councillor Tony Kingsbury, Leader of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, said: “The Growth Board is overseeing vitally important work that will ensure the impact of development is managed in the best way, benefiting everyone who lives, works or visits Hertfordshire. I am pleased to see Welwyn Hatfield confirming our committee membership, in what is an important step forward in the recovery and growth of our county.”

Hertfordshire Growth Board has submitted its response to the Government’s ‘Planning for the Future’ White Paper. The Planning for the Future consultation proposes reforms of the planning system to streamline and modernise the planning process, bring a new focus to design and sustainability, improve the system of developer contributions to infrastructure, and ensure more land is available for development where it is needed.

In its response, Hertfordshire Growth Board states: “Hertfordshire Growth Board recognises many of the criticisms of the planning system contained in the forewords by the Prime Minister and Secretary of State.  However there needs to be acknowledgement that the existing system has been subject to almost constant change for many years, is now excessively complex and inflexible to operate and is under resourced.  We therefore agree that there is scope and need for change and welcome the opportunity to comment on the White Paper and work with government to develop a planning system that we can all be proud of.”

The Growth Board’s feedback follows the sequence of the White Paper and requested form of response. It also sets out a series of recommendations for Planning System reform, based on its collective experience of operating across all parts of the planning system. The consultation has now closed. Read Hertfordshire Growth Board’s response in full here.

Hertfordshire Growth Board is taking another significant step in its collaborative working, for good growth and economic recovery across the county, by announcing its formation into a statutory joint committee.

Building upon the success of the Growth Board collaboration over the last two years, the new committee, made up of Hertfordshire Council Leaders and Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership, will work within a democratic framework in all its future decision making.

This increased openness and transparency in the meetings of the Growth Board will provide a means for businesses, stakeholders and residents to understand how the work of the Board will support the delivery of good growth with long-term benefits for Hertfordshire.

Watford Borough Council is the first of 11 councils on the Board to officially announce, at its council meeting on Tuesday 13 October, its commitment to the new committee. Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s business-led  board was the first to gives its formal support at its Board Meeting on 24^th September.

Hertfordshire County Council and Three Rivers District Council will have their meetings next week, with the remaining councils taking their decisions between now and mid-December.

Councillor David Williams, Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “The joint committee is a positive step and an important evolution of the Growth Board governance. With the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and the importance of economic recovery, the need for collaboration, consensus and joint working across Hertfordshire has never been greater.

“The County Council will be taking this commitment through its own democratic processes next week and we will show our continued support for the work of the Growth Board at those meetings.”

Peter Taylor, Mayor of Watford said: “It is really important that councils work together so that we can have better infrastructure for our residents in Hertfordshire. This is another step in the right direction for the Growth Board and means we have the right structures in place to make decisions that are in the best interests of local people.

“We must be open with people about this work, so that they know about this collaboration and why it is important for our area. I am pleased that council leaders are being transparent about this, working together and making the case for investment to support economic growth here.”

HGB and delivery – what is the role of HGB in supporting development and delivery during Hertfordshire’s long-term recovery?  

‘Hertfordshire Growth Board is key to unlocking effective public-private partnerships and driving long-term economic growth’, delegates heard in the last webinar in Hertfordshire Growth Board’s successful series, which took place on Thursday 10 September.

Delegates from across local and central government and business attended this special hour-long event hosted by The Voice of Authority (TVoA) and sponsored by leading UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall Construction, based in Welwyn Garden City.

The panel of experts set out why regeneration and sustainable development are so essential to Hertfordshire’s long term economic recovery.in an extended Q&A session.

Hertfordshire Growth Board comprises Hertfordshire County Council, the county’s 10 district and borough councils and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Its 12 members have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signalling Hertfordshire’s commitment to collaborative working and getting things done.

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE, Leader, Stevenage Borough Council, demonstrated the exciting regeneration work already underway in and around the town centre, and the importance of collaboration:

‘Working with our Hertfordshire Growth Board partners is essential to deliver the infrastructure and much needed affordable housing for our residents, businesses and communities. We couldn’t achieve this without partnership working.’

Sharon’s ‘passion for Stevenage was helping to drive the project forwards’ she said, a view echoed by Adrian Hawkins, Chair, Stevenage Development Board:

‘I was born in my parents’ council house in Stevenage and grew my business which now trades in the multi-millions… Key to this particular plan are the thoughts of the people… Social mobility is very dear to my heart.’

Setting out her vision for East Herts and the new Harlow and Gilston Garden Town, Cllr Linda Haysey, Leader, East Herts District Council, said quality, not just quantity, is vital if Hertfordshire is to deliver good sustainable housing for its future residents:

‘We know where we need to go and what we need to do to build beautiful, better homes over the next 10 years that will last for many years to come.’

From East to West, council leaders and chief executives from across the county unveiled just some of the exciting initiatives taking place that will help to accelerate growth and economic recovery.

Sally Marshall, CEO, Dacorum Borough Council, said Hertfordshire’s Enterprise Zone, Herts IQ, was a ‘prime example of collaboration in action’ and is linked to the broader initiatives such as accelerating housing delivery via modern methods of construction.

While over in Watford, Mayor Peter Taylor, Leader, Watford Borough Council, reinforced the stewardship role of the Growth Board to curate good local growth and community wealth building:

‘The advantage of the Growth Board is that you can look at these things in the round, and you can better deliver for the well-being of your communities.’

The impact of collaboration can be profound. David Rowsell, Area Director, Northern Home Counties, Morgan Sindall Construction, said:  ‘Hertfordshire Growth Board is key to unlocking effective public-private partnerships and driving long-term economic growth.’

The webinar recording can be viewed here. Visit our News and Events section for previous webinars and to keep up to date with our progress.

With thanks to The Voice of Authority and Morgan Sindall Construction

HGB and COVID-19 economic recovery planning – the wider growth strategy for Hertfordshire 

How Hertfordshire can help fast-track a scaled rebound from the impacts of COVID-19 was the subject of Hertfordshire Growth Board’s second webinar held earlier today (Thursday 13 August, 1100).

Over 140 people from across local and central government and business registered for this special hour-long event hosted by The Voice of Authority (TVoA) and sponsored by leading UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall, based in Welwyn Garden City.

Speakers included Neil Hayes, CEO, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership; Julie Newlan MBE, Pro-Vice Chancellor at University of Hertfordshire; Cllr Morris Bright MBE, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, and Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board, with Sean Bradley, Managing Director (London and Home Counties) at Morgan Sindall. 

Hertfordshire Growth Board comprises Hertfordshire County Council, the county’s 10 district and borough councils and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Its 12 members have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signalling Hertfordshire’s commitment to collaborative working and getting things done.

Patsy Dell set the scene, explaining why ‘good growth curation’ at a local level was so important for ‘ground up’ economic recovery and placed this within a longer-term place perspective for the county. 

Patsy said: “We want our residents, business and key institutions to know that we are working together to ensure that place-based measures that support economic recovery and future economic performance are being aligned and are in the forefront of our thinking and planning.

“The Hertfordshire Growth Board came together to support good growth now, and in the future, providing strong governance and alignment of business, political and civic leadership for this area.” 

Asked how Hertfordshire LEP was working with the Growth Board to help reignite the local economy, Neil Hayes said: “Future growth and recovery are inextricably linked with the Growth Board and the LEP working hand-in-hand to ensure that our people, places and businesses are equipped for future ways of living and working.  One of the ways this is being taken forward with our Growth Board partners is ensuring that we have the digital technologies, skills and infrastructure in place.” 

An example of a recent LEP investment in cross-cutting innovation was, Neil said, the new Cell and Gene Integration Lab in Stevenage via the Government’s Getting Building Fund. This would deliver the UK’s first digital training centre equipped for advanced therapy manufacturing and create jobs, attract future inward investment and further cement Stevenage’s global position within this sector.

The need to accelerate digital solutions in response to COVID-19 was reinforced by Julie Newlan, MBE, who said: “As we continue to develop innovative training and delivery solutions, we aim to power opportunities through new systems and digital solutions which will allow us to remain connected, whether face-to-face or virtually, with our community and still managing to address in real-time their development needs.”

Hertsmere is home to Elstree Studios, which is to undergo further expansion, and Sky Studios Elstree which is expected to open in 2022. Asked how the local economy could directly benefit, Cllr Morris Bright MBE said: “Elstree has long been, and continues to be, a world-renowned name in film and television, so this was fantastic news for local people and local jobs. It confirmed our continued attractiveness and status as home to the UK’s world-class creative media industry.

“This also reflects our growth ambitions in Hertfordshire where we are committed to delivering 100,000 jobs by 2031, including high quality local jobs that are crucial to achieving sustainable growth.

“In our county, we have some important national leading businesses which help contribute £37.5billion a year to the UK economy, and we are working hard to make sure Hertfordshire becomes even more attractive for business.”

Hertfordshire Growth Board’s first webinar was held on Thursday 16 July. Collaborating for growth – Hertfordshire doing things differently provided an introduction to HGB including how and why it was formed, its membership and priorities for the future. The summary report with live polling results will be posted here; view the webinar recording. The third and final webinar in this series will be held on Thursday 10 September, and will focus on how HGB can support development and delivery during Hertfordshire’s long-term recovery.

A case study of collaboration in three parts.

This second webinar looks at the wider growth strategy for Hertfordshire. How can HGB and partners help fast track a scaled rebound from the impact of COVID-19 and, in the long term, build on Hertfordshire’s distinctive strengths to provide a clear route to success?

Speakers:
Neil Hayes, CEO, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership
Cllr Morris Bright MBE, Leader, Hertsmere Borough Council
Julie Newlan MBE, Pro-Vice Chancellor, University of Hertfordshire
Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board
Sean Bradley, Managing director London and Home Counties, Morgan Sindall

Register today to join the Webinar

The first of a series of webinars took place this week setting out the aims and ambitions of Hertfordshire Growth Board. 

The event on Thursday 16 July, titled Collaborating for growth – Hertfordshire doing things differently, served as an introduction to the work of Hertfordshire Growth Board and covered how and why it was formed, its membership and priorities for the future. 

Over 150 people from across local and central government and businesses attended this special hour-long event hosted by The Voice of Authority (TVoA) and sponsored by leading UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall, based in Welwyn Garden City.

Speakers included Cllr David Williams, Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader, Hertfordshire County Council; Rob Bridge, CEO at Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and lead CEO, Hertfordshire Growth Board; Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Matt Partridge, CEO, Stevenage Borough Council. The webinar was sponsored by leading UK construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall, based in Welwyn Garden City.

Hertfordshire Growth Board comprises Hertfordshire County Council, the county’s 10 district and borough councils and Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Its 12 members have all signed a Memorandum of Understanding, signalling Hertfordshire’s commitment to collaborative working and getting things done.

In his opening remarks, Cllr David Williams said: ‘Hertfordshire has an excellent track record of partnership working across two-tier local government, the Local Enterprise Partnership, health, further and higher education and the constabulary. The Growth Board builds on these excellent relationships.’

It also, said Rob Bridge, CEO, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, displayed a ‘great amount of ambition’ with its 11 local authority members plus the LEP speaking to Government with a much ‘stronger voice in order to do what is right for their communities’. 

By appointing a dedicated director, Patsy Dell, the Growth Board had shown a real commitment and consensus in joining up place-based growth and economic recovery and was, said Matt Partridge, CEO Stevenage Borough Council, a ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to shape future wealth-building for all areas of the county. 

During the webinar, a series of live polls were conducted with 78% of those who responded saying that the Growth Board model should be adopted by other counties. Asked what should be the aims and objectives of the Growth Board, 27% said it should concentrate on delivery of infrastructure, with 25% saying it should focus on economic recovery and growth. The biggest growth challenge, according to attendees, was providing for new infrastructure and services (33%) followed by delivering new homes (28%). 

The first webinar has been timed to coincide with the launch of HGB’s new website: www.HertfordshireGrowthBoard.com. 

Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes over the past two years to bring Hertfordshire together to manage the scale of the growth challenge facing Hertfordshire over the next decade. These webinars and the launch of the new website provide an opportunity to set out how the Growth Board will deliver that growth and help our communities flourish and fulfil their potential. 

‘That need for collaboration and consensus is even greater now as we recover from the testing times the county is experiencing because of COVID-19.’

Two further Hertfordshire Growth Board webinars are planned. On 13 August, it will cover COVID-19 economic recovery planning – the wider growth strategy for Hertfordshire. This will set out some of the work HGB partner Hertfordshire LEP is doing to revise the Local Industrial Strategy and rapidly develop an Economic Recovery Plan with key partners across local and central government, business, education and the third sector. The final webinar on 10 September will focus on how HGB can support development and delivery during Hertfordshire’s long-term recovery. 

Toby Fox, 3Fox managing director, said: “It is rare to work with a county so committed to collaborating in such a genuine and progressive way, and determined to drive a shared vision forward. We are very excited to be facilitating these webinars for Hertfordshire Growth Board as it communicates its ambitions, especially during this current situation.” 

View the webinar recording and full report with live polling results.