Patsy Dell, Director – Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board

However, in Hertfordshire, for more than two years we’ve been carefully developing a new, collaborative approach for the county and building the foundations for place-based and economic success for residents and businesses now, and for generations to come.

Throughout the last 12 months, we’ve done that by adopting a comprehensive, long-term place-based approach to the county’s strategic planning, infrastructure and economic needs. Collaborating effectively by developing a vision and a range of programmes on issues including climate change and housing affordability – and this already-established joined-up working model in a two-tier system has certainly helped us so far in working through the current crisis.

Covid-19 has provided clear early evidence of the importance and benefits of strong joint-working and playing to our local strengths as an overarching approach. This pandemic has just emphasised, in a manner we could not have envisaged, the importance of continually striving to innovate and create positive change, together.

The Hertfordshire Growth Board – its members are the County Council, 10 district and borough councils, and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – is the fulcrum of this local collaboration, and has played a significant role in the economic resilience and recovery work as part of a wider strategic response to coronavirus. The Hertfordshire LEP is, naturally, leading on immediate economic impact support countywide while the Growth Board’s focus is more ubiquitous, looking at placed-based responses and project acceleration but we are clear where that mutually supporting approach to recovery needs to be driven from.

Putting in place the most effective response to Covid-19 right now, including providing reassurance to our business community, and devising the right strategy for the future aren’t mutually exclusive – and work on supporting our growth and place ambitions has continued during this time.

Yet, it is also fundamental and entirely appropriate to assess what was already happening in the months before the outbreak of the pandemic, so we’re reviewing the previous economic and place-based vision, provided by the Local Industrial Strategy, as well as ongoing Growth Board commitments and associated intervention programmes – such as joint spatial plans, new communities and town centre regeneration – to make sure they support our Covid-proof ambitions.

We reacted swiftly to take stock of current priorities, putting a ‘Covid-19 recovery and economic restart’ lens over each element of our work programmes to see how they could support mitigating immediate economic shocks. And, of course, the need to support the recovery of our key sectors and the creation of new jobs remains far more acute than it was at the start of 2020.

The Growth Board’s member councils have kept planning and other construction-related services going throughout the crisis, running as close to business-as-usual as possible, and we’ve been in regular contact with our partners in the construction industry and sector. That means understanding how we can help them through these extremely challenging times including for example being flexible with Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) contributions where possible.

The Growth Board exists to provide effective place leadership and governance while also being the single point of contact around the delivery of our place ambitions with central Government – and, through our ethos of collaboration, we’re confident that Hertfordshire is doing everything it can to emerge from this crisis in a strong position.

“This pandemic has just emphasised, in a manner we could not have envisaged, the importance of continually striving to innovate and create positive change, together.”

Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board

Our creative industries, travel, leisure and retail sectors have been and will further be severely impacted – other regions around the UK are, of course, also dealing with the current and impending reality which COVID-19 will leave behind.

A large number of our residents commute to work in London in financial services industries that have also been significantly affected, while many also work at or in business serving Luton and Stansted airports, which sit on either side of Hertfordshire. The construction industry is also coming to terms with this new reality.

It is a reality nobody could have envisaged a few months ago, and one which has certainly dramatically altered the environment in which I would initially have expected to be working as director of Hertfordshire growth for the Hertfordshire Growth Board (HGB).

I’m really excited by my new role. The fact that it is a newly created position only adds to my determination to be successful in supporting Hertfordshire and the growth board partners in achieving their place-based and economic ambitions, particularly from the testing times the county is experiencing because of COVID-19.

However, our residents and businesses are understandably mainly interested in the here and now. The need to support the creation of new jobs and the recovery of our key sectors is now far more acute than it was at the start of 2020.

Before COVID-19, our economy was very strong as a key contributor to UK Plc. It will continue to be, but now a different approach is needed. It makes sense to look at long-term interventions, working with our partners and providing support.

Through the focus of the Hertfordshire Growth Board over the last 12 months, we’ve developed a comprehensive approach to place-based work that adopts a long-term view of the county’s economic, strategic planning and infrastructure needs.

We reacted swiftly to take stock of current priorities in that work programme and put a ‘COVID-19 recovery and economic restart’ lens over them. Many of these – such as growth corridors, joint spatial plans, new communities and town centre regeneration as well as supporting our key employment sectors – will remain high on our list of priorities, while others such as digital reconfiguration will inevitably be more important as we look to a future characterised by a far greater working-from-home culture when this crisis ends.

Through this work and with the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), one of the 12 members of the HGB, we want everybody to be confident that the right steps are being taken to support economic recovery and good growth through the place-based innovation we are planning, now and in the future.

The Hertfordshire LEP has seen a massive rise in businesses contacting its Growth Hub for support and guidance. Likewise, the county council and the county’s 10 district and borough councils have worked together to make sure the distribution of grants and support to businesses has been a priority during these uncertain and turbulent times.

That is the essence of our Growth Board’s ambitions, working in partnership across a two-tier system to maximise the sum of the working parts. It provides a real opportunity to support all partners in achieving more than they might be able to do separately. There’s a real enthusiasm and a willingness to step forward to support projects for the benefit of the wider county – not just their own district. The commitment to collaboration that has developed over the last few years has been impressive.

Making things happen for the benefit of people, places and communities is what gets me up in the morning. In Hertfordshire, there’s a large number of partners around the Growth Board table and an ambitious programme to deliver. It’s central to this role to support that momentum and delivery, and I’m delighted to be able to do this.

“Making things happen for the benefit of people, places and communities is what gets me up in the morning. In Hertfordshire, there’s a large number of partners around the Growth Board table and an ambitious programme to deliver. It’s central to this role to support that momentum and delivery, and I’m delighted to be able to do this.”

Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board

Housing infrastructure investment of £172million has been awarded by the government for the delivery of a sustainable travel infrastructure for the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town (HGGT) project. Hertfordshire County Council is working with Essex County Council, East Herts District Council, Epping Forest District Council and Harlow District Council, along with development industry partners, to deliver the overall Garden Town project.

The successful investment bid for Gilston included proposals for:

In Gilston, the infrastructure that this investment will help to make possible will lead to 10,000 new homes by 2040, with at least 3,000 in place by 2033, while 20 hectares of employment floorspace are planned at sites across the Garden Town.

Councillor Derrick Ashley, Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Growth, Infrastructure, Planning and the Economy, said:

“This is fantastic news as the investment will be absolutely vital to the future of the Gilston area development. The proposed infrastructure will benefit the existing communities as well as new ones, with big improvements to come for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. It’ll also help to make more land available for new homes which otherwise may not have been built.

“This investment clearly shows the government’s confidence in our ability to build the infrastructure we’ll need to support new homes. It also shows the importance of the Hertfordshire Growth Board in our conversations with government over planning as we make sure we put in place the infrastructure our communities need and deserve, which will also benefit economic growth in our county.”

Guy Nicholson, Chairman of Harlow & Gilston Garden Town, said:

“On behalf of the Harlow & Gilston Garden Town project, I would like to thank Hertfordshire County Council and the Garden Town partner councils for their professionalism and expertise in securing this significant investment for new and enhanced infrastructure to support the building of new homes.

“The £172million will help realise the Garden Town vision and demonstrates the government’s commitment to our work in the Garden Town.”

“This investment shows the importance of the Hertfordshire Growth Board in our conversations with government over planning as we make sure we put in place the infrastructure our communities need and deserve.”

Councillor Derrick Ashley, Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Growth, Infrastructure, Planning and the Economy

The Hertfordshire Growth Board, made up of the County Council, the 10 district and borough councils and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership, was conceived in 2018. Each Growth Board member has an equal place at the table, with the same opportunity to contribute. This week, representatives of the Growth Board were together to mark an important development. All 12 bodies have now approved an official working agreement – a Memorandum of Understanding.

Its effects will be wide-reaching and profound as it signals a collaborative working agreement in a two-tier local government system which will significantly help to make the county an even better place for our residents to live, work and learn now but also for generations well into the future. Though talking to and developing partnerships with private as well as pubic-sector organisations is vital, those leading the way for Hertfordshire certainly want to make sure their actions speak louder than any words.

Indeed, when the County Council ran focus groups with residents in May last year, the overriding consensus was that people would like fewer pledges and more action. The emergence of the Growth Board demonstrates a fundamental step has been taken.

Preparing for growth is a prerequisite for Hertfordshire – it cannot be ignored. The Growth Board is committed to taking responsibility for ensuring the expected growth is managed, accommodated and utilised in a way to make Hertfordshire a thriving, even more prosperous location for those future generations. That means, effectively, our Growth Board members are taking the roles of visionary custodians.

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together” was once said by a notable American entrepreneur, and that sums up the working ethos in Hertfordshire, where collaboration is now the default as the members together look to make sure everything is being done to set the county up to thrive as part of a sustainable world, providing impetus and endurance, while also using its position in the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ and proximity to London to its residents’ and businesses’ advantage. Ultimately, we all want to show that our residents are an important part of the “forces working together”.

David Williams, Chairman of Hertfordshire Growth Board as well as Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chairman of the County Councils Network, said:

“A report commissioned by the County Councils Network on the role of county and county unitary authorities in place-based growth will highlight the benefits of growth boards knitting together industrial strategies with the delivery of infrastructure and new homes to ensure good growth.

“While acknowledging there is much work to be done, we are proud that Hertfordshire is demonstrating the benefits of this approach.”

“Preparing for growth is a prerequisite for Hertfordshire – it cannot be ignored.” 
Councillor David Williams, Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader, Hertfordshire County Council

At a full council meeting yesterday (25 February), Three Rivers DC became the last of the 10 district and borough councils, also following Hertfordshire County Council and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), to sign up to the unique Memorandum of Understanding which signals to residents and businesses our formal commitment to managing growth in the county together.

The Hertfordshire population is expected to rise by up to 175,000 by 2031, with at least 100,000 new homes and 100,000 new jobs to be created over the same period, with the clear aim to provide the right infrastructure which will support a thriving economy, including affordable housing, a sustainable transport network, and excellent schools and healthcare facilities.

The 11 councils and Hertfordshire LEP have been working together as part of the Hertfordshire Growth Board since its formation in 2018. The main purpose of the Growth Board is to respond to key challenges facing the county over the coming years. It provides leadership and governance, while also being the single point-of-contact for central government over funding opportunities in the future.

Councillor David Williams, Chairman of Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said:

“The Growth Board is the way we are now working together on planning, economic growth and ensuring that we secure the infrastructure our communities expect.

“The Memorandum of Understanding symbolises the development of a new approach of close collaboration between councils, and of nurturing effective partnerships across the public and private sectors. This strengthens decision-making, will support local engagement and, in turn, fosters a strong sense of place in our communities.

“It’s an important and significant step that all Growth Board members have now approved the agreement, and I look forward to telling our residents more about what is planned for the county in the near future.”

“The Growth Board is the way we are now working together on planning, economic growth and ensuring that we secure the infrastructure our communities expect.”
Councillor David Williams, Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader, Hertfordshire County Council

The collaborative working across our two-tier system involves the county’s 10 district and borough councils, as well as the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). There is a common will to work together, for the good of our county.

The creation of the Growth Board, chaired by the leader of Hertfordshire CC, David Williams, and the work we have done over the last 12 months, signals our focus on a joined-up approach to our residents and businesses.

The Growth Board’s main aim is to respond to key challenges facing the county over the coming years, providing effective place leadership and governance while also being the single point of contact around the delivery of our place ambitions with central Government.

The most recent evidence of this commitment is that the council, all of the district and borough councils and the Hertfordshire LEP are in the process of approving a joint memorandum of understanding confirming the commitment to close collaboration and joined-up working between councils and the nurturing of beneficial partnerships across the public and private sectors.

In Hertfordshire, we have a polycentric mix of towns, new towns and garden cities with a rich mix of diversity, culture and historical significance and a unique, pivotal location right at the heart of the so-called ‘Golden Triangle’ between London, Oxford and Cambridge.

Our local economy is strong, and we make a net contribution to UK Plc. That said, with success also come challenges and housing affordability, congestion and climate change issues are some of the key ones we face.

Together, we are preparing for our county’s population to go up by 175,000 by 2031 – a rise of nearly 15%. The estimated population of Hertfordshire in 2018 was 1,184,400, according to Herts Insight.

This growth will require the delivery of at least 100,000 new homes and 100,000 new jobs and the infrastructure such growth needs for it to be socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. This infrastructure has a price tag of nearly £6bn and we recognise we can only do justice to this challenge by working together.

Delivering quality place-making is fundamental to the work the Growth Board is leading and we have recognised the only way to achieve successful place-based outcomes is by working effectively with others countywide, on matters such as planning, economic growth and infrastructure.

We have a rich diversity of towns that characterise Hertfordshire and an interesting history of strategic planning interventions that have supported its growth previously. This can be seen in the first garden cities at Letchworth and Welwyn, as well as in post-war new towns such as Stevenage, Hatfield and Hemel Hempstead and in the declaration of the metropolitan green belt.

There are a wide range of development models being delivered as part of the current growth agenda in Hertfordshire, from new garden towns and villages, to urban extensions, town centre regeneration and village growth.

We have recognised in Hertfordshire that we are all part of something much bigger – and acknowledged that in order to succeed for our residents and business, the only way to work is together.

Over the last nine months, our council leaders, the Hertfordshire LEP chair and all chief executives have jointly developed a place-based programme that responds proactively to our growth ambitions and challenges now and in the future.

This broad-based, multi-faceted programme will integrate new and existing work across such issues as climate change, economic growth, housing affordability, digital delivery, infrastructure and strategic planning.

We are now moving into implementation of our joint programme and, through our partnership, are developing a systems leadership approach across our local government and Hertfordshire LEP teams.

Having worked in this sector for the last three decades, I have been impressed by the clear ambition and determination to work together effectively that I have seen since I came to Hertfordshire.

The Growth Board journey continues and the will to be proactive in supporting good growth, place-making and the continued success of this county is clear for all to see.

“There is a common will to work together, for the good of our county.”
Patsy Dell, Director, Hertfordshire Growth, Hertfordshire Growth Board

Nine of the 11 local authorities in Hertfordshire have so far approved an agreement made to ensure that growth is delivered for residents in the best possible way.

Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet gave the go-ahead on Monday to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the purpose of which is to show residents and businesses this commitment as well as the way we will work together to manage growth in Hertfordshire. The Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has also approved the MoU.

The councils and Hertfordshire LEP have been working together as part of the Hertfordshire Growth Board since its formation in 2018. The main aim of the Growth Board is to respond to key challenges facing the county over the coming years. It provides leadership and governance, while also being the single point-of-contact for central government over funding opportunities in the future.

Councillor David Williams, Chairman of Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader of the County Council, said:

“It’s been great to see the county’s district and borough councils commit to the Memorandum of Understanding, as we now have, and with others to follow.

“The Growth Board is the way we are working together on planning, economic growth and making sure we put in place the infrastructure our communities need and deserve. Collaboration is now the default in Hertfordshire, and the Memorandum of Understanding sends a very clear message to central government about Hertfordshire’s ambitions.”

The Hertfordshire population is expected to rise by up to 175,000 by 2031, with at least 100,000 new homes and 100,000 new jobs to be created over the same period, while there is also a clear commitment to provide the right infrastructure, affordable housing and jobs for local people.

“Collaboration is now the default in Hertfordshire, and the Memorandum of Understanding sends a very clear message to central government about Hertfordshire’s ambitions.”
Councillor David Williams, Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader, Hertfordshire County Council

Collaboration is now the default in Hertfordshire.

Today, North Herts District Council is set to become the first of the county’s 11 local authorities, as well as the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), to approve an agreement to make sure that growth is delivered in the best possible way for residents.

The main purpose of the significant and unique Memorandum of Understanding is to let residents and businesses know of this formal and absolute commitment, while also showing the way in which we will work together to manage growth in the county. It also sends a very clear message to central government about Hertfordshire’s ambitions.

Hertfordshire County Council and Hertfordshire LEP are set to approve the agreement in December, while the other authorities are also scheduled to give the Memorandum of Understanding the go-ahead in the coming weeks.

The Hertfordshire population is expected to rise by up to 175,000 by 2031, with at least 100,000 new homes and 100,000 new jobs to be created over the same period, while there is also a clear objective to provide the right infrastructure, affordable housing and jobs for local people.

The councils and Hertfordshire LEP have been working together as part of the Hertfordshire Growth Board since its formation in 2018. The main aim of the Hertfordshire Growth Board is to respond to key challenges facing the county over the coming years. It provides leadership and governance across Hertfordshire, while also being the single point-of-contact for central government over funding opportunities in the future.

Councillor David Williams, Chairman of Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said:

“The Growth Board is the way we are now working together on planning, economic growth and ensuring that we secure the infrastructure our communities expect. It raises our profile and helps us speak with one joint-voice to government and its agencies.

“The Memorandum of Understanding symbolises the development of a new approach of close collaboration between councils, and of nurturing effective partnerships across the public and private sectors. This strengthens decision-making, will support local engagement and, in turn, fosters a strong sense of place in our communities.”

“The Growth Board is the way we are now working together on planning, economic growth and ensuring that we secure the infrastructure our communities expect. It raises our profile and helps us speak with one joint-voice to government and its agencies.”

Councillor David Williams, Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board and Leader, Hertfordshire County Council

Patsy Dell, Assistant Director, Strategic Planning, Infrastructure and Economy, Hertfordshire County Council

We recognise that town centres have a key role in bringing people together, providing a focal point for all ages. And we’re determined they will be even more attractive for future generations – and that means moving with the times.

Town centres must be relevant to the needs of our residents. We must adapt and transform our town centres in order for them to survive – and thrive.

Our town centres must be inclusive to all, regardless of someone’s age and ability. Hertfordshire is adapting to a changing demographic, with a population which could rise by up to 175,000 by 2031 – they will expect, and we must deliver, a vibrant economy with a digital infrastructure capable of supporting people for future living and working.

The Hertfordshire Growth Board has a pivotal role to play in the ongoing re-emergence of the town centre as a new type of sustainable community space. Creating spaces for which social interactions, as opposed to financial transactions, are at the forefront of regeneration plans is vital.

Like many local authorities, we’re paying much more attention to the importance of the ‘civic realm’ – the creation of clean, tidy and attractive public spaces which are not constrained by traffic and inadequate parking provision.

We are excited about the reinvention and reinvigoration of our high streets and town centres – this is among our top priorities for growth in Hertfordshire. There is no denying many town centres across the UK have been suffering as people’s lifestyles, habits and expectations have changed beyond all recognition over the last few years.

Research shows that footfall on the UK’s high streets has dropped by 10 per cent in the last seven years. We will continue to respond to major changes in retail behaviour, after online shopping has become a powerful presence with its hugely detrimental affect on physical purchases in stores.

We want to start to reverse that footfall trend. Yet, we fully appreciate this can only become a reality if the offer to people from our town centres cannot be passed by.

The huge change in the way many of us now work presents the opportunity for public-sector hubs to play a significant part in ‘new-look’ town centres, giving people an added incentive to visit. The offer to people must include superb flexible working spaces and leisure facilities, as well as a fantastic place to shop.

Specialist retailers – which often don’t feature prominently online – are a vital part of this offer, with the traditional high street chains no longer a sufficient draw in their own right.

Food and health services – and cultural assets – can also all generate the footfall needed for a vibrant town centre. Hertfordshire County Council has launched a conservation and display programme to ensure treasures are preserved and easily accessible to the public, with 34 sculptures on show across the county.

We are committed to improved solutions for parking, such as utilising cutting-edge technology, while putting in place sustainable and vastly improved public-transport infrastructures.

The Sustainable Travel Town programme, which is part of the county council’s Local Transport Plan, shows our commitment to this. This initiative aims to reshape the local highway network and places as a whole, with towns that successfully bid to become Sustainable Travel Towns benefiting from a range of measures to make walking, cycling and bus travel a more attractive and practical option.

This could include new cycling routes and cycle parking, safe crossing points, wider pavements and bus priority measures.

Every town in Hertfordshire is distinctive from another, varying in its economic performance, so any strategy for town-centre planning should and will always be based on local characteristics, strengths, culture – including theatres, museums and libraries – and heritage.

A number of projects across the county to secure the future of our town centres have already begun, for example in Stevenage, Hemel Hempstead, Bishop’s Stortford and Waltham Cross. Most towns in Hertfordshire have some plans for regeneration or improvements.

The proposed regeneration of our town centres – making them innovative and dynamic places for people – is both compelling and inspiring. We’re determined to make town centres the places our residents and their communities deserve as, ultimately, community must be at the heart of plans for their future.

Patsy Dell, Assistant Director, Strategic Planning, Infrastructure and Economy, Hertfordshire County Council

By Scott Crudgington and  Jeff Stack

We recognise that so much more can be achieved if we work together. in Hertfordshire, we’re focused on building a stronger, more sustainable county where people choose to live, work and raise a family, now and in the future.

That’s a significant challenge, and it doesn’t mean one thing – it’s schools, a strong transport network, great health services. The list goes on. To make this a reality, we’re developing a new approach of close collaboration between councils, and nurturing effective partnerships across sectors.

This strengthens decision-making, improves engagement with people and, in turn, empowers them and builds a strong sense of place in communities. It simply feels like the next and logical step to achieve success for our residents.

At Brookfield Riverside, given the scale of the development we are essentially playing our part working alongside Broxbourne Borough Council in planning the creation of a new town centre. Creating better places for people is the ambition, and we are committed to a strategic approach to planning and, in being so, delivering the right growth for Hertfordshire.

A major part of this is identifying the right opportunities for some of the land owned by the county council to help meet demand for new types of development, including for housing and retail schemes. So, it makes sense to work closely on a project which could unlock land to deliver a variety of schemes.

We have been involved in all aspects of the scheme, including helping to choose the development partner and establishing the strategic vision for the whole development. However, building productive relationships doesn’t happen overnight, and our team has held regular face-to-face meetings with Broxbourne to build trust and set out the best ways to work for us all.

These meetings are continuing to happen, and not only at Broxbourne. We are also working in a similar way on a variety of projects, including the proposed Baldock Urban extension with North Hertfordshire DC as part of their emerging local plan.

A collaborative approach in local government is becoming part of our culture at Hertfordshire – it’s part of the fabric of who we are. We’re the County of Opportunity, and we see the opportunities, and the potential, in working side by side with our partners.

Last year, we formed the Hertfordshire Growth Board with the county’s 10 district and borough councils and the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. This is to ensure we work together cohesively on planning, economic growth and infrastructure matters over the long term, and to raise our profile and make our case to Government to secure funding.

Collaboration is now the default way of working in Hertfordshire.

Scott Crudgington is director of resources at Hertfordshire CC

The impetus for the Brookfield Riverside scheme originally came from the late James Barham, formerly of Rialto Homes and more recently of Bayfordbury Estates, who had the vision for a large retail and leisure centre in the area in the 1990s. The council signalled its intention to continue mixed use development here in its 2005 Local Plan and has been pursuing it ever since, despite it having been rejected by the Planning Inspectorate when it considered our Core Strategy back in 2010.

When I was first asked to be the lead officer on this project after joining Broxbourne BC in 2008, collaboration and partnership working with the county council was underdeveloped and the county at that time did not have the same growth agenda as it does do now.

Ten years later and Broxbourne BC has taken the project a step further towards delivery, this time with the support and cooperation of the county council which recognises the importance of economic growth across the whole county.

The land forming the Brookfield Riverside scheme is jointly owned by Broxbourne BC (75%) and Hertfordshire CC (25%) so both parties have a keen interest in its success. In addition the councils jointly purchased 330 acres of land in 2014 adjacent to the Riverside site which is now planned to be a Garden Village of 1250 homes.

Together, we have procured a development partner, Sovereign Centros, to bring the Riverside vision to fruition and have jointly instructed property advisors and solicitors to work on our behalf. In addition the two organisations worked on and submitted a bid to the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) to facilitate the future development of the neighbouring Brookfield Garden Village development.

The project is now making good progress and whilst there is still a long road ahead before we see development on the ground, the pace at which we are moving is testament to the importance of collaboration and partnership between councils in two tier areas.

Jeff Stack is chief executive of Broxbourne BC