The Hertfordshire Growth Board reacts to government’s 2024 budget announcements, which reflect a commitment to long term growth for the country and tackling immediate spend pressures. HGB are encouraged by the increased funding for affordable homes projects, healthcare provision and a refreshed industrial strategy.
Yesterday Chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered her first budget setting out Government’s plans for investing in the foundations of future growth. Key announcements include an extra £500m in new funding for the Affordable Homes Programme, additional funding for the NHS, boosting investment in science and technology, transitioning to clean energy, and upgrading infrastructure, as well as £240 million in funding to help people back into work.
Measures announced yesterday will further support HGB’s Vision and Missions for a world-class economy, building the right homes in the right places, tackling homelessness/ temporary accommodation challenges, and a healthier, more sustainable county. Hertfordshire is an economic powerhouse with high growth sectors in advanced manufacturing, creative industries, digital, life sciences as well as professional business services collectively providing significant contribution to the national economy as well as thousands of quality local jobs.
The county is also leading the way in delivering thousands of quality new homes in the right places. In Hertfordshire, we pioneered the first garden cities and new towns and have committed to building an additional 100,000 homes over the next 15-20 years. This includes two new towns – Harlow Gilston Garden Town and Hemel Garden Communities – each delivering over 10,000 homes and inclusive, integrated communities with better access to nature, green spaces, and self-sustaining economies.
We look forward to working with Government to deliver the right homes in the right places for the benefit of our communities and drive long-term economic prosperity so that everyone in Hertfordshire can thrive.
Hertfordshire’s response:
Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Chair of HGB and Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council said “Yesterday’s budget is welcome news. As an economic powerhouse, Hertfordshire is critical to the Government’s plan to power up Britain. Film and creative industries, pharmaceutical manufacturing and life sciences are local sectoral strengths, with 70,000 businesses and clusters to sustain and grow. Hertfordshire stands ready to engage with ministers and partner with government to deliver local growth to boost productivity and ensure that all communities benefit from improved living standards.”
Cllr Richard Henry, Vice Chair of HGB and Leader of Stevenage Borough Council said “I am delighted to see the much-needed cash injection to top up the Government’s Affordable Homes Programme. Across the county, we are building the right homes in the right places with the highest number of new homes built since 2001 and a planning application approval rate of 84%. In Stevenage we are delivering thousands of new quality, affordable and social homes and this will further help to support our ambitions.”
Mayor Peter Taylor, Vice Chair of HGB and Elected Mayor of Watford said “A key priority in yesterday’s budget is to secure the growth of our key sectors – many of which we have here in Hertfordshire. I’m pleased to hear Government will continue to support Levelling Up Funds. Our town centres and smaller businesses are essential to our local economies and must continue to thrive so that no community is left behind.”
For the first time, Hertfordshire will be represented at Europe’s premier real estate and investment fair EXPO REAL this October as part of a wider UK delegation.
Invest Hertfordshire, the county’s new inward investment service, has been invited alongside UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC) to promote and attract investment into sites across the region at Europe’s largest trade fair.
As well as participants spanning the real estate and property sectors, the three-day event from 7-9 October attracts politicians, developers and investors keen to find out about wider trends and market opportunities.
Invest Hertfordshire will bring three key sites to market:
- Herts IQ and Hemel Garden Communities: The county’s enterprise zone is leading the development of 3 million sq. ft. of new commercial space into a zero carbon, digitally connected workplace, just 30 minutes outside London. Hemel Garden Communities is an ambitious development programme that will transform Hemel Hempstead and create attractive and sustainable new neighbourhoods and communities to the north and east of Hemel Hempstead, through the delivery of around 11,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs
by 2050. - Stevenage Town Centre: a major £1bn regeneration programme led by Stevenage Borough Council delivering a reinvigorated town centre with a mix of transport facilities, leisure, culture, retail and commercial spaces, and town centre living.
- The Assembly: Developer Reef Origin and investment bank UBS are delivering The Assembly, sitting in the heart of a growing life sciences industry and bringing commercial life science space, retail, restaurant and collaboration areas.
Invest Hertfordshire, managed by Hertfordshire Futures, formerly Hertfordshire LEP, was established in2023 to showcase the county’s key strengths, business clusters and opportunity sites, and act as a gateway for companies looking to relocate or expand. A dedicated inward investment team manages enquiries, tapping into expert sectorial knowledge and local intelligence and providing access to wider networks across education, business support, commercial agents and suppliers. With a new inward investment website, brand and support team, Hertfordshire is now strongly positioned to generate and manage investment queries, helping businesses to successfully land and succeed.
The service was officially launched at the UK’s Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds (21-23 May 2024). Over the past year, Hertfordshire is now listed in the top five UK locations for foreign direct investment jobs growth (2023/24). Its GVA of £46bn pa is on a par with UK city regions and is driving growth across several key sectors spanning film and TV, the built environment, advanced manufacturing and life sciences with a global recognised specialism in life-saving cell and gene therapies.
Melanie Miller, Investment Manager, Hertfordshire Futures said: “I am delighted that Invest Hertfordshire has been invited to join the UK delegation. This demonstrates the strength of our offer and enables the county to compete on an international platform, putting Hertfordshire on a par with other cities and regions across Europe. Opportunities such as this enable us to showcase our strategic advantage and ensure the benefits of economic growth are more fully realised.”
Adam Wood, Hertfordshire IQ manager, said: “EXPO REAL presents an exciting opportunity to bring our enterprise zone to an international audience. Located in the heart of the ‘Golden Research Triangle’ between Oxford, Cambridge and London, Herts IQ provides the optimum location outside London to connect tech, talent and research. The zone offers a raft of benefits for a growing business community and is ideal for organisations in agri-tech, sustainable construction and clean tech, of any size from start ups to SMEs and multi-nationals.”
To find out more about the opportunities available, visit:
Invest Hertfordshire
To find out more about Invest Hertfordshire and speak to the team, telephone: 01462 244 700 or
email: info@investhertfordshire.co.uk
The University of Hertfordshire’s new state-of-the-art, School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science – known as Spectra – opened to students and staff last week.
Bringing together the University’s physics, engineering and computer science departments, facilities, equipment and knowledge into one place for the first time, the £100m, five-storey building is the largest structure on the University’s College Lane campus following six years of building work.
Kitted out with some of the highest spec equipment available, new facilities include:
- Two dedicated physics laboratories.
- Two isolated cyber systems rooms that allow cyber security students to test themselves against cyber-attack.
- A £2m suite of wind tunnels.
- A strong floor to help test material strength.
- New robotics labs and a robot football pitch for developing and testing autonomous robot behaviour.
- Flight simulators that can land in any airport across the world have also been installed, alongside a welding bay and controls testing suite.
- Plus two Caterham lightweight sports cars and a Tesla for use in autonomous vehicle design.
Professor Daniel McCluskey, Dean of Spectra at the University of Hertfordshire, said:
“Spectra has been deliberately designed to provide students with an environment that mirrors the working environments in their future careers. This is to ensure we deliver on the University of Hertfordshire’s mission to provide the highest quality, career-focused education that hugely enhances career prospects and ensures our students graduate both work-ready and able to make an impact in real-world settings.”
The increased range of research, education and training made possible by Spectra will help address crucial skills gaps within the STEM sector – with 35% of UK firms reportedly having difficulties recruiting staff with skills in STEM. It will also advance the University’s capacity to partner with local, regional and national aerospace, engineering, bioscience and other STEM companies to support their needs, and together develop economically viable research and products.
The design of the building, which has been developed to ensure all research and teaching areas are visible throughout, is intended to ensure students and researchers are always aware of what each other are doing. Communal workshops on each floor will allow staff and students from different subjects to collaborate more efficiently together.
“We are confident that the cross-thinking encouraged by Spectra will lead to an increase in postgraduate research and raise the University’s international reputation,” added Professor McCluskey.
University of Hertfordshire’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Quintin McKellar, said:
“The core of Herts’ ethos is providing a career-focused education that meets real-world challenges. Spectra will not only bridge crucial skills gaps and generate growth, but it will produce students who are work ready, fit for the high-tech, net zero economy of the future and able to contribute to society in a positive way. This will not only benefit their own prospects and success, but also that of the wider nation’s growth, progress and development.
“Spectra will be an incredible, cutting-edge facility for our academics to progress groundbreaking research and to teach in fantastic facilities. It will also encourage businesses to come and research, develop and test their latest innovations.
“To see this incredible building come to fruition, and to be able to provide such an epic learning and training environment for the benefit of so many is truly a privilege. I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to where we are today, and I can’t wait to see all the great work to come from our new home for Physics, Engineering and Computer Science.”
Herts has been ranked first for overall student positivity, for the second year running, among universities in the east of England.
The Hertfordshire Infrastructure and Planning Partnership (HIPP) welcomes the opportunity to comment on the government’s proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). Representing the collective views of the district and borough councils and county council, HIPP is committed to ensuring that the proposed reforms support sustainable growth and development across Hertfordshire.
HIPP acknowledges the government’s commitment to delivering 370,000 homes annually. Hertfordshire has pledged to build an additional 100,000 homes and create 100,000 new jobs over the next decade. Collaborative efforts with Homes England and other partners are already underway to deliver significant projects such as the Harlow and Gilston Garden Town and Hemel Garden Communities, alongside other new settlements proposed through District and Borough Local Plans. These initiatives are supported by a Development Quality Charter aimed at promoting high-quality design and sustainability standards.
Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board and HIPP said: “We welcome the opportunity to comment on the Government’s NPPF consultation and support a brownfield-first approach in sustainable locations. We advocate for the definition of a Grey Belt to prioritise the development of underperforming sites within the Green Belt. However, we must ensure that development occurs in sustainable locations, along with affordable housing to support the needs of our residents and communities.”
Cllr Stephen Boulton, Executive Member of Sustainable Economic Growth, Hertfordshire County Council said: “We support the proposed revisions to the NPPF to increase support for renewable energy schemes and to safeguard our environmental resources. A vital area of focus is the improvement of our water supply in providing safe water, and a robust sewage and drainage infrastructure for the benefit of residents and the overall environment.”
Today, the Chair of the Hertfordshire Growth Board (HGB) Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Vice Chairs Mayor Peter Taylor and Cllr Richard Henry and Chair of Hertfordshire Futures Adrian Hawkins OBE wrote to the Deputy Prime Minister, welcoming the Government’s commitment to re-set the relationship between local and central government to deliver economic growth and improve public services.
As an economic powerhouse, Hertfordshire is critical to the Government’s plan to power up Britain and stands ready to trailblaze local growth to boost productivity and ensure that all communities benefit from improved living standards. By unlocking more local powers and funding, Hertfordshire can better address barriers relating to quality sustainable housing, access to skills, good jobs, the environment, and transport infrastructure, and fulfil the county’s economic potential.
View our letter from the Chair and Vice Chairs of the HGB and Chair of Hertfordshire Futures to the Deputy Prime Minister.
Hertfordshire is known for its lush green landscapes, rich history, and idyllic garden towns and villages, but it is also a major engine for UK growth. From a booming multi-million movie industry to a world-leading cell and gene sector centred in the golden triangle, Hertfordshire boasts an economy that is larger than many city regions. It’s this quality of life and access to a thriving economy that attracts residents from all walks of life to locate here.
The Hertfordshire Growth Board has already set its vision and missions, taking a unified approach with leaders from the county, district, and borough councils, as well as the NHS, Police and business. From new employment opportunities and quality and sustainable homes, to healthy places that are well connected for the digital age with a sustainable transport infrastructure, the Growth Board has ambitious plans and is ready to work closely with the new Government and MPs.
I’ve been Chief Executive of St Albans City and District Council since 2017 and I’ve overseen various projects, including new sports and cultural centres in Harpenden, and a cycling and community hub in St Albans. I’ve also been involved in developing a seven-acre site in the heart of St Albans and the Strategic Local Plan for housing and development.
Naturally my ambitions for St Albans play a major part of my involvement in the Hertfordshire Growth Board where I’ve led on setting up aspects of the Transport mission. I’d like to see public transport better joined up regionally, particularly east to west. That would require a whole county approach and will need input from central Government to make it happen.
Hertfordshire’s growth potential
We have a strong track record of innovation, with leading clusters in space and defence – responsible for a third of the world’s satellites, built in Stevenage – and the county is Europe’s top cell and gene cluster. Yet a short drive down the A1 in Elstree and Borehamwood, and Watford we’re at the centre of the UK’s film production industry that’s set to rival Hollywood.
Our proximity at the centre of the golden triangle between London, Oxford and Cambridge is what gives us the edge, and in Hertfordshire we have the luxury of affordable key development sites for large organisations to set up shop and invest.
But it’s not just about big business because our town centres and high streets are bustling with independent shops and cafes. It’s these local businesses, run by local people that help to keep us fuelled and they’re part of the reason why so many visitors come.
Transforming transport
Our transport infrastructure has always been a hot topic but we’re eager to improve our public transport links as well as build on our existing active travel networks.
One standout example is HertsLynx which acts a bit differently to your traditional bus service. It operates in North Herts, East Herts and Dacorum, and doesn’t follow the usual bus timetable. Instead, passengers can use an app to choose a pick-up and drop-off point. This has been popular with residents and a welcome improvement.
Working with a new Government
A change of administration offers the opportunity to reset our relationship with Government. Our biggest priority is to work collaboratively to showcase what makes Hertfordshire unique, so that our asks to Government come with an offer from us that evidences a return which supports the country at large.
Hertfordshire is an engine of growth with £42bn GVA pa. We contribute more to UK plc than many city regions.
As well as our strong track record of innovation, with leading defence, space, and biosciences’ sectors, we pioneered the first garden cities and new towns, and councils locally are already committed to building thousands of additional new homes and generating new jobs in the next 10 years.
But we are facing barriers to further growth. The new Government could unlock these through a strong devolution deal so we can tailor interventions to the needs of residents and businesses.
We must ensure economic growth is inclusive and sustainable; that we get high quality, sustainable housing growth in the right places; and that we protect our outstanding natural landscapes including our globally significant chalk streams.
To do this, we need more funding and local powers over skills, business support, regeneration, housing and strategic planning, transport, sustainability, energy, and digital infrastructure.
Making an impact
The Growth Board and our partners have come a long way in the last 12-18 months. The Hertfordshire Economic Board has already launched a Hertfordshire Film Office which works with film and TV creatives, and major studios globally to secure suitable shooting locations in the county. This is a service that the industry has welcomed with open arms and makes it easier and faster for studio execs to scout locations and get filming.
Invest Hertfordshire, which is the county’s new inward investment service, promotes development and opportunity sites in the county so that businesses can make easy decisions on where to locate or invest.
We have also secured additional Government funding for Hertfordshire, targeting the roll-out of Full Fibre coverage to around 7,000 premises in hard-to-reach and rural areas of the county.
To strengthen our role as planning authorities, I’ve started work on improving planning resilience in the county so that we can better meet the growth needs of the county.
Hertfordshire is open for investment and is ready to work with Government and other funding partners to secure deals and drive inclusive growth for the benefit of our residents, communities, and businesses.
Hertfordshire’s communities have benefitted from £4m of social impact generated by Tarmac sites across the county according to a new report from Tarmac, the sustainable building materials and construction solutions business.
As a member of the Hertfordshire Infrastructure Development Board (HIDB), Tarmac’s report, titled ‘Creating social impact in Hertfordshire’ shines a light on the positive impact the business has created for people, planet and place across Hertfordshire in 2023 and provides a framework for how Tarmac will continue to operate responsibly in the future. This included a focus on how the business is restoring former industrial sites into vibrant green spaces, like Panshanger Park and Waterford Heath, where it is enhancing biodiversity and ensuring natural spaces are accessible for the community.
With 2024 marking the 10th anniversary of the opening of Panshanger Park to the public, an estimated 5,165 hours were donated by volunteers last year alone, an army of supporters who maintain the landscape in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council and Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT).
In honour of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 17,341 trees and shrubs were also planted at the park to create the new Queen’s Wood. The planting of the woodland would not have been achieved without the hard work and dedication of volunteers, including local schools, residents, businesses and community groups.
Further findings from the report finds Tarmac’s wider operations across Hertfordshire have:
- Generated £1.16m social impact through giving local communities access to green space within 500m of their home.
- Provided eight local apprenticeships and employed 39 people.
- Contributed £40,200 social impact through mental and physical wellbeing support for local employees.
The social impact report follows Tarmac signing the Hertfordshire Growth Board’s Development Quality Charter, pledging commitments to master planning and community engagement; incorporating social impact and environmental management systems into business models; and adhering to sustainability standards which exceed the minimum requirements set out in building regulations.
Forogh Rahmani, Director of the Hertfordshire Growth Board (HGB) said: “We welcome Tarmac’s great social impact at its Hertfordshire sites, and this demonstrates the important benefits of our Hertfordshire Infrastructure Development Board and Development Quality Charter. The HGB welcomes many more businesses signing up to the Charter and to support our ambitions for good growth and a sustainable county where all can thrive and succeed.”
Colin Haigh, Director of Growth and Place at Hertfordshire County Council said: “Signing the Charter ensures well-designed places to live, work, and visit for residents, businesses and communities, setting a quality and sustainability benchmark for new developments across the county. Councils and developers, like Tarmac, recognise that by signing the Charter they can reference it and use the Charter Mark in their corporate promotional material.”
Hertfordshire Infrastructure Development Board (HIDB)
Development Quality Charter
‘Creating Social Impact in Hertfordshire’
Hertfordshire is now the number one destination in the UK for film and TV – and with the 96th Academy Awards taking place this Sunday it is clear to see why major movie moguls are choosing the county as the place to make movie magic.
With its stunning countryside, sprawling mansions and a plethora of heritage sites, Hertfordshire is often seen on screen in the movies. However, it’s the production magic that takes place across the five major studios situated in the county that is helping propel the county of opportunity into a golden era of film making – Elstree Studios, Warner Bros Studio Leavesden (WBSL), Sky Studios, BBC Studioworks and the newest proposal Sunset Studios in Broxbourne.
Two of the top three performers at the UK and Ireland box office were produced at WBSL, which is situated just outside Watford. According to the British Film Institute (BFI), Barbie earned £95.6m in box office revenue, while Wonka starring Timothée Chalamet and Olivia Colman came in third, grossing £58.4m. This has made the county the economic hub for the filming of many of today’s biggest TV shows and Oscar nominated movies.
Partnerships through the Hertfordshire Growth Board, Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), district and borough councils and the Hertfordshire Film Office is testament to how Hertfordshire County Council is working with the creative sector to make it easier to do business here.
Cllr Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council and Chair of Elstree Studios, said: “These are exciting times for the film and TV industry and, here in Hertsmere, we are right in the heart of the buzz!
“Within a short distance of our Civic Offices in Borehamwood are the council-owned Elstree Studios; BBC Elstree where Eastenders is based and Sky Studios Elstree where they’ve recently been filming the new Wicked movie. Positioned right in between is Elstree Screen Academy where talented young people are honing their skills across a whole range of disciplines and we hope that many will go on to work in the industry in the future.
“Of course the contribution this makes to our local economy is substantial as well as the opportunities it brings for local jobs.
“More broadly it is exciting to be working with partners across Hertfordshire to promote and support the industry.”
Not only is Hertfordshire the paramount pick for studio time but it is also a thriving centre of educational excellence with the Elstree Screen Arts Academy (ESA) and the University of Hertfordshire producing the next generation of home-grown film makers.
Students at ESA can study a wide range of courses, including creative media production, film studies, production crafts like set and prop design, as well as hair and makeup artistry. Students have had amazing opportunities working on major productions like The Crown, Mission: Impossible Dead Reckoning and Paddington 2.
The University of Hertfordshire has a film and television programme which is in the top 20 for film production nationally, delivering industry ready graduates into the workplace. The university has close partnerships with leading industry figures. Former students have been winners of many prestigious television awards, with many going on to gain employment with leading companies and broadcasters such as BBC, Endemol, ITV and Sky.
With incredible education and employment opportunities on the doorstep and further investment planned over the coming years, the future looks bright for the county’s burgeoning creative industries.
Cllr Richard Roberts, Leader, Hertfordshire County Council, and Chair, Hertfordshire Growth Board said: “Hertfordshire has a rich heritage in filmmaking from Star Wars to Paddington, Saving Private Ryan to Band of Brothers. This is the golden age for Hertfordshire, spearheading skills development and driving job creation.
“It takes an army of different tradespeople and a diverse range of talent to produce a film. Thanks to our co-ordinated approach, working hand in hand with industry, we can ensure our residents and businesses are poised to benefit.”
New facilities that have been built in the past two decades include Sky Studios at Elstree, which sits on a 32-acre site, just off the Borehamwood exit of the A1, it has as many as 14 stages, covering 20,000sq ft, all using the latest in cutting edge technology. It is estimated that the studios could create over 2,000 new jobs.
Our county has a long history of film and TV excellence. Elstree Studios is world renowned and hugely successful and has been in existence for over 90 years. It has been the studio of choice for many legendary producers and directors with memorable films such as Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Elstree Studios has also produced TV shows including The Crown, Strictly Come Dancing and The Voice.
A new proposal to Hertfordshire is Sunset Studios, a US franchise that has produced movies such as La La land and the first X-Men franchise. Backed by a £700m investment, Sunset Studios has developed a 91-acre greenfield site in Broxbourne, it looks to create 4,500 new jobs and it is expected to become the largest film and TV studio campus in the UK. The studios will encompass 25 sound stages and is expected to contribute £300m a year to the local economy.
Last but very much, not least, is the Warner Brothers Studios, set in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, home to the Harry Potter films. Warner Bros has been making films in Hertfordshire for many years and invest heavily in the UK film industry.