Infrastructure: The Priority for Council Leader

The provision of much-needed infrastructure to support the ‘Growth Agenda’ and provision of new homes is the main priority for a local council leader.

The five District councils in south west Hertfordshire recently agreed a Memorandum of Understanding to begin working on a Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) for the area. Top of the list was an acknowledged need to work across local authority boundaries to ensure the education, health, leisure and transport facilities needed, together with quality employment and utilities including water, communications and power.

Now the leaders of all eleven councils in Hertfordshire, together with the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will be working together over the next five months to develop a programme to take the county forward over the next 20 years.

The aim will be to look at what make’s Hertfordshire special, to deliver life-enhancing communities that meet local housing and employment needs and that are connected, sustainable and promote healthy living for those who live in the county. This will enable joined-up planning for infrastructure and the funding needed to provide it.

Cllr Sara Bedford, Leader of Three Rivers District Council, said: “Three Rivers is not alone in facing huge challenges delivering the government’s housing targets, together with the key strategic transport and infrastructure required for the wider area. Our residents do not live or think within council boundaries, so we must ensure that we are ambitious, yet realistic in our plans.

“Although each council will still be responsible for its own Local Plan, we must work together to ensure we can access funding from central government for key strategic projects, maintaining or improving our residents’ quality of life.”