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Weekly updates

Hertfordshire Council: 20mph zones, measles cases, and new chief exec

This week (since Saturday 22 June 2024), the council has held the following meetings:

Hertfordshire County Council's Highways and Transport Cabinet Panel met this week to discuss a range of issues relating to transport in the county, including the next phase of the council's programme to introduce 20 mph speed limits in several villages, and the council's performance in maintaining Hertfordshire's roads.

The Panel recommended progressing plans to consult on new 20 mph speed limits and other traffic calming measures in Markyate, Nash Mills, and Northchurch. The plans are intended to improve road safety, but several councillors expressed concerns about the proposals. Councillor Steve Jarvis argued that:

20mph zones should be introduced in residential areas where there is a clear risk to pedestrians from vehicles exceeding the speed limit, not on main roads

The proposals were developed following the publication of the government's 2020 guidance on setting local speed limits, which stated that:

20 mph should be the norm in built-up areas...where there are high levels of walking or cycling or where there is a high density of vulnerable dwellings, such as care homes or sheltered accommodation.

The panel also received an update on the progress that the council has made in delivering its Highway Asset Management Plan. This plan is a requirement of the Highways Act 1980, which requires local authorities to:

maintain the highway

The report showed that the council had generally met the targets it had set itself for maintaining the road network. However, some councillors expressed concerns about the state of pavements and footpaths in the county.

The Environment Cabinet Panel met on Friday 28 June 2024. The Panel discussed, among other things, a proposal to replace the county's existing Strategic Housing and Infrastructure Needs Assessment (SHIA) with a new Decision Making Support Pack. The SHIA is a technical document that assesses the need for new homes and infrastructure. The report considered by the panel argued that:

The SHIA is a technically complex document which can be challenging for non-technical audiences to engage with

The panel decided to recommend that the council approve the new Decision Making Support Pack.

The Public Health & Community Safety Cabinet Panel received a report on the use of surveillance powers by the council. The report was presented under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) and the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA).

RIPA and IPA provide a framework for the use of covert surveillance by public bodies.

The report showed an increase in the use of RIPA powers by the council, which it attributed to an increase in activity by the council's Trading Standards Team following the pandemic. The meeting also heard a presentation about the work the council is doing to address the increase in the number of measles cases in Hertfordshire. The presentation explained that:

Vaccine hesitancy has led to a decline in uptake of the MMR vaccine over a number of years and an increase in cases of measles

The presentation went on to highlight the importance of vaccination.

The Overview & Scrutiny Committee met on Thursday 27 June 2024 to consider a presentation by Healthwatch Hertfordshire1. Healthwatch Hertfordshire is an independent statutory body set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012.

Healthwatch England’s job is to make sure that those running services put people at the heart of care by listening to what people like about services and what could be improved.

The Committee were particularly interested in Healthwatch Hertfordshire's Enter and View programme 2, which allows them to carry out announced and unannounced:

visits to health and social care services to find out what it’s like to use them

The committee also approved their work programme for the coming year. The work programme sets out which of the council's activities the committee will scrutinise in the coming year.

At the meeting of the full council on June 25, Angie Ridgwell was appointed to the post of Chief Executive and designated as the Head of Paid Service. The decision will come into effect from September 2024 or on a date agreed upon by Ms Ridgwell and the Director of Human Resources.

The Chairman of the Council also used the meeting to pay tribute to former County Councillor and Leader David Beatty, who recently passed away.

It was with great sadness that the Chairman announced that former County Councillor and Leader of the Council, David Beatty, had passed away at the weekend at the age of 91.

Formal tributes will be paid at the next council meeting in July.


  1. Healthwatch Hertfordshire is an independent statutory body set up under the Health and Social Care Act 2012. Their job is to understand the needs of people who use health and social care services, and then to improve them. You can find out more about them on their website. https://www.healthwatchhertfordshire.co.uk/ 

  2. You can find out more about the Enter and View programme on the Healthwatch England Website: https://www.healthwatch.co.uk/your-local-healthwatch/find-your-local-healthwatch/enter-and-view 

Recent meetings
Cabinet

Cabinet - Wednesday, 15 January 2025 2.00 pm

9 attendees, 11 documents, 2 media files

January 15, 2025
Pensions Committee

Pensions Committee - Thursday, 9 January 2025 10.00 am

15 attendees, 4 documents, 2 media files

January 09, 2025
Hertfordshire Police and Crime Panel

Hertfordshire Police and Crime Panel - Thursday, 19 December 2024 6.00 pm

1 attendees, 3 documents, 0 media files

December 19, 2024
Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 17 December 2024 10.00 am

14 attendees, 9 documents, 2 media files

December 17, 2024
Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care Partnership

Hertfordshire & West Essex Integrated Care Partnership - Tuesday, 17 December 2024 2.00 pm

29 attendees, 13 documents, 0 media files

December 17, 2024
Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee

Joint Health Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Monday, 16 December 2024 10.00 am

4 attendees, 9 documents, 2 media files

December 16, 2024
Health Scrutiny Committee

Health Scrutiny Committee - Friday, 13 December 2024 10.00 am

21 attendees, 8 documents, 2 media files

December 13, 2024
Local Government Pension Scheme Local Pension Board

Local Government Pension Scheme Local Pension Board - Thursday, 12 December 2024 10.00 am

13 attendees, 8 documents, 1 media files

December 12, 2024
Health and Wellbeing Board

Health and Wellbeing Board - Wednesday, 11 December 2024 10.00 am

21 attendees, 15 documents, 0 media files

December 11, 2024
County Council

0 attendees, 0 documents, 0 media files

December 10, 2024
Upcoming meetings
Overview & Scrutiny Committee

IP Scrutiny - Evidence Gathering Sessions, Overview & Scrutiny Committee - Tuesday, 28 January 2025 9.00 am

January 28, 2025
Hertfordshire Growth Board

Hertfordshire Growth Board - Wednesday, 22 January 2025 11.30 am

January 29, 2025
Adult Care, Health and Wellbeing Cabinet Panel

Adult Care, Health and Wellbeing Cabinet Panel - Wednesday, 29 January 2025 10.00 am

January 29, 2025
Public Health & Community Safety Cabinet Panel

Public Health & Community Safety Cabinet Panel - Thursday, 30 January 2025 10.00 am

January 30, 2025
Education, Libraries & Lifelong Learning

Education, Libraries & Lifelong Learning Cabinet Panel - Friday, 31 January 2025 10.00 am

January 31, 2025