East Herts Council to consult residents on ‘golden thread’ to guide development
East Herts residents will have their say on a new “golden thread” prepared by the district council to shape an updated Local Plan by 2028.
The authority has produced a 40-page Strategic Vision, setting out the challenges faced by the area and six key themes to guide decision-making for new homes and employment.
Green Cllr Vicky Glover-Ward, East Herts Council (EHC) executive member for planning and growth, said: “Managing growth in a way that benefits our communities is one of the greatest challenges we face.
“This vision is a crucial first step and it’s important that it reflects the priorities of our residents. We know how much our green spaces matter to people, which is why sustainability, along with the protection and enhancement of our natural environment, is at its heart.
“We look forward to hearing residents’ views later this year.”
The council acknowledges that “East Herts faces significant growth pressures, including increasing housing targets” so the document comes at a crucial time.
The document says: “Our vision is intended to challenge current thinking and provide a unified direction for the council’s approach to growth, ensuring that future development is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.
“It aims to strengthen existing communities, facilitate the creation of new, vibrant ones and position East Herts to capitalise on future trends such as digital and environmental innovation.”
The report examines the district’s demographics in detail. East Herts is currently the 307th least deprived of 317 local authorities, but 14.9% of households are classified as “financially stretched”.
While 53% of residents in 2021 considered themselves in “very good health”, 25% of the population will be 65 years and older by 2043, with a 189% increase in people aged 85-plus.
Residents need a 9.5 house price-to-earnings ratio, compared to 8.1 for the whole of England and Wales, to afford their own homes.
Two-thirds of land in East Herts is made up of rural areas, with more than 400 agricultural holdings.
The district has 542 non-statutory local wildlife sites, 16 national Sites of Special Scientific Interest, 15 wildlife trust reserves and one Local Nature Reserve.
Seven out of 210 globally rare chalk streams are found in the district. In 2022, raw sewage discharged into rivers across East Herts for 1,779 hours.
An estimated 718 kilitonnes (kt) of greenhouse gases were emitted in East Herts in 2021, down from 965kt in 2011.
Just 61 gigawatt hours of total renewable electricity were generated in 2022 and 0.6% of households use renewable energy for central heating against 71% who rely on gas. An estimated 10% of district households were in fuel poverty in 2020.
Travel also reveals great disparities - 34% of residents in 2022 used walking as part, or all, of their main method of travel to reach a destination and 1.6% included cycling.
However, 45% of East Herts households in 2022 owned one car, 39% owned two and 13% owned three or more. This is higher than the national averages of 41%, 26% and 9% respectively.
Overall, 57% of residents used a car or van as their main method of travel in 2022. The district’s transport generated 244kt of carbon dioxide in 2021 - the greatest contributor to the East Herts total.
