• To confirm the minutes of the meeting of the Council held on 24 May 2022

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• To deal with questions from any member of the public being resident in or working in Hertfordshire, to the Leader of the Council and/or Members of the Executive about the policies and/or strategic priorities of the Council or about any matter which directly affects the County

Minutes: none

• The opportunity for any member of the public, being resident in Hertfordshire, to present a petition relating to a matter over which the County Council has control, containing 1,000 or more signatures of residents or people working in the County.

• Notification of intent to present a petition must have been given to the Chief Legal Officer at least 20 clear days before the meeting where an item relating to the subject matter of the petition does not appear in the agenda, or at least 5 clear days where the item is the subject of a report already on the agenda.

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• Portfolio: Resources and Performance

Minutes: none

• Portfolio: The Environment

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• To deal with questions from Members of the Council to the Leader of The Council and Executive Members.

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

Minutes: none

• “Council notes that Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) has a legal duty

• to provide a substantive response as the Lead Local Flood Authority
• (LLFA) when consulted on major planning applications, which is
• acknowledged in HCC's own Flood Risk Management Strategy, but
• due to staff shortages, the Council has recently been unable to respond
• to many district and borough consultations in a timely, complete and
• satisfactory way. Council understands the effects that this lack of
• timely advice is having on Local Planning Authorities and regrets the
• likely financial and performance issues which will arise. It calls on the
• Executive Member for Environment to prepare, as a matter of urgency,
• an action plan to restore provision of advice on planning applications for
• major development and a longer-term plan for the restoration of the
• other services provided by the LLFA that it suspended on 4th October
• 2021.”

Minutes: none

• “Council notes that the Schools Bill currently before parliament

• makes another attempt to force schools to become part of multi
• academy trusts even if they would prefer to remain a local
• authority school. It notes that Hertfordshire has provided an environment
• that allows community schools to flourish and succeed, and that there is
• no evidence of any educational benefit from academisation. It therefore
• calls on the Leader and the Executive Member for Education, Libraries
• and Lifelong Learning to write to the Secretary of State and to
• Hertfordshire MPs setting out its concerns about these aspects of the
• Schools Bill and suggesting that, if not withdrawn, Hertfordshire MPs
• should vote against them.”

Minutes: none

• “Council notes that schools, particularly smaller schools, are being

• adversely impacted by rising energy costs and that projected future
• increases are likely to result in the need to switch more
• expenditure from teaching to heating. It also notes that the Council's
• decarbonization plans for schools could, depending on the carbon
• reduction routes selected, exacerbate this problem by further increasing
• schools’ energy costs. It requests that the Executive Members for
• Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning and the Environment should
• ensure that decisions taken on the routes to achieving zero carbon in
• schools should take into account the need to minimise the proportion of
• school budgets that need to be spent on energy bills.”

Minutes: none

• “Council requests a full report to the Highways and Transport Cabinet

• Panel on progress of 20mph areas, noting the continuing lack of
• information and updates to the majority of members despite
• repeated requests.”

Minutes: none

• “In light of recent reports of increases in Anti-Social Behaviour,

• especially linked to those who were unable to gain access during the
• pandemic to face-to-face activities, Council requests a report
• outlining the actions and sources of funding available to tackle this by
• Hertfordshire County Council in conjunction with the borough and district
• councils and the Police.”

Minutes: none

• Expresses its dismay at the refusal of the Government to progress

• the long overdue upgrade of the Abbey Line
•  Is concerned at the criticisms made by the Department for
• Transport (DfT) for the proposals from the county council in
• relation to the lack of evidence provided, the lack of costings for
• the Mass Rapid Transit scheme and the lack of detail in relation to
• crossings and signalling

• This Council requests that the portfolio holder for Highways & Transport:

•  Convenes a working group of interested members

•  Instructs officers to address the criticisms raised by DfT
•  Works towards a realistic solution to transport and congestion
• problems in the Watford-St Albans corridor, including all potential
• options including light rail.”

Minutes: none