The Hertfordshire Growth Board met to elect a new chair and vice-chairs, endorse the Hertfordshire Local Retrofit Strategy, and receive an update on the Growth Board's advocacy strategy. Mayor Peter Taylor, Mayor of Watford Borough Council, was elected as the new chair of the board, with Councillor Jeremy Newmark, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, and Councillor Richard Henry, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, elected as vice-chairs. The board endorsed the Hertfordshire Local Retrofit Strategy and noted the progress made in the board's advocacy efforts.

Election of Chair and Vice-Chairs

Mayor Peter Taylor was elected as the new chair of the Hertfordshire Growth Board, replacing Councillor Jeremy Newmark. Councillor Jeremy Newmark and Councillor Richard Henry were elected as vice-chairs, with Councillor Richard Henry taking precedence in the absence of the chair.

Hertfordshire Local Retrofit Strategy

The board endorsed the Hertfordshire Local Retrofit Strategy, a roadmap to accelerate domestic retrofit and meet shared challenges around climate, health, and economic goals. The strategy has been developed over the past 12 months in conjunction with district, borough councils, Hertfordshire County Council, and Hearts Futures.

The Hertfordshire Local Retrofit Strategy 2025 to 2028, sets out a three-year plan to accelerate domestic retrofit in Hertfordshire. The strategy has four key priorities:

• Increasing the uptake of retrofit measures through advice services and financial mechanisms.
• Maximising co-benefits such as local economic growth, health improvements and environmental resilience.
• Strengthening the local supply chain by boosting skills, quality assurance and contractor capacity.
• Ensuring a coordinated, trusted delivery model through governance, partnerships and policy alignment.

The strategy is guided by four core principles:

• Working together
• Taking an evidence-led approach
• Focusing on sustainability
• Being ambitious but realistic

The strategy is designed to deliver measurable improvements in health, equity, affordability, energy efficiency, productivity and resilience.

Advocacy Status Report

Neil Hayes, Director of Economy and Skills, presented an update on the Growth Board's advocacy strategy on behalf of Lucy Gravatt, Director of Advocacy and Partnerships. He noted the significant progress made, building on the initial Westminster reception and engaging with mission leads to gain a more granular understanding of advocacy needs.

Key areas of focus include:

• Invest Hearts and UK Reef: Building on the success of the previous year's presence at the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF)[^1], the Growth Board continues to attract sponsorship and deliver impactful messages.
• Industrial Strategy: The Growth Board will respond to the government's industrial strategy, addressing challenges related to visibility and ensuring Hertfordshire's economic opportunities and growth ambitions are not overlooked.

• AI Growth Zone: The Growth Board supported the submission of an Expression of Interest for the development of an AI growth zone in Hartsmere[^2], positioning Hertfordshire at the forefront of technological advancement.

  [^1]: The UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) is an annual event held in Leeds, bringing together developers, investors, and policymakers to discuss real estate and infrastructure opportunities across the UK. [^2]: Hartsmere is a borough in Hertfordshire, England.

Councillor Jeremy Newmark emphasised the importance of continued advocacy efforts, noting that Hertfordshire was missed out of the creative component of the government's new industrial strategy. He stressed the need to take the advocacy programme to the next level to ensure Hertfordshire's voice is heard.

The board agreed to note the activity set out in table one of the Advocacy Update Report, and agreed that the Advocacy Director acts as a dedicated lead officer with strategic oversight from the HGB steering group, and agreed for this work to get underway immediately after the board meeting, and noted the activity will be funded from existing budgets.