The Cabinet of Hertfordshire Council met on Tuesday 2 December 2025, approving the public launch of the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and endorsing its partnership approach to delivery. The meeting also reviewed the finance budget monitor for Quarter 2 of 2025/26, noting an overall forecasted overspend and approving a capital reprogramming and a virement for adult care services. Additionally, the Cabinet agreed to declare residual land at The Valley School in Stevenage as surplus to requirements and available for disposal.

Local Nature Recovery Strategy

Cabinet approved the public launch of the Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) in January 2026 and endorsed the partnership approach for its delivery. The LNRS is Hertfordshire's first spatial plan for nature and biodiversity, aiming to identify opportunities for habitat creation, species recovery, and nature-based solutions. Developed collaboratively by the Hertfordshire Nature Recovery Partnership, led by Hertfordshire County Council, the strategy is presented as an interactive, web-based resource.

Councillor Adrian England, Executive member for Sustainability, expressed his support, noting that the partnership had attracted more landowner-nominated sites for inclusion than any other initiative to date. He hoped that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would provide further funding to protect the project. Councillor Sally Symington, Deputy Leader of the Council and Executive member for Adult Care Services, inquired about the involvement of the Chiltern Conservation Board, and was assured by officers that they had been heavily involved. The strategy's formal publication will follow a one-day summit in January 2026, which will outline its purpose, delivery mechanisms, and introduce the Hertfordshire Nature Recovery Delivery Partnership (HNRDP) to encourage county-wide collaboration.

Finance Budget Monitor – Quarter 2 2025/26

The Cabinet noted the Finance Budget Monitor for Quarter 2 of the 2025/26 financial year. The report indicated an overall forecasted overspend of £6.2 million, which represents 0.5% of the net revenue budget of £1.2 billion. This position was described as considerably better than the previous year. The greatest financial pressure was reported in Adults Care Services.

A significant concern highlighted was the High Needs funding block for schools, which is facing an in-year deficit of £10.8 million, projected to result in an accumulated deficit of £88.5 million by the end of the financial year. Key drivers for this deficit include an increase in educational health and care plans, higher complexity costs within mainstream education, and overspends in education other than at school (EOTAS) and post-16 provision.

Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Vice-Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, provided further explanation regarding an increase in spending on children looked after. He noted a rise in numbers, particularly among younger children, with significant complexities for families affected by mental health, domestic abuse, and substance use. He also highlighted an encouraging increase in children being placed in long-term kinship care arrangements, with 170 children living in such arrangements in October 2025, a 69% increase since October 2023. Councillor Rowlands also mentioned an increase in children with a plan for adoption.

Cabinet approved the proposed capital reprogramming of £28.4 million and a virement of £847,000 from the Adult Care Services Day Services Transformation budget to the Adult Care Services Relocation of Day Opportunities Services.

Future of Residual Land at The Valley School, Stevenage

Cabinet agreed that the residual land at The Valley School in Stevenage be declared surplus to requirements and available for disposal. The terms of the disposal will be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director for Resources, in consultation with the Executive Member for Resources and Performance.

The site previously formed part of The Valley School, a Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) facility. As the school buildings had reached the end of their economic life, new SEND accommodation was provided on land to the rear, leaving vacant land and buildings at the front of the site. Following a review, officers concluded there was no current or future requirement for the site to deliver County Council services.

Hertfordshire County Council Performance Monitor Q1 & Q2 2025-26

Cabinet noted the Hertfordshire County Council Performance report for the first and second quarters of the financial year 2025-26. The report provides an overview of the Council's performance across key areas for each portfolio. Following feedback that previous reports contained too much information, officers were tasked with making the corporate plan the focus of the performance report, with detailed service directorate information being pushed to relevant Cabinet Panels. However, some members felt this approach had swung too far, leading to gaps in detail. In response, an informal cross-party meeting will be held to select the indices for reporting in future performance reports.