The Environment, Transport & Growth Cabinet Panel of Hertfordshire Council met on Monday 26 January 2026 to discuss the council's budget for 2026/27 and the Medium Term Financial Strategy, focusing on the Environment, Transport, Growth, and Sustainability portfolios. The panel was also scheduled to review a response to a motion regarding 20mph speed limits outside schools, consider updates on tree planting and woodland management, and discuss the proposed Local Transport Plan. Additionally, the panel was set to review the draft Air Quality Strategy for public consultation, proposed changes to the Recycling Centre service, and the draft National Planning Policy Framework consultation.

Budget 2026/27 and Medium Term Financial Strategy (Environment, Transport, Growth and Sustainability)

The panel was scheduled to consider the council's budget for the upcoming financial year and its medium-term financial strategy, with a specific focus on the Environment, Transport, Growth, and Sustainability portfolios. A report from the Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Resources was presented, outlining the council's ambitious £1.2 billion budget aimed at delivering vital services and supporting residents and businesses. The report highlighted significant financial pressures, including a £42 million annual loss in government funding over the next three years, alongside rising demand and costs for services. Despite these challenges, the council proposed investing an additional £108 million in key services such as children's services, SEND support, and adult social care. The capital programme over the next four years includes £1.3 billion for expanding SEND school places, improving roads and transport, and providing more supported housing and care accommodation. The report detailed departmental budget positions, with Growth and Environment services allocated £135 million for frontline delivery, including £77 million for highways and transport services and £58 million for growth and environment services. Significant capital investments were also outlined, such as £11.2 million for the Bus Service Improvement Plan and £7.8 million for Active Travel measures. The report also detailed key revenue pressures, including inflation for waste disposal contracts and changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme, as well as proposed savings across various departments. The panel was invited to note and comment on the report, and to endorse the proposals relating to the Environment, Transport, Growth, and Sustainability portfolios to the Cabinet.

Response to Motion: 20 MPH Speed Limits Outside All Schools

The panel was scheduled to consider a motion referred by the County Council on 21 October 2025, proposing the introduction of a default 20mph speed limit on all roads directly adjacent to the main entrances of schools in Hertfordshire. The motion noted that children are vulnerable road users and that collision severity increases significantly at speeds above 20mph. It also highlighted evidence from other local authorities suggesting that default 20mph zones near schools reduce accidents, improve air quality, and encourage active travel. The motion proposed that exceptions to this default should only be made where there is compelling evidence, and that such exceptions must be governed by lawful, transparent, and democratically agreed criteria. The panel was asked to resolve to introduce a default 20mph speed limit, subject to traffic assessments and signage, and to instruct officers to bring forward a feasibility assessment for a county-wide implementation plan, including consultation with schools, local communities, and relevant stakeholders, as well as draft exemption criteria. The report provided an update on the impact of speed mitigation techniques and how they are evaluated with reference to best practice.

Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy – Review 2026

The panel was presented with a revised and updated Sustainable Hertfordshire Strategy, incorporating new Sustainable Hertfordshire Principles, following the approval of the Corporate Plan 2025–2028. The strategy, first approved in March 2020 in response to the council's declaration of a climate emergency in 2019, has been updated to reflect changes in national policy and the Corporate Plan's focus on Growing a more sustainable Hertfordshire. It reaffirms ambitions to reduce waste, promote a circular economy, achieve carbon neutrality in council operations by 2030, contribute to a net-zero greenhouse gas county by 2050, prepare for future climate impacts, accelerate nature recovery, and improve air quality. The strategy also sets out eight guiding principles for collective action, including using resources wisely, preparing for climate change, championing nature recovery, creating healthier air, ensuring sound decision-making, delivering just and equitable sustainability, working with residents, and monitoring progress. The panel was invited to recommend the approval of the revised strategy to the Cabinet.

Proposed Changes to the Recycling Centre Service

The panel was scheduled to review the outcomes of a public consultation on proposed changes to the Recycling Centre service, aimed at addressing financial challenges and protecting staff from abuse. The consultation focused on three options: restricting access to Hertfordshire's Recycling Centres, charging for excess DIY waste, and refusing to accept unsorted residual waste. The report indicated that the most preferred option by respondents was restricting access through an e-pass system, which would involve registration and ANPR cameras. Charging for excess DIY waste was more palatable than refusing unsorted residual waste. The recommendations proposed the introduction of an e-pass system and a charging scheme for excess DIY waste, along with reciprocal arrangements with neighbouring local authorities. The option of refusing unsorted residual waste was not recommended for implementation at that time but would be kept under review. The report also detailed the financial implications, estimating savings of £400k to £535k from the proposed changes, and outlined the implementation plan for the e-pass and charging scheme.

Proposed 6 Week Public Consultation on the Draft Air Quality Strategy

The panel was presented with the draft Air Quality Strategy for review and comment prior to a public consultation. The draft strategy builds on the County Council's current Air Quality Strategy, incorporating changes in national policy and post-pandemic behavioural shifts. It proposes a new vision: Working together to create healthier air for all, which expands the focus beyond traditional air quality concerns to include biological components of the air such as pathogens, allergens, and toxins. The strategy outlines key action areas, including promoting WHO evidence-based limits for nitrogen dioxide, communicating the sources and impacts of pollution, prioritising actions for those most in need, and reducing emissions from road transport. It also addresses agriculture, industry, and indoor pollution, with specific action areas related to domestic burning and energy sources. The report proposed a 6-week public consultation to gather feedback before finalising the strategy.

Update on Tree Planting and Woodland Management

The panel received an update on tree planting activities and woodland management. The new Administration had committed to enabling the planting of 101,000 trees during the 2025/26 planting season, an increase of 10,000 from the previous year. The report detailed the expansion of the Your Tree Our Future (YTOF) scheme, which saw a 36% increase in uptake, and proactive engagement with landowners for bespoke tree planting schemes. Additionally, the report highlighted progress on the 'Rural Estates Nature Enhancement' project, focusing on improving the condition of woodlands, and ongoing woodland management activities across various Hertfordshire woodlands in collaboration with district and borough councils and Natural England. The report noted that the tree planting target for 2025/26 was expected to be exceeded by 17%, despite the loss of two externally funded Woodland Creation Officer posts.

Local Transport Plan

The panel was informed about the outcome of public and key stakeholder engagements on the new Local Transport Plan (LTP). The LTP is a statutory document setting out the county council's transport direction and aspirations. The current LTP, published in 2018, was considered out of date. The engagement process focused on testing a draft vision and objectives, with feedback gathered from 395 public respondents and 17 key stakeholders. The public engagement highlighted a strong preference for increasing public transport use and reliability, improving transport infrastructure, and ensuring new developments enable sustainable transport networks. Stakeholder feedback led to proposed changes in the vision statements and objectives, including rewording to emphasize harm reduction from transport, and adding objectives related to freight delivery and accessibility across all transport modes. The panel was asked to review the engagement report and endorse the revised vision and objectives.

Draft National Planning Policy Framework Consultation

The panel was advised of a Government consultation on proposed changes to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), a crucial document for plan-making and development decisions. The consultation was described as a significant overhaul of planning rules, with a focus on addressing the housing crisis. The report summarised key proposed changes, including procedural policies for Spatial Development Strategies (SDSs) and local plans, a strengthened principle of development within settlements, and policies for delivering homes and supporting growth. Potential HCC issues identified included the removal of decision-making policies from the statutory development plan to the NPPF, ambiguity in the structure of SDSs and MWLPs, and unclear requirements for planning obligations, posing a risk to securing developer funding for services and infrastructure. The panel was asked to note the report and its potential implications, and to provide views on the issues and stance for the HCC response to the consultation.