Councils launch new website to look at the future of South West Herts
The councils within South West Hertfordshire have launched a website to support their long-term aspirations for the area and want to hear views on what issues are important to those who live and work in that part of the county.
St Albans City and District Council, working with Hertfordshire County Council and the four other councils which comprise South West Hertfordshire - Dacorum Borough Council, Hertsmere Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council - are planning for the future of the area. The emerging South West Herts Joint Strategic Plan (SW Herts JSP) will look at the future of SW Herts to 2050, addressing strategic issues, including infrastructure, which cross council boundaries.
By working together through the SW Herts JSP, the councils will be in a stronger position to deliver, and better fund, the homes, essential local transport links, health services, educational facilities and employment that local people want to see, as well as ensuring that this part of Hertfordshire is sustainable, cleaner, greener and healthier.
The website www.swhertsplan.com has been set up to help people find out about the SW Herts JSP and get involved in the process. It provides background information to the JSP, including details about what will be involved in its preparation and an opportunity for people to get involved with developing a long-term vision for SW Herts.
The vision will comprise key issues which need to be addressed. It will build on more than 14,900 comments submitted as part of the ‘SW Herts – Your Future’ engagement that took place in early 2020.
The JSP will need to take account of St Albans’ Local Plan and the others being developed by the individual councils for their areas.
Cllr Chris White, Leader of St Albans City and District Council, who chairs the SW Herts councillor group comprised of representatives from all of the councils in the area, said:
The councils in South West Hertfordshire are working together to set out our vision for the future in what will be a new Joint Strategic Plan for the whole of this part of Hertfordshire. This new website provides lots of information about the work we are doing and how local people can get involved.
A series of videos from leaders across the academic, industry and voluntary sectors and a questionnaire asking what type of future might be possible in SW Herts is available to view at www.swhertsplan.com/sw-herts-vision. This initial opportunity to help shape the vision runs until Tuesday 14 December.
There will be a further opportunity to influence the vision for the SW Herts Joint Strategic Plan when it is formally issued for comment in 2022.
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Note: SW Herts is one of only a small number of councils in the UK working together in this way. By considering the longer-term future of a bigger area as whole, the opportunities to plan successfully for the future are greater.
SW Herts, Your Future does not replace Local Plans. Dacorum, Hertsmere, St Albans City & District, Three Rivers and Watford are still required to prepare their own local plans.