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Good morning and Happy Monday!
You can feel it, can’t you? The air’s a little softer. The days are stretching out. That first hint that we’ve survived the worst of winter and spring is quietly lining up behind it.
I had a good weekend. Proper family time. Loud, busy, chaotic in the way only a full house can be. And yes, I’ll say it, I love them dearly but I’m not mad the kids are back at school and the house is calm again.
February is almost done and things are picking up across Hertfordshire. Councils are moving, consultations are live, events are filling up. So I’ve pulled together the updates that actually matter, not the noise, the stuff that affects your area and your week.
If you’re short on time, scroll straight to your council section and get what’s closest to home. If there’s nothing listed under yours, take the win. Quiet council weeks are underrated.
A warm welcome to our new subscribers, we’re glad you’re here. Got an event coming up in your area? Send it our way and we’ll happily share it. And if you’d like to support our local journalism, you can always buy me a coffee using the link below.
Right, let’s get into it. Have a strong week ahead.
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Real conversations, shared over a local table
Bringing people together over good food
Hertstown Dinners are small, curated gatherings of six people, hosted in local restaurants and built around a clear theme. Each dinner brings thoughtful locals together for focused conversation, not networking or pitches. Apply to join the next themed Hertstown Dinner.
Open Application Theme: Local Government Reorganisation
This is not a networking event and there are no talks or sales pitches. Just good food, considered discussion, and people who care about where they live. Spaces are limited and allocated by application to keep the experience intentional.
Future dinners will be announced via this newsletter.
🏛️ Hertfordshire County Council
Your Rates Are Going Up - Here's Exactly Where £1.2 Billion of Your Money Is Going
Hertfordshire County Council has passed its biggest ever budget, hiking council tax by 4.99% , an extra £88 a year for Band D households - while simultaneously planning £55 million of savings. Adult care swallows the lion's share at £563 million, but roads, schools and children's services all get significant boosts too. Opposition councillors called it a budget "built on a wing and a prayer." Make up your own mind.
The Council May Change How Your Teen Gets to School and They're Asking for Your View Now
Hertfordshire County Council has opened a consultation on its Post-16 transport policy, which determines whether young people over 16 including those with special educational needs get help getting to school or college. With finances under pressure, changes could be coming. The window to have your say closes 12 April. If this affects your family, don't miss it.
Your Local Councillor Has £10,000 to Spend on Your Community - Is Your Group Getting Any of It?
County councillors across Hertfordshire have been quietly awarding grants to local causes through the Locality Budget scheme, from domestic abuse helplines to music groups for people with dementia. Each councillor has £10,000 a year to direct to community projects. If your organisation has a local need, your county councillor could be the person to speak to.
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NEWS IN YOUR AREA
North Herts Council
15,000 Trees. One District. North Herts Residents Just Did Something Remarkable for the Environment
North Hertfordshire residents claimed and planted 14,739 free saplings this year as part of the countywide 'Your Tree Our Future' scheme helping push Hertfordshire's total to a record 94,000 trees, up 25,000 on last year. Schools, community groups and households all took part. It's one of those rare stories where small individual actions genuinely added up to something significant.
East Herts District Council
What Should Happen to Bishop's Stortford's Crumbling £1.6m Problem Building? The Council Is Asking You
Water Lane Hall in Bishop's Stortford a historic former church hall opposite Waitrose faces an uncertain future after a survey found it needs at least £1.6 million to restore. East Herts Council has put four options to the public: community transfer, commercial sale, retail conversion, or demolition. Your vote counts, but only until 5pm on 9 March.
Ignoring a Council Notice About Your Trees Just Cost One Hertfordshire Resident Over £3,600
A Standon resident has been fined and ordered to cut back four towering Eastern Red Cedar trees after ignoring a legal Remedial Notice for over a year. East Herts Council took Ms Valerie Bridgeman to court in her absence and won landing her a £330 fine plus £3,306.79 in council costs. The case is a sharp reminder that high hedges legislation has real teeth.
Stevenage Borough Council
Stevenage Will Have Local Elections in May, Despite the Council's Own Reservations
Stevenage Borough Council has confirmed it will run a full election programme in May 2026 after the Secretary of State confirmed elections will go ahead nationally. The council had previously backed calls to delay them, citing the enormous workload of Local Government Reorganisation — but a £63 million capacity fund sweetened the announcement. Stevenage residents will be heading to the polls this spring.
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council
Welwyn Hatfield Has a New Council Leader and a Renewed Labour-Lib Dem Pact
Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has elected Councillor Rose Grewal as its new Leader, with Councillor Sandreni Bonfante stepping up as Deputy Leader. A new Joint Administration agreement between the Labour and Liberal Democrat groups has been signed, bringing a reshaped Cabinet and a renewed commitment to delivering on the borough's priorities. Here's the full breakdown of who's now in charge and what it means.
Labour and Lib Dems Shake Hands on a New Deal to Run Welwyn Hatfield
The formal agreement underpinning Welwyn Hatfield's new Joint Administration has been signed, with Labour's Rose Grewal and Lib Dem Sandreni Bonfante putting pen to paper on a shared programme of priorities for the borough. The partnership builds on the previous joint administration's record while signalling a fresh chapter for local governance in Welwyn Hatfield.
Watford Borough Council
Watford Just Unlocked a Contaminated Former Power Station Site to Build Hundreds of New Homes
Watford Borough Council has secured £717,764 from the government's Brownfield Land Release Fund to remediate a complex former industrial site at the heart of the £500 million Riverwell regeneration programme. The land has been stalled for years due to underground power station infrastructure and contaminated soil, but work is now set to begin, with new family housing targeted for 2029.
Watford Is Being Held Up Nationally as a Model for Town Centre Regeneration and AI
Watford Borough Council has been shortlisted at both the LGC Awards 2026 and the iESE Public Service Excellence Awards, with nominations spanning its town centre transformation, environmental programme and use of AI technology. The council even received a special Certificate for Excellence in AI, recognising how it has combined chatbots, AI telephony and co-browsing to better serve residents.
🏗️ Dacorum Borough Council
Dacorum Residents to Pay £7 More a Year as Council Sets Its Budget Amid National Funding Squeeze
Dacorum Borough Council has confirmed a 2.99% rise in its share of council tax for 2026/27, roughly £7.06 extra for a Band D household, while approving a capital programme of £65.5 million to invest in sports centres, housing and local neighbourhoods over the next five years. The council takes just 10.2p of every pound collected in council tax, with the rest going to the county and police.
Not a networking event. Not a panel. Not a pitch.
Hertstown Dinners are small, curated gatherings for people who care about where they live and want better conversations than the internet allows.
In a time when online spaces are noisy and AI makes it harder to know what’s real, we’re bringing people back to the table. Literally.
Good food. Thoughtful discussion. Real people from your community.
Limited seats. Curated tables. No awkward small talk.
📅 UPCOMING EVENTS
🌍 County-Wide
Generation Watford & Three Rivers Careers Fair Meet local employers and explore jobs and training opportunities across Watford and Three Rivers. 📍 Watford Leisure Centre, Horseshoe Lane, Watford, WD25 7HH 📅 Thursday 5 March 2026 | 3.30pm – 5pm Read more →
Rickmansworth Aquadrome Design Consultation View and comment on early-stage redesign plans for the Aquadrome, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. 📍 Outside the Café, Rickmansworth Aquadrome 📅 Saturday 7 March 2026 | 9.30am – 2pm Read more →
CompassionART Café — South Oxhey A drop-in arts and crafts session for anyone feeling lonely due to illness or bereavement, run by Rennie Grove Peace Hospice Care. 📍 Oxhey Library, Bridlington Road, South Oxhey, WD19 7AG 📅 Thursday 26 February 2026 | 1.30pm – 3pm Read more →
Better Health Bus — Shephall Centre, Stevenage Drop in for free blood pressure checks, NHS Health Checks, stop smoking support and lifestyle advice. 📍 Shephall Centre, Stevenage 📅 Wednesday 4 March & Wednesday 18 March 2026 Read more →
Watford Housing Strategy Consultation Have your say on Watford's draft Housing Strategy covering affordable homes, energy efficiency and regeneration — closes 6 March. 📍 Online 📅 Open until Friday 6 March 2026 Read more →
The Mesmerist — Watford Palace Theatre Rufus Hound stars in a spellbinding blend of theatre and real magic exploring inheritance, secrets and legacy. 📍 Watford Palace Theatre, Watford 📅 2 – 21 March 2026 Read more →
Better Health Bus — Welwyn Garden City & Hatfield Free blood pressure, BMI and wellbeing checks to help you stay healthy and reduce illness risk. 📍 Stonebank, Welwyn Garden City (Tue 24 Feb) | White Lion Square, Hatfield (Fri 27 Feb) 📅 Tuesday 24 February & Friday 27 February 2026 | 10am – 4pm Read more →
Hemel Garden Communities SPD Consultation — Online Event Join the online public consultation on the Hemel Garden Communities Supplementary Planning Document — moved online to allow more people to attend. 📍 Online 📅 Monday 2 March 2026 | 7pm – 8pm Read more →
River of Light Lantern Parade — Hemel Hempstead An illuminated parade through the town centre with Morris dancing, West African drumming, circus performances and hoop displays. 📍 Hemel Hempstead Town Centre 📅 Saturday 14 March 2026 Read more →
Working Well: Preventing Burnout in the Workplace — Free Event A free session from Calmer on managing stress, anxiety and mental health to prevent workplace burnout. 📍 The Spotlight Theatre, High Street, Hoddesdon, EN11 8BE 📅 Thursday 12 March 2026 Read more →
Job Opportunities (New)
Hertfordshire County Council | Countywide
£38,220 - £41,771 per annum
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Hertfordshire County Council | Countywide
From £31,537 per annum (progressing to £34,434)
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Hertfordshire County Council | Countywide
£42,839 - £47,181 per annum
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Hertfordshire County Council | Hertfordshire
Salary: Senior leadership grade (competitive)
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Hertfordshire County Council | Hertfordshire
Salary: Strategy & Programme Manager grade (competitive)
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Hertfordshire County Council | Hertfordshire
Salary: Graduate finance scale (structured programme)
Posted: 2026 | Apply Now
Email us to discuss how to post your job openings on our Job Board (coming soon)
MONDAY MOTIVATION
Opportunities come infrequently. When it rains gold, put out the bucket, not the thimble.
— Warren Buffett
Happy Monday!
PICTURE OF THE WEEK
MONDAY WEATHER 🌦 ST ALBANS
ST ALBANS
12°C 🌡️ 10°C | 🌧 Light rain and a moderate breeze | ☀️ Sunrise 07:01 Sunset 17:30
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Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya
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