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Hertfordshire County Council Corporate Plan 2006/09

Making Hertfordshire

an evenbetter placeto live and work

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Hertfordshire County Council 2006/09

Corporate plan

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Hertfordshire County Council 2006/09 Corporate plan

Hertfordshire is a top-performing authority as measured by the independent AuditCommission. We are proud of this because it indicates that we are spending your moneywisely and providing high quality services toyou - our customers.

Our main ambition is to make Hertfordshire a better place to live and work and to providebest possible services,, from educatingchildren, providing services to the elderly anddisabled, bringing our 3,000 mile roadnetwork back up to standard and providinglibraries fit for the 21st Century, to reducingwaste going to landfill by encouraging morerecycling.

We have a strong track record. However, thereis always room for improvement and in settingour corporate strategy we have identifiedseven areas where we can clearly challenge

the organisation to make further efforts todeliver even better services. These challengesrepresent our aspirations and require us tolook over and above our existing service plansin order to achieve long term success.

Understanding what people want is critical tothe success of the County Council. Weregularly commission MORI surveys to find outhow good or not so good you think we are, inproviding the services you need and use.Overall, you have said that we are doing asatisfactory job but that there is room forimprovement and that is what our corporateplan is all about - improving services

We can't afford to stand still, life iscomfortable in Hertfordshire and we aim tomake it better by continuing to listen to theviews of the people of Hertfordshire, as we set our priorities for the future.

The work we are doing in Hertfordshire putsus in a strong position to address thechallenges that lie ahead. We have a range ofinitiatives underway to ensure that we retainand enhance our standing as a top performingauthority and more importantly, that we deliveragainst our residents' and service usersexpectations. We are committed to deliveringexcellence - in the services we provide and inthe way we deliver them.

With the reduction in budgets from theGovernment and the pressure on publicspending, we are looking hard at our ownperformance and processes, in order toidentify additional efficiency savings.

Increasingly, we are working with both publicand private sector partners, to deliverimprovements to our services and life in thecounty. For example, the Local AreaAgreement (LAA) now sets out outcomes forall the main public bodies, voluntary and

community groups, which are reflected in ourcorporate plan. The LAA allows us to work innew ways and to share ownership withpartners. However, we still recognise the needto take the lead when we speak on behalf ofthe community. Our own Customer Servicecentre is also an excellent example of how wecan draw on private sector experience toimprove service to residents.

The announcement that the 2012 Olympics will be hosted in London, make these excitingtimes for Hertfordshire's residents andbusinesses. Broxbourne, is to host a purposebuilt water sports venue, as part of this event.

Over the next three years we will continue todevelop the way we work with our residents,our staff, our partners and our resources toensure we deliver the best possible publicservices and make Hertfordshire an even better place to live and work.

David Beatty, Leader of the Council

Caroline TapsterChief Executive

Foreword

You can view our full serviceplans in the appendices section of this plan and atwww.hertsdirect.org/xxxxxxx

There are ten districts and boroughs. Some ofthe larger towns include Hemel Hempstead,Hertford, Hitchin, Letchworth, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford and WelwynGarden City. The Chiltern Hills to the west andthe northwest of the county are designated asan Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. TheLee Valley Park extends 26 miles from EastLondon into Hertfordshire and the county hasan abundance of parks, open farms andrecreation facilities. There are 43 sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest as well as onenational (Hoddesdon Park, Wormley, Bencroftand part of Broxbourne Woods) and 15 local nature reserves in the county.

The county also offers plenty of leisureactivities, with well-known stately homes suchas Hatfield House and Knebworth House.Historical sites also include Verulamium in StAlban's, the third largest Roman site in thecountry and the St Alban's Cathedral andAbbey Church.

ENJOY! is Hertfordshire's cultural strategy,aimed at showcasing and celebrating the bestHertfordshire has to offer. It brings togetherthe arts, theatre groups and sporting events.Activities around the county include, theSNAP Theatre Company based in Bishop'sStortford (recently awarded Beacon Status forYoung People's Theatre in the eastern region),the Hertfordshire Youth Games, the GreenHearts partnership - a three yeararts/environment partnership, the County Artscollection, the Herts Art Partnership and theHertfordshire Philharmonic Orchestra. This

partnership strategy is also central to theHertfordshire 2012 'Ready for Winners'Olympic preparations.

Hertfordshire boasts two professional sportsteams, including the premiership leaguefootball team, Watford and Saracens RugbyFootball Union club plus, a wealth of voluntarysport activities, supported by the CountySports Partnership, including basketball,cricket, netball, football and rugby league.

On the whole, Hertfordshire is a prosperouscounty with a population of over one millionand one of the strongest economies in theUK. The economy is built on several sectors,including financial and business services,distribution, biotechnology andpharmaceuticals, electronics, film, TV andmedia and information technology. There is a higher proportion of employment in high-tech services than most EU regions, withknowledge-based industries and servicesdominating commerce. In recent years, slowergrowth in engineering, manufacturing andagriculture industries has been offset by morerapid growth in the service and technologysectors.

Major companies in Hertfordshire includeMBDA (UK) Ltd, Mace Ltd, ComputacenterLtd, T-mobile (UK) Ltd, Kodak Ltd, Tesco Plc,Glaxo SmithKline Ltd, Initial Cleaning ServicesLtd, Fujitsu Services Ltd, DSG InternationalPlc (Dixons Group), Costco (UK) Ltd andHaden Young Ltd.

Living in HertfordshireHertfordshire stretches fromCambridgeshire and Bedfordshire inthe north to the outskirts of London inthe south. It borders Buckinghamshirein the west and Essex in the east and is currently one of six counties in theEast of England.

The county also offers plenty of leisureactivities, with well-known stately homes such as Hatfield House and KnebworthHouse. Historical sites also includeVerulamium in St Alban's, the third largestRoman site in the country and the St Alban'sCathedral and Abbey Church.

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The University of Hertfordshire has invested£200 million over the last ten years - in thattime developing world class facilities. The£15m Hertfordshire Sports Village in Hatfieldhas some of the best university-basedsporting and fitness facilities in the country.The new Bedfordshire and HertfordshirePostgraduate Medical School was launched inJune 2005 to enhance medical provision inthe region.

Although Hertfordshire provides a high-qualityenvironment in which most children, youngpeople and their families thrive, this is not thecase for all. Improvements are underway toaddress lower performing schools, theattainment level of boys in relation to girls,selected children in black and minority ethnicgroups, as well as improving both 16+achievement and attainment.

Around 142,000 of the county's population are aged 65 and over and that total is rising, as people live longer. In 2010 there will be12% more people aged 75+ than there werein 2000, requiring an increase in the amount of support.

The mixture of urban and rural environmentcreates a significant challenge whensupporting the development of sustainableand affordable housing. Growth in small ruralcommunities, meeting renewal and

regeneration needs of urban areas, protectingthe environment and protecting green beltland are also a critical part of any balanceddevelopment. The need for better roads,public transport, health, schools and otheressential services put extra pressure onresources, such as the water supply and other utilities.

The disposal of waste is a perennial problem for Hertfordshire and the latest calculationsshow that landfill space could run out after2008. Hertfordshire produced 538,000tonnes of household waste in 2005/06, overhalf of which was disposed of in landfill sites.This reliance on landfill must be reduced overtime. Sites are running out of space and feware being created. A third of this householdwaste was recycled (178,000 tonnes)demonstrating Hertfordshire council'scommitment to changing resident behaviour.The council aims to increase the county'saverage recycling level to more than one thirdby 2006/07.

As this brief summary demonstrates,Hertfordshire is a county of contrasts. A greatplace to live and work with a county councilcommitted to protecting and retaining thecharacter, environment and resources for future generations to enjoy.

There are several major transport andcommunication routes running through thecounty with more than 18 million car journeysevery day and 31 million bus journeys a year.In line with national trends fewer people areusing buses every year, but initiatives are inplace to tackle this. Five main railway linesprovide good access to London and the restof the country. In addition, the new Eurostar railterminal at St Pancras, will make Hertfordshirejust a few hours from Paris, Brussels andcentral Europe. Stansted, Luton, Heathrowand Gatwick airports are all located close tothe county boundaries or within easy access,providing national and international flights.

High standards of living and low levels ofunemployment, coupled with a rich mix ofrural and urban environments, add to theattraction of life in the county. Our residentsare generally well educated, computer-literateand relatively well paid. In 2005, the averageannual earnings of Hertfordshire residentemployees were over £38,000 - the highest inthe East of England. Robert Gordon toprovide text re skills shortage

With the exception of prices for flats andmaisonettes, house prices in Hertfordshire areconsiderably higher than the national average.The average house price in Hertfordshire inSeptember 2005 was £263,000, comparedwith a UK average of £195,000. This canpresent difficulties to lower paid and youngworkers looking to buy property inHertfordshire.

Levels of deprivation across Hertfordshire arelow, reflecting the county's position as one ofthe major economic drivers within the East of England region. The county is the leastdeprived of the six counties in the region andranked 12th amongst the 149 counties andunitary authorities across England. However,these statistics hide some areas of significanthardship, and the Council is working to ensurethat all residents have the same access toservices.

Hertfordshire has one of the lowest crimerates in the country but low-level crime suchas vandalism and graffiti, coupled with the fearof crime, leaves people feeling unsafe.Appointing more Police Community SupportOfficers, many funded by the Council, hascombated this problem and successfulrecruitment campaigns have resulted in thehighest number of police officers ever.

The high standard and the continuingimprovement in educational achievement inHertfordshire draws people here. The Council is responsible for educating around 160,000children in 550 schools. The new Children'sTrust Partnership has legal responsibility for the protection, education and life chances of all children.

The average house price inHertfordshire in September 2005was £263,000, compared with aUK average of £195,000. Thiscan present difficulties to lowerpaid and young workers lookingto buy property in Hertfordshire.

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• There are over 10,695 teachers inHertfordshire, teaching around 160,000children in 550 schools every week day

• Over 5 million people visited HertfordshireLibraries in 2005/06

• In 2005, 96 percent of people rated ourCustomer Service Centre as 'helpful' in acustomer satisfaction survey

• On an average day, Hertfordshire Adult CareServices supported 2,300 adults with alearning disability to live in their own homes

• Hertfordshire Highways maintained5,000km of roads, pavements andassociated drains as well as over 100,000street lights, 15,000 illuminated signs and5,000 traffic bollards

• Transportation Planning and Policy unitdealt with over 6,000 highway planningapplications, representing a 10% increase

• 2.1 million average page views onhertsdirect.org every month, a 40% increase on the previous year. This makeshertsdirect.org the second most visited local authority website in the UK

• 48% of the waste collected at HouseholdWaste Recycling Centres was recycled

• Whilst tackling the Buncefield Oil Depotfires, over 80% of Hertfordshire firefightersattended the incident, over 600,000 litres ofspecial foam were used to contain the firesvia 30 kilometres of hosepipe. HertfordshireConstabulary, Fire and Rescue and theCounty Council Press Office dealt with over2,000 telephone calls in 24 hours

Key Facts

33% (178,000tonnes) of thetotal household waste producedby 450,000 homesin Hertfordshirewas recycled

200,000 transactions were completedon line at hertsdirect.org, making itmore convenient for our customers,reducing impact on officer time and improving efficiency

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In December 2005, the Audit Commission -which monitors how well local authorities areperforming - awarded the County Council theirtop Four Star rating for overall performance,which places Hertfordshire among the bestperforming local authorities in the country. Italso judged the Council to be 'improving well'and in their evaluation, the Commissioncommended the Council for:

• Improving key priority services, such asthose that support children and improveeducational qualifications

• Achieving government beacon awards forwork to support carers and management of assets

• Working with the police to reduce fear of crimeby funding police community support officers

• Improving services that help older anddisabled people keep their independenceand stay in their own homes

• Successfully recruiting key social care staff

• Achieving good value for money, particularlyin waste management and through moreefficient management processes

• Improving arrangements for planning services

• Working in partnership with other agenciesto improve services

For more information about how ourperformance is measured and compared withother authorities across the country, visitwww.hertsdirect.org/yrccouncil/reports/cpaconn/

Other improvements in 2005

• Increased overall customer satisfaction by 9% to 68%

• Overall 50% of applications for schoolsadmissions were completed on line, withSecondary School admissions reaching 65% (the highest in the UK)

• 61% of pupils achieved five A* - C grades in GCSE, compared with the national figureof 54%

• Truancy rates within Hertfordshire schoolsare amongst the lowest, of any county inEngland

• Of the schools inspected by Ofsted in 2005,80% were judged to be very good or good,with a further 15% satisfactory and thenumber of schools 'causing concern'decreased significantly

• 92% of Adult Care Service users had theirequipment delivered within seven workingdays of assessment

• Waste and recycling - one of the highestperforming county councils in England

• The number of people killed or seriouslyinjured on Hertfordshire's roads reducedfrom an average of 1084 per year to 691 per year in just four years. In the same periodthe number of children killed or seriouslyinjured was almost halved. This is the bestreduction achieved by any authority in thewhole East of England region

AchievementsHertfordshire County Council has facedmany challenges over the past few years andas the previous pages highlight, there are stillareas that need improving. However, therehave been key achievements that residents,the Council and its partners can be proud of.

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Independently and in partnership over thenext three years, the Council will set out tomeet these challenges:

Helping people feel safe and secure

Maximising opportunities for all children and young people, particularly by:

a. Improving vocational education and training

b. Making sure that safeguarding children is everyone's business

Supporting the independence of the growing number of older people

Tackling the causes and impact of congestion

Dealing with worn out roads andpavements

Reducing the impact of new developmenton the environment

Maximising efficiency savings 7

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The Council’s challengesover the next three years

Hertfordshire County Council is committed to reviewing andimproving all of its services andprocesses. For more informationand a full list of the servicesprovided, turn to page XX in the appendices or visitwww.hertsdirect.org/XXXX.

Everything that the Council does aimsto ‘make Hertfordshire an even betterplace to live and work’.

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Helping people feel safe and secure 1

Residents have the right to feel safe andsecure, at home and at work. Whilestatistically Hertfordshire may be a safe placeto live, the 'fear of crime' among residents isfar higher than it should be.

Since 1997 crime levels have fallen steadily,and crime figures are below the nationalaverage. But Hertfordshire should not only beone of the safest places to live, it should feelthat way too.

Each year, public consultation confirms thatreducing crime and disorder in ourcommunities is a priority for residents. Low-level crime or anti-social behaviour in the formof vandalism, graffiti, and rowdy behaviourcontributes to the fear of crime, and affectsthe quality of life for our communities.

The Crime and Drugs Strategy Unit has thelead responsibility for this area of work. Itcoordinates a range of services including firesafety, road safety, child protection, adultprotection, drug treatment, trading standardsand emergency planning.

For many residents, an important challenge isreducing alcohol related anti-social behaviour.Changes in licensing laws and the impact ofnighttime activity are both areas of concern. Inorder to reduce crime, there is also a need tominimise the damage to society that drugmisuse brings.

The council has achieved some considerablesuccess in meeting its targets, but clearlymore work is needed to provide the degree ofreassurance that communities demand.

What it means

• Ensuring that Hertfordshire continues to bea safe place in which to live, work and travel

• Understanding the impact that alcoholmisuse has on the community, and how this can be reduced

• Breaking the cycle of offending betweencriminal activity and substance misuse

• Allowing everyone in Hertfordshire the rightto feel safe and secure, at home and at work

• Increasing public confidence andreassurance by promoting the extended use of high visibility Police CommunitySupport Officers

• Continuing to reduce the number of peoplekilled or seriously injured on roads inHertfordshire

• Achieving the targets identified in the LocalArea Agreement (LAA)

What success will be like

People will feel safer and more secure. Crimelevels will be reduced further and people willfeel that the quality of life in local areas willhave improved.

Key actions

• Ensuring that the work and achievements ofPolice Community Support Officersprovides reassurance to communities

• Reducing the fear of crime as measured bythe British Crime Survey

• Implementing the Alcohol Harm ReductionAction Plan so that the impacts of alcoholmisuse can be minimised

• Implementing the Drugs and Alcohol Strategy

• Delivering the Drug InterventionsProgramme by increasing the numbers ofdrug misusing offenders entering treatmentwith an overarching aim to reduce crime

• Providing a range of diversionary activitiesfor young people to ensure that they canchannel their skills and enthusiasm intomore constructive activities

• Continuing the expansion of the County'sHome Security Service (which providesadvice on home safety, minor repairs andsecurity measures) by further developing thebusiness plan

• Identifying socially isolated groups anddevising ways by which these groups couldbecome more involved in, and able toinfluence, this area of work

• All agencies to continue to participate in theEnvironmental Action Days

• Reducing the number of deliberate fires

• Continuing to operate the call challengepolicy to reduce the number of hoax firecalls

• Implementing the Fire and Rescue ServiceCommunity Safety Plan, including theintroduction of a Community Safety Task Force

• Implementing the Road Safety Plan 2006–2010, including safety engineering,education and training and enforcementmeasures

Our performance targets

Over the next three years, the council aims to:

Increase

• From 2,711 to 3,600, the number ofproperties secured by the County'sHertfordshire Home Securities Service

• From 72% to 80%, the amount of timespent by Police Community SupportOfficers outside of their stations

• From 26 to 40 per year, the number oflicensed premises visited during multi-agency operations, to combat the illegalsale of alcohol to young people

• From a target of 450 to 950, the numbers ofdrug misusing offenders entering treatment(these are persistent and/or drug misusingoffenders who commit a disproportionatelevel of crime, engaged with the DrugsIntervention Project)

Reduce

• From 2,910 to 2,646 per year, the numberof deliberate fires

• From a target of 680 to 620 per year, thenumber of people killed and seriouslyinjured on the roads.

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents' viewson the challenge each year, and aim to increaseby 2% year on year (from 62% in 2005) theproportion who believe it has been successfulin helping people feel safe and secure.

For more details of these targets see appendix 1.

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Maximising opportunities for all children and young people,particularly by:

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Supporting young people is a key priority forHertfordshire. It is important to supportpersonal development, and provide youngpeople with the skills and opportunities to leadfulfilling adult and working lives.

Ensuring good outcomes in terms ofeducation and health are essential, as are theopportunities for young people to make theirviews known, to participate in decision-making, and to make a positive contribution tothe community. Where children and youngpeople are at risk of significant harm, it is alsothe council's role to ensure that they areadequately safeguarded.

This challenge can only be achieved through a strong and effective partnership with otherorganisations.

What it means

• Improving the achievement, life chancesand well-being of all children and youngpeople in Hertfordshire

• Strengthening our arrangements forsafeguarding children at risk of abuse and neglect, and putting in place betterpreventative services

• Raising the bar for all children and youngpeople across Hertfordshire, particularly inthe 14-19 phase of education

• Meeting the five outcomes for all childrenand young people, as set out by theGovernment in the Children Act 2004: being healthy, staying safe, enjoying andachieving, making a positive contribution,and achieving economic well-being.


Children and young people will live safely, free from abuse in their families, communitiesand schools and will be helped and protectedwhen subject to maltreatment, neglect andsexual exploitation.

There will be increased participation andachievement in post-16 education, particularlyin vocational education and work-basedlearning. Young people will be consulted on,and contribute to, decisions on mattersaffecting them, and have opportunities toshape services

Key actions

• The Council will strengthen 14-19 educationand training through the introduction of anentitlement curriculum, to be delivered byschools, colleges and work-based learningproviders in consortia across sevenstrategic planning areas in Hertfordshire.

• Action will be taken in the planning areas to extend the range of learning programmesavailable, to remove unnecessaryduplication, to improve the quality ofvocational education and work-basedlearning, and to remove sixth form provisionwhere it is unsatisfactory.

• The Council will make sure thatsafeguarding children is everyone'sbusiness, working with partners to identifyand protect children who need our help atthe earliest stage possible.

• In particular, the Council will ensure that allchildren in need, including those at risk ofsignificant harm, have their needsaddressed in a timely way, supported byeffective intervention plans.



Increase:

• From 196.5 to 210.8, the average pointscore of 16 to 18 year olds per entry at level3 in schools and colleges

• From 2245 to 9000, the number ofvocational qualifications achieved by youngpeople aged 14 to 19 years in schools

• From a target of 46% to 66%, theproportion of initial assessments (of needs)carried out within statutory timescales

• From a target of 55% to 75%, theproportion of core assessments (of needs)carried out within statutory timescales

• From a target of 55% to 60%, thepercentage of children and young peoplewho feel that their right to being listened tois being met

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 75% in2005) the proportion of residents who believethe county council has been successful overthe past year in maximising opportunities forchildren and young people.


a. Improving vocational education and trainingb. Making sure that safeguarding children is everyone's business

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Supporting the independence of thegrowing number of older people3

Hertfordshire has an increasingly ageingpopulation, and older people have made ahuge contribution to the county. There aremore than155,000 people in Hertfordshireaged 65 and over. 73,000 of these are 75 andover, and nearly 19,000 are aged 85 and over.A key concern is that more older people willlive alone with less support from family carers.

The challenge is focused on those aged 75and over. 12% of those aged 65 and over arein touch with Adult Care Services (ACS), thisrises to 22% of those aged 75 plus, and 46%of those aged 85 and over. It is likely theseproportions will increase over time.

Older people make up a large proportion ofHertfordshire's population and are potentialusers of the range of council services. Thiscrosscutting challenge also affects partnerorganisations, such as district councils, thehealth service and the voluntary andcommunity sector.

The council needs to use its communityleadership role to respond to this challenge forall older people in Hertfordshire. In line with'Putting People First', this challenge aims toprovide culturally sensitive services that meetspecific diversity needs.

The recent White Paper 'Your health, YourCare, Your Say' provides an important policyframework for this challenge. Adult Careservices will make a significant contribution tothis challenge as well as working with otherdepartments around lifelong learning,information services, cultural services andtransport.

What it means

• Ensuring that older people can liveindependently within their own homes for aslong as possible with a choice of flexible andappropriate support services where needed

• Delivering our services in a way that takesinto account of the views of all older peoplein the planning and delivery of all services


Older people benefiting from improved health,improved quality of life, economic well being,more personal dignity and freedom fromdiscrimination or harassment.

There will be more opportunities to make apositive contribution to society, throughexercising choice and control. They will besupported in their homes for longer. Moreolder people will be engaged with andsupported through the voluntary andcommunity sector (ACS spends over £6million in the voluntary sector) and will be ableto manage their own care if they wish.Avoidable hospital stays will be prevented andcarers will be supported to continue to carefor their relative/friend.

Key actions

• Implementing a new model of 'enabling'home care that helps people regainindependence whenever possible(implement across all areas during 2006/07)

• Implementing a commissioning strategy toensure adequate range of services for olderpeople (2006-2010)

• Increasing the number of older people whoreceive Direct Payments (year on year)

• Supporting an increased number of workingcarers in their caring role (2006-2008)

• Developing better means of consulting andinvolving older people and demonstratingthat we have taken action in response toolder people's views (2006-2007)

• Working with partner agencies to raiseawareness and promote the delivery ofdesired outcomes for older people(2006/09)

• Developing appropriate performanceindicators to better reflect the preventativeapproach and to better measure quality oflife/well-being (2007/09)



Increase

• From 88% to 91%, the satisfaction of olderpeople following a review

• From 8,941 to 10, 412, the number of olderpeople helped to live at home

• From 4,900 to 5,274, the number of olderpeople supported by the voluntary andcommunity sector

• From 4,693 to 4,835 the number of usersaged 65 and over who have had one ormore items of telecare equipment in theirown homes

Decrease/Prevent

• From 2,396 to 2,513, the number ofhospital admissions (people that could behelped without admitting them to hospital)

• More than 14 acute beds being occupied(at any one time) by older people whosehospital treatment is complete and arewaiting for social care

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 75% in2005), the proportion of residents who believethe County Council has been successful overthe past year in ensuring that older people areable to live independently within their ownhomes for as long as possible.



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Tackling the causes and impact of congestion4

Keeping the traffic on Hertfordshire's roadsmoving is vital for the future of the county. Allroad users, including businesses, need tohave consistently reliable journey times andnot live with the threat of gridlock.

Congestion is seen by the public as one of themost pressing environmental issues facingHertfordshire: 80% of people feel thatcongestion has got worse over the last three years.

Traffic flows in Hertfordshire are 35% higherthan the national average, a result of severalfactors, including high levels of car ownership,and a population of more than a millionpeople, living in thirty towns, near London.

The local road network is frequently at, ornear, full capacity. Difficulties or failures due toaccidents, faults or roadworks on the busynational routes which cross the county makethis situation worse. Consequently, the wearand tear on the infrastructure is considerable.

The Road Traffic Reduction Act (1997)requires us to tackle traffic growth. The councilis also required to deal with congestion underthe Traffic Management Act (2004).

What it means

o Ensuring consistent, reliable, reasonablejourney times and minimising the impact ofcongestion on the traveling public. This is nota challenge for us alone; congestion can onlybe tackled effectively if others, from individualcitizens to central government, play a part.Tackling congestion is one of four sharedpriorities that we have to deliver as part of theLocal Transport Plan 2

o The Highways and Transport Panel receivesa congestion action plan on a regular basis


Hertfordshire's roads will be safer and easierto use. Road users will have more consistentlyreliable and reasonable journey times.

Key actions

A. Managing / co-ordinating

• Enforcement / oversight of all activity on thenetwork

• Integration of maintenance works

• Transport Plans for major settlementsdevised and agreed

• Managing commercial decisions by busoperators to minimize impact on users

B. Influencing and informing

• Getting the right development plan policiesin place

• Strengthening and sharpening theTravelWise campaign

• Publicising information about works on thenetwork and changes to the network

• Liaising with the Highways Agency tominimise the impact of their activity on ourroads

• Encouraging travel by bus, rail, cycle orwalking and exploiting opportunities suchas the rights of way network

• Promoting travel plans for schools andwork-places

• Demonstrating good practice by havingtravel plans for all of our premises

C. Securing infrastructure improvement

• Maximising external funding to deliverimprovements including the government'sTransport Innovation Fund (TIF)

• Ensuring that developers contribute toeasing congestion by helping to pay forchanges, and getting their plans right, sothey don't make the traffic worse

• Providing real-time information for travellersat key locations



Increase

• From 51% to 78%, the proportion ofschools making active use of travel plans

Uphold

• At 31 million, the numbers of people makinglocal trips on buses

• At 100%, the timely completion of theplanned repairs/improvements to footways,lighting etc on the highway

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 38% in2005), the proportion of residents who believethe County Council has been successful overthe past year in tackling the causes andimpact of congestion.



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Dealing with worn out roads and pavements5

Hertfordshire's roads and pavementsexperience high levels of usage in comparisonto other areas. The council has a duty toensure that residents have a well-maintainedroad network.

Public surveys consistently show thatresidents are concerned over the condition ofHertfordshire's roads and pavements. BestValue Performance Indicator results show thathigh volumes of traffic on Hertfordshire'sroads cause significant wear and tear andmake it harder to maintain the road network toacceptable standards.

The current rate of investment is enough tohalt the deterioration of roads and pavements,and the latest predictions show a continuingand significant fall in the asset value of thehighway network. Overcoming this challengeis therefore about securing external funding,as set out in our Local Transport Plan targets.

What it means

• Halting the deterioration of key parts of theroad and pavement network through acombination of investment and targeting of resources


Better condition roads and pavements. Publicconfidence in properly maintained roads andpavements, and a five-year investment planagreed by Government.

Key actions

• Additional £10million invested in enhancedmaintenance strategy, plus rest of thebudget utilised to maximum effect

• Developing the Transport AssetManagement Plan to co-ordinate andintegrate all activity on the road andpavement network, including maintenanceworks

• Targeting baseline and enhancedmaintenance funding to achieve maximumbenefit in terms of performance indicatorsand asset value

• Establishing performance indicators, innegotiation with the government, to bettermonitor in the long term the condition of thehighway asset

• Raising awareness of and publiciseinformation about our work on the network



Uphold

• A target of 52% for the proportion offootways likely to need significant repairs

Additionally we will be setting targets for thecondition of our major, minor and unclassifiedroads based on a new methodology laid downby the Government.

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 36% in2005), the proportion of residents who believethe County Council has been successful indealing with deteriorating roads andpavements over the past year, by 2% year on year.


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Reducing the impact of newdevelopment on the environment6

Hertfordshire is one of Britain's most denselypopulated counties and is under threat fromover development. Situated immediately northof London, it's sandwiched between Stanstedand Luton airports and crossed by major roads.

The council is under extreme pressure toaccommodate thousands of new homes. The major greenfield housing developmentsproposed north of Harlow, west and north ofStevenage and at Broxbourne, together withthe expansion of the airports, presentchallenges to our commitment to sustainabledevelopment.

The likely scale of development has significantimplications for Hertfordshire's currentsettlements, infrastructure and physicalenvironment

What it means

• Finding a balance between encouragingsustainable development and protectingHertfordshire's quality of life.

• Moving away from unsustainable growth,which would have implications across arange of policy areas including transport,environmental quality, waste management,education, social care and communitycohesion.


Thriving communities enjoying a good qualityof life, and Hertfordshire's natural resourcesand wildlife protected for the future.

Key actions

A. Practical advice and implementation

• Development of environmental policies tosupport Local Development Documents

• Close working with Hertfordshire's districtcouncils, advising and supporting them andassisting with the application of policies andprogrammes such as the SustainableDesign Guide, Landscape Assessmentsetc.

• Implementing transport improvementschemes

B. Influencing and informing

• Representation at the regional level makingthe case against unsustainable growthproposals

• Initiating and supporting locally basedenvironmental improvement schemes

• As a major employer, demonstrate goodpractice through the application ofsustainable design principles to all councilpremises

C. Prevention

Establishment of the Ecological Footprintmethod to shape future policies andprogrammes. Hertfordshire's EcologicalFootprint represents the amount of biologicallyproductive land and water its residents use



Increase

• From 66% to 89%, the proportion ofnationally important wildlife sites consideredto be in a favourable condition by Englishnature

Uphold

• Above regional planning guidance levels of 60%, the proportions of houses built onland where there has already beendevelopment

• At 0 hectares, the area of Greenfield landlost to development, other than todevelopment that accords withDevelopment Plans

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 57% in2005), the proportion of residents who believethe County Council has been successful inbalancing the need for new development withprotecting the environment over the past year.


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Maximising efficiency savings 7

Providing excellent services in the most cost-effective way, continually striving to makesavings by being innovative and efficient - isHertfordshire County Council's duty.

In order to respond to rising cost pressuresand minimise the need for service reductions,it will be necessary to maximise efficiencies.

As part of setting challenging efficiency goals,the council will be able to respond to theGovernment's agenda to deliver efficiencysavings without affecting service levels(Gershon efficiency savings) that targets localauthorities to deliver 2.5% savings each year,over the three years from 2005/06.

Given the scale of the challenge it is alsoessential that services are reviewed to ensurethat they are achieving value for money andsupport our most important priorities.

What it means

The challenge is simply expressed as threeyear overall efficiencies, of which at least £6.6million per annum are targeted as cashablesavings.

Cashable efficiencies release cash whilstmaintaining outputs and allow the resourcesthat are released to be diverted to otherservices or to hold down council taxincreases. Cashable gains accrue whenprojects achieve one or more of the following:

• Reducing inputs (money, people, assets,etc) for the same outputs

• Reducing prices (procurement, labourcosts, etc) for the same outputs

Non-cashable efficiency gains occur whenone or more of the following is achieved:

• Getting greater outputs or improved quality(extra service, productivity, etc) for the sameinputs

• Getting more outputs or improved quality inreturn for an increase in resources that isproportionately less than the increase inoutput or quality

To achieve this, a significant review andreshaping of services will need to beconsidered.

The scale of efficiency savings needed willrequire us to work even closer with districtcouncils and other public sector partners toadminister / deliver services differently andmaximise economies of scale.


The Council will be recognised for providingexcellent services and increasingly good valuefor money.

Key actions

• Delivering an efficiency agenda especiallythrough major projects like the SimplyingHertfordshire's Accounting and ResourceProcesses (SHARP) project and reducingthe number of office bases

• Comprehensive review ofservices/outcomes using approach set out in the corporate planning process

• Consideration of invest to save schemes -and potential for funding these throughadditional borrowing

• Lobbying for a fair a share of governmentfunding

• Explaining to the public the impact ofgovernment funding changes on council tax levels



Meet or exceed

• The Government's target for total efficiencysavings of £13.2 million

• The Government's target for cashableefficiency savings of £6.6 million

Hertfordshire Council will seek residents'views on the challenge each year, and aim toincrease by 2% year on year (from 60% in2005), the proportion of residents who believethe County Council has been successful inmaximising savings through efficiencies overthe past year.


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In 2005, a new corporate planning processwas introduced to identify the real challenges.A key element is the use of evidence,including relative performance and costinformation to develop service profiles. Atransparent performance vs. cost grid, calleda strategic compass was used to measurerelative performance, against relative cost.This was a way of assessing how well the keyoutcomes for the organisation are being met.You can find more details of our corporateplanning process in appendix X (to beconfirmed).

There are four underlying principles for theway the council works and interacts with each other, our partners, our customers and resources.

Keep the people of Hertfordshire at thecentre of everything

The council welcomes the differences thatmake people who they are. Everyone in thecommunity has the right to benefit from theservices provided and the job opportunitiesoffered - irrespective of gender, age,background, disability, race, sexualorientation, political and religious beliefs ortrade union activities. This is in line with ourcommitment to attain Level three of theEquality Standard.

The council aims to reflect those beliefs ineverything we do. Everyone we work with andemploy, should feel respected and confidentthat we will recognise their individuality and willdeal with them honestly and openly. To dothis, the council will:

• Work in partnership with voluntary agenciessuch as Age Concern to find out whatmatters most to older residents - goingbeyond those issues that are seen as themost relevant to that age group - and whattheir views are on services such as recyclingand opportunities for young people.

• Develop innovative ways of engaging ourcommunities, to gain honest, face-to-faceand immediate feedback from those thatmight not otherwise participate inconsultations. Clearly demonstrate whataction has been taken as a result of thisfeedback.

• Ensure departments implement and monitoran action plan for ensuring that services areequally accessible to all people andappropriate to their differing needs

Recognise the importance of highlytrained and motivated staff

Hertfordshire's staff recruitment proceduresare based on fair selection methods to ensureopportunities are equally accessible to staffwith disabilities. The council encourages allemployees to undertake training to achieve ahigh standard of performance and developtheir careers. Leadership development is anintegral part of the council's people strategy.

Maximise the use of technology anderadicate unnecessary bureaucracy

Improving the quality of support services bymaximising the use of technology, reducingduplication and exploiting economies of scale.

Work with public and private sectorpartners to benefit Hertfordshire

The council's customer service centre wasone of the first in the country to be outsourcedto a third party and develop a shared servicecentre approach, to improve customer serviceand produce significant budget efficiencies.

The Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a newnational programme designed to improvelocal services via strengthened partnershipworking. The LAA will provide greater flexibilityfor key agencies in Hertfordshire (such as localauthorities, health, the voluntary sector andthe police) to pool their budgets and join upservices in number of key areas. Success inour challenges is dependant on the strengthof the LAA and a group of public sector, LocalStrategic Partnerships, business andvoluntary sector organisations calledHertsforward.

Details of Hertfordshire's LAAcan be found at (website to beinserted). Further details can befound in the appendix X (to beconfirmed)

The way Hertfordshire works – how arewe going to meet these challenges?Although these challenges focus on someof the difficult long-term issues facingHertfordshire, we are continuing to addressa wide range of other important anddemanding issues through our services and with partners.

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The individuals responsible for ensuring weprovide the best public services in the country:

David Beatty - The Leader of the Council

Political leader of the County Council who setsthe agenda and leads the 77 electedmembers (Councillors) on the decision makingprocess. Councillors follow a code of conductin the way they carry out their duties and aresupported by a Standards Committee, whichtrains and advises them on the code.

The Cabinet

The Cabinet decides how County Councilservices are run and recommends the budgetand policy framework. The Cabinet comprisesthe Leader (appointed by the County Council)and up to nine executive members, who areappointed by the leader to oversee particularareas. The Cabinet cannot take decisions thatare out of line with the overall policies orbudget agreed by the full Council. CabinetPanels can be set up by this group to helpdevelop policy. All major decisions arepublished in a forward plan.

Executive members of the Cabinet: The Strategic Management Board (SMB)

A team of chief officers, led by the ChiefExecutive, with responsibility for overallmanagement of the County Council and thedelivery of all services. The board supports themember decision-making process andoversees the implementation of the corporateplan. They also oversee the annual priority andbudget-setting process. There are strong linksbetween members and the chief officers, toensure policies are implemented. The SMBincludes a monitoring officer and a ChiefFinance Officer who are legally responsible forensuring the Council acts within the law anduses its resources wisely. For furtherinformation and a list of the service plans, turnto page XX or visit www.hertsdirect.org/XXX

Members of SMB:

Caroline TapsterChief Executive

The Chief Executive role is to ensure efficientdelivery of our responsibilities and maintainfocus on strategic and long-term issues. Sheis also responsible for developing effectiverelationships with Members and externalrelationships with central government, otherlocal authorities and partners, including theprivate and voluntary sector, to improveservices in Hertfordshire.

Our people

Sarah Pickup Director of Adult Care Services

John Sellgren Communications Director

Alan WarnerCorporate Director (People and Property)

Chris SweeneyDirector of Finance

Andrew RobertsonDirector of Commercial Services and Information

Andrew LaycockCounty Secretary

Roy Wilsher Chief Fire Officer, Fire and Rescue

John WoodDirector of Environment

John Harris Director of Children, Schools and Families

Keith Emsall Community Safety and Culture

Sally NewtonAdult Care and Health

Stuart PileEnvironment andTransportation

Derrick AshleyPlanning, Partnershipsand Waste

Jane PitmanAll Children’s Services

David Lloyd Education

Robert GordonDeputy Leader of the Council andExecutive Member for Performance and Resources

David Beatty Leader of the Council



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Appendix 1

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Appendix 2

DPPJ11487

Hertfordshire County CouncilCounty HallPegs LaneHertford SG13 8DQ