About Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a large county in South-east England whose southern border is just 12 miles from the centre of London. The county has a population of just under 1.2 million residents. Other counties that surround Hertfordshire are London (south), Buckinghamshire (west), Bedfordshire (north-west), Cambridgeshire (north-east) and Essex (east).
The county is full of contrasts which blend together to create a superb quality of life for residents and visitors. Thriving modern towns have developed amongst historic market towns and picturesque villages.
The largest town is Watford, situated within the M25 motorway and has a thriving shopping centre and business parks. Other large, historic towns include St Albans, Hitchin and Hertford. Mature “new” towns include Letchworth and Welwyn Garden City.
Hertfordshire has a strong diverse economy with particularly important sectors in pharmaceuticals, space technology, high value engineering, financial services, telecommunications, film, media and creative industries. Employment and skills levels are high with over half of Hertfordshire’s workforce employed in knowledge based industries. Hertfordshire was one of the first places to be approved for a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The LEP is now well established and is a respected champion of skills development and continued economic growth with strong business, academia, and Local Government representation, and a clear ambition to be a leading economic centre.
Hertfordshire is well connected nationally and internationally with four national motorways, 3 neighbouring international airports and two main line rail routes.
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About Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire, County of Opportunity
The council’s Corporate Plan, entitled ‘Hertfordshire - County of Opportunity' identifies the main ambitions and commitments that will provide the foundations for our activity between now and 2021.
The corporate plan sets out our key priorities for the county and how we intend to deliver our vision for Hertfordshire, where residents have the opportunity to:
Thrive: We want every Hertfordshire resident to have the opportunity to maximise their potential and live full lives as confident citizens.
Prosper: We want Hertfordshire’s economy to be strong, with resilient and successful businesses that offer employment opportunities to residents, helping them to maintain a high standard of living.
Be Healthy and Safe: We want Hertfordshire residents to have the opportunity to live as healthy lives as possible and to live safely in their communities.
Take Part: We want to enable all Hertfordshire residents to make a more active contribution to their local areas, working with elected representatives and other community activists to tackle local issues and ensure that council services are more responsive to their priorities and ambitions.
In establishing and developing its priorities the council always takes into account the requirements of central government and the views of its citizens and its partners.
The County Council is a large and complex business. With a net (excluding direct school funding) revenue budget of around £800m a year, it represents just under 1.2 million people and delivers a range of vital services through its 8,000 staff. At the forefront of the organisation are the 78 County Councillors who represent and serve the communities of Hertfordshire. Political control is currently with the Conservative Party.
