By Keith Shephard, Head of Herts County Council's Strategic Partnerships Unit.
In December the Audit Commission published the so called ‘Area Assessment’ of Hertfordshire on their ‘One Place’ website.
This is part of the Commission’s national role in putting areas under the microscope considering evidence, testing priorities and seeing how well local organisations are working together to maintain and improve the quality of life for residents.
All parts of the Hertfordshire Forward partnership family worked with the Commission to help shape the Assessment, which is intended to give any member of the public an insight into what the county is like.
Overall, the Area Assessment states that Hertfordshire is a good place to live, where residents are healthy and prosperous, where children achieve in school, and where older people are looked after well and helped to live independently. However, there are areas in the County which are less prosperous, and where outcomes for residents are not as good. Tackling inequalities has been identified area for further attention.
A brief summary of the Audit Commission’s Area Assessment by countywide theme is provided below:
A. Children and Young People
Children and young people in Hertfordshire generally have a good start in life. On average they are healthy, achieve good results at school and will be unlikely to experience financial hardship or deprivation. Partners in Hertfordshire are committed to ‘narrowing the gap' between the experiences of children and young people in different parts of the county.
B. Jobs, Prosperity and Skills
Hertfordshire is a relatively wealthy, prosperous area, where earnings are generally higher than average and unemployment is lower. The economy is resilient and stable, and people are generally well qualified and well skilled. There are few areas of deprivation in the county, although this has increased. Hertfordshire has not been as badly affected by the recession as other areas and the response is gathering pace. Partners have signed up to a ‘Recession Pledge' and have allocated £4million to a ‘recession to recovery' programme.
C. Healthier Communities and Older People
People tend to live longer, and enjoy healthier lives than average, with better life expectancy, higher rates of exercise, and lower instances obesity and alcohol-related illnesses. However, there are significant health inequalities in the County with people in the more deprived areas experienced poorer health outcomes. Plans are in place for partners to address these inequalities. Older people in Hertfordshire are reasonably well looked after in Hertfordshire. Care for older people is generally good, enabling many to live independently in their own homes.
D. Safer and Stronger Communities
Hertfordshire is generally a safe area to live. Overall, crime rates are low compared to national averages and have been falling consistently. Despite this, more residents are concerned about crime than is the case in similar areas. Also, parts of the county do have higher levels of crime, particularly Watford, Broxbourne and
E. Transport, Access and Sustainable Development
Traffic levels are thirty five per cent higher than the national average. As a result, traffic congestion is a major concern for residents. Road traffic levels across the county are falling slowly.
Local authorities are reducing the amount of waste going to landfill sites and there are ambitious plans to reduce this further. The countywide recycling rate is higher than average and improving. However, overall levels of waste per household remain high. Hertfordshire is making progress on tackling climate change. CO2 levels per head are below the regional average.
F. Better Places to Live
Hertfordshire is an attractive place to live, and residents enjoy a good quality of life, with areas of natural beauty, parks and open spaces. The requirement to develop new homes, and new jobs, creates a tension with sustaining that quality of life.
A ‘red flag’ has been awarded for ‘planning for new housing’ because there is not a comprehensive assessment of what Hertfordshire’s housing needs are and the range of organisations involved in housing provision have not effectively coordinated their work to produce clear plans for how housing needs in Hertfordshire are going to be met.
The Hertfordshire Forward Core Group will respond to the challenges presented in the report, though there is much to celebrate too.
For further information contact the County Council’s Strategic Partnership Unit on 01992 555252..
