Greener Hertford
Environmental Sustainability Strategy
Hertford Town Council declared a climate emergency in July 2023. To help tackle this emergency, the Council has developed an Environmental Sustainability Strategy, declaring both its commitment and its aim to be carbon neutral by 2030 and to do all in its power to protect our environment and make Hertford as sustainable as possible. You can ready all of our strategies, as well as our corporate plan, here.
We will achieve the actions within the strategy through implementing work within the following themes:
- Helping Hertford to be more sustainable (GREENER COMMUNITIES)
- Enabling more sustainable forms of transport (WALKING, WHEELING AND CYCLING)
- Protecting and enhancing nature and biodiversity (NATURE AND BIODIVERSITY)
- Transforming our own estate and operations (A GREENER COUNCIL)
Greener Communities
Through the Greener Communities theme, we want to:
- Provide advice on grants for projects that help deliver this strategy, such as energy efficiency improvements to homes and businesses’ potentially saving money for our residents and businesses. To Find out more about grants click here.
- Engage with the community about our strategy and provide advice to residents and businesses on how they can reduce their impact on the environment and be more sustainable. This may be through promoting our Energy Hub, promoting the Refill Scheme, or hosting events like Eco Fest. You can also check out our Eco Tips page for more information.
- Support the development of the Castle Plus Neighbourhood Plan to improve the sustainability of any new development in the town and to protect and enhance green space and biodiversity. Learn about how you can get involved here.
Walking, Wheeling and Cycling
- Encourage and support initiatives to encourage active travel – for environmental benefit as well as improved health and wellbeing. Check out our safer cycling map to get started!
- Encourage and support projects to improve air quality by reducing traffic and congestion.
- Encourage and support initiatives to make public spaces safe, accessible and inclusive.
Nature and Biodiversity
- Protect and enhance our green spaces.
- Enhance biodiversity in the town with nature-friendly green space and new wildlife habitats.
- Take action where we can, to improve the quality of our water bodies and increase water efficiency.
A Greener Council
- Make our buildings and operations more energy efficient and sustainable, showcasing best practice.
- Develop a Sustainable Procurement policy; implementing high sustainability standards for anything we procure and giving priority to recycled, fairtrade, and locally sourced products.
- Be mindful of offering environmentally friendly choices through our events by, for example, plant-based food and drink options at Castle events, and sharing via Council communications why these choices are better for the environment and potentially better for health and wellbeing.
Hertford 2030
Learn more about the Hertford 2030 survey and access learning materais via: https://www.hertford.gov.uk/hertford-2030-public-survey/
Eco Audit
Planned Outcome: Reduced carbon footprint, improved sustainability, and demonstrated exemplary implementation encouraging best practices in the wider community of Hertford.
Key Achievements: The Council has agreed an Objective to ‘Develop and implement a strategy for the Council to improve its carbon footprint and sustainability’. A working party has been set up to provide oversight on the progress of the work identified in the Councils Eco Audit Report, January 2021, as well as the Eco Audit Update Report, April 2024.
To date:
(Current Status of all actions is included in the Working Party Meeting Agenda)
- Loft Insulation has been installed at the Castle and Seed Warehouse
- Halogen lights replaced with LED ones at the Castle and War Memorial
- 90% of all lights in the Town Council Offices have been replaced with LED
- Infra-red heating has replaced Hertford Castle's old heating system and to date has significantly decreased energy consumption.
- Investigatory work undertaken into improving insulation and heating systems in the Seed Warehouse
- Greenspace Action Plans adopted for the Council Cemetery and All Saints Churchyard
- Hertford Town Council has significantly reduced its paper usage saving approximately 77 trees annually.
Hertford Town Council Environmental Sustainability Action Plan
To discover more on the progress of the plan please visit Council Meetings
Get involved: If you are aware of any other initiatives in Hertford please email us on info@hertford.gov.uk