Better Places to Live
Affordable housing and the quality of our neighbourhoods are essential in sustaining Hertfordshire’s unique character and quality of life. The Better Places to Live Partnership was established in late 2008 to balance our long term objective to sustain Hertfordshire's unique character and quality of life with pressure to deliver high rates of development growth. Early work has focused on partnership development: membership and building consensus on objectives. The Better Places to Live Partnership objectives outlined in Hertfordshire 2021: A Brighter Future are:
- Ensure partners work together to understand housing needs and market demands in the county
- Ensure we have an appropriate mix of housing provision to support those needs and demands
- Ensure a minimum of 35% new housing will be affordable and that this is sensibly integrated with private housing
- Avoid coalescence between our communities by protecting our greenbelt wherever possible, and enhancing our urban fringe and open spaces
- Support the management of our land, particularly the historic built and natural landscape, as well as local agriculture, which protects our biodiversity, wildlife, and natural resources
- Enhance the quality and distinctiveness of our town centres and their range of local facilities and ensuring our villages remain vibrant.