Local News and Events
Free Women’s Safety Talks
 Would you like tips to help keep you safe day-to-day? If so, please come along to one of our FREE women’s safety talks in Radlett on Tuesday 10 October or Bushey on Sunday 15 October. These stay safe sessions will cover risk awareness, safety on the street, stalking, conflict management and much more. We will discuss personal safety in both your professional and personal life; including public transport, traveling to and from home, lone working and work visits. We also look at how to use technology to assist with your safety and avoid pitfalls. Free refreshments will be available and anyone aged 18 or over is welcome to attend. Free parking and disabled parking are available at both venues. If you would like to book onto one of these events please visit: Radlett FREE women’s safety talk registration Bushey FREE women’s safety talk registration The safety talks are being coordinated by Hertsmere Community Safety Partnership (CSP) in partnership with the Community Safety Trust’s (CST) SAFE Programme. CST is a charity that protects British Jews from antisemitism and related threats. The SAFE Programme was established in 2019 to help communities in the UK to access relevant security advice. SAFE shares the CST’s security knowledge with groups outside the Jewish community that are vulnerable to violence, extremism or hate crime. To find more SAFE safety advice, please visit: https://linktr.ee/SAFE_CST If you have any questions about these events, please email community.safety@hertsmere.gov.uk  |
Join together to invest in renewable energy
  Hertsmere residents can come together to invest in renewables through a group-buying scheme for solar panels and battery storage. Solar Together Hertsmere (www.solartogether.co.uk/hertsmere) helps homeowners feel confident that they are paying the right price for a high-quality installation from pre-approved installers. This innovative scheme builds on six years of a highly successful Solar Together programme run across the UK. To date Solar Together has delivered over 22,000 installations and over 460,000 tonnes of avoided lifetime carbon emissions. Residents in Hertsmere can join the group-buying scheme, which offers solar panels with optional battery storage and EV charge points, as well as retrofit battery storage for residents who have already invested in solar panels and are looking to get more from the renewable energy they generate, as well as increase their independence from the grid. It is free to register and there is no obligation to go ahead with an installation. How does it work? Householders can register online to become part of the group for free and without obligation. Pre-approved UK solar PV suppliers participate in a reverse auction. They are able to offer competitive pricing as the volume and geographic concentration makes it possible for them to realise greater efficiencies, which they pass on with lower prices for installations. After the auction, registered households will be emailed a personal recommendation which is specific to the details they submitted in their registration. If they choose to accept their recommendation, the specifics of their installation will be confirmed with a technical survey after which a date can be set for the installation of their solar PV system. Telephone and email helpdesks are on-hand throughout the whole process which, together with information sessions, will allow households to make an informed decision in a safe and hassle-free environment. To find out more visit: www.hertsmere.gov.uk/solartogether |
Opt-in scheme to claim back council tax increase goes live
| You can now opt in for your 2023/2024 Hertsmere council tax increase refund. Find out more and claim your refund here |
Setting the wheels in motion for new 84B bus route
24 August 2023
A critical bus link between Potters Bar and Barnet will start in September, following the council’s ‘bold and innovative’ decision to allocate developer funding.
Starting from Monday 4 September, the 84B bus route will restore direct access to and from Potters Bar train station and Barnet Hospital, six days per week. It will provide an invaluable link for hospital users and visitors, schoolchildren, local businesses and residents.
The decision to fund the route through Hertsmere’s Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) scheme was made at an Extraordinary General Meeting of the council’s Cabinet on Wednesday 23 August.
The Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, Cllr Jeremy Newmark, commented: “We’ve moved speedily to meet a key commitment made by our partnership administration to reverse this bus cut dating from 2022. Reliable, affordable and sustainable public transport is a key driver of wellbeing for local people. Our investment will connect communities across municipal boundaries. We’ve taken a bold and innovative decision to use developer funding to support local transport infrastructure. I urge local people to support this route so that it remains sustainable in the future.”
Cabinet Member for Planning, infrastructure and transport, Cllr Nik Oakley, added: “The withdrawal of the 84 bus link in 2022 between Potters Bar and Barnet caused great distress to many in our communities with several instances of children needing to move schools and NHS staff needing to pay for taxis. Potters Bar residents without access to cars and public transport who need to use Barnet Hospital have been compelled to rely on taxis at a cost of £20-£30 or a very lengthy journey involving two or three buses via Cockfosters.”
“We were committed to providing this service using CIL funds and we have expedited this very quickly, delivering the new route in time for the start of the school term and a new direct link to Barnet Hospital. I know that many in our local communities will be absolutely delighted by this decision.”
The route will be operated by Galleon Travel (Central Connect) and details of the route and timetable can be found by visiting:https://www.intalink.org.uk/services/86b0bf30-0d54-4c22-8dbe-fd28f49b6610?date=2023-09-04&direction=outbound
The CIL funding, totalling £183,600 will be for an initial period of 12 months. Further funding streams are being explored with other partner authorities and agencies, with the ultimate aim that the route should be self-sustaining.
