Your council
East Hertfordshire: what’s happening where you live
What the council itself has published on the five things it most shapes for a household: homes, getting about, the bill, the local environment and schools. Each line is quoted from the council’s own document, with the link. This page says what was decided or proposed; it never says whether it was right.
East Hertfordshire District Council: Non-metropolitan district (lower tier), England, East of England; within the county of HRT. GOV.UK lists it as a district council, within Hertfordshire County Council.
Council plan · Budget · Meeting papers · Councillors · Register of interests · Consultations
Do it online
- Household waste collection: Providing information
- Household waste collection: Reporting
- Bulky household waste collections: Applications for service
- Household garden waste: Providing information
- Recycling bags and containers: Providing information
- Flytipping: Reporting
- Noise pollution: Reporting
- Council tax annual notification: Providing information
- Council tax discount: Applications for service
- Council tax benefit new claim: Applications for service
- Housing benefit new claim: Providing information
- Electoral register: Providing information
- Electoral register: Applications for service
- Parking permits: Providing information
- Planning decision notices: Providing information
- Councillors directory: Providing information
- Complaints procedure: Providing information
Housing
East Herts' adopted District Plan (2011–2033) provides for a minimum of 18,458 new homes.
“(a) Provide for a minimum of 18,458 new homes in the District up to 2033.”
Local plans on the national planning register Updated automatically
- Emerging new local plan, plan period 2029–2044, housing requirement 18,345 homes
- East Herts District Plan 2018 — adopted, adopted 23 October 2018, plan period 2011–2033, housing requirement 18,458 homes
- East Herts Local Plan Second Review 2007 — adopted, plan period 1991–2011, housing requirement 11,100 homes
Transport
The council's Executive approved changes to car park hours, tariffs and maximum stays, which took effect from 6 April 2026.
“From 6 April 2026, changes will be introduced to operational hours, tariffs, and maximum stay periods across East Herts Council-managed car parks.”
Council tax
Band D set by East Hertfordshire for 2026–27: £207.03 of a £2,454.78 total bill in the area.
East Herts Council approved a 2.99% council tax increase for 2026/27; its Band D charge is £207.03 a year.
“To help meet the rising cost of providing services, councillors agreed a council tax increase of 2.99%. This is below inflation and will see the average Band D household pay an extra £5.99 a year, bringing the total yearly cost for East Herts Council services to £207.03.”
Environment
In 2023 the council committed to cutting its own carbon footprint to an absolute minimum by 2027 and setting out a pathway to offset what remains.
“The new motion now commits the council to reducing its own carbon footprint to an absolute minimum by 2027 whilst at the same time identifying a pathway to offset its residual carbon.”
Education
East Herts is a district council and does not run schools; school changes are a matter for Hertfordshire County Council. Where we looked
Changes to schools in this area recorded by the Department for Education Updated automatically
No school here is currently recorded as proposed to open or close.
In the last twelve months: 1 opened (1 meets accreditation standards), 2 closed (2 closure)
- Albury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School (primary) — closed; reason recorded: closure, 31 August 2026
- Larkspur Academy (primary) — closed; reason recorded: closure, 31 August 2026
- TLC Live Online School (secondary) — open; reason recorded: meets accreditation standards, 24 April 2026
What the council plans to spend, 2026–27
| Service | Budget |
|---|---|
| Education services | none budgeted |
| Highways and transport services | −£2.1 million |
| Children's social care | none budgeted |
| Adult social care | none budgeted |
| Public health | none budgeted |
| Housing services (general fund only) | £4.4 million |
| Cultural and related services | £2.5 million |
| Environmental and regulatory services | £4.4 million |
| Planning and development services | £3.2 million |
| Police services | none budgeted |
| Fire and rescue services | none budgeted |
| Central services | £6.6 million |
| Other services | £3.1 million |
| Total service expenditure | £22.2 million |
Life in East Hertfordshire: the official facts
- People living here
- 158,033 people
- Typical age
- 42 years
- Money to live on, per person, per year
- £33,888
- Typical weekly pay, before tax
- £835
- Children growing up in poverty
- 14.1%
- People claiming unemployment-related benefits
- 1.9%
- Average price of a home
- £455,973
- How many years of pay a home costs
- 8.6 times yearly pay
- Greenhouse gases, per person
- 4.2 tonnes per person
- Homes and businesses that can get the fastest broadband
- 84.0%
- Public chargers for electric cars
- 134.5 per 100,000 people
- Businesses trading here
- 8,390 businesses
Who runs the council
50 seats in 2026. Run by: a coalition or arrangement of Greens and Liberal Democrats.
Councillors by party: Green Party (E&W) 16, Conservative and Unionist 14, Liberal Democrats 10, Labour Party 5, Independent / Other 3, Reform UK 2.
Next scheduled council election: 6 May 2027.
All 50 councillors, by ward
- Tom Deffley (Conservative and Unionist) — Aston, Datchworth & Walkern
- Tony Stowe (Conservative and Unionist) — Aston, Datchworth & Walkern
- Chris Wilson (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford All Saints
- Martin Adams (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford All Saints
- David Jacobs (Labour Party) — Bishop's Stortford Central
- Yvonne Estop (Labour Party) — Bishop's Stortford Central
- Mione Goldspink (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford North
- Miriam Swainston (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford North
- Sarah Copley (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford North
- Calvin Horner (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford Parsonage
- Richard Townsend (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford Parsonage
- Diane Hollebon (Conservative and Unionist) — Bishop's Stortford South
- Simon Marlow (Liberal Democrats) — Bishop's Stortford South
- David Willcocks (Labour Party) — Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor
- Graham McAndrew (Reform UK) — Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor
- John Wyllie (Conservative and Unionist) — Bishop's Stortford Thorley Manor
- Stan Bull (Conservative and Unionist) — Braughing & Standon
- Terry Smith (Reform UK) — Braughing & Standon
- David Woollcombe (Independent / Other) — Buntingford
- Sue Nicholls (Green Party (E&W)) — Buntingford
- Vicky Burt (Green Party (E&W)) — Buntingford
- Joseph Dumont (Liberal Democrats) — Great Amwell & Stansteads
- Peter Boylan (Conservative and Unionist) — Great Amwell & Stansteads
- Alex Daar (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Bengeo
- Ben Crystall (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Bengeo
- Vicky Smith (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Bengeo
- Rachel Carter (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Castle
- Sarah Hopewell (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Castle
- Tim Hoskin (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Heath & Brickendon
- Carl Brittain (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Kingsmead
- Maura Connolly (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Kingsmead
- Vicky Glover-Ward (Green Party (E&W)) — Hertford Kingsmead
- Bob Deering (Conservative and Unionist) — Hertford Rural
- Carolyn Redfern (Labour Party) — Hertford Sele
- Nahum Clements (Labour Party) — Hertford Sele
- John Dunlop (Green Party (E&W)) — Hunsdon
- Jeff Jones (Conservative and Unionist) — Little Hadham & The Pelhams
- Ian Devonshire (Conservative and Unionist) — Much Hadham
- Angus Parsad-Wyatt (Conservative and Unionist) — Sawbridgeworth
- Eric Buckmaster (Conservative and Unionist) — Sawbridgeworth
- Ruth Buckmaster (Conservative and Unionist) — Sawbridgeworth
- Aubrey Holt (Conservative and Unionist) — The Mundens
- George Williams (Green Party (E&W)) — Ware Priory
- Graeme Hill (Green Party (E&W)) — Ware Priory
- David Andrews (Conservative and Unionist) — Ware Rural
- Martin Butcher (Independent / Other) — Ware St Mary's
- Steven Watson (Green Party (E&W)) — Ware St Mary's
- Chris Hart (Independent / Other) — Ware Trinity
- Nick Cox (Green Party (E&W)) — Ware Trinity
- Joe Thomas (Liberal Democrats) — Watton-at-Stone