Track the business activity and commercial plans of Hertsmere Borough Council — identify tender and future spending opportunities before they reach the market, follow cabinet and committee decisions, and understand the council’s priorities, with intelligence extracted from 90 analysed meetings. Hertsmere Borough Council serves around 108,000 residents in southern Hertfordshire, including Borehamwood, Potters Bar and Bushey. The area is home to Elstree Studios, a major centre for UK film and television production.
Meetings analysed90
Procurement opportunities154
Pressures tracked96
Estimated pipeline value£16.8bn–£16.9bn
Hertsmere Borough Council Procurement Intelligence | QuorumInsight
Active procurement topics
Over the last 12 months, the most frequently discussed commercial topics in this council's meetings have been IT & Digital (50 mentions, easing), Professional Services (37 mentions, easing), Construction & Building Works (35 mentions, easing) and Democracy & Elections (14 mentions, easing).
Commercial signals extracted from recent Hertsmere Borough Council meetings — approvals, budget decisions and early procurement discussions, before a tender is published.
Cabinet approved a £50,000 contribution from the Hertsmere Creative Fund to support Elstree Screen Arts Academy’s new screen craft workshop in Borehamwood. The funding unlocks match funding from Sky Studios Elstree and the Dane Educational Trust, with the facility intended to address skills shortages in scenic carpentry and craft plastering for film and TV.
“This report is asking Capits to approve a £50,000 contribution from the Hartsmeade Creative Fund to support LG Screen Arts Academy, developing a new screen craft workshop. Further details of the project are set out in the brochure appendix one. This is a positive proposal that wi…”
A major new stroke rehabilitation day clinic at Patchett’s Cottage, Brian’s House, was approved subject to a section 106 agreement. The scheme is privately funded, includes a hydrotherapy pool, therapy space, a minibus service, pedestrian access works, and long-term biodiversity and travel plan obligations. Although not a council procurement, it creates a substantial service delivery and construction opportunity around health, access, landscaping, and clinical support.
“So the proposed development is a stroke rehabilitation day clinic, which will be fully and solely funded by the applicant and will be at no cost to the NHS. It will be free at the point of need and aligned to the NHS plan and the NHS long term plan for stroke. To note, the questi…”
The committee ultimately refused the 28-home scheme at land west of Robinson Crescent and south of Maryhill Road after members accepted arguments that it was inappropriate Green Belt development and that very special circumstances were not proven. The debate centred on grey belt classification, highways safety on Whomsoever Lane/Maryhill Road, and concerns about landscape, heritage, and the impact on Hillmead Nature Park. This affects future procurement and delivery of associated highways, landscaping, drainage, public open space and S106-linked works because the scheme will not proceed.
“Speaker 11: Thank you. My proposal for a sorry. For a deferment was on the basis of not the £3,000 that we may have had to spend on legal fees, but the cost of this council if we make a bad decision. As the expectation would be, an appeal by the applicant. So I reinforced my sugg…”
Members approved a five-storey extension to Village Hotel, Centennial Park, adding 48 bedrooms and undercroft parking. The officer presentation highlighted that the hotel sits within a key employment site and that the extension would fit within Green Belt policy and retain more parking than required. The scheme includes an estimated £330,000 CIL contribution and supports economic investment, so the decision has direct implications for construction works and hotel fit-out procurement.
“Speaker 15: So the application being proposed is for the construction of a five story extension to the existing hotel in order to provide an additional 48 number bedrooms and undercroft car parking, resulting in an overall total of 171 number bedrooms, at the at the hotel site. T…”
Planning application assessed under new 2024 NPPF 'gray belt' policy framework (replacing previous policy context). Gray belt is defined as land in green belt comprising previously developed land or land that does not strongly contribute to green belt purposes A, B, or D. Development is not inappropriate if: (1) utilizes gray belt land; (2) would not fundamentally undermine remaining green belt purposes; (3) demonstrates unmet housing need; (4) located in sustainable location; (5) complies with 'golden rules' (affordable housing, infrastructure, green space). Significant weight must be afforded to golden rules compliance. This represents fundamental shift in procurement policy context for green belt development approval.
“Firstly, this scheme is to be assessed against the 2024 MPPF and this introduced gray belt policy. So, it must be determined whether development is inappropriate, which now includes an assessment of whether a site is gray belt and whether it's inappropriate or not applying the gr…”
Establishment of Immersive Experience Limited as a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to deliver the L-Street Immersive Experience project. The project is funded by a £3.3 million capital package primarily from the council, with additional funding from central government and University of Hertfordshire. The SPV will be a company limited by shares with initial share capital of 100 shares (£1 nominal value each), with 90% (90 shares) issued to the council as non-paid up shares and 10% (10 shares) reserved for an appropriately constituted CIC. Governance includes a nine-member board comprising five council-appointed non-executive directors, one independent non-exec director, one University of Hertfordshire-appointed non-exec director, an interim managing director, and a film studios-appointed director.
“this is a project um that has been of instigated and catalyzed by the council, not least via a um3.3 million pound um uh capital allocation or 3.3 million pound package um of capital funds, the bulk of which have been provided by the council. um and additional funding through cen…”
The meeting focused mainly on two major planning decisions: a residential scheme on land west of Robinson Crescent and south of Maryhill Road, and a proposed stroke rehabilitation clinic at Patchett’s Cottage, Hillfield Lane. Members debated Green Belt/grey belt policy, ecology and biodiversity net gain, access and highway safety, and the need for section 106 and 278 obligations. The committee also granted advertisement consent and a lawful development certificate for 3 Leeming Road. Later, members moved into part two to consider legal advice on the Little Bushy Lane appeal and agreed to delegate the council’s appeal position to the chief executive.
The meeting was dominated by planning designation, local plan consultation criticism, and the financial impact of planning control being constrained by government designation. Members also approved an updated housing enforcement and licensing policy in response to the Renters’ Rights Act and other legislative changes, including extra staffing funded by grant and civil penalties. Additional items covered increased planning fees and charges, constitutional updates, and a more general discussion of international links and community events, but these were less procurement-relevant.
Cabinet considered two major housing policy updates for consultation/adoption and agreed changes to the borough’s cycle hire provision, including a trial of a new provider in Borehamwood and Potters Bar and extension of the existing Beryl Bikes contract in Bushey. Members also noted a favourable revenue outturn, with higher investment income and a shortfall linked to Elstree Film Studios, and discussed the implications for capital and reserve allocations. A smaller but important housing delivery issue was raised around delays to the 197 Darks Lane development.
The meeting focused on workforce pressures, HR restructuring, digital transformation, and a substantial review of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL/SIL) spending and governance. Members scrutinised rising use of agency staff, recruitment and retention challenges, pay and skills shortages, and the rollout of AI, website, and telephony tools. A major concern was the scale and oversight of SIL awards, especially larger football-club-related grants, leading to a temporary pause on new applications and a request for audit findings and updated figures before September.
The committee dealt mainly with planning applications, including a council-owned housing scheme, a town-centre mixed-use development, and a retrospective/regularising householder application. Procurement-relevant points included council asset management submitting an amended social rent scheme, reliance on external viability and flood/drainage advice, and repeated references to delegated approvals, conditions, and technical consultant input. The meeting also highlighted performance concerns arising from MHCLG designation over major planning applications, which may affect future planning processes and support needs.
Cabinet approved funding for business support services, a creative industries workshop at Elstree Screen Arts Academy, and the completion/final account for specialist adapted housing at Kayshell Road. Members also discussed performance pressures in recycling and missed bins, a fly-tipping motion and enforcement response, and a housing rightsizing task-and-finish review. The meeting featured repeated scrutiny concerns over forward planning and call-in processes, but the substantive procurement-related decisions were to fund, support, and close out service and capital projects.