Latest news

Recycling litter bins arrive in Royston town centre

01/02/2021 - 11:00am

Nine new on-street recycling bins have recently been installed in Royston Town Centre, meaning that visitors can recycle glass and plastic bottles, cans, paper and cardboard while on the go.

The new town centre recycling bins are the latest initiative from North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) to promote recycling and reduce litter in the town.

Each new bin has two different compartments; one for easily recyclable waste such as drinks cans, plastic bottles and newspapers, and one for general litter such as crisp packets, sweet wrappers or food.

Statement from North Herts District Council Leader - 28 January 2021

28/01/2021 - 11:00am

Statement from Cllr Martin Stears-Handscomb:

We are now nearly four weeks into this latest national lockdown and while there are encouraging signs of a fall in cases across Hertfordshire, our numbers in North Hertfordshire are still giving us real cause for concern. We know that the vast majority of you are following the rules and this was starting to pay off in terms of new cases, however very sadly, there has been almost 600 new cases in the last week, many in the over 60s and more people have died.

Council vehicles go green to help fight climate change

28/01/2021 - 10:45am

North Herts District Council’s (NHDC) Community Safety team have gone green, with the use of new environmentally friendly vehicles.

The new Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEV) are hybrids, switching between battery and unleaded petrol during use, and produce approximately 40g of CO2 gases per kilometre – well below the ULEV limit and much less than the team’s previous diesel cars.

The ULEV cars are leased to the Council and will significantly cut emissions produced by the team’s heavily used vehicles, which can be hugely damaging to the environment.

Bin collections suspended (updated Thursday 28 January)

25/01/2021 - 9:30am

Update 28 Jan: Our bin crews are aiming to complete all missed collections by the end of Friday 29 January, so please continue to leave your bin out for collection. Thank you for your continued patience.

Update 26 Jan: Most bins due for collection today were collected, however icy road conditions continue to cause some delays. Our bin crews will continue catching up on collections that were unsafe to make today (Tuesday) and Monday over the next two days.

NHDC agrees package of financial support for leisure centres

22/01/2021 - 5:00pm

At a meeting of North Herts District Council’s (NHDC) Full Council on 21 January, Councillors agreed a revised package of financial support to ensure the continued delivery of Council owned leisure facilities in the district to support the health and wellbeing of our residents.

Council event shines a light on Holocaust Memorial Day

21/01/2021 - 10:30am

North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC) is set to host an online event to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on 27 January.

The 11am event will be streamed live on the Council’s YouTube channel. It seeks to encourage remembrance of the six million Jews who lost their lives during the Second World War, as well as millions of others who lost their lives due to Nazi persecution. The day also remembers those who died in genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.

North Herts District Council asks Residents to Support Local Businesses Online

19/01/2021 - 2:45pm

North Herts District Council (NHDC) is launching a new campaign to encourage residents to make a New Year pledge to support local businesses by shopping online during lockdown.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on shops, pubs and restaurants, but NHDC is hitting back with its Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign.

Council gives River Hiz its annual clean in Hitchin

15/01/2021 - 11:45am

The annual cleaning of the River Hiz outside of St Marys Church, Hitchin and Peppermint Court in Whinbush Road, Hitchin is scheduled to commence on Monday 25 January, with the water being drained down on Friday 22 January.

These sections of the river operate via a ‘balancing tank’ system which, with the use of sluice gates that help retain river water in those sections, create a visually appealing, deeper river in the centre of town.

Additional support announced for North Herts businesses

12/01/2021 - 2:15pm

Businesses in North Herts impacted by the current national lockdown may be eligible for additional grant support, following the latest Government announcement on 5 January.

The Government announced one-off top up grants worth up to £9,000 per property, for businesses which have had to close due to restrictions. The new grant will be awarded to eligible closed businesses as follows:

Statement on playgrounds remaining open

11/01/2021 - 2:15pm

Cllr Steve Jarvis, NHDC’s Executive Member for Leisure said: “Under current Government guidance playgrounds are permitted to remain open during this latest national lockdown, as they provide an opportunity for children to exercise in the fresh air. However, we are keeping a constant watch on case numbers in the district and will keep the situation under review.