Roads, SEND and environment prioritised in first Lib Dem budget
Investments in roads, care, special needs and environment are at the heart of Liberal Democrat spending plans for Hertfordshire.
This year, the county council will provide an extra £107 million for core services - and £1.3 billion for capital projects over the next four years.
That means more money for highways maintenance, safer streets, air quality and SEND.
There will also be more support for the most vulnerable people in our communities.
This has all been agreed in Hertfordshire County Council’s official budget for 2026/27 - the first under Lib Dem leadership.
The budget marks a major change of direction from the former Tory administration.
Key decisions include:
- An extra £7 million for special needs provision, a rise of 26%, to recruit more educational psychologists and specialist staff.
- £140 million to create 1,000 extra special school places over the next four years.
- £87 million this year to improve roads and pavements - £12 million more than the Conservatives had planned to spend.
- In total, Lib Dems will spend £377 million on highways maintenance over the next four years - an increase of £76 million.
- An extra £1.5 million over two years for 20mph zones, in neighbourhoods where people want them. The council will now create nearly 200 new zones, to improve safety in residential roads.
- £1 million for additional work to clean drains, reduce flooding, and clear overgrowth from footpaths and cycleways.
- A further £1 million for environmental and sustainability projects, including solar power and river restoration.
- £500,000 to enhance bus services, by expanding the HertsLynx demand-responsive bus routes.
- £500,000 on projects to enhance air quality, particularly near schools and care homes. That’s an increase of £350,000.
- There will also be significant extra spending on social care, to help elderly and disabled residents who most need support. This includes an extra £44 million to meet growing demand and improve carers' pay, and £16 million for children in care.
- An extra £1.4 million for fostering allowances, so children can live in safe, caring homes.
Altogether, these investments will help repair the damage caused by 25 years of Tory rule in Hertfordshire.
They reflect Lib Dem pledges to improve our roads and buses, protect the environment, care for vulnerable people, and tackle the crisis in special needs.
This has been achieved despite massive government cuts - which will reduce Hertfordshire’s central funding by £42 million a year.
Under Lib Dem management, the county council has made £55 million in savings, following £42 million of efficiencies last year.
Overall, Hertfordshire County Council will spend £1.2 billion on services for residents. This includes a total of £872 million on social care and £80 on SEND - both of which continue to place huge stress on local authority finances across the UK.
As in recent years, council tax will rise by 2.99% plus 2% towards those social care costs.
Cllr Steve Jarvis, Lib Dem leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said:
“Our budget is ambitious but affordable, and we’ve prioritised the areas which matter most to residents.
“Poor road conditions have blighted Hertfordshire for years under Tory administrations. The environment was neglected. Children with the greatest needs were betrayed”.
“In our very first budget, Lib Dems have made bold decisions - which will deliver real change.
“Local government finances have never been more pressurised. Demand for social care and special needs is at record levels. Hertfordshire faces some of the biggest government cuts in the UK.
“But through careful management, reducing waste, and disposing of needless assets, we are improving services while giving residents the best possible value for money”.