The redevelopment of the Lister Hospital, Stevenage, one of Hertfordshire's two acute hospitals, has been underway for several years. The final Phase Four redevelopment costing £75 million was given the go-ahead in March of this year, and within that phase the Treasury has now approved the start of construction of a new £19.3 million Emergency Department.
Keeping the lights on, consumers energy bills down and creating cleaner electricity to help tackle climate change, are the three goals of ambitious draft electricity market reform legislation published today.
Despite the positive objectives for transfer of freight from road to rail in the Department for Transport's recent Command Paper, the Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) is proposing new charges on railfreight. ORR has received advice on the risk of loss of business (and consequently more heavy goods traffic on roads) that might arise from some of these specific charges - aimed at particular market segments e.g. nuclear waste, coal for power stations, iron ore, biomass. However ORR is prepared to contemplate the high risk of a 10% reduction in some types of railfreight.
The unexpected resignation of a Conservative councillor who was a member of both Dacorum Borough and Hertfordshire County Councils has caused two by-elections.
The Liberal Democrats have chosen a local teacher, Nitesh Dave, to stand in the by-election in Dacorum Borough's Woodhall Farm Ward.
In glorious sunshine the special Jubilee Farmers Market Event on 26th May was formally opened with a short address from Nick Hollinghurst, Tring Town Mayor, in which he paid tribute not only to the successful startup of the Tring Farmers Market 12 years ago, but to the fact that it has not only continued to maintain the initial high standards down the years and but to expand and increase the variety of the goods on offer.
Cllr Nick Hollinghurst, who is one of the representatives on Dunsley Ward on Tring Town Council has been elected as Town Mayor for the year 2012/13.
Despite a Liberal Democrat challenge the Conservatives voted as a block to brush aside reasoned argument from Cllrs Nick Hollinghurst (DBC) and Garrick Stevens (Berkhamsted Town Council). The concerns and protests of residents and business were also disregarded. Just as in the case of the Moor End Road Bus Lane we were treated to the spectacle of Conservative councillors insisting they know best and everyone else is wrong. It was a foolish and expensive strategy in Moor End - will it be similarly disasterous in Berkhamsted?
There are three things that clearly show the Liberal Democrat influence on the Queens Speech:
Plans for the long-awaited Hemel Hempstead Local General Hospital appear to be moving forward. It appears that papers to be presented to the West Herts Hospital NHS Trust Board refer to plans either to refurbish or rebuild the hospital facilities at the Hillfield Road site in Hemel Hempstead. According to a report in the Hemel Hempstead Gazette the papers refer to "achieving a deliverable outcome within the next two to three years."
Food Hygiene Assessments: Since 2008 Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) has given food businesses a rating of 0-5 stars depending on the results of hygiene inspections. These inspections include how food is prepared, cooked, cooled, stored and displayed. The structure and equipment used is checked - whether it is clean, suitable, properly maintained. This covers layout, lighting and ventilation. Does the business understand what must be done to ensure food safety ? Are the necessary precautions part of the routine and are records kept ?
And that means South West Hertfordshire geographically, not just within the constituency.
