12 Feb 2025
Former St Albans Mayor – and current Verulam ward district councillor – Edgar Hill has been named as the Liberal Democrats’ candidate for Harpenden South West in May’s county council elections.
He explained why he has stepped forward: “I have enjoyed an association with Harpenden for many years. I have many friends I play golf with at Harpenden Common Golf Club, routinely indulge in the excellent hospitality Harpenden has to offer, and I was also privileged to open the Eric Morecambe Centre and sports pavilion in Harpenden when I was Mayor.”
He said the recent SADC decision to charge for on-street parking in the town was not relevant to the role: “Parking charges do not fall within the remit of the county council. Whoever is elected as the county councillor for Harpenden South West division, will not have a mandate or indeed have any influence on that issue.”
He added: “A Liberal Democrat administration in County Hall will offer a credible alternative to current Conservative failings. My focus will be on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities provision, where the Conservative-controlled council has failed time and again to secure the necessary funding. Also, adult social care is so important to families when the need strikes and the Liberal Democrats are leading on how we must address the crisis there. And, of course, I hear repeatedly, about the terrible state of the roads and pavements in this division.
“In the coming months, leading up to the elections on May 1, I will be taking advantage of the cycle highway and the short bike ride between where I live and Harpenden to continue to meet residents on the doorstep. Given the opportunity, I can do something about the pot holes, blocked drains, flooding, and speeding vehicles, all of which are concerns being raised to me.”
Conservative candidate for the division, Harpenden district councillor Matt Cowley, said residents deserve a county councillor who is local to the town: “The St Albans Lib Dems failed to listen to Harpenden residents over parking charges on our High Street. Now they want to parachute in a councillor who represents southern St Albans to be our county councillor. We deserve better.
“Our community needs a local campaigner who is here every day, who experiences the consequences of the decisions of the local council and who will fight tooth and nail to make our town an even better place to live and work.
“As a Harpenden South West resident with a record of standing up for our area as a councillor, I’ll keep fighting to make Harpenden an even better place to live.”
