Has the change in administration at County Hall resulted in any major improvements to HCC’s SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) provision, or are the previous problems continuing in the wake of May’s elections? The extent of the SEND crisis in Herts was identified following an inspection in July 2023 which...
The death knell has already tolled for St Albans City and District Council, and although we’re still some years away from digging the grave, it’s fair to say the funeral notices have now been published. By April 2028 there will be a new local government structure covering Hertfordshire, bringing an end...
The battle lines have been drawn in the campaign for local government reorganisation, with all 11 Herts council leaders rejecting one unitary authority for the whole county. The Labour Government invited all councils in all two-tier areas to submit an interim plan for moving to a single tier of unitary councils. The...
With the ballot boxes locked away for another year, the campaign leaflets in the recycling and the ties, scarfs and other items of clothing in party colours returned to the back of the wardrobe, the implications of last week’s elections are starting to hit home. Reflecting national trends, the rise of...
A mother and daughter are going head-to-head in next week’s county council elections after standing for different parties in the same division. Former St Albans Mayor, Frances Leonard, is standing for the Conservatives in the Marshalswick and Colney Heath Division, but campaigning against her for the Green Party is her daughter...
The leader of SADC's Greens and Independents group has accused fellow councillors of failing to stand up and be counted in opposition to local government reform. Cllr Simon Grover was speaking after all 11 Herts councils - together with the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) - announced a...
Pedestrians trying to navigate the pavement at a dangerous Fleetville junction have been taking their lives into their hands. Roadworks outside Morrisons - where Hatfield Road meets Sutton Road - have resulted in one pavement shut off for digging, while the other side is strewn with signs and traffic lights. The zebra...
Should Herts county council leaders be celebrating their continued failings for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities? County Hall’s beleaguered SEND service has been nominated for a prestigious national award recognising its efforts in transforming the service, prompting a backslapping statement from the councillor who oversees the...
Community activists have condemned changes at a local recycling centre which have seen opening hours slashed and the introduction of an online booking system. Herts county council has reduced the operational days of the Waterdale Recycling Centre, near Garston, from seven to five days a week without any prior warning. Lib Dem...
Initial plans for the future of local government in St Albans and Herts need to be presented in a matter of weeks.Local government and English devolution minister Jim McMahon has told leaders of Herts county, district and borough councils to submit an interim plan on or before March 21, with...
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