West Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats

The Railway Industry Association (RIA) is the main industry trade group for railway equipment manufacturers in the United Kingdom and is based in Smith Square, London. They are emphatic that the UK needs immediately to double the current rate of rail electrification.

Electrification is the main measure that will enable the UK Government to meet its commitment decarbonise by the railway system by 2050. However to do this means that at least 450 km of track need to be electrified every year.

However, figures published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) show that only 179 km of track were electrified in the UK in 2020-21.

West Hertfordshire Liberal Democrats send their deepest condolences to the family of Sir David Amess.

Sir David was cruelly stabbed to death on Friday during a routine constituency surgery in Leigh-on-Sea.

He had served as the Member of Parliament for Southend West since 1997.

He was a well respected man who worked hard as a constituency MP to represent the people in his local community.

All children and care leavers deserve far more support than is currently on offer.

By Liberal Democrats, Sep 18, 2021

There are almost one hundred thousand children in care in the UK and they face significant disadvantages in life.

The average child in care enters care at age 14, which is a crucial point academically. Only 12% of care leavers have entered higher education by the age of 23 and many care leavers rely on Universal Credit as their main source of income.

The climate crisis is an incoming storm. We must act now to undo the damage already done to our planet.

By Liberal Democrats, Sep 18, 2021

Soaring temperatures worldwide, flash flooding in central London and increasing numbers of wildfires. These are just a few ecological disasters we are seeing as a result of climate change. It is painfully obvious we must act.

Solving the Supply Chain Crisis

It's time for Boris Johnson and co. to grow up and face the consequences of their actions.

By Sarah Olney, Sep 20, 2021

Boris Johnson's woeful government has done it again.

Their needless belligerence towards our neighbours has devastated the national supply chain. Shelves are bare and prices will rise.

Liberal Democrat Opposition Councillors have successfully persuaded the ruling Conservatives on Hertfordshire County Council commit to replacing thousands of trees that have been removed from highways.

In a report, the Council's Highways and Transport Panel revealed that 4,494 trees had been removed from highways in the period 2018- 2021 but only 1,040 had been planted meaning a deficit of 3,455.

Following pressure from the Liberal Democrats the Conservatives agreed to replace as many of the lost trees as possible, where the location is suitable.

Lib Dem Cllr John Hale, who pressed for the need to replace highways' trees said,
"A large number of trees have been removed and very few have been replaced. I am pleased that the council has now agreed that more should be done to replace trees along our roads. Trees serve an important environmental purpose, contribute to people's sense of wellbeing and should be replaced whenever possible."

Liberal Democrat Group Leader, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst said,
"Urban street trees improve the street scene and contribute significantly towards reducing Co2 emissions in key pedestrian areas."

"Global Heating is definitely going to get worse before our present efforts start to have an effect. Urban environments are significantly hotter because of absorbtion of solar radiation by buildings. Urban trees have a noticeable cooling effect as long as they are kept watered and of course their leaves and growth provide shade and a carbon dioxide sink," added Cllr Nick Hollinghurst from Tring.

Liberal Democrat Opposition Councillors have hit out at an "over complex" set of rules that the Conservative administration agreed at the Highways & Transport Cabinet Panel on 14th September, 2021. There will now be significant delays bringing in any new 20 mph speed zones.

From now on, any areas that residents want considered for a 20mph speed limit will need to be assessed against a Speed Management Strategy, a Place & Movement Matrix, have on-site visits and maybe speed checks before the consultation stage can even begin.

At the meeting, under questioning from Lib Dem Group Leader Stephen Giles-Medhurst, officers admitted that the process will mean that the earliest any new 20mph restrictions can now be implemented will likely be the end of 2022 or early 2023.

The Liberal Democrats proposed an alternative approach, backed by Hertfordshire's 20's Plenty Campaign group, to adopt a default Speed Management Strategy of a 20 mph limit on side roads. They argued this would support the government's objective of sustainable travel by making roads safer for walkers and cyclists.

Their proposal was voted down by the Conservatives.

Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst said, "Only a very small percentage of Herts roads are 20 mph despite campaigns from residents for many more. With just 953 20mph roads in Herts, many schools still have 30mph roads outside them. We have one the lowest numbers of 20mph roads in the country with Kent CC having over 2,300.

Opposition Liberal Democrat Councillors have hit out over Hertfordshire County Council's policies on providing electric vehicle charge points as "totally lacking vision and unambitious".

Herts County Council is proposing to only allow for on road chargers in limited circumstances creating a two-tier system.

Hertfordshire County Council has failed to deliver improvements of over £250m to residents over the last 4 years

At the Resources and Performance Cabinet Panel meeting on 5 July 2021, it was revealed that Hertfordshire County Council failed to deliver £102m of budgeted improvements to residents during the last financial year 2020/2021.

Hardest hit were children and young people, with £27.8m of the schools' expansion program and a further £12.5m of schools' repairs and maintenance being reprogrammed.

Capital projects valued at nearly £2m (£1.7m) for Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) children and young people were reprogrammed, despite investment in this area being widely acknowledged as essential.