News

The Sheffield to Rotherham Tram-Train Project - the Cost of Pride and Isolation

As the first tram-train project in the UK the constuction of the Rotherham to Sheffield Line was never going to be a particularly easy.It was designed to run partly on the type of rails used on the Sheffield SuperTram System and partly on existing Network Rail "heavy rail" track. There were various interactions to be considered apart from the rails, such as power systems, signalling, communications and control equipment.

Hertfordshire and HS2 - Some Indirect Benefit to our County

The new HS2 railway line, when it is extended to Leeds and Manchester, is currently estimated to cost £56 billion. To put this into context it is roughly the cost of keeping the NHS going for about 6 months. However, while the NHS benefits everyone (at least potentially) the benefits of HS2 are restricted mainly to the travellers along the lines. The headline benefit is that it will reduce the journey time between London Euston and Birmingham by 49 minutes. Indirect benefits are that it will take traffic off the West Coast Main Line and potentially increase capacity for people commuting into London and provide more longer distance services from stations like Watford Junction. This will also enable Crossrail to be extended up the West Coast Main Line to Tring and possible onwards to Milton Keynes. HS2 Phase 1 services are due to start in 2026.

Chinnor Railway - Platform 4 to Open

Coalition Infrastructure Improvements Still Coming Up

Tring & District - Future Roadworks 2018/2019

Please note that although very welcome, these could result in serious disruption in Tring.

Keep Fire & Rescue under proper scrutiny - or Hemel will lose control

Liberal Democrats led the opposition in Dacorum against the Hertfordshire Police & Crime Commissioner take over of the Fire Service.

Energy from Waste - the Technology is getting Safer and Better.

The oldest and the most famous Energy from Waste (EfW) plant in UK started operation in 1971 in Edmonton, North London, near the North Circular Road. An industrial accident in Seveso in Italy in 1976 led to the exposure aof a significant proportion of the surrounding population to polychlorinated dioxins. This led over the years to an investigation into dioxins in the environment, either naturally occurring or due to combustion. It became realised that these chemicals were present in small amounts in the environment but more was produced, and in significant quantities, when organic material was burned - especially if the combustion was at low temperatures and/or inefficient. This led to a flurry of chemical research to understand the ways in which dioxins are produced and destroyed during different stages of waste combustion.

Recycling - for flats - in Dacorum doesn't add up!

Liberal Democrat Councillor Adrian England says "Dacorum Borough Council needs to re-think recycling for residents who live in flats. It just doesn't add up: in my ward - Adeyfield West - there are examples of where eighteen flats in three adjacent blocks have to share only six recycling containers. That means if you live in a flat you have 1/3 of a bin, when the houses in the same street (Windmill Road, where I live) have a large bin EACH, all collected every two weeks. Last week these six containers were all full to overflowing by Sunday - two days before collection was due. That means Dacorum is missing the chance to collect AT LEAST an additional whole bin-full of recycling every two days! Recycling rates from flats could be increased by nearly one fifth if capacity was increased." So potential recycling is lost to general waste. Even worse, overflowing plastic blows away and ends up in the sea. As we are all now aware, the cost of unnecessary landfill waste collection is more than just a budget heading

Herts County Council Performance Review - Some Points that have Cropped Up

Herts County Council, like other councils, reviews its performance against key indicators every quarter.

School Expansions in Hertfordshire - Forward Planning Continues Under New Conditions

When consultations and planning reviews take place with a view towards building more homes, people often worry that houses will be built without the necessary social support.