Chris White

Council tax for Hertfordshire County Council is set to rise by 4.5% - again more than the rate of inflation.

You may ask: why? It’s quite simple: the Labour Government has underfunded Hertfordshire and a number of other county authorities in this part of the country. Some councils meanwhile have had grant increases nearly six times what we have in Hertfordshire.

There has to be something wrong with the system! And you will be paying for it!

Herts Highways have now confirmed that they intend to resurface Beaconsfield Road and Lemsford Road over the next twelve months.

 Chris says: ‘Long overdue but good news. As ever with Herts Highways we need to be careful in case they change their minds!’

 Local Liberal Democrat county councillor Chris White has attacked First Capital Connect’s use of public address systems at the City Station.

 ‘I have been approached by residents dismayed at the increasing volume of station announcements.

 ‘Many of the announcements are entirely pointless – like lists of stations in Sussex that no-one from St Albans will ever go to or the fact that “This is a No Smoking Station – Please extinguish cigarettes, pipes and cigars”.’

 He added: ‘Because of the continuous stream of pointless drivel, important announcements like platform changes are often missed. The result is that these are now even louder. Approaching the station the other day I really thought that there was a public order disturbance – but it seems that a train had been cancelled.’

 Chris has written to First Capital Connect: ‘I got a reply that was a study in complacency and indifference. I have now asked the district council to intervene.

 ‘Not only are those on the platform now deafened but local people are constantly disturbed by behaviour that would not be tolerated in any other commercial company.’