Liberal Democrats on the East of England Regional Assembly attempted on Friday to restore common sense to the controversial process for increasing the number of the gypsy and traveller pitches in the region.

A Liberal Democrat amendment tabled at EERA’s meeting in Norwich would have allowed district councils in Hertfordshire and elsewhere to resist their new pitch allocations if they were able to prove through their local planning process that the provision could not be met. This would have been of particular use to district councils in the green belt or which were largely urbanised.

Leader of the Liberal Democrat groups on both the regional assembly and Hertfordshire County Council Chris White said: ‘This was a measured response to a process which had quite frankly lost the plot. I am delighted that a number of Conservative led authorities like Southend supported us. I remain stunned, however, that the Conservative representative of Hertfordshire County Council broke away from his own colleagues and led the charge to defeat the amendment.

‘I am sure communities in many parts of Hertfordshire – already under enough pressure from the destruction of the green belt – will be wanting an explanation from him and from the County Council.’

The amendment was defeated as a result of Labour and Conservative votes.

Chris added: ‘Hertfordshire needs around 115 pitches, according to independent research accepted by EERA. As a result of this vote Hertfordshire will now have to find space for 176 pitches – it is difficult to imagine how anyone could regard this as proper process.

‘Councils which object will now have to invest resources in fighting this in the Examination in Public or through the courts.’

Chris is the chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board.

One of the key roles of the Local Government Association is to stick up for local councils and therefore local communities. Currently I am working on:

• the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics
• the review of licensing laws
• developing our tourism industry
• making sure that Sport England don’t forget about the need to fund participation in sport as well as elite sport

But the overall theme is to remind policy makers that a society without culture is no society at all.

There has been a great deal of anxiety about the county council’s proposals to close the centre and transfer clients elsewhere. It did not help that the county council changed its policy without telling local councillors. In fact the proposals ought to be better for most current users - with either more choice of hours or better facilities. But readers who are anxious should get in touch.

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!