Community News

Parish Council Elections

Mar 26, 2024

On 2nd May 2024 elections will take place for the District Councils and also St Paul’s Walden Parish Council.

Candidates are invited to come forward for the post of Parish Councillor for the parish of St. Paul’s Walden (covering Whitwell, St. Paul’s Walden and Bendish). If more than seven candidates come forward for the parish of St. Paul’s Walden there will be an election. (If seven or fewer candidates come forward they are elected unopposed).

You can obtain a Nomination Pack from the clerk by emailing at clerk@stpaulswaldenparishcouncil.org.uk or by visiting the North Herts page at www.north-herts.gov.uk/current-elections-and-councillor-vacancies.

All completed Nomination Forms must be delivered by hand to the North Herts District Council offices in Gernon Road, Letchworth before 4pm on 5th April. Delivery is by appointment and candidates should email elections@north-herts.gov.uk to book a time.

Information for Prospective Parish Councillors 

To stand for election to become a parish councillor you must be:

  • At least 18 years old on the day of your nomination, and
  • A British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any other member state of the European Union (NB: this may change as the UK leaves the EU).

You must also meet at least one of the following four qualifications:

  • You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector for the parish in which you wish to stand from the day of your nomination onwards.
  • You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the parish area during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.
  • Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of election has been in the parish area.
  • You have lived in the parish area of within three miles of it during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election.

What does it mean to be a Parish Councillor?

  • Parish Councillors are elected for a four-year term.
  • Councillors should represent effectively the interests of the whole parish by listening to views from the community.
  • The aims of Councillors should be:
    • To improve the quality of life for those that live, work or visit the area;
    • To participate fully in the formation and scrutiny of the Parish Council’s policies, strategic plans, budgets and service delivery;
    • To ensure that the Parish Council is properly managed;
    • To prepare for, attend and participate in Parish Council meetings, decision making and abide by corporate decisions;
    • To undertakes appropriate training and development to help fulfil the requirements of the councillor role;
    • To keep up to date with significant developments affecting the Parish Council at local, regional and national levels;
    • To represent the Parish Council on outside bodies to which the Councillor is appointed and report back activities;
    • To maintain proper standards of behaviour and comply with the Council’s Code of Conduct;
    • To deal with resident’s enquiries and representations fairly and without prejudice.

 What are the commitments of a Parish Councillor?

  • Parish Council Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month, usually in the New Fellowship Hall in Whitwell – Councillors are expected to attend.
  • Councillors will be expected to undergo at least some initial training in the responsibilities of being a Councillor – this is usually a short course (one morning) in Kimpton. Further training is available if a Councillor wishes to specialise in any one aspect of the Council’s activities.
  • A Councillor should be approachable by members of the parish, so contact details for each Councillor are posted on the Council’s website.
  • From time to time additional meetings may be arranged by the Council if there are important matters to discuss. These ‘extraordinary’ meetings carry the same weight as normal monthly meetings and, again, Councillors are expected to attend.
  • A Budget Meeting is held annually, usually at the end of November or early in December. The purpose of this meeting is to agree and set the Council’s budget for the forthcoming year, which begins in April. Councillors are expected to make every effort to attend.
  • The Annual Parish Meeting is held in May each year: this is an opportunity for members of the public to meet their Councillors and have their say about any topise affecting the parish.

Questions and Answers

  • Do I get paid for being a Councillor?
    • The post is voluntary, although if a Councillor has to travel on Council business expenses are paid.
  • How does the election work?
    • If you decide to stand, you must complete a Nomination Form and hand it in to North Herts District Council before 4 pm on Friday 5th April. If fewer than 8 candidates come forward then they are automatically elected unopposed; if more than 7 are proposed then an election will be held on Thursday 2nd May.
    • Ask for a nomination pack by contacting elections@north-herts.gov.uk
  • Where can I find more information?

St Paul’s Walden Parish Council

Council Surveys

Mar 20, 2024

Last month we reported on the feedback concerning the survey which sought to get your views about Luton Airport Expansion. A final question asked whether there were other subjects you wanted us to ask about. It indicated other areas of concern.

The biggest concern was traffic through the village – both the amount and speed. The parish council are aware of this, and have been actively speaking to district councillors and our MP about our concerns regarding more traffic, especially with the housing developments in Codicote, and proposed large development in Cockernhoe / Mangrove Green.

Alongside this was frustration at potholes, and the quality of our roads. This issue is under the control of Hertfordshire County Council.  Did you know you can report potholes online? https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/services/highways-roads-and-pavements/highways-roads-and-pavements.aspx

There were also concerns raised about road sweeping and general maintenance of the village, especially the high street. We will aim to work on this.

Concerning the pavilion and the village hall, the Parish Council has recently upgraded the pavilion by installing wifi, and we have adapted the heating system so that it is more responsive (rather than underfloor heating that takes days to heat up) and also more cost-effective. The pavilion is available for hire, and can be a useful space for parties, meetings, small exercise classes, even a convenient venue for a large Christmas dinner!

The Parish Council works closely with the village hall committee, and also manages the sports fields. We also have worked with the Royal British Legion to support their activities at the war memorial.

The Parish Council were very grateful for all of the engagement with the zip wire/rec ground survey.  We had around 80 responses, with loads of thoughtful and engaged comments. We also received feedback by email, phone and text, and there was, of course, a lively discussion on Facebook.

The most significant and clear takeaway is that there needs to be better provision for older children and teenagers.

Is the best way to achieve that a zip wire?  The survey threw up some brilliant questions: noise, safety, and insurance.  We’re going to check those out.  And the survey threw up some really interesting alternative ideas – which we also need to cost and check out.

Another clear takeaway is that a lot could be done to redevelop, improve and expand on what’s already there.

The backdrop to anything we do on the rec is that the Parish Council leases some of the land from Oxford University.  That is in the final stages of a re-negotiation.

Once the lease is squared off, different initiatives are thought out and costed, we plan to progress to another stage of village consultation.  Watch this space!

St Paul’s Walden Parish Council

Results of the Parish Council’s survey of people’s attitudes to the proposed expansion of Luton Airport.

Feb 23, 2024

Over the winter, the Parish Council hosted an online survey to find out what our Parish feels about the proposed expansion at Luton Airport. This was circulated on the Whitwell village Facebook pages.  The survey closed at the end of January, and this article aims to summarise the key findings.

71% of respondents were from Whitwell, 9% from St Paul’s Walden, a few from Bendish and Easthall, and 14% from surrounding villages such as Langley, Breachwood Green, Preston and the Holt.

46% of respondents said they did not fly to or from Luton in the last 12 months, 25% once, 14% twice, and the main reason given was for holiday (48%).

66% said the main advantage of living to close to Luton airport were easy access to holiday flights or flights to friends and family. 40% said there were no advantages.

However, when it came to disadvantages, many were cited. Traffic congestion (60% of respondents), air pollution (84%); light pollution (52%); and noise pollution (94%). Additional comments on this theme identified concerns that there will be, on average, an extra 190 flights per day, which include an extra 70% of night flights (respondent quoting LADACAN figures). Further, people are concerned about traffic, and the use of the already congested and narrow lanes for more traffic. Some mentioned disturbance to phone, tv and Wi-Fi signals, others concerns about noise especially at night as it affects sleep, and the impact on wildlife and general environmental damage.

More specifically, in terms of light pollution, 69% felt that it obscured the view of the night sky, 50% that it disturbed wildlife, and 19% that it disturbed sleep.

79% of people felt the noise disturbed their sleep, and 80% that it made it difficult to hear conversations outdoors, with 19% said it was troublesome indoors too. Noise was worse when planes were taking off rather than landing, and more noticeable in the summer when windows are open.

Although not within the parish, respondents felt strongly against the plans to take over Wigmore Park to accommodate the expansion, with developed planning to move the park into North Herts.

Overall, when asked how they felt about Luton Airport’s plans for phased growth to 32 mppa by 2043, 18% opposed and 75% strongly opposed, with less than 4% of respondents being in favour. Opposition centred around concerns for climate change, the local environment, noise and pollution, and a feeling that more flights were not necessary. There were 103 written comments, mostly justifying people’s opposition to the expansion. It was clear people feel strongly about this.

This was one of the first surveys the parish council has conducted in this way. Thank you to everyone who completed it. It has helped the parish councillors discern the general view of the residents of the parish, and so can guide us in how we respond to this development.

St Paul’s Walden Parish Council

Chilterns Chalk Streams in Crisis

by | Jul 10, 2019 |

Led by the Chilterns Conservation Board, the Chilterns Chalk Streams Project is a partnership of statutory agencies, local authorities and voluntary bodies committed to conserving the chalk stream environment. The River Mimram is one of many chalk streams under threat...