Parish Councillor Vacancy

/in News/by Walkern Parish Council

We currently have a vacancy for a Parish Councillor and are looking for an enthusiastic local resident who would like to help support and improve our community.

 

Becoming a Parish Councillor is a rewarding way to make a difference locally, have your voice heard and work alongside others on matters that affect Walkern.

 

No previous experience is needed – just an interest in the community and willingness to get involved.

 

The Parish Council meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month (except August), making the role manageable alongside other commitments.

 

If you would lie to find out more or are interested in applying, please contact the Clerk at

 

We would love to hear from you!

Walkern Parish Council Report – May 2026

/in News/by Walkern Parish Council

Walkern Parish Council Report

The Walkern Annual Parish Council Meeting and the monthly Parish Council Meeting were held on Thursday 7th May 2026 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meetings are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgen’s shop.

Notes from the Annual Parish Report

Michele Rist, as chair, was pleased to announce that the time and effort put in by councillors was achieving results in the various projects undertaken this year.

The new High Street Playground attracts a large number of visitors, parents and children who appreciate the new play equipment but also adults who enjoy a quiet place to sit and read or enjoy a cup of coffee.

Bird boxes, kindly donated by a resident and then put up by Michelle and Jim Wakely are a recent addition. Planting wild flowers as part of our Wilder Walkern initiative is ongoing and we hope this year they will be more visible. This is alongside further planting of native bushes for pollinators, using plants that tolerate drier soils as no water is available on site.

The Council have at last taken over the ownership of the Burial Site on Froghall Lane. We have been responsible for sometime in keeping the area mown and tidy and we hope in future to make this a quiet place for people to sit and rest as it is still a burial site and must be treated with respect.

Walkern Sports and Community Centre The centre and field have shown a significant improvement, with boundaries tidied and the fenced area updated to make a comfortable and safe place. The interior has had a facelift with new doors and windows.

The committee running the WSCC is small and they put in a lot of time and effort. Michele thanked them on behalf of the Council for all their work as it is much appreciated.

Allotments These are well tended and thanks to Elaine Cook and her committee are overseen and run well.

Pigeon Hut The History Society has made this an interesting area to visit with lots of displays and now a wonderful timeline to follow the progress of Walkern.

Michele thanked Janet Woodall and her committee who have made the history of Walkern available to all of us.

Walkern Journal This publication allows residents to read the latest news about happenings in the village, either by hand-delivered paper copies or online. This is run and delivered by a small group of volunteers and is appreciated by all who subscribe.

General Appearance of the Village Grass cutting and general maintenance are all overseen by Michael Daley and Michelle Wakeley. Michele thanked them and volunteer residents who litter-pick around the village helping to keep Walkern a place to be proud of.

Planning Over the past year despite our updated Neighbourhood Plan there have still been large planning applications, as well as small ones. Each application is looked at and commented on by our councillors, who try to be fair and assess if it is in the best interest of the village. We try to use policies from our Plan or the East Herts Policy Framework to help us formulate a response.

A Wilder Walkern This is our latest project. We would like Walkern to be an example of how we care about the green spaces and corridors within our boundary, the wildlife that lives here now and has done for many years, and the diversity of flora that we have.

St Mary’s Church, The United Reformed Church both are run for the benefit of villagers and are supported by a small hard-working group of volunteers. Councillors try to support our village churches as part of our grant scheme.

The report ended with Michele thanking a number of organisations and individuals who support the community and our Councillors Tom Deffley and Tony Stowe, the Clerk and members of the Parish Council.

 

Election of Chair and Councillors

Michele Rist was unanimously re-elected as Chair and Reg Marjason, Mike Allingham, Christine Nudds and Paul Warner agreed to serve on the Parish Council for another year.

 

The Oak Tree

The High Street playground has been home to a beautiful Oak tree for many years but time and weather had damaged a large part of the canopy and a huge

split appeared making it a real danger for the children who enjoy running around at the rear of the park. The canopy has now been reduced and all the dead limbs removed but the tree has been saved and there are already signs of green shoots emerging lower down the trunk so we hope it will continue to thrive.

Swifts in Walkern?

On Tuesday 5th May Clive Fleming from the Hertford Swift Group delivered a fascinating and highly informative presentation to the Wilder Walkern community.

The event was very well attended and feedback has been extremely positive. Clive spoke about his work in the Hertford area to protect the swifts’ numbers which is in drastic decline. He explained the birds’ behaviour, their long migratory journeys, and the local initiative focused on protecting and encouraging Hertford’s breeding swift population.

The Hertford Swift Group manage nesting sites, installs boxes and swift bricks and advocates for swift-friendly planning and development in partnership with local organisations. They also provide advice, promote the use of audio callers to attract swifts to new sites and work with specialists to rescue and rehabilitate injured birds.

Clive and his team have kindly offered to supply and install swift boxes in Walkern. Several residents have already signed up and we will share updates on the Wilder Walkern website once installation begins.

 

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Wednesday 3rd June 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

 

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

Walkern Parish Council Report – April 2026

/in News/by Walkern Parish Council

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 2nd April 2026 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meeting are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgen’s shop.

 

A Wilder Walkern

The Parish Council continues to support the Wilder Walkern Project A full update is in this issue of the journal, but here’s a summary of how the Council is helping to move things along.

 

Our New Wilder Walkern Website

Following the first community meeting it became clear that we needed a simple, accessible place for everyone to find information. The new Wilder Walkern Website is now live and will be the central hub for updates, guides, events details and all project related news. It has been created entirely in-house with only hosting costs to cover.

Please do take a look, it’s the easiest way to keep up to date with what’s happening.

 

Sharing Wilder Walkern at the Environment and Climate Forum

A Parish Council representative recently attended the East Herts Forum which brings together residents, community groups, businesses and council teams to share ideas and progress.

The Forum covers a wide range of topics, including sustainable goods, green economy, planning, transport, biodiversity, water use, energy efficiency, renewable energy and community-led environmental action.

Wilder Walkern generated a lot of interest and it was encouraging to see the village’s efforts recognised.

 

Nature Survey with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust

We met with Tim Hill from the Trust on April 13th to discuss the possibility of a nature survey of the local area. The United Reformed Church and St Mary’s Church were also invited as both organisations have expressed an interest in the project.

We agreed with Tim that an ecological survey of the area would be a very important first step leading to a management plan that included how residents saw the future of nature recovery in Walkern. This plan could include projects that require funding but also those that allowed nature to do the job for us, free of charge. The survey would inform the decisions made by those who are interested in a wilder Walkern.

Tim will now send an estimate for the cost of a survey and we can then approach various organisations for funding.

The Parish Council’s budget is very limited at the moment, so direct financial support will be modest. However, we will be exploring grants and other funding opportunities and we’ll help the community with fund raising events wherever possible.

 

Why Wilder Walkern Matters

Nature recovery at parish level may sound technical, but in practice it’s about simple, local actions that protect and enhance spaces around us.

Parish- level nature recovery plans help to:

  • Understand the wildlife we already have
  • Identify opportunities to restore habitats
  • Link up green spaces so nature can thrive
  • Support national goals under the Environment Act 2021
  • Bring the community together around a shared purpose.

 

Planning

I reported last month that the Council contacted East Herts District Council Planning Department expressing our growing concerns over the way our representations have been handled and the problems accessing the planning portal.

We received a reply asking for specific examples and have since responded.  There was lack of notification on major application withdrawals. We cited the Retirement Care Village where the Parish Council spent a considerable amount of time and money conducting a survey of residents before submitting a detailed objection letter. Although the application was subsequently withdrawn, the Parish Council received no formal notification.

Officer Reports Not Fully Reflecting Parish Council Representations, where key areas mentioned in our responses were not included in the reports. These areas include design quality and local character; infrastructure such as roads, flooding and sewage capacity; affordable housing and housing mix and self-build eligibility.

In our response the full planning references were given so the applications could be clearly identified.

 

Finance

The year 2025/26 has ended with an overspend of nearly £9000.The major items contributing to this have been a number of unplanned maintenance issues at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre, street lighting charges for both 2024/25 and 2025/26 falling within the same year and increased village gardening expenditure. On a more positive note, the £95,000 spent on the High Street playground seems to have been very well received. We look forward to a budget conscious 2026/27.

 

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 7th May 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

 

                                                                                Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

Wilder Walkern – Project Update and Website Link

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The Parish Council is pleased to be taking the lead on a new nature‑recovery and sustainability initiative for the village. The project began in February, when we delivered leaflets inviting households to get involved. This was followed by our first community meeting, which helped shape the next steps.

To make it easier for residents to find information, stay updated, and take part, we have now created a dedicated Wilder Walkern website. This will be the central place for all news, background information, guides, and details of upcoming activities.

Visit the Wilder Walkern website: https://wilderwalkern.org.uk/

The Parish Council will continue to support the project as it develops, and further updates will be shared through the website and our usual communication channels.

Walkern Parish Council Report – March 2026

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The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 5th March 2026 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meeting are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgen’s shop.

 A Wilder Walkern

We held a very constructive meeting with Tim Hoskin, head of Environmental Sustainability at East Herts District Council, on February 18th. We discussed various initiatives that might interest residents and be achievable in the short term. He confirmed our idea that an assessment of areas within the Parish where wilding could take place is an important first step. We held a very useful meeting with Tim Hill, Conservation Manager at the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust in January and his organisation is able to help with such an assessment but it would need funding.

The Council has received over 70 responses from residents expressing their interest in supporting the project. Of course, we understand that not all of those who responded are able to offer practical help but we were very pleased that 38 people attended the kick off meeting on 11th March.

There was a short presentation from Steve Mason about a Terra Carta project that residents might like to be involved in. The project includes core themes such as caring for nature and wildlife, reducing waste, saving energy and supporting local and sustainable choices. Each theme has 2 to 4 simple commitments, some of which residents might be doing already such as avoiding using pesticides in the garden or switching off lights when leaving the room.

As well as giving an overview of what we have achieved so far, the meeting gave residents a chance to share ideas on how they could participate within their own gardens as well as in village areas; small is just as important as large projects. There were some lively group discussions and a feeling emerged about priorities and what our immediate aims should be. Participants expressed strong interest in focusing on nature and ecology as well as community and well-being, including activities for both children and adults. Ideas on how projects could be funded were also discussed

It was felt that a regular dedicated page in the Walkern Journal and a new Wilder Walkern website would be helpful to promote interest in the project. Until the website is developed updates and information about Wilder Walkern can be found in the Wilder Walkern section of the Parish Council website. Parish Websites, who already host our Parish Council website, have said they could also host an additional site for us. It may be that someone attending may have the skills to design such a website.

A more detailed report on the meeting is in the article entitled Wilder Walkern within the journal.

Planning

Councillors discussed with Tom Deffley, District Councillor, our growing concerns regarding the way our representations are being handled within the East Herts District Council planning process.

The Council responds in detail to many of the applications which we receive and we are not confident that these comments are adequately taken into account or even accurately reported in the summaries given by the Planning Department.

We are also troubled by recurring issues with the planning portal, where attachments submitted as part of the application have not been visible to us.

We have contacted EHDC expressing our concerns and await their response.

Street Lighting

The Parish Council is responsible for the cost of repairing some of the High Street lamps, though these repairs must be carried out by Ringway, the recommended contractors. We have contacted Ringway to repair a lamp in the High Street with an LED fitting at a cost of £777.78 including VAT , a large proportion of our funds.

There are also two other lamp posts in the Village where the Victorian fittings have been stolen. The clerk will contact Ringway for a quote for the repair.

National Association of Local Councils

In February, Peers in the House of Lords continued their scrutiny of the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, raising concerns about the government’s proposals for neighbourhood governance. NALC is backing their commitment to “emphasise the need to protect and strengthen parish and town councils as the most local tier of democratic representation”.

Last week the Chief Executive of the association spoke at a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs training day for civil servants working on climate adaptation and rural policy. He briefed them on the work of parish and town councils, developments in the sector and our role in helping to tackle climate change and asked them to help raise understanding of the sector across Whitehall.  They agreed to consider visits to parish and town councils.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 2nd April 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

Walkern Parish Council Report – February 2026

/in News/by RFO

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 5th February 2026 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meeting are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgen’s shop.

A Wilder Walkern

The Wilder Walkern leaflet inviting all residents to become part of this community project have now been delivered and it’s been great to see such an enthusiastic response from residents via email and written replies. Many want to be involved and share their thoughts on how we can manage green spaces around the village, helping native species and encouraging biodiversity.

We have also been in contact with Tim Hoskin, head of Environmental Sustainability at East Herts District Council, and hope to meet him to discuss our project and find out what practical support and funding might be available to help us.

We are planning to hold an open meeting to kick start the project at 7.30pm on Wednesday 11th March at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre. We will be sending out invitations to the meeting via email. All are welcome but so that we can manage numbers, set out enough chairs and buy enough biscuits please respond to the email invitation to confirm attendance.

 Peace Garden

This project has been work in progress for several years! The main difficulty stems from the fact that no conveyancing trail from the owners of the graveyard in Froghall Lane to East Herts District Council could be found so that presented a problem with land registry.

We were delighted to hear from Abi, the Clerk, that the transfer of the land has now been completed and has been passed to Land Registry to complete the transfer of title deeds.

Funding for Local Councils

Our Finance Officer attended a presentation hosted by The National Association of Local Councils looking at ways of raising funding for large projects which are unaffordable from a council’s normal funds.

Funding for any project that the Council undertakes is difficult. The Parish Council has worked hard in recent years and has been successful in getting grants from East Herts District Council to put towards the Fitness Trail at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre. We were also successful in getting funding from Hertfordshire County Council’s Locality budget to put in play equipment and fencing in the same area. The Council applied for and received many free trees and hedging to put around the play area.

Along with the WSCC we very much want to make this area a place where all ages can relax, exercise and enjoy themselves.

National Association of Local Councils

NALC has secured exemption for parish and town councils having to hold referendums on council tax increases. The report from NALC states, “responding to the consultation they made the case that councils at all tiers should be able to set council tax and precept levels without the constant risk of government intervention. This principle is particularly important for local councils whose precept is their primary and often only source of income.

“Parish and town councils account for just around 2 per cent of England’s total council tax in 2025/26 but they deliver a wide range of essential local services and community support. The exemption from referendum principles therefore provides much needed stability, enabling parish and town councils to plan and continue to serve their communities effectively.”

 Walkern Crime Report, January 2026

Section 4A Public Order, Rookery Close

Sending Threatening Communications, Moors Ley.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 5th March 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

Wilder Walkern

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Walkern Parish Council is exploring an exciting new initiative to boost local wildlife, restore habitats, and make our parish greener and healthier. But it can only happen with community support. If residents show interest—and get involved—we can bring this plan to life.

We’re inviting local people to help shape and potentially deliver this project. Whether you’d like to share ideas in a Working Group or volunteer on the ground, your involvement matters.

As a first step, to measure interest and establish the viability of this initiative, we are putting leaflets through the doors of Walkern residents seeking a positive response from those who might wish to participate.

You can respond by filling in and returning the leaflet to 97 High Street, Walkern or on-line here.

The leaflet can be downloaded here.

Walkern Parish Council report – January 2026

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The Parish Council Meetings were held on Thursday 4th December 2025 and Thursday 8th January 2026 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meetings are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgen’s shop.

The Parish Council would like to wish all the residents a happy and healthy 2026.

A Wilder Walkern

The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy has been published and is available online. The Parish Council own and manage green spaces in and around the village and encouraging biodiversity locally was an important part of the recently updated Neighbourhood Plan.

We held a very useful meeting with Tim Hill, Conservation Manager at the Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, in order to discuss how we move forward with the project. The Trust has developed a number of nature plans for parish and town councils and local authorities in Hertfordshire. We were looking for advice on the kind of actions we should try to undertake and information about funding that might be available.

As previously reported, the Council is anxious that this should be a community project as well as helping native species and habitats within the Parish. Therefore, our first action will be to leaflet residents asking if they are willing to give their practical support towards rewilding. Tim assured us that it’s possible for everyone to do something even within their own gardens and together we can make a difference.

National Planning Policy Framework

The government published the new version of the NPPF for consultation on 16th December 2025.The draft framework represents the most significant overhaul of national planning policy since the NPPF was first introduced in 2012.

It is possible to look at various websites for information about this draft framework, using your web browser to search the new NPPF. YouTube has several helpful videos where the major changes are discussed, for example, “Have we got planning News for You” 17th December 2025.

Although this is a draft document, as a Council we are informing ourselves of its contents, trying to assess its possible effects on the village in terms of planning.

National Association of Local Councils

An open letter from the newly elected chair, Cllr Iain Hamilton, recognised the growing expectations and increasing responsibilities faced by parish and town councils. He states these local councils are an “invaluable asset to our country” and “the bedrock of community life across England”.

We are a small council and our monthly meetings are open to all. There is an opportunity for members of the public to raise issues or ask questions.

We are aware that family life is busy and demanding but we know that there is a public concern for the Parish and its residents, so do think about coming to the meetings and finding out about what we do.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 5th February 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

East Herts Council Supports Three Unitary Option for Hertfordshire

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The option for three unitary councils has been backed by East Herts as its preferred model for the future of local government in Hertfordshire.

Further details can be found here.

LGR - Map showing the boundaries for 3 unitary councils

Walkern Parish Council Report – November 2025

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The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 6th November 2025 at Walkern Sports and Community Centre. This report covers some of the issues we have been dealing with over the last few months. The full minutes of the meeting are available on the Parish Council website and on the Parish Council Notice Board outside Budgens shop.

Peace Garden

This project has been work in progress for at least a year! The main difficulty stems from the fact that no conveyancing trail from the owners of the graveyard in Froghall Lane to East Herts District Council could be found so that presented a problem with land registry.

We were delighted to recently receive an email from Tollers, our solicitors, stating that the title for the property registered at the Land Registry is satisfactory and the form of transfer has been approved.

Abi, our clerk, has asked for information regarding the signing and witnessing of the deeds and we are waiting for a response.

Aubries Play Area

We know that the updating of the equipment at the High Street Playground has been a great success and the majority of families will choose to spend most time there. However, the Council is also responsible for the small area at Aubries and we are aware that it is looking in need of a refresh. Several Councillors met onsite and agreed that we should get quotes to refurbish the bench, that is rub down the metal frame and slats, treat the rust and repaint. Also to place paving stones under the bench, where the grass has disappeared and is now a muddy patch.

The slide on the toddlers’ climbing frame is also slightly damaged so we have contacted Wicksteed, the manufacturers, to find out the cost of a replacement.

High Street Playground

The majority of residents using the playground do so with great care and appreciation but we still have problems with users who seem to delight in leaving their rubbish on the ground or tucked between the slats of the benches, anywhere other than in one of the three bins available.

Recently I reported that someone was dumping their unwanted and completely inappropriate books in the Book Box and only yesterday a fold up deck chair was left on the picnic table, presumably because the owner is aware that litter is regularly cleared from the park and they didn’t want the bother of disposing of it themselves!

We know there is very little we can do to stop this kind of behaviour but it is frustrating that the Council has to pay for rubbish to be collected and disposed of in a responsible manner when there are many calls on the money that we have available.

The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

The Council is anxious that this should be a project for the community so that, as well as helping native species and habitats, it will bring residents together in an enjoyable and worthwhile experience.

We discussed what our next steps should be and decided it was important to discover how many residents would be interested in being involved in a practical way, and also where the Council could get funding to support the projects.

We plan to deliver a leaflet to all households setting out our vision to restore and enhance the natural environment of Walkern Parish for the benefit of the wildlife and residents. We will be asking residents to let us know if they would like to be involved, so that we can judge the community’s response and decide whether to continue with the plan.

Also, councillors will approach various organisations such as The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and Herts County Council to see whether funding would be available.

Crime Report

The police report for October notes an attempted theft from a motor vehicle in Moors Ley and a case of criminal damage at Manor Farm on the High Street. There was also a truck stolen from outside premises in Stevenage Road.

The Council urges people who see anything suspicious to contact the police:

Phone 999 or101 for non-urgent cases.

Planning Applications

The Council receives notice of the various planning applications made within the Parish. However, residents can also view, comment and object to applications on the East Herts Planning Portal by either searching Walkern or a specific road within the village.

For searches online use https://publicaccess.eastherts.gov.uk

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday December 4th 2025 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor