Archive for category: News

The Parish Council Meetings were held on Thursday 4^th December 2025 and Thursday 8^th 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 16^th 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” 17^th 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 5^th February 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 6^th 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 4^th 2025 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

An application has been submitted to North Herts District Council for the installation of a large-scale solar farm on land south of the A507 near Cumberlow Green. This proposal lies adjacent to a separate planning application submitted to East Herts District Council for a solar farm between Cromer and Cottered.

Although these developments are outside Walkern Parish, local parishioners may wish to comment on the proposals.

Walkern Parish Council has formally responded to the application raising concerns about the effect these applications will have on the local landscape.

Details of the application can be found here on the North Herts District Council website.

The Parish Council response can be viewed here.

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 4^th September 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.

Playground Update

It has been agreed with HAGS that the project manager will take delivery of top soil on site and be responsible for filling in the holes under areas of the safety matting that were causing us concern. We hope that this will deal with the last of the snagging issues.

After investigation of various woods and recyclable plastic for the repair of the old benches in the playground the Council decided to order Iroko wood. It was the most expensive option but should prove even more sustainable and hard wearing than other materials.

We have reported on our Facebook page that there have been several incidents of vandalism, where play equipment has been deliberately damaged. Please take the time to report anything you see to the police by phoning 101, the non-emergency help line. The incident will then be logged and might help to identify the time of day, or days of the week when vandalism occurs. Also, it could lead to the police making more visits to the area.

The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

It is a government requirement that all counties should publish a local nature strategy. A Parish Councillor attended a webinar session giving details of Hertfordshire’s response and several of us logged into YouTube where the same session was open to the public. The purpose of the strategy is to identify areas where habitat creation and enhancement can most benefit species recovery, enable a more joined up approach and encourage more people and organisations to take action. Maps showing areas where work for nature is ongoing are available on line and the mapping tool was helpful in identifying the areas around Walkern that had been noted.

Once the strategy has been published a hard copy will be made freely available to the public.

Allotments

The Parish Council have agreed a new tenancy agreement for allotment holders but, as the changes are mainly concerned with updating officials’ names, it was decided that current tenants would not be asked to sign the new document. It was also decided not to increase the rents for the coming year.

Peace Garden

This project has been in working 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. Also, the solicitors have passed the project through the hands of several of their staff.

However, our clerk Abi has contacted the solicitors on many occasions over the last few months and is seems that land registry have now accepted that EHDC, having maintained the area for many years, has title to the property.

We hope that means we can at last move forward with the purchase of the land from the District Council.

Annual Meeting of Hertfordshire Parish, Town and Community Councils and Hertfordshire County Council

Several Councillors are attending this event on September 12^th at the Fielder Centre in Hatfield. There will be an opportunity to hear about, comment on and discuss the county’s proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire before submission to the government in November 2025.

Crime Report and Street Meet

The latest crime report issued in July by Hertfordshire Police notes a case of Drink Driving on the Stevenage Road and Arson in Wallace Green Way.

There is an opportunity to meet our Community Police Officers at the Street Meet on Saturday 18^th October at 2.30pm, outside Budgens Shop in Walkern. Please go along and talk to them about any concerns you have in connection crime or anti-social behaviour in Walkern.

The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 2^nd October 2025 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor

The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday 3rd July 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.

Annual Meeting of Hertfordshire Parish Town and Community Councils and Hertfordshire County Councils

Several Councillors will be attending this meeting on Friday 12th September which is being jointly chaired by Herts County Council and the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils. This event will be an opportunity for us to hear about, comment on and give some input to the county’s proposals for Local Government Reorganisation in Hertfordshire before submission to the government in November 2025.

Playground Update

The playground is being put to good use now the school holidays have begun. As soon as the safety inspection had been completed and the more serious problems picked up by their report had been dealt with the playground was opened for business. Councillors have visited the playground on many occasions over the last few weeks and have chatted to the parents and children there. We are very pleased with their responses to the new equipment. It’s been a pleasure to see families picnicking, spending time in the area and having fun. There are still some snagging issues relating to the matting under some of the apparatus so we have contacted HAGS and hope to get these dealt with in the coming weeks. We are aware that the notice boards and the older benches at the entrance to the park now looking very dilapidated and we are in the process of getting quotes to carry out repairs. The Parish Council has many and varied responsibilities. When we spoke to the people at the playground many of them were unaware that it was the Council which was responsible for organising and coordinating the update of the playground equipment. We would welcome younger residents to join the Council and take part in other projects which would benefit the village of Walkern.

Play Area at the WSCC

Vandalism is an ongoing problem in this area. TAE, the company that fenced the play equipment, have met with Councillors several times and have carried out repairs free of charge, though it is apparent that damage has been caused by youngsters repeatedly kicking footballs against the palings with such force that even those that have been screwed in have been knocked out again.
Vandalism is an offence and we have reported these actions to the police on many occasions and asked them to increase their visits, especially in the evening. However, residents can also help by contacting Hertfordshire police themselves and giving details of such incidents.

The Hertfordshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy

This strategy is the culmination of 18 months of work by the Hertfordshire Nature Recovery Partnership, with support from environmental and ecological experts, land managers and town and parish councils. We have taken part in surveys and attended exhibitions in order to support nature in and around Walkern. The public consultation is now open and a Councillor will be attending a webinar on August 19th which will talk through some of the highlights of the strategy and provide an opportunity to ask questions. The Council will then respond to the survey.
The Hertfordshire Local Nature recovery Strategy is available to read online and the survey is open to all residents to respond.

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

Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor