Parish Council Report – September 2026
Walkern Parish Council Report
The Parish Council Meeting was held on Thursday September 3rd 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.
Walkern Greenspace Audit
The Council have now received a detailed report from the Countryside & Rights of Way Service, part of Hertfordshire County Council, following a walk about the village with their representative in July. This report was given free of charge and it is good to see that we are already trying to manage the green spaces owned by the Council in line with their advice.
Councillors must now decide which areas should be given priority in order to bring together community action, under the Wilder Walkern umbrella, and apply for funding. Funding is available but any application must be accompanied by plans for the chosen site and potential costs.
Speeding in Walkern
Several residents have contacted the Council with their concerns about speeding traffic in the village. The Council has been trying to address this issue many times over the last few years and we are aware that the problem increases with higher volumes of traffic.
We explored the possibility of having more traffic calming measures with the County Council but were told this wasn’t possible as we are on a bus route.
We responded positively to a police alert that a Police Speed Trap vehicle was available to visit villages. We provided several possible sites but were told that none were appropriate as they did not give the approaching vehicles enough warning that a speed trap was in place.
Councillors agreed to contact Ken Crofton, our County Councillor, expressing our concerns and asking for advice.
Hertfordshire’s Local Government Reorganisation Proposals
Last month I reported that the Government had set out its decision regarding the future structure of local government in Hertfordshire. The Government’s preferred model was for 4 unitary councils to be established across the county. This meant that the services currently delivered by East Herts Council, along with those of Hertfordshire County Council, would transfer to Eastern Hertfordshire Council on 1st April 2028. The new council would combine the existing areas of East Herts District Council and Broxbourne Borough Council plus the Northaw & Cuffley Ward from Welwyn Hatfield and specific northern wards from North Herts (including Royston).
However, on September 7th 2026 Angela Rayner, Minister of Housing, Communities and Local Government, announced a pause in the process after receiving legal advice. This pause will affect several counties including Hertfordshire.
The National Association of Local Councils have called on the government “to provide clarity and certainty for parish and town councils following the launch of this review”. They expressed “disappointment that the future direction of local government reorganisation has become uncertain, particularly given the significant time and effort parish and town councils and county associations have already invested in engaging with the process.”
The government confirmed local elections in May 2027 would go ahead on existing county boundaries.
More information can be found on the East Herts website www.eastherts.gov.uk
Walkern Sports and Community Centre
The Chair of the WSCC Committee, Nigel Bennett, attended the Parish Council meeting to sign the amended lease which was reviewed and agreed upon at a meeting between the Parish Council and the WSCC Committee on 27th July 2026. Two copies of the lease were signed and the Parish Council and the WSCC will each retain a copy.
Tree Works Around Walkern
The Council have been contacted by Wayne Smith of Simply Trees Services on behalf of UK Power Networks, as hedging and trees need to cleared from power lines in the allotments and horse field. UKPN ask for a clearance of 4 metres. This work as well as clearing away the waste would not be charged to the Parish Council. We hope the work will be carried out on 23rd September 2026.
The next Parish Council meeting will be held on Thursday 1st October 2026 at the Walkern Sports and Community Centre commencing at 7.00 pm.
Christine Nudds, Parish Councillor