AS you may well know, politics doesn’t just stop at the border. The Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group have sent the following questions to the Hertford and Stortford candidates.

Candidates in Hertford and Stortford are (in alphabetical order of surname): John Burmicz – Reform; Helen Campbell – Lib Dem; Nick Cox – Green; Josh Dean – Lab; Jane Fowler – Alliance for Democracy and Freedom; Barry Hensall – Heritage Party – Freedom, Family, Nation; Julie Marson – Con.

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Dear Candidate,

We hope your campaign in the Hertford and Stortford constituency is faring well. We are sponsored by the Parish Councils of Hunsdon Eastwick & Gilston and produced their joint Gilston Area Neighbourhood Plan. In our Area, 10,000 new houses are planned, and permission for the first 4,700 has been granted subject to publication of a S.106 Agreement with the developers to govern what infrastructure and services will be provided for new and existing residents. 

We seek to show the developers and the planners at East Herts DC that the community is part of the solution and not their enemy, with mixed success at a political level. We hope that, if elected, you will support our community in ensuring that this major development in your constituency will be an exemplary one with full, timely and well planned social, health, environmental and educational facilities. 

We therefore send you this open request for your responses to 4 questions.

If elected:

1. How do you anticipate being able to support residents’ ambitions to secure a high-quality development?
2. Will you champion the provision, by the developers, the NHS and service providers like Thames Water, of the community infrastructure needed by the development?
3. The community has prepared two neighbourhood plans (The Gilston Area Neighbourhood Plan and Hunsdon Area Neighbourhood Plan), will you support the delivery of these plans and ensure that the voice of the community is not ignored but properly listened to by East Herts DC and the developers?
4. The green belt was released to provide housing including 40% affordable housing although this target has been reduced to 23% (loss of 1,700 affordable homes); what steps do you think you will be able to take to secure an increase in affordable housing for local people?

We will publish all responses, including no shows, on our website on 25th June.