When I wrote my last column for the Kimpton Magazine, I told you about the work we were doing to support Kimpton Parish Council’s bid for Levelling Up funding to re-develop the pavilion on the Recreation Ground. In this column, I am absolutely delighted to be able to let you know that our efforts have paid off and Kimpton has been awarded £62k in Government funding for this project.
This is great news – and it shows that the Government’s Levelling Up agenda really does have a material impact on communities like ours, with this fantastic local community-led project in Kimpton receiving game-changing funding.
And that’s only one of a number of wins that we’ve seen over the past few months. You’ve told me how important it is to retain Day Travelcards and Ticket Offices are proposals were made to get rid of both. With the support of hundreds of people in our communities, I made representations to Government and to the Mayor of London (in the case of Day Travelcards), emphasising the importance of travelcards and ticket offices to easy, cheap and convenient travel for people in our area.
I am very pleased to be able to report back that our efforts have paid off, with both Day Travelcards and Ticket Offices being saved after the Government intervened.
In the run-up to Remembrance Sunday I also heard from constituents about a Thameslink policy that meant that the Royal British Legion and other charities were being prohibited from using their contactless card machines at local stations. I immediately wrote to Thameslink and they have agreed to change their policy – and I was pleased to hear that poppy sellers (and other charities, including Children in Need) were able to use their card machines to raise extra money for this fantastic cause.
Finally, on a personal note, you may have seen the news that the Prime Minister has asked me to serve as Economic Secretary to the Treasury. This is a really important role looking at a whole range of things, including financial services (a key local employer), regulation, fintech, crypto, and much more. At time of writing, I am getting stuck into my new brief as we look to deliver for people in Hitchin, Harpenden and the villages through the Autumn Statement!
In all my work, I’ll continue to look after the interests of Kimpton alongside Cllrs Muncer, Thake and our whole local team. If you need my help on any issue, please do get in touch.
