This article originally appeared in the paper edition of The Herts Advertiser.
I am often asked about the difference that politicians can make to a community. In our area, we are starting to see the real positive changes that good politics – investing in the facilities and services that people care about – can bring.
More than £700k from Government investment in local sports facilities announced last month will help to deliver the Conservative vision for a new artificial pitch in Harpenden’s Rothamsted Park. New funding for grassroots tennis will support upgrades to tennis facilities in the Park.
Around £4m of Government investment will help to deliver the County Council’s plan to repair around 40,000 potholes this year – with Harpenden and the villages having seen significant road resurfacing works in recent weeks to deliver better road surfaces.
Our plan to improve local healthcare is progressing really well – with the New Hospitals Programme set to deliver a new hospital in Watford, new facilities in St. Albans and Hemel Hempstead, and a new specialist Cancer Hospital for our region.
We’ve delivered on our manifesto pledge to recruit 20,000 extra police officers. Thanks to great work from David Lloyd, the Police & Crime Commissioner, that means record numbers of officers are now on the streets in Hertfordshire and we’re starting to see the benefits, with new stats showing crime is down 13% since 2019.
£1.4m of new funding announced this month from the Safer Streets Fund will help to tackle anti-social behaviour and make our communities even safer.
And of course in Harpenden, the local Conservatives have a proud record of investing in community facilities on the ground. With just some examples including the new boardwalk at Batford Springs; play parks at Rothamsted, Wood End and Roundwood; Katherine Warington School; the Leisure and Culture Centres in Rothamsted Park.
I’ll continue to work with our team to ensure that our communities continue to attract the investment it deserves.
