This article was originally published in The Comet.
As politicians, we should always be thinking about how to improve the opportunities and life chances of the people we represent.
Hitchin is an historic market town. The centre of a thriving rural community. Just a short journey from the economic hub of London, the intellectual hub of Cambridge and specialist local centres of industry – like the life sciences industry in Stevenage.
As the Government progresses its plans to grow the economy – including the delivery of a massive new quarter in Cambridge – bringing new opportunities to our region, I’m determined that our town should get its fair share of that growth and investment.
That’s why this month I have spent lots of time meeting with local businesses and businesspeople here in Hitchin. Finding out directly from them about the challenges and opportunities that setting up shop here has seen for them. That has been really important, because understanding the barriers to doing business in Hitchin will be key to making our town a town of opportunity for the 21st Century.
One of my focusses when thinking about attracting this new investment is ensuring that it is local people who feel the full benefits of it. For example, I am committed to significantly increasing the number of high-quality apprenticeships available to be taken up by local young people – giving them a really good first step into work and helping to improve their opportunities longer term.
Attracting new investment goes hand in hand with making our town an even better place to live. Over the coming years I hope to work with the local Council and others to continue the work we are doing to regenerate and improve things in Hitchin.
From upgrading local social housing – building on the wonderful redevelopment of John Barker Place in Westmill – so that everyone has a great place to live. To ensuring that any regeneration of Churchgate and the market area is sympathetic to our town’s character and promotes greater economic opportunities. To improving air quality – by pursuing projects to get inappropriate HGVs off of our residential roads, making it easier to walk and cycle to the Station by opening up the Eastern access, and much more.
Together, we can make Hitchin a town of opportunity. That’s my mission as your local Member of Parliament. I look forward to continuing to work with you to deliver it.
