as the Greens oust Tories from power

Our Councils And What They Do

East Herts District Council is responsible for key services including planning, bin collections, car parks and leisure facilities.

The more ‘grassroots’ town councils in the area (Bishop’s Stortford, Hertford, Sawbridgeworth and Ware) have a range of responsibilities including looking after cemeteries, allotments and play areas, administering a number of grants, acting as a formal consultee on planning applications (which are determined by the district council), and promoting community wellbeing through the organisation of local events.

On this and the next page we take a more in-depth look at how the make-up of the councils has changed...

East Herts District Council

There are 50 elected councillors on East Herts District Council which, after recent boundary changes, are now elected from 26 wards. Dependent on population each ward is represented by a single, two or three councillors.

Heading into the elections the Conservatives held 39 seats, the Liberal Democrats six, the Greens two, Labour two, with one independent councillor.

At the end of the count the Conservatives had just 16 seats, losing control of the authority where only eight years ago they had held every one of the 50 seats.

The Greens won 19, not enough to give them a majority but making them the biggest winners of the night and the largest single party.

The Liberal Democrats and Labour also made gains, winning 10 and five seats respectively.

At its annual meeting on Wednesday 17th May the new leader- ship of East Herts Council was confirmed with the Greens forming a joint administration with the Liberal Democrats.

Green Party leader Cllr Ben Crystall becomes leader of the council with Lib Dem leader Cllr Mione Goldspink as deputy. She also holds a position on the council’s leading Executive group as Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, a role which includes responsibility for housing, emergency planning and community safety.

Other Executive members and their portfolios are:

Cllr Sarah Hopewell (Green) –Wellbeing; Cllr Joseph Dumont (Lib Dem) – Corporate Services;

Cllr Vicky Glover-Ward (Green) – Planning and Growth; Cllr Tim Hoskin (Green) – Environmental Sustainability; Cllr Carl Brittain (Green) – Financial Sustainability; Cllr Alex Daar (Green) – Communities; and Cllr Chris Wilson (Lib Dem) – Resident Engagement.

Cllr Martin Butcher is the new chair of the council with Cllr Calvin Horner as vice chair.

As well as presiding over full council meetings, the chair represents the district at civic events and raises money for their chosen charities, in this case CPRE Hertfordshire and Community Alliance.

Cllr Ben Crystall said: “I am confident that the Greens and the Liberal Democrats, working together in this joint administration, will provide strong and effective leadership for our communities. Our combined efforts will navigate the challenges ahead, deliver on residents’ priorities, and strive towards a better, more sustainable future for all in East Herts.”

Cllr Mione Goldspink said: “I am delighted that we have reached an agreement to work together and begin a new era of political leadership for East Herts. Our vision for the district will be underpinned by the principles that unite us –including environmental protection and sustainability – together with a strong focus on community engagement to ensure we remain responsive to the diverse needs of all our residents.”