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Our North Herts Council candidates for May 2024

Posted on by daveeldervass

Our candidates

CANDIDATE STATEMENTS

Arbury: Anne Fletcher

I’m a retired social science academic and have been a member of the Green Party since it started. I’m a keen supporter of green politics and committed both personally and politically to action for tackling climate change. I am also passionate about wildlife and wildlife friendly gardening –  I have lived in Ashwell for six years and as well as wilding my own garden  I volunteer with several ‘green’ groups in the village. I have recently helped start up the Zero Carbon Ashwell project.

I would be very happy to represent the Arbury Ward at the District Council to promote Green Party politics.

Baldock West: Kruna Vukmirovic

KV photo cropped

I am honoured to stand as a Green Party candidate for Baldock West. North Herts has been my home for over four years now and I enjoy the wonderful countryside surrounding it. There is so much that needs to be done to protect the environment, stop the loss of biodiversity, clean our rivers and create better, more sustainable lifestyle for our community and future generations.

Ermine: Hugh Parker

Hugh Parker

Hugh Parker and his wife have lived in the area for almost 50 years, have three children and six wonderful grandchildren. Hugh had a career spanning more than 40 years responding to marine environmental emergencies around the world offering advice and assistance and resolving claims for compensation from affected communities. He now lives in a rural hamlet on the North Herts/Uttlesford border where he enjoys walks in the beautiful local countryside. He is currently Secretary to the local Green Party with an interest in planning regulations for renewable energy and biodiversity enhancement.

Hitchin Bearton: Tim Lee

Tim Lee photo

I have lived, studied, and worked in Hertfordshire for 40 years, the last 15 in North Herts.

I will campaign for some of the most pressing environmental issues in Baldock, as well as North Herts:

  • Energy security – in Baldock and North Herts we could generate a great deal more electricity from renewable sources.
  • Implementing 20 mph speed limit in Baldock Residential Area – I am part of the Twenty is Plenty campaign – www.20splenty.org
  • Electric Vehicle Charging –  I will see that Baldock gets the charging points it needs for the future.
  • Protecting our Green Belt -I did not want to see such a massive development on Green Belt doubling the size of Baldock, but by electing me to the council, we can reduce the impact on existing residents.
  • Expanding biodiversity – we can create a better environment than monoculture farming.

Hitchin Bearton: Deolinda Eltringham

Deolinda_Eltringham scaled

Deolinda actively campaigns for clean air, energy efficiency, local biodiversity, recycling and renewable energy generation. You can read more about her campaign here and on Facebook.

Hitchin Priory: Grace Woodward

Grace Woodward

Grace Woodward is a mental health activist who lives with c-PTSD. After a prolific TV & Radio broadcast career, turned her back on her pedigree in Fashion after realising she was complicit in the horrors of the planet’s most polluting industry. She was part of the first Fashion Revolution Campaign in 2014, has been a judge on The Observer Ethical Awards, and has lived co-parenting her son in Hitchin Priory Ward for a decade.

Hitchin Walsworth: Will Lavin

William Lavin for Hitchin & Harpenden

Will Lavin has lived with his family in Hitchin Walsworth for six years. He is a long-time Green Party member and environmental campaigner. Will is committed to ensuring better air and water quality for Hitchin, and to preserving our green spaces.

Knebworth: Davina Malcolm

I have lived in a small Hertfordshire village for over 40 years. It has made me appreciate nature and the countryside. I want to preserve them for future generations to enjoy. Although Hertfordshire born and bred, I’ve travelled widely and lived in London and abroad. I spent 40 years working in IT, both in industry and teaching, including 7 years at North Hertfordshire College. I have been involved with a wide range of environmental projects covering flora, fauna and recycling. We have campaigned against the expansion of Luton Airport and West of Stevenage (both issues affecting us yet again). I volunteer with CPRE Herts, checking the 300-500 planning applications made weekly to the District Councils in Hertfordshire. We highlight serious infringements in the Green Belt so that planners can object to the worst cases. I attend Parish Council meetings to speak up for the trees; to promote the “20’s Plenty” campaign to reduce speeding in all Hertfordshire villages; and to demand a better, more integrated, bus service so that all of us can get out and about without a car!

Letchworth Norton: David Morris

David has lived in Letchworth Garden City their whole life. Now retired, David worked at BT, then for the last 20 years at London School of Economics prior to retirement.  If elected to represent the Letchworth Norton ward they would focus on people and the planets future, not being driven by profit motives. Seeking to support all the residents of the ward they would pursue policies through the council that would encourage more equality of opportunity and personal freedom and hopefully start the process of restoring faith and confidence in local democracy.

Letchworth South East: Maryla Hart

Maryla Hart cropped

Maryla has lived in Letchworth for 12 years.  Maryla works as Fundraising and Sustainability Manager for  a charity who focus on homelessness and rebuilding lives through vocational training.  She has previously run her own business and worked in NHS Governance, Projects and Admin.  Maryla supports the workers strikes and volunteers for Willbury Community Café’s Best Before Stall – which rescues food for the local community that would otherwise go to landfill.  She has helped raise two step-children.

Maryla advocates for social, environmental and climate justice and is passionate about building resilient local communities – that are able to adapt and thrive in a changing climate.  She is keen to support local businesses and positive community initiatives both in Letchworth and further afield. She has recently completed a Masters degree in Sustainability.

Maryla is a member of several local environmental groups – taking on organiser, facilitator and co-researcher roles. Maryla was part of a team that co-produced reports on Sustainable housing and Improving Cycling Facilities and Networks in Letchworth and has regularly helped with community events around local food growing. Maryla enjoys growing her own organic produce and is a keen cyclist – often to be seen cycling around Letchworth and our Greenway – attending exercise classes at North Herts Leisure Centre, or meeting friends in town.

Maryla is passionate about:

  • tackling climate change,
  • sustainable, energy efficient, future-proofed housing, 
  • improving biodiversity,
  • protecting the River Ivel and cleaning up our waterways, 
  • advocating for real, effective and well thought through environmental and community action
  • and a decent quality of life and opportunity for all – within the boundaries our planet can provide for.

Letchworth South West: Dugald Muir

Dugald Muir cropped

Dugald has spent the last 15 years living in Letchworth, where he has raised his family, run a small business and more recently studied for a Masters in Fine Arts at the University of Hertfordshire. He loves being a part of the vibrant Letchworth community, you may well have seen him helping at a local drama society, volunteering at food waste rescue charity in the town centre, or walking the greenway with his Fox Terrier, Carlo. Sustainability, community and supporting green spaces for all are the foundations of Letchworth and Dugald is passionate they should be at the heart of the approach to building a thriving town for the future.

Offa: Nicky Clark

I have lived in Langley, nr Knebworth, for 24 years and am grateful every day for the peace and beauty of the countryside on my doorstep. I am acutely aware of the challenges we face with climate and biodiversity breakdown, which motivates me to live a simple, low impact life and to work with others to cherish the natural world. I have been a professional musician all my working life, still performing locally, and more recently have worked as a music teacher and teaching assistant at a local primary school and nursery, where I also run the Eco Club. I volunteer at the Letchworth Garden Shed, (library of things), and am an active member of a number of local environmental groups, including Friends of the Earth. Having brought up two children in this tiny hamlet, I have first hand experience of the challenges of public transport and connection to local services faced by young people growing up in our villages and would like to see them considered more in local government decisions.

Royston Heath: Des Stephens

I have been a Green Party member for 9 years. I have in the past been a member of the Labour Party but left because I did not believe that it was following just social and economic policies. 

I joined the Green Party when I realised the great significance of climate change to the world and peoples  lives. We will not achieve social and economic development without protecting future generations from the chaos of a warming planet.

I am married and retired, both happily.

Vote green, give us a chance.

Royston Meridian: Francis Sedgemore

Francis is a research physicist turned science and policy journalist, technical and communications consultant who has lived in Royston Meridian for the past decade. Raised in North America, New Zealand and Ireland, Francis has spent much of his adult life living and working across northern Europe, returning to the British Isles in the early noughties. Now self-employed, Francis operates from home on the Meadowlands estate, where he helps care for his elderly in-laws. Local interests include the urgent need for economic regeneration and improved infrastructure to support the growing population of Royston, the state of primary healthcare, and sustainable transport.

Weston & Sandon: Elizabeth Ryder Ford

Having been a Hertfordshire native for my entire life, I am seeing our beautiful countryside changing beyond recognition. I strongly believe in defending our green spaces, protecting our ecosystem and creating positive change for the most disadvantaged members of our community. The 3 main parties have compromised the future of generations to come by failing to initiate meaningful change in various empty climate promises. The youngest members of our society are already feeling the effects of poor economic strategy, meaning affordable housing and a proper living wage are unattainable goals. I believe that a society in which the populace is fairly taxed can create a sustainable and fairer environment for humans and nature alike.