May 2022 Borough Council Elections

WPAG is a registered charity and does not get involved in political activities. However, campaigning for this year’s borough council elections is likely to be dominated by national issues, whereas WPAG’s focus is on local concerns.

We wanted to find out how engaged the various candidates are with local issues within Welwyn Parish, so we compiled some politically neutral questions and sent them to all four candidates standing in Welwyn West ward and to all three candidates standing in Welwyn East. The seven candidates were sent the same questions at the same time, and they had a week in which to reply. With two days to go, those that had not replied were sent a reminder.

Welwyn West consists of Welwyn village, the Ayots and Oaklands on the north side of the Great North Road. It has four candidates standing in May 2022. A list of these candidates can be found here.

Welwyn East consists of Digswell, Woolmer Green and Oaklands to the south of the Great North Road. It has three candidates standing in May 2022. A list of these candidates can be found here.

All the answers that were received are published below, in their full and original wording. They are grouped by Welwyn West and then Welwyn East. The candidates’ responses are listed in the same order as they appear on the election notice. Some of the responses are fairly lengthy; some are quite short. Some are of direct relevance to Welwyn Parish, while others address borough-level issues.


Question #1:
Ignoring national politics, which local issues do you think most concern Welwyn East/West residents within their community and locality ?

Welwyn West responses

Gareth Aicken (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Genevieve Almeyda (Liberal Democrats):

The most important issue in Welwyn Ward  West at the moment is ensuring the rural environment remains so.   There are planning and environmental issues.  A balance must be maintained that ensures greenfield and wildlife spaces are preserved at all cost. The Solar farm proposals are most worrying to the Ayots because this could affect this local natural beauty and a walkers paradise in our county, long term.  Should the proposed 100 acre development of arable land straddling public footpaths between Ayot st Peter and Ayot st Lawrence be approved it would fundamentally affect the wildlife population of the area as for example Barn owls would no longer be able to source food  from those fields full of solar panals; Deers could not roam free in the affected area etc.  In time, there is a decent chance that this rental agreement for securing the arable land could be extended or could lead to conversion of Greenfield site into Brownfield land ripe for more commercial/ industrial development.

Sarah Butcher (Green Party):

Welwyn West is well-known and loved for its wonderful villages surrounded by glorious green spaces. The threat of new housing in Welwyn in particular from the local plan is very real, bringing even more increases in traffic to our already congested roads, and more burden on schools/doctors/amenities etc. The proposal to change the land at the end of Singlers Marsh to widen the road and provide access to around 240 homes in the vicinity in my view is unacceptable. This is a most valuable community asset not to mention the biodiversity on site. I am wholly supportive of the application for that area to become a Village Green.

Since the pandemic traffic has been controlled in Welwyn Village and I would like to see the 20mph limit made permanent and imposed on a wider area, including up to St Mary’s School and Tenterfield Nursery. I would also campaign for a lower speed limit in Oaklands around the school and surrounding houses and shops. Lower speed of traffic also means lower noise levels which is also an issue in our area.

The solar farm proposal in Welwyn West is also an issue for the villages of Ayots St Lawrence and St Peter. Obviously as a Green Party candidate I am in favour of renewable energy but not if it is sited on green belt in this way as I believe it is not an efficient use of the land. I would much prefer to see a policy within the council of siting solar panels on the roofs of industrial/council/retail buildings in towns. Also that all new build homes in the borough are built to the highest possible environmental standards so we can start to reduce our energy needs; solar panels as standard on all roofs, heat pumps, water saving devices and insulation to make new builds more energy efficient and reduce bills for homeowners. 

Sunny Thusu (Conservative Party):

Over the last 4 years I have been fortunate to represent the Welwyn West, and the most prominent issue has been the Local Plan and further development in around the village particularly around Singlers Marsh. 

Other areas of concern remains the issue with keeping the village high street vibrant commercially especially with new businesses opening and continuing to make it an attractive place for people to visit. 

I am also aware of continued problems with parking and verge protection around the ward and maintaining the beautiful environment we live in. 

Welwyn East responses

Daniel Carlen (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Terry Mitchinson (Conservative Party):

I will focus on the ward in which I am standing, Welwyn East. The Local Plan is obviously an area of major concern. Currently there are no major sites included in the parish of Welwyn, but it is clear local people remain worried that any inappropriate development would impact on the character and heritage of the area. Other issues include a number of sites being converted from single homes into apartments, single houses being replaced with multiple homes, the loss of trees in an important spinney, the preservation of natural areas, flooding in roads in Oaklands, the possible expansion of the Travellers site near the Clock roundabout, the potential loss of shops and inadequate parking provision in Digswell, and the need for a new pedestrian crossing in Woolmer Green. Concerns remain also about speed limits along the B197 through both Oaklands and Woolmer Green – especially as there are two schools along this road – and also in Station Road, Digswell.

Alan Reimer (Liberal Democrats):

The most important issue for me is Planning.  As Welwyn Garden City celebrates its centenary, decisions made now could be with us for the next 100 years.


Question #2:
Could you let us know if/how you’ve been engaging with these issues over the past year ?

Welwyn West responses

Gareth Aicken (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Genevieve Almeyda (Liberal Democrats):

I attended the Solar park consultation which took part at Ayot st Peter’s church some months ago. I was surprised at the plans and detailed graphs displayed.  However, digging deeper it became clear there was no community benefit that is the electricity generated would be for a private company near shire park.

Sarah Butcher (Green Party):

With regard to the Singlers Marsh proposal I filled in my questionnaire for the application for village green status. I am a member of the Welwyn Planning and Amenity Group and have received and read the minutes of the latest meetings. As I walk on Singlers Marsh regularly I am keen to engage with people about these proposals.

With regard to the solar farm proposal I made comment on it via the website and am following the timeline online. I am in contact with members of the Green Party in Ayot St Lawrence and am being updated with the latest developments.

Sunny Thusu (Conservative Party):

With regards to the local plan over the last 2 years I have liaised with local resident groups and with WPAG on concerns of the impact of development around the Marsh. I have a track record of ensuring that the local plan protects our green spaces and have spoken at committee meetings opposing any such development. As things stand neither have been included in the Local Plan and I hope to continue to fight for it to remain a space for Welwyn Hatfield residents. Following on with this theme I am also supporting the Village Green application so as to protect this valuable resource for future generations.

With respect to the high street myself and fellow councillors at all levels have worked with Tesco‘s to install an ATM machine following the closure of Barclays Bank. I have also sought approval of applications to allow more businesses to open adding to the variety of restaurants on offer for residents from around the borough to enjoy. 

I have worked closely with my counterpart in Herts County to ensure the appropriate measures are taken to protect verges and ensure traffic measures that were taken in the early part of the pandemic have been sensitively returned to close to normality.

Welwyn East responses

Daniel Carlen (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Terry Mitchinson (Conservative Party):

While I am not currently a serving councillor, I have lived in Welwyn Hatfield for more than 60 years, the past three decades in Welwyn village. I also worked on the Welwyn Hatfield Times for over 40 years, 25 of them as editor. So I have always been well informed as to ongoing issues throughout this community. Since being selected to stand in Welwyn East back in early February, I have made it my mission to be even more closely aligned with the area. I set out to knock on as many doors as possible to get people’s views first hand. It is a very large area geographically, stretching from the far end of Woolmer Green, through Oaklands, into Digswell, taking in the edge of Haldens in WGC, and up to the edge of Burnham Green. I am making good progress and have spoken to hundreds of people over the past few months. I have also attended Welwyn Parish Council meetings and Saturday morning breakfast clubs. I am also in constant touch with existing ward councillors Roger Trigg and Julie Cragg, along with county councillor Tony Kingsbury. On top of this I use local facilities and have been known to drop into the various village hostelries on occasion to chat with locals.

Alan Reimer (Liberal Democrats):

As a member of the Welwyn Garden Society, I’ve supported their activities.  This includes posting leaflets & taking part in demonstrations to protect the City from plans which not compatible with the philosophy of the Garden City.


Question #3:
How would you help to resolve these local issues if you are elected, using practical and realistic activities ?

Welwyn West responses

Gareth Aicken (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Genevieve Almeyda (Liberal Democrats):

If I see something which I believe is wrong or not fair I will speak out. My skills as a retired Barrister are useful as I have developed a thick skin and am not afraid to ask delicate but decisive questions which can shed light on areas of ambiguity.   Recently I have been more actively engaged in the Wheatquarter/Biopark developments and how these developments will negatively impact our Garden City where I live now.  I have been part of a committee which has organised a community protest (23rd April) to Save Welwyn Garden City from the horrors of concrete tower block development.  I helped design the badges and I have helped with leafletting to ensure the public were aware of the protest.

Sarah Butcher (Green Party):

I believe Welwyn West has taken more than its fair share of new housing in the last 10 years. There are other areas in Welwyn Hatfield which have not. I would campaign for these areas to take more of their share. Provision of housing is a very difficult and challenging issue, but every area must do its bit. In Welwyn particularly the congestion on the roads is a real issue and one which cannot be easily solved. When the A1 was constructed all those years ago no one could have imagined how many cars would need access in and out of the village with all the resulting pollution and parking issues. This will only be exacerbated by more housing.

With regard to lower speed limits, I know some tests have been done to find out what speeds cars go in the areas mentioned so I would try and push for the publication of these so that people can see the need for a change to slower speeds. These would help with safety and reduce pollution and noise. 

The solar farm is intended to provide energy to a data centre in Welwyn Garden City. The energy does need to come from somewhere, but Welwyn Hatfield Council’s environmental record is very poor and I believe they are using this solar farm as a quick fix to improve their credentials and help them reach net zero. I would like to see a much broader and more inclusive policy on renewables over the whole area, not just on one area of green belt.

On a broader note, because of our first past the post voting system over half of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council is Conservative, even though this does not accurately represent how people vote. All three councillors in Welwyn West are Conservative. At present there is no Green Party representative on the council.  I believe people vote for candidates with local knowledge and experience, but I hope they also recognise that diversity of views is important. If elected I hope to persuade the council that every decision made must include consideration of the environment with particular reference to their Climate Emergency Declaration of 2019. Even small actions and local decisions can make a difference to the environment all over the UK and further afield also benefitting the lives of people in our borough.

Finally, I would also like to see more of the following;

Proper, well connected and extensive cycle paths, recycling bins in all public spaces, cheaper public transport with incentive/reward schemes for regular use, more electric charging points, phasing out the use of pesticides in towns/villages on verges/playing fields and more wild flower verges to enhance biodiversity.

Sunny Thusu (Conservative Party):

First and foremost I will always represent the community that have elected me, ensuring local views are taken into account in the council’s decisions. I will continue to engage with residents via face-to-face meetings, social media and direct communication. My presence on committees that determine development and planning issues that affect Welwyn will ensure that we defend the green belt while making it possible for appropriate businesses and retailers to thrive in Welwyn.

Welwyn East responses

Daniel Carlen (Labour Party):

No reply was received from anyone at the Labour Party, despite acknowledging the request and then later being sent a reminder.

Terry Mitchinson (Conservative Party):

I will continue to be approachable and liaise in all ways possible with local people. Being local myself villagers know how easy it is to get in touch with me to raise any issue, be-it face-to-face, or via the phone and email. The main aim of ward councillors is to represent the views of local people to the wider council, while understanding the bigger picture. I have already been proactive in raising some of those issues mentioned above, including asking how speed limit reductions, especially near schools, can be escalated up the county council’s priority list and liaising with Roger and Julie about the removal of trees in Digswell.

Alan Reimer (Liberal Democrats):

To develop a Local Plan which protects the design concept of the Garden City & the green belt.  Protecting green spaces is a key part of tackling the climate emergency.

The Draft Local Plan – site allocations

Comments and Response to the Consultation on the proposed changes to the submitted Draft Local Plan 2016 (site allocations) 2020, submitted on behalf of the Welwyn Planning and Amenity Group

WPAG’s comments fall into three parts.

Part 1 – Comments on the overall Draft Local Plan

We agree with the approach taken in revising the Draft Local Plan at the end of January 2020.  The consistent application of this approach’s guiding principles across all proposed developments in the borough is welcomed by WPAG.

We note that the nature of the Local Plan process is such that the development merits or drawbacks of individual sites are considered in detail, whereas the wider implications of a development site on surrounding areas (such as the ability to deliver supporting infrastructure by agencies other than WHBC) are only assessed in broad terms.  It is vital, therefore, that these wider implications are assessed realistically and sufficiently as part of the assessment for each site in the Local Plan.

Those sites for which it is feasible to provide adequate and sustainable infrastructure, as well as passing the other tests inherent in assessing the Local Plan, should be taken forward into the Plan.  Such infrastructure should be deliverable by all its various agencies in keeping with the growing needs of the site as it develops – ie not retrospectively after the end of the development, leaving new residents waiting for it to be delivered.  It should be sympathetic to the needs of its community, both existing and new – WHBC communities are well established and often steeped in history, with strong community identities too, and they should not be provided with inappropriate, insensitive new infrastructure.

Where supporting infrastructure cannot be delivered in a timely manner, or in a form that is relevant to the existing community style and ethos, then that should be a strong reason to reject any new site advanced into the Draft Local Plan.

Part 2a – Sites Wel1, Wel2, Wel6 and Wel15 in Welwyn – Direct comments

These four sites (Wel1, Wel2, Wel6 and Wel15) were not selected for the revised Draft Local Plan, but they were originally offered in the Call for Sites and were considered suitable for allocation by WHBC officers, and so they were submitted to the CPPP meetings in January 2020.  They are still mentioned in Appendix 1 of the submitted Draft Local Plan, and we wish to note several points of concern regarding how these sites are still regarded positively within the process.

We consider the original selection of these four sites to have been inappropriate, and that the assessments of these sites were neither sound nor legal for the following reasons.  The assessment makes it clear that these four sites are only viable if taken together as a bloc.  We have objections both to each site individually (this section), and together (next section).

Looked at individually, the Sustainability Appraisals in the Site Selection assessment (2019) for these four sites contain substantial errors.

For Wel1 and Wel2, under “Significant positives” in the Sustainability Appraisal, it is claimed that issues 4.2 (“Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from transport”) and 4.3 (“Helping to avoid/reduce air pollution”) are both addressed by the sites being “within 400m of four bus stops providing a six day a week service.”  We believe that there are no such bus stops within 400m of any point on these sites.  It appears that this assessment may have incorrectly copied its assertions from other promoted development sites for which they are true (eg Wel 6 and Wel15 are within 400m of bus stops on nearby Codicote Road).  Alternatively, they may be referring to ad hoc bus stops within the Hawbush area of the village which provide small-scale shopping transport to Welwyn Garden City only three times each week – the roads around these bus stops cannot accommodate a full-size bus, and there are not even any physical bus stops in Hawbush.  If so, what the assessment fails to mention is that these bus stops have a total of three timetabled services over the course of an entire week, and this is not a bus service that could be used to ease private car traffic from these developments.  Hence it is incorrect to state that this constitutes a “significantly positive” contribution to these promoted sites’ sustainability.

For each of Wel1, Wel2 and Wel15, issue 6.6 (“Provision of training, skills development and lifelong learning”) in the site selection assessment’s sustainability appraisal is supported by stating that each site “is within walking distance of education establishments”.  The only such establishment (in the singular) is Welwyn St Mary’s Primary School, which provides children’s primary education but neither training, skills development nor lifelong learning in any obvious sense.

For Wel15, the response under “Significant negatives” issue 4.5 (“Conservation/enhancement of the borough’s character, historic environment, and heritage/cultural assets”) fails to make any mention of the major archaeological significance of this site.  Hertfordshire County Council’s experts and the professional archaeological community agree that this location is the likely heart of the original Roman and pre-Roman (Iron Age) settlement that underpins Welwyn’s 2000+ years of history and continual settlement.  The Site Selection assessment makes no mention of this very significant factor against development of Wel15.

WPAG believes that these errors and omissions should be recorded for these four locations, and should be fully considered if the sites are ever brought forward again for development consideration.

Part 2b – Sites Wel1, Wel2, Wel6 and Wel15 in Welwyn – Combined effect on Singlers Marsh

These four sites were considered together as a bloc in the 8th January 2020 WHBC proposals when justifying the proposed changes to the nearby road network to support the additional vehicle traffic arising from these sites.  In the 2019 consultation process, submissions were requested from various statutory, advisory and voluntary bodies about the direct effect of developing each individual site on its own natural environment.  The proposed Draft Local Plan (8th January 2020) assessed these four sites together when considering road network capacity.  Together, it was felt that they warranted widening a stretch of Fulling Mill Lane and replacing the existing Singlers Bridge.  As well as losing the bridge’s charming period character, widening the bridge and the road would have had to be made at the expense of the neighbouring Singlers Marsh, which it was confirmed would yield up some land to accommodate the widened infrastructure.

It is our belief that the possibility of developing part of Singlers Marsh and replacing Singlers Bridge (in order to widen Fulling Mill Lane to provide access to these four sites) was not consulted upon. We have seen no evidence that Opinions from the various organisations that would have a view about the effect of such development were either sought out, or otherwise provided.

In the CPPP session held on 23rd January 2020, during the Q&A session with the borough councillors, Cllr Thusu asked Colin Haigh (WHBC Head of Planning) about residents’ concerns regarding the proposal to widen the lane at the expense of the marsh and the bridge, and whether there had been any consultation with wildlife bodies about it (this question can be seen at 1 hour 39 minutes into the webcast recording of the session, as available on the WHBC website).  Mr Haigh responded (at 1 hour 42 minutes into the recording), saying “We would have consulted key ecological bodies – the Environment Agency, Natural England, and various others: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, Hertfordshire Ecology and other local bodies on our database.  And in terms of the regulatory and the statutory bodies (Environment Agency, Natural England side of things) there was nothing particular said that gave us cause that something couldn’t be done in that regard.

The proposal to widen the lane was not included in the 2019 consultation, and was only revealed when the Draft Local Plan was published on 8th January of this year.  It is not obvious how those bodies’ opinions about a January 2020 proposal could have been sought during the 2019 consultation.  Following Mr Haigh’s statement, WPAG made a Freedom of Information request of WHBC to reveal any consultations that had taken place about the proposed widening of the lane at the expense of the marsh and bridge.  WHBC’s response to this FOI request referred only to the responses to the 2019 consultation.

On this evidence, WPAG feels it must therefore conclude that no such consultation actually took place.

Singlers Marsh is formally designated as both a Wildlife Site and a Local Nature Reserve.  The Mimram river which flows through it is a globally rare chalk stream which is known to host an increasingly precarious ecological system.  In fact, the river has dried up twice in the past fifteen years, and is currently still recovering from the most recent such event – we understand that the Environment Agency are not planning to restore rescued fish to the river until 2021 to allow sufficient time to recover from that 2019 drought.  Singlers Marsh also borders the presumed centre of the Roman-era settlement from which the village of Welwyn has grown over the past 2,000 years.  It is therefore of interest to the archaeological community in its own right.  In addition, it received a substantial amount of land spoil from the cutting that was made when nearby Link Road was built – archaeologists now recognise that this spoil will have contained a large amount of archaeological remains from Roman Welwyn, and possibly the Iron Age era that preceded the Roman settlement.

On Fulling Mill Lane itself, by the road junction with Riverside at OS grid reference TL 2294 1643, is a piece of World War 2 archaeology, in the form of a partially buried concrete mortar emplacement (as described on the Archaeology Data Service’s website at https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archives/view/dob/ai_full_r.cfm?refno=13405).  The ADS is a key UK agency concerned with the preservation of digital records of the historic environment, and its records are referenced internationally by the heritage community.

It appears that none of this rich natural, environmental, archaeological and historical heritage has been considered at all in preparing the 8th January 2020 proposal to widen Fulling Mill Lane in order to provide access to these four possible development sites.

In WPAG’s opinion, it is imperative that all of this be noted on the record, and that it be fully taken into account before any future attempt is made to revive any development possibilities for any site near to Singlers Marsh.  In the absence of any consultations about these matters, it seems clear that any proposal to develop any part of Singlers Marsh or Singlers Bridge, or to modify Fulling Mill Lane, would be neither sound nor legally compliant with the planning process.

Moreover, the entirety of Singlers Marsh is a much loved public amenity enjoyed by a great many local residents, and it plays host to popular community events every year.  During the current coronavirus lockdown, access to its open land surrounded by fields and low density housing has never been more enjoyed in living memory.  Singlers Marsh is also the only place along the entire course of the Mimram where it flows through public land – nowhere else can the members of the public enjoy its riverside setting for themselves.  The immense value and pleasure that the local community gains from having Singlers Marsh at its heart in its current extensive form in a tranquil and peaceful location must not be lightly discounted.

Many residents in Welwyn have expressed their concern at WHBC’s proposal to develop Singlers Marsh without consultation, and several petitions have been successfully raised against this possibility.  A good way to restore residents’ confidence in the future of their public land would be for WHBC to transfer both ownership and stewardship of it to Welwyn Parish Council, and to seek to protect it for the future by supporting an application for it to receive Village Green status.

We trust that all the points in this submission will be recorded against the current promoted development sites around Singlers Marsh, and also be readily available for consideration against any future proposals that might arise in this area.

In WPAG’s opinion, for all the reasons stated in this document, development of none of these sites around Singlers Marsh would be either sound or legally compliant.

Russell Haggar

Vice Chair, Welwyn Planning and Amenity Group