Local Elections May 2026 – Opinions on Local Issues from Welwyn West Candidates

People decide how to vote in Local Elections for many different reasons: national politics, local candidate preference, local issues, etc. As a registered charity, WPAG is politically neutral. Whenever there are local elections, we pose a short list of questions to all the candidates standing in the wards in Welwyn Parish (Welwyn West and Welwyn East). This page shows the answers from the candidates standing in Welwyn West. The answers from Welwyn East candidates can be found here.

We asked six questions of the five candidates standing in Welwyn West. Candidates were given nine full days to respond. This page provides the answers that were received, verbatim (though the web page formatting is by WPAG), in the order that they were received. Some of these replies are longer than others, which may reflect the depth of knowledge, or just the writing style, of the candidate.

Dr Sunny Thusu (Conservatives) – answers to each question were received Weds 15th April
WPAG summary of candidate’s position on our campaigning issues:
– Supports the Village Green application for Singlers Marsh
– Supports the Neighbourhood Plan in the referendum
– Keen to reduce impact of the new Local Plan on Welwyn Parish

Ros Cloke (Labour) – general narrative (not specific answers) was received Sat 18th April
WPAG summary of candidate’s position on our campaigning issues:
– Did not address the individual WPAG questions directly
– Keen to protect Singlers Marsh, but does not address the Village Green question
– Objects to certain aspects of the Neighbourhood Plan
– Offers no opinion about the effect of the new Local Plan on Welwyn Parish

Jojo Godfrey (Liberal Democrats) – answers to each question were received Sun 19th April
WPAG summary of candidate’s position on our campaigning issues:
– Objects to Singlers Marsh becoming a Village Green
– Supports the Neighbourhood Plan in the referendum
– Offers no opinion about the effect of the new Local Plan on Welwyn Parish

Richard Armstrong (Reform Party) – answers to each question were received (late, with apologies) Tues 21st April
WPAG summary of candidate’s position on our campaigning issues:
– Supports the Village Green application for Singlers Marsh
– Supports the Neighbourhood Plan in the referendum
– Keen to reduce impact of the new Local Plan on Welwyn Parish

David Cox (Green Party) – no response received as of 20th April

Response from Dr Sunny Thusu (Conservatives)

As the incumbent councillor for Welwyn West, I welcome the opportunity to set out my views on the local issues that matter most to residents.

1. What local issues most concern Welwyn West residents?

From my discussions with residents, and from the issues currently reflected in local planning documents, the main concerns are:

First, protecting Welwyn’s green spaces, landscape and village character. This includes concern about the cumulative effect of development on the setting of the village, the Mimram valley, Singler’s Marsh, Danesbury, and other valued open spaces. The Welwyn Neighbourhood Plan places strong emphasis on open spaces, Local Green Spaces, wildlife corridors and the special importance of the River Mimram chalk stream environment.

Second, infrastructure not keeping pace with development. Residents are rightly concerned not just about the number of homes proposed, but whether roads, drainage, sewerage, health provision, parking and other services can properly support additional growth. The Neighbourhood Plan itself highlights traffic pressures, flooding and sewage overflow concerns, and pressure on GP access.

Third, traffic, road safety and parking. Safe movement through the village, rat-running, cumulative traffic from neighbouring areas, and parking pressures are recurring issues in the local evidence base. The Neighbourhood Plan specifically calls for safer walking routes, protection for vulnerable road users, and measures to tackle through-traffic and speed. I would also add potholes, verge protection and maintenance however these sit within the Hertfordshire County Councils remit and I have/will endeavour to work closely with Cllr Kingsbury (HCC councillor for Welwyn) to ensure these issues are resolved as swiftly as possible.

Fourth, ensuring that any development is genuinely sympathetic to Welwyn. Residents are not simply concerned about whether development happens, but whether what is built respects the village’s scale, heritage, setting and infrastructure constraints. That theme runs through both the Neighbourhood Plan and the wider Local Plan debate.

2. My stance on those issues, and how I have engaged with them over the past year

My position is that Welwyn must be protected from inappropriate or poorly supported development, while also being realistic that planning decisions have to be made within a wider statutory framework.

I strongly support:

protecting valued green spaces and wildlife corridors;
making sure infrastructure comes before, or at the very least keeps pace with, development;
resisting proposals that would urbanise the village or damage its distinct character;
requiring proper scrutiny of traffic, drainage, parking, healthcare and environmental impact before development is supported.

Over the past year, these issues have not been abstract: they have been live in the Local Plan process, in the Neighbourhood Plan process, and in the continuing controversy around Singler’s Marsh. As an elected member, I have continued to engage with planning matters through my council role, including service on the Cabinet Planning and Parking Panel, and I have followed closely the issues residents have raised about development pressure, green space protection and infrastructure. Public records also show my wider council involvement on planning, housing and climate-related panels

3. How I would work on these issues if elected

If elected, I would work in a practical and realistic way in four main areas.

First, I would continue to scrutinise planning proposals rigorously. A borough councillor cannot simply veto strategic planning pressures, but can challenge weak evidence, press for stronger conditions, and insist that decisions reflect local constraints and local character. I would continue to argue that development in and around Welwyn must be judged against infrastructure capacity, environmental impact and village character, not just housing numbers.

Second, I would press for infrastructure-first planning. Where development is proposed, the case must be made clearly on roads, drainage, sewerage, parking, primary care and community services. The local evidence already identifies these as stress points, so they cannot be treated as an afterthought.

Third, I would work with residents, WPAG, the Parish Council and ward colleagues to present a united local case wherever possible. On matters such as open space, village character, highways safety and environmental protection, residents are strongest when their voice is coherent and evidence-based. The Neighbourhood Plan is itself an example of that sort of community-led approach.

Fourth, I would support practical local improvements even where strategic outcomes are uncertain. That includes safer walking routes, better traffic management, sensible parking solutions, stronger environmental safeguards, and better accountability from utility and health providers. These are all areas where borough councillors can advocate, convene and apply pressure even when they do not directly control every lever.

4. Do I support or oppose the Neighbourhood Plan?

I support the Welwyn Neighbourhood Plan.

The referendum will take place on 7 May 2026, and the question is whether WHBC should use the neighbourhood plan to help decide planning applications in the Welwyn neighbourhood area. The Plan has now passed examination subject to modifications, and the Borough Council has accepted those modifications and agreed that it should proceed to referendum.

The key benefits I see are these:

it gives locally grounded guidance on how development should reflect the character of Welwyn, Digswell, Oaklands and Mardley Heath;
it strengthens the policy case for protecting open spaces, Local Green Spaces and wildlife corridors;
it highlights the need for safe travel, infrastructure capacity, environmental protection and healthcare provision;
it ensures that local voices carry greater formal weight in future planning decisions.

I also think it is important to be candid that the examiner required significant modifications, especially to ensure the Plan properly reflected the ongoing review of the Borough Local Plan and wider sustainable development considerations. Even so, the modified version has now been accepted to proceed, and I believe it remains a valuable local planning tool.

5. What is my view of the draft Local Plan?

My view is that the draft Local Plan raises serious concerns for Welwyn and the wider borough in its current form, particularly if growth is not matched by infrastructure and environmental protection.

WHBC’s own material makes clear that this is an early Regulation 18 draft, setting out the overall vision, policy direction and broad locations for growth rather than final decisions. Even so, it is already significant because it signals where pressure may fall. The council consulted on it between 12 February and 26 March 2026.

For Welwyn residents, the central test is not whether a document uses the language of growth and sustainability, but whether it protects the village from overdevelopment and whether the supporting infrastructure is genuinely deliverable. On that, I remain concerned. WPAG has publicly stated that the current consultation material includes almost 300 new houses in Welwyn, and has linked that concern to pressure on the village environment and amenities.

External consultees such as CPRE Hertfordshire have also criticised the draft plan for over-emphasising development, insufficiently protecting countryside and Green Belt, underestimating reuse and regeneration opportunities, and not doing enough on climate, biodiversity and infrastructure.

So, in direct answer to the question: if implemented as currently published, I believe the effect on Welwyn’s community would be more negative than positive unless substantial changes are made. The plan needs to do more to protect the environment, respect village character, and guarantee that infrastructure comes alongside growth rather than lagging years behind it.

6. What is my position on the Village Green application for Singler’s Marsh?

I have supported and continue to support stronger protection for Singler’s Marsh and I recognise the depth of local feeling on this issue. I also whole hearty support the the application for Village Green status.

Singler’s Marsh is already a Local Nature Reserve and Local Wildlife Site, and the Borough Council has publicly confirmed that there are currently two live village green applications being considered by Hertfordshire County Council as registration authority. WHBC has objected to those applications, arguing that village green status would not be compatible with the site’s current status and that the council is best placed to manage the land. I have raised my objection to the borough councils stance on this vocally in council meetings and in the local newspaper.

At the same time, the local campaign for additional protection has been substantial. WPAG states that the site is threatened by plans involving a dual-lane bridge across the Mimram and road widening connected to potential housing development, and the Welwyn Neighbourhood Plan identifies Singlers Marsh as a proposed Local Green Space and as part of an important wildlife corridor.

My own position is that residents are entitled to a far more open, transparent and respectful process on the future of this land. Regardless of the ultimate legal outcome of the village green applications, WHBC should:

engage openly with residents before taking any further strategic position affecting the site;
publish clear explanations of the options, constraints and legal implications;
treat the site’s environmental, recreational and community value as central, not peripheral;
work with the Parish Council and local groups to identify long-term protection and management arrangements that command public confidence.

In practical terms, I believe the council should not behave as though the issue is merely technical or already settled. Singler’s Marsh has become a defining local issue because residents see it as part of Welwyn’s identity, ecology and amenity value.

Response from Ros Cloke (Labour)

Thank you for the invitation to set out some of my priorities for Welwyn West. I am passionate about the natural environment and especially our chalk streams. We’re very fortunate to have the Mimram flow through the village and I want to do all I can to make sure it is protected and valued. I was pleased to see the Labour Government pass the Water Special Measures Act in Parliament and I know our Labour MP, Andrew Lewin, supported the Bill and takes this issue very seriously as well.

It’s good to see representatives from the Parish come together to produce its Neighbourhood Plan. I strongly support the guiding principles of preserving the character of Welwyn. That said, there are some specific elements that seem less realistic. For example, the proposal that developments with more than 30 dwellings will, “not be supported unless there are significant benefits to the local community”, is subjective and very hard to prove. On that basis, I assume the lovely development at Welwyn Hall Gardens would have been opposed and people would not be living there now? We do need new homes for families across the Parish. I know that some primary schools are struggling because of a falling birth rate and we have to strike the right balance.

I think Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council were right to consult on an update to their local plan, as local voices have to be heard in the process. Without a local plan in place, there will be more development across the Borough – because local authorities without local plans cannot stop speculative developers coming in. In that scenario, Welwyn and Digswell could be very exposed. The consultation on the local plan has only just finished and I look forward to seeing the feedback.

I’ll finish where I started, with chalk steams and the River Mimram. Singlers Marsh must never be built on and, if elected to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, I will make that clear. I know that Beth Kelly, a Labour County Councillor in Welwyn Hatfield, voted for a second opinion on the village green status recently and Andrew Lewin has been supportive too. I’d certainly be working closely with them, to do my best to support Singlers Marsh and the surrounding community.

Response from Jojo Godfrey (Liberal Democrats)

1. Ignoring national politics/policies, what are the local issues relating to amenities, environment, infrastructure and planning that you think most concern Welwyn West residents, whether within their immediate communities or the wider locality ?

Parking in Welwyn Village

Preservation and enhancement of the river Mimram.

2. Could you let us know what your stance is on the issues you’ve highlighted in the previous question, and if/how you’ve been engaging with them over the past year ?

Parking in Welwyn Village is a constant issue for residents and needs to be looked at.

We must protect the fragile nature of our rare chalk streams for future generations and continue to enhance the river environment.

3. How would you work to address or support these local issues if you are elected (being realistic about what can be achieved as a borough councillor who may or may not be part of a governing administration) ?

I will engage with the current parking consultation and ensure the results reflect the residents wishes.

I would support the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency’s River strategy and ensure these policies are applied and taken account of.

4. Do you support or oppose the Neighbourhood Plan that is the subject of a local referendum on the same day as the election ? If you support it, what are the key benefits that you see it providing to local residents ? If you oppose it, why is that ?

I support the neighbourhood plan and would be happy to see it adopted. It provides a basis for local choices within the framework of the local plan allowing Welwyn to influence some aspects of development in the area.

5. What is your view of the draft Local Plan that WHBC has recently consulted on with residents ? Do you think its effect on the community (if implemented as currently published) would be positive or negative ?

The local plan encompasses both the policies that will control and enhance how the borough develops as well as the sites that may be required to fulfil the boroughs housing and employment requirements. The former policies are a step change from the last local plan and set out a clear vision of good sustainable housing standards and healthy communities which I support. The specific sites which are chosen to make up the housing and employment sites are still being considered having just been out to consultation and no selection has been made yet. It would therefore not be appropriate to assume any particular sites will be included in the local plan going forward.

6. What is your position on the Village Green application for Singlers Marsh ? What practical steps (if any) do you think WHBC should take to engage with residents’ wishes about this piece of land ?

Singlers Marsh is a designated wildlife site and is being managed as such. I believe it is important to retain the quality of our natural resources and especially the water quality of the river Mimram. I do not think this is compatible with designating Singlers Marsh as a village green.

Response from Richard Armstrong (Reform Party)

I am Chairman of the Avenue Road Association, which covers not only The Avenue but also surrounding roads such as Danesbury Park Road, Danesbury Lane, Willow Walk, Roundwood Close, The Crest and Gywnfa Close. From that perspective, I hear the concerns of local residents across a broad range of issues affecting our area.

Clearly, the Singlers Marsh development comes up a lot in discussions. It is a sensitive and concerning issue, particularly for those living close to the area. From my professional background in building services within the construction industry, my initial view is that there are significant challenges around infrastructure. These include utility capacity, flood risk, pollution, traffic, and the knock-on impact on local services such as health and education. Taken together, it raises real questions about whether a development of that scale can be supported in a practical way.

There are also a number of day-to-day issues that residents raise consistently. These include the condition of the roads, with a vast number of potholes, and concern about imposed 20mph speed limits and the cost and justification behind them. Traffic issues around key routes in the parish, particularly the Clock Roundabout, are also a regular concern.

Other issues raised include unsociable behaviour, particularly at night in the village, parking pressures, and the impact of unauthorised developments and expansion of traveller sites.

2. Could you let us know what your stance is on the issues you’ve highlighted in the previous question, and if/how you’ve been engaging with them over the past year ?

The Singlers Marsh proposal is something I know many residents feel strongly about, and I share those concerns. It is clear from the conversations I have had while canvassing that people want to see this properly challenged and fully scrutinised.

While I have only been involved in this issue more recently, I have been very active on a number of local matters closer to the area I represent through the Avenue Road Association. These include the illegal expansion of the Great North Road traveller site, development activity on land linking The Avenue to the Great North Road near the children’s nursery, tree felling near The Avenue, and the dumping of vehicles and scrap opposite the Danesbury Park Fernery.

There is also the ongoing situation at No. 17 The Avenue involving caravans, which is subject to enforcement action and something I am keen to see resolved.

More broadly, my approach is to listen to residents, stay close to the detail of what is happening locally, and make sure concerns are raised and followed through where they need to be.

If I am elected, my aim would be to build on what I am already doing and use the position to make sure these issues are properly heard and acted on.

A borough councillor does not control everything directly, but they do have the ability to push issues, hold officers to account, and keep matters in focus. That is exactly what I would do.

I would continue to press for action on local enforcement issues, support residents dealing with ongoing problems, and make sure that developments are properly scrutinised in terms of their impact on infrastructure and the community.

Traffic is an area where I think more immediate progress can be made, and it is something I would want to see given greater focus.

Although road maintenance sits with the County Council, it is one of the issues residents raise most often. I would work closely with County Councillors and highways officers to make sure Welwyn is not overlooked.

Many residents feel that basic maintenance, such as fixing potholes, is not being prioritised as it should be. At the same time, there is concern about imposed 20mph limits across the county where people do not feel there has been a clear local mandate.

My view is that we need to get the basics right first. Keeping roads safe and properly maintained should be a priority.

I wholeheartedly support the Neighbourhood Plan. Welwyn is for its residents, and they should be listened to. The plan reflects that principle and gives the community a stronger voice in shaping its future. The idea of protecting areas such as Singlers Marsh as a village green fits with the character of the area and complements community events like the annual Welwyn Festival, which is very well supported and an important part of village life.

While there are wider housing pressures, I believe we should strongly resist overdevelopment of the Green Belt, particularly where the infrastructure is not in place to support it.

My concern with the draft Local Plan is the overall approach that has been taken. We all understand that new housing is needed, but it has to be delivered in a way that is realistic and sustainable. At the moment, it feels like too much pressure is being placed on villages and Green Belt areas such as Welwyn and Digswell. From what I have seen, there are real questions around infrastructure. Roads are already under pressure, local services are stretched, and it is not clear how developments of this scale would be supported in practice.

I would like to see a more balanced approach, with clearer justification for site selection and a stronger link between development and infrastructure. If elected, I would approach any planning decisions based on the evidence, the policies in place, and the views of residents, without pre-judging individual applications.

6. What is your position on the Village Green application for Singlers Marsh? What practical steps (if any) do you think WHBC should take to engage with residents’ wishes about this piece of land?

I support the principle of the village green proposal for Singlers Marsh. It is clearly an area that means a great deal to local residents, and I understand why people feel strongly about wanting to protect it. At the same time, it is important that the process is handled correctly and in line with the law.

What I would want to see is a transparent process where residents are properly informed, their views are taken seriously, and decisions are made based on the evidence.