Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council

17/12/2018

The Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council's Facebook account has now been merged with the main County Council account.

As a result from December 2018 this page will no longer be updated and instead all news about the Chairman will appear on the main HCC page: https://www.facebook.com/hertscountycouncil/.

We deliver a range of services to over a million people, who live, work and travel in Hertfordshire

See our social media house rules: https://www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/SocialMedia

03/10/2018

The Chairman was delighted to receive an invitation to attend the AGM of the North Hertfordshire Branch of the Samaritans. This was an ideal opportunity to show support for the wonderful group of volunteers who provide round the clock emotional support to callers who are in emotional distress, or experiencing suicidal feelings. The picture shows the hairman with Gill McLearnon, Director and Peter George, outgoing tresurer, of North Herts and Stevenage Samaritans.

27/07/2018

The Chairman was pleased to attend the 90th Birthday celebrations of the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) on Friday 6th July. CPRE Hertfordshire was formed in 1928 and has been campaigning over 90 years to protect Hertfordshire’s countryside, and is now busier now than at any time in that long history. The photos shows the Honorary Chair and Director and Mayor of Dacorum with the Chairman and his wife.

06/04/2018

Our Chairman was pleased to attend the North and East Herts Young Enterprise Company Programme Showcase at Herts County Hall on 20th March, where teams from schools across the area were competing for the title of North and East Herts YE Company of the year, with awards sponsored by various businesses across the area.
The title went to Aggregate and Co from Hockerill Anglo European College in Bishop’s Stortford, who will now take part in the County competition at the University of Hertfordshire in May.
Young Enterprise is a non-profit educational charity whose aim is to help our future work generation develop key life, business and finance skills with a range of hands on programmes, ranging from employability skills day programmes to Company Programme which runs for an academic year, where teams set up and run their own student companies, developing and marketing their ideas and products.
If you would like to find out how you can be involved please contact Area Manager Jo ‘O’Reilly at [email protected]
Website https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/

06/04/2018

On Saturday 24th and Sunday 25 March, as part of the Herts Big Weekend campaign organised by Visit Herts, our Chair Cllr Richard Thake toured tourist attractions in the county and saw for himself what is new and where there are signs of tourism growth and investment in Hertfordshire.
Saturday’s visits included Vertigo Adventures in Welwyn Garden City where Cllr Thake met YOPA - the mascot of the Hertfordshire Year of Physical Activity. The next visit was to newly opened “The View” – a totally refurbished café and restaurant which is now run by the Tewin Bury Farm Hotel team and re-opened in February. The tour continued onto Ventura Wildlife Park; situated on the Van Hage complex, Ware. This fascinating new tour attraction is home to some very unusual animals, not to be confused with the existing Van Hage Zoo, Ventura is run by Ashley Palmier, a former business student at the University of Hertfordshire who is passionate about wildlife conservation. The tour continued to Down Hall an elegant country manor hotel set in 110 acres, where he met the team . Saturday’s final visit was to the newly opened World of Dinosaurs at Paradise Wildlife Park near Broxbourne. This amazing new attraction, surrounded by acres of natural woodland, boasts 30 life-size moving and roaring dinosaurs some of which feature in a soon to be released block buster film – this is “a must” for all Hertfordshire families.
Sunday’s tour brought Cllr Thake back to East Hertfordshire where he met Catherine Smith owner and farmer at Foxholes Farm – not just a working farm but a family-run and award-winning farm shop, tea room and farm park near Hertford. At lunch time the tour moved on to the Hotel Cromwell in Old Stevenage, as its name suggests the building dates back to the 17th century; now in private ownership this boutique hotel has had a total refurbishment combining contemporary design with historic detail throughout. The final visit of the day was to Hatfield’s Mill Green Museum where the Chairman met the team and watched the traditional flour milling process at this award-winning 18th century working water mill. The Chairman wished to thank the Visit Herts Team for a very well run and interesting two days.

26/03/2018

Our Vice-Chairman William Wyatt-Lowe was delighted to visit the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance base at North Weald on Wednesday 21st March. He was nearly late for the visit as the result of a coincidental need for the Air Ambulance to land on the road he uses to get out of Hemel Hempstead. Yet he was able to sit in the same helicopter which had been in Hemel earlier, and had since taken the person involved to the Royal London hospital, and had also been on another call. It took 11 minutes to get to the accident in Hemel, and less than 15 minutes to get to the Royal London. It can fly at up to 175 mph. Each of the 2 helicopters typically do 5-6 calls a day. The Air Ambulance is a charity, and sets its own strategy. It is CQC regulated, and ensures that the helicopters are staffed not just with paramedics, but also with trained A&E doctors. William urges all the residents of Hertfordshire to consider the Air Ambulance’s own lottery, which brings in the major part of their funds. William said “It is such a fantastic service I just had to sign up to £1 per week on the spot. To find out more visit www.ehaat.org/lottery or call 0345 2417 688”.

26/03/2018

Our Vice-Chairman WIlliam Wyatt-Lowe and his consort spent all day Saturday 23rd March visiting attractions in Herts as part of the Visit Herts, Big Weekend. Visit Herts is the organisation which encourages visitors from all over the world to visit places of interest in Hertfordshire and is funded by many of the potential venues, particularly this year by Knebworth and Warner Bros. With tourism being worth over £2 billion annually to Hertfordshire, this is a very important business, and a major employer. County and District Councils also do everything that they can to encourage Tourism. Memorable visits were made to Hatfield Farm, where children can learn about farm animals, to Royston Museum where a multi-year project to produce a tapestry of the history of Royston is nearing completion, and Knebworth House where we were shown around the house and gardens by the owner, and learnt about how community focused their operation is, in particular providing curriculum-based education for school groups.

21/03/2018

The Chairman was delighted to attend the High Sheriff's Awards 2018 at The Great Barn, Micklefield Hall on Thursday 8th March 2018

21/03/2018

The Chairman was pleased to attend the Mayor of Hertford's Civic Dinner at Mayflower Place on Saturday 3rd March 2018

15/03/2018

The Commonwealth Flag raising event was hosted by the Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council Councillor Richard Thake today, 12 March. on the Steps of County Hall.
The Chairman welcomed guests to County Hall and read the message from the Commonwealth Secretary-General. The Lord-Lieutenant Robert Voss CBE read a message from Her Majesty the Queen and, Captain Kevin Shaw from the Royal Navy, Commanding Officer at Northwood HQ read the Commonwealth Affirmation. The ceremony was also attended by former chairmen, Mayors, Chairs and Leader’s from district, borough and town councils, county councillors and Hertfordshire County Council staff, as well as a contingent of cadets from the Haileybury Combined Cadet Force and many others. The County Hall singers and a brass group from Freman College also performed at the event.

Councillor Richard Thake, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, said:
“We are proud to mark Commonwealth Day in Hertfordshire to celebrate this influential world-wide family of nations. I am delighted that we flew the flag today to show our appreciation for the unity, understanding and tolerance that the Commonwealth stands for and the opportunities it offers to its 2.5 billion citizens around the world.”

14/03/2018

The.Chairman was pleased to attend the Mayor of Royston's Civic Service

09/02/2018

The Chairman was delighted to attend the Holocaust Memorial Event in the Council Chamber of Stevenage Borough Council