thebestof hitchin have been members of Hitchin Forum for over 3 years now.  It's really useful way of finding out what's happening in the area and the hard work that the offers of the group put into making sure that the people of Hitchin have a say in what goes on.

Karen Allen, Senior Planning Officer at NHDC Planning is asking peole with local knowledge to help her generate a summary of where the current infrastructure in North Herts is lacking.

Infrastructure is divided into categories as below:

1. Physical Infrastructure – roads, public transport, pedestrian and cycle paths, electricity, gas, water, sewerage and waste;

2. Social Infrastructure – affordable housing, schools, healthcare, emergency services, sports provision, community facilities;

3. Green Infrastructure – a network of green spaces and other environmental features. This includes parks, open spaces, playing fields, woodlands, play areas and allotments.

This might seem a rather dry subject, but infrastructure is crucial to our daily lives - imagine if we did not have enough GPs or if the water companies did not invest in a decent sewage system!

For example, would you like a private or municipal allotment and is there a waiting list? This would indicate we need more allotments now...

Or, does your road suffer from frequent power cuts (Walworth Road?), which would indicate that the local distribution station is overloaded or too old? The electricity company might be keeping quiet about this as updating would impact on their profits.

Or, do you have a relative who needs sheltered accommodation, but North Hertfordshire Homes say there is a long waiting list?

Or, have you noticed the young people congregating on Windmill Hill in the summer and wonder if they would like somewhere to meet in the winter?

Hopefully the examples above will indicate how we might think about this problem, and they all show a little bit of evidence to support what we are saying.

Before the 14th March, please either write to Karen Allen, Regional and Strategic Planning Team, North Hertfordshire Council, Gernon Road, Letchworth Garden City, SG6 3JF or e-mail to planning@hitchinforumorg.uk or Ldfconsultations@north-herts.gov.uk

If you have any views or suggestions that could be helpful - please do write.