It is now 10 years ago - on 1st July, 2007 - that it became illegal to smoke in any pub, restaurant, night club, most work places and most work vehicles in England. This followed earlier bans - on 1st April, 2007 - in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. And in the Republic of Ireland, a similar ban had been brought in three years earlier than that - on 29th March, 2004.
After the good news of newer, longer trains and improved Sunday services comes the rise of regulated rail fares by a massive 3.6% rise from January 2018 onwards, government statistics have today revealed. This is significantly greater than this year's figure of 2.3% and the largest rise since 2011.
A Message from Sally Symington, Chair of West Herts Local Party Dear Members,
Yesterday, 10th August, 2017, it was announced that the West Midlands Rail Franchise was awarded to Abellio JVRail, a joint venture between Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui & Co Ltd. The consortium will trade as West Midlands Trains Ltd. The franchise will start in December 2017 and will finish in March 2026.
Dacorum Borough Council does a really poor job in Tring of sweeping up soil, grit and litter from the gutters. These should be kept clean, clear and free-running, but because of neglect litter, grit and mud get washed along to cover over the grids at the top of the gulleys. This causes flooding, which is particularly bad at the top of Akeman Street by the Museum. It can spread right across the road and once or twice the run-off down Akeman Street even got as far as flooding the cellar of a house. Fortunately the Grid Fairy was out and about the other evening and got the two critical grids by the Museum uncovered just before the next downpour. The pictures show the result of this timely work - the Grid Fairy can't be actually seen 'cos it's invisible. But it was there, I assure you! Other critical spots cleared were in Bottom House Lane, Crawleys Hill and Hamberlins Lane.
For the second time in a fortnight now there have been justifiable complaints of sacks of commercial waste left out at the entrance to Dolphin Square as you approach from the Frogmore Street (East) Car Park. Some of the bags were marked "Cawleys", some "Grundon". Some of the bags were even marked "Dacorum Borough Council Waste Collection Service". Obviously they were awaiting collection by the appropriate companies - including DBC itself. However, dumping 16 bags and boxes of waste in a well-used public area of the town over the weekend is not acceptable. The Liberal Democrats have reported this as a fly-tipping incident on reference 523970 and have sent in 4 photographs. An alternative area on private ground must be found for commercial waste awaiting collection.
