Construction is on schedule and the primary school is expected to be ready for the new school year in September. 60 reception places will be available, followed by 60 reception places each year after that.

The new school was created under the Government free schools programme after Hertfordshire County Council identified a need for extra primary school places for 2012 and beyond.

The school is proposing to focus on language skills and closer staff/pupil contact. There will be activities before and after
lessons to support the curriculum and to accommodate working parents.

At the ceremony Balfour Beatty presented the principal, Dr Sue Attard, with a silver trowel engraved with the name of the school. Other guests included Professor Graham Galbraith, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, which is partnering the school’s development.

Speaking at the presentation Grant said, “From the beginning I was very pleased that members of the local community took advantage of the Government’s free schools programme and decided to build a new primary school here in Hatfield. I am delighted the project is almost completed and I am sure that Hatfield Community Free School will provide an additional source of educational excellence for the children in our community”.

Grant speaking at the 'topping out' ceremony

Resolve is a local charity that supports people with alcohol and drug problems. It provides services free of charge on a
daily basis from Monday to Friday to anyone who wants to stop the cycle of drug or alcohol misuse. The new premises have given Resolve twice the space it had before and with its own entrance to the Community centre, it is now completely self-contained.

“The new centre means that we can offer a wide range of services in a way we have not been able to until now”, said Joe Heeney,
the manager of Resolve. Heeney paid tribute to the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God which has supported Resolve, since it first
opened its doors in 2008, and has helped put the new centre together.

Opening the centre Grant said, “It is a great privilege to open Resolve’s new centre. It is a fantastic local charity, which provides a
valuable service to people in Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City. As patron, I have been incredibly proud to see how Resolve has grown in its four year history and I would like to pay tribute to everyone involved for their tireless work in its continuing success.”

Grant meets with one of the new residents

Grant was pleased to open 31 brand new homes in Welwyn Garden City last Friday, the result of a partnership between Hightown Praetorian and Churches housing association, Taylor Wimpey, and Welwyn Hatfield Borough council.

At the opening, Grant Shapps MP said “It is important to get the mix right between providing affordable homes to tackle the housing shortage with more private homes which make a development viable, so I am delighted to welcome the residents to their new homes at this fabulous development.” The development will be welcomed by those on the waiting list for housing as well as those looking to get a foot on the property ladder.

Of the 31 new homes, four houses and six apartments have been let through Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council’s Choice Based Lettings scheme and the other 21 houses and apartments are available for shared ownership.

Hightown’s Chief Executive, David Bogle, said, ‘We are delighted to be involved with this new development in an excellent location in central Welwyn Garden City. This scheme provides much needed affordable housing to Welwyn Hatfield and gives people who have a real housing need the opportunity to get onto the property ladder.”

Councillor Roger Trigg, Executive Member for Housing and Community, said: “This is an excellent new development, positioned centrally in the town that demonstrates this council’s dedication to providing affordable and flexible opportunities for local people.”

Based in Hemel Hempstead, Hightown is on track to build 581 much needed affordable homes for people in Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire during 2012 – more new homes than Hightown has ever delivered in one year. Hightown are also working
closely with the council to deliver other new housing developments in the borough.

At the national finals held in December the Hatfield based senior team ‘The Crusaders’ won the National Championship in a nail biting final against the Hallamshire Hornets which ended in penalties.

Last week Local MP Grant Shapps met with the team to formally present them with their well deserved trophy. As a result of their success the team will be competing against the best teams in Europe for the IISHF Men’s European Cup on 18, 19 and 20 May 2012 in Gevisiez, Switzerland.

The Crusaders are a local skater hockey team based at Hatfield Leisure Centre in Travellers Lane and many of the senior team players have been members of the Club since primary school. The game is physical and fast paced being similar to ice hockey but played on inline roller skates. The Crusaders have teams in all age groups and welcome interest from potential players, prospective supporters and generally interested parties who can find more information about the club at www.crusadersshc.co.uk.

Grant said: ‘It is absolutely amazing to think that we have National champions right here in Hatfield and yet virtually no-one knows about this exciting sport and the national success for this local team. I was therefore delighted to go along and present the trophy to the team and congratulate them on their hard work. I wish them every success in Europe.’

Grant presents Crusaders’ team captain, Steve Dickinson, with the National Championship Trophy and wishes the team luck at the forthcoming Men’s European Cup competition.

Mirage is a high quality development of one and two-bedroom apartments as well as three and four-bedroom homes, on sale from £299,950.

Some of the residents have taken advantage of the Government’s NewBuy Scheme which lets credit-worthy purchasers buy a new build home with a 95% Loan to Value mortgage. The social event, at which Italian drinks and snacks were served in the communal garden, was held to allow the residents to break the ice with their new neighbours and to meet their local MP. According to Christine Shea, Regional Sales Manager for Taylor Wimpey, “it was a really good way of bringing homeowners into touch for the first time and helping create a sociable place where they are happy to live.”

Afterwards, Grant commented, “I was delighted to visit the Mirage development and to have a drink with some of the residents
who have just taken delivery of the keys to their new homes. It gave me the opportunity to find out what is important to homebuyers in my own constituency and to learn how the industry is meeting their needs for places to live. The Mirage development is a great example of the NewBuy Scheme in action. It has given some of the residents the chance to buy their first home and I believe they’ve made an excellent decision in choosing to buy it in Welwyn Garden City!”

GS giving keys to welcome latest WGC residents to their new Taylor Wimpey home on Broadwater Road

Grant has been campaigning to make this pavement safe since March 2009, after constituents complained that the roots of two large trees growing outside the shop had cracked and lifted the tarmac, making it a hazard for shoppers and other pedestrians.

The MP wrote to both Hertfordshire Highways and the Co-op to try to find out who was responsible for the upkeep of the pavement and to urge that repairs were made before someone had an accident. He managed to establish that the pavement did not form part of the public highway and that it was the Co-op’s responsibility.

That was far from the end of the matter, however. A long dispute between the Co-op and the Local Authority then followed, with the store claiming that although it owned the pavement, the Council was responsible for the trees and any damage they caused. But the Council disagreed.

While this argument went back and forth, an accident occurred, just as Grant had feared. An elderly resident coming out of the Co-op tripped over the uneven surface and broke her arm.

Last June Grant issued a press release in which he was photographed outside the store with another concerned local resident. He spoke of his frustration that in spite of constant reassurance that something was being done, nothing ever seemed to happen.

Only now, following continued pressure from the MP, have the trees been finally removed and the pavement repaired.

Grant commented, “It’s great news to learn that the dangerous pavement outside the Co-op has now been made safe for pedestrians. I’m only sorry that it took so long and that one elderly resident suffered a painful accident, as a result of the delay. But at least it’s now finally fixed before any other accidents occur. The residents and shoppers in Birchwood will be very relieved.”

Grant on the pavement with concerned local resident Mrs Delia East in Summer 2011Grant on the pavement as it is todayGrant on the pavement as it is todayGrant on the pavement as it is todayGrant on the pavement as it is today

Tarilian Laser Technologies (TLT), which was founded in 2006, has recently developed a revolutionary miniature optoelectronic sensor, which measures blood pressure more accurately than any other existing device. The sensor is simple to use, needing just to be placed on the skin, on any part of the body. Its development promises to revolutionise the healthcare sector, as blood pressure is one of the most important measurements taken in medicine and until now there has been concern about obtaining accurate results.

During his visit to TLT, Grant met CEO Dr Sandeep Shah, Programme Director Nita Shah and Dr David Jefferys, a European medical device regulatory expert, and also had a chance to see the sensor in operation. Grant was told that TLT is hoping to base manufacture of its product here in Hertfordshire. Grant has pledged to contact the Minister of State for Business, Rt Hon David Willetts MP to let him know about the world leading Welwyn Garden City.

Afterwards Grant commented, “I was really impressed to learn about this exciting high technology enterprise and very proud that it is taking place on our doorstep here in Welwyn Garden City.  It’s incredibly important that medical technology companies like TLT can develop and expand locally. This could be really important for jobs and economic prosperity in the future.”

Grant meets TLT CEO Dr Sandeep Shah and Programme Director Nita Shah

‘Team Identity’; Abbie Yates, Charlie Jay, Amy Ellis-Hall and Tammy Mills were one of several teams who faced the challenge of turning £100 into £1000 + for local charities over a six month period.

With ‘Dragon’ Natalie Cummings of media company My Mustard, Team Identity raised over £1600 for Resolve, a local charity based in Welwyn Garden City that supports people with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Much of the money was raised at a Dance-a-Thon in January at The Woodhall Community Centre in Welwyn Garden City, in which over 150 people took part.

“Dragons’ Apprentice is most definitely a fantastic way of engaging aspiring entrepreneurs to work on a project where there is so much mutual benefit; where they can learn much more than they ever could through simple theoretical studies, and develop some understanding of charities and how they work,” said Joe Heeney, Resolve Manager.

Grant, who is a patron of Resolve, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Team Identity won a top award in the Dragons’ Apprentice Challenge. I met the members of the team when they were just embarking on their challenge and I knew then from their energy and enthusiasm that this would be a great success.”

L-R: Amy Ellis-Hall, Charlie Jay, Natalie Cumming, Rebecca McCann, Grant Shapps MP, Elaine Whitehead, Tammy Mills, Joe Heeney, Abbie Yeates

The Transport Minister, Mike Penning MP, announced the good news in a statement to Parliament today. Until now, the people of Welwyn Hatfield have not had a test centre of their own and as a result they have been unable to take driving tests in the constituency. Instead, prospective drivers have had to travel further afield to test centres in places such as Watford. 

The exact location of the new test centres has still to be announced but it has been confirmed that they will be based out of local businesses with one in Hatfield and the other in Welwyn Garden City. 

Grant commented, “When someone is taking their driving test, it can add to their anxiety if they are forced to pass their exam in an unfamiliar area. That’s why I was pleased when the Transport Minister, Mike Penning MP, phoned me today to let me know that two new driving centres will soon be opened here in Welwyn Hatfield.  It’s good to know that in future people will be able to take their driving test in our own area.”

The centre provides lunch, companionship and a variety of social activities in friendly surroundings to some of Hatfield’s more vulnerable residents. But it is facing some challenges as it looks to the future.

Until now Friendship House has been financed by grants from both Hertfordshire County Council and Welwyn Hatfield Council, as well as by the modest funds it can raise itself. Despite fairing quite well in the necessary deficit reduction cuts, the coming year will still prove challenging for the Hatfield centre.

After meeting members of the voluntary committee that runs the centre, Grant was shown around the various facilities, including two lounge areas, a dining room, and a games room used for dancing and pool billiards before joining locals for a cup of tea.

Afterwards he said, “I am really impressed by the way that Friendship House caters for the social needs of our local pensioners. The support given to them by hard working volunteers adds greatly to the quality of their daily lives and in many cases makes the difference between them continuing to live at home and having to go into residential care.

“I therefore appeal to local businesses, who might want to give something back to the local community, to see whether they can provide funds to help Friendship House.

“A Welwyn Hatfield business might well find that their staff would benefit from being involved on a voluntary basis and some funding would assist Friendship House in providing lunch and other services to local elderly people who might otherwise be stuck at home”, the MP said.

L-R: Steve Russsell, Chairman, Sue Gabbott, Manager, Ron Claxton, Treasurer, Grant Shapps MP, Mick Clark, Vice Chairman.