“Significant investments, including a new leisure centre development planned for 2027” have been promised by the company taking over the running of leisure facilities in Stevenage.
Stevenage Leisure Limited (SLL) has lost the contract to manage leisure facilities in the town, which it had held for 25 years, and Everyone Active is taking over from April 1, after Stevenage Borough Council awarded the company a 10-year contract. The affected facilities include Stevenage Swimming Centre, Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Southfield Showground, Ridlins Athletics Stadium, Stevenage Golf and Conference Centre, and Fairlands Valley Outdoor Activity Centre.
Duncan Jefford, regional director at Everyone Active, said: “The new contract includes significant investments, including a new leisure centre development planned for 2027, amplifying the drive to prioritise the health and wellbeing of the local community. I am delighted that we have been chosen to support the council’s exciting visions.” He continued: “We believe leisure and cultural facilities are pivotal in providing a wide range of services to the community.
“We want the community to view the leisure and arts centres as community hubs, and will work hard to engage and educate people from all backgrounds in not only physical activity but also
arts development activity.”
The council has said its contract with SLL was outof-date and that the new contract is “a significant improvement”.
Councillor Richard Henry, leader of Stevenage Borough Council, said: “After going through a lengthy and robust procurement process, the partnership with Everyone Active will help bring more leisure services to local people. It will bring a significant boost to our leisure and cultural offer in Stevenage, including a new Stevenage Active Resident Card and a wide range of new innovative sports and leisure facilities. I am pleased to see this new partnership contribute to the health and wellbeing objectives of the council.”
The council says all permanent staff will keep their jobs, memberships will continue unchanged and prices will not increase as a result of the new contract.
Richard Allan, SLL’s CEO, has said: “SLL are disappointed to have been unsuccessful in winning the new contract, but are hugely proud of the impact they have made to the health of the Stevenage community over the past 25 years.”
Everyone Active is currently the second largest leisure operator in the country, managing in excess of 200 sites in partnership with over 60 local authorities.
A young mum who had reached “rock bottom” after developing an addiction to alcohol during lockdown and becoming suicidal has spoken of the life-changing support she is receiving from a rehabilitation charity.
The Living Room was founded by Janis Feely MBE in Stevenage in May 2000, after she successfully overcame her own addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
The award-winning charity, which also has centres in St Albans and Watford, supports people with addictions to anything from alcohol and drugs to gambling and sex, and champions abstinence-based treatment delivered by counsellors with experience of overcoming addictions themselves. The charity has supported more than 7,000 people to full recovery over 22 years.
Mum-of-two Amanda joined The Living Room at the start of lockdown, so all her meetings have been via Zoom.
“At first I was sceptical,” she said, “but they are run exceptionally well by the counsellors and I feel like I know everyone in the group, even though some I haven’t met in person.
“When I came into The Living Room, I was at rock bottom. I couldn’t see a way out apart from alcohol to get me through the days and my chaotic mind, which
was full of trauma and neglected emotions.
“I couldn’t cope with life anymore and drink was the only answer. Morning, noon and night. I never stopped the last months before recovery.
“I had been in an abusive relationship in the past and, instead of addressing these issues, I just drank. At first, it was one or two when the kids went to bed and then, 18 months later, I couldn’t leave the house without a drink. It is shameful, but I realise now I am very sick and need treatment, which I’m getting.
“I was suicidal and thought many times about walking in front of cars or taking tablets, but I was faced with the fact that I couldn’t leave my two little baby sons behind, so I had to endure my addiction for them.”
Amanda’s family were concerned and took her to see her GP, after which she contacted The Living Room for help.
“I was resistant at first,” she admitted. “I was so deep in addiction and I felt so low that I found it difficult to connect. But, as the fog lifted from the months of alcohol, I could connect and take in everything said at group. I can see some members that are way ahead of me in recovery and what an inspiration they are. This makes me hopeful that I can get there.
“The subjects that are discussed, although triggering at times,
are an immense help and have helped me understand how my addiction has manifested and how my mind works.
“The group is honest - this can be helpful and sometimes daunting, but it’s always valuable feedback. The counsellors are so intuitive, considering we are on Zoom. Some days I don’t say a word and the counsellors can tell something is bothering me. They are always right, even if I don’t realise it at the time.
“Today, I feel like me again. I’m off my anxiety tablets. I can leave the house. I can give my opinion. I can recognise my triggers. Many challenges have come up recently but, with the help of the group, I can cope with them and face them head on.
“I have all the tools now to ensure I don’t pick up a drink and it’s up to me to use them. Some days are hard - I find the weekends hard, as I’m in early recoveryand I rely on these sessions, but I go to Alcoholics Anonymous, as advised, and that helps.
“All I want to do is get well and invest all my time right now into my recovery, so I can go back to being a present mum and enjoy life. I know that will happen if I do everything I’m told and listen to all the advice I’m given by the members and counsellors at The Living Room.”
For more about The Living Room, visit livingroomherts.org or, if you have any questions, email enquiries@livingroomherts.org.
With an unprecedented demand for their service due to the rising cost of living, Citizens Advice Stevenage is appealing for more volunteers to help support those in need.
Citizens Advice is a charity offering free and independent advice on a range of issues, including benefits, housing, work and immigration. Staff and volunteers at Citizens Advice Stevenage say they have seen a significant increase in people seeking their help.
Latest statistics show they helped 788 people in December, seeing a total of 2,679 issues. Charlotte Blizzard-Welch, chief executive of Citizens Advice Stevenage, said: “We’ve got a whole new demographic that is falling into crisis. People who were just making ends meet before, people who were getting by, are now really feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis, the rise in inflation, and they need us more than ever before.”
A spokesperson for Citizens Advice Stevenage explained: “We are looking for new volunteers to join our team and we need your help to support people in our community.”
The charity is seeking volunteers for a range of roles, from general advice, administration and
reception, to trustees and social media support. Volunteering will provide an opportunity for people to gain new skills to complement existing ones, the spokesperson said, as well as the chance to use skills gained through careers in a way that helps the community.
“It’s a fantastic way to help others cope and grow through the cost-of-living crisis, and have a real, positive impact,” she said.
An online taster session will be held at 10am on March 16, to give those interested an opportunity to find out more about Citizens Advice Stevenage and what they do. Hear from current volunteers, who will share their experiences and the benefits of being a member of Citizens Advice Stevenage, learn more about the roles available, and ask questions.
To sign up for the session, visit stevenagecab.org. uk/volunteer-taster-session.
Are you struggling to pay your bills? Visit stevenagecab.org.uk or call Citizens Advice on 0800 144 8848. If you have a story or feature please email us on hdmdigitalsales@gmail.com
People are being encouraged by the local authority to apply now - for free - for street parties to celebrate the King’s coronation on May 6th.
Anyone wanting to close a road for a street party will need to apply to Hertfordshire County Council at www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/streetparties by March 26.
The county council says it is waiving the usual road closure fees “in hope of encouraging as many people as possible to take up the opportunity to celebrate this momentous occasion”, recognising “the social and community benefits of celebrating this historic event”.
Councillor Richard Roberts, the leader of Hertfordshire County Council, said: “For most of us, the coronation of King Charles III will be the first coronation that has taken place in our lifetimes, and I know people across Hertfordshire will want to join
in with the celebration of this historic event. “Street parties are a fantastic way of bringing communities together and we want to make it as easy as possible for residents to organise their own local events, which is why we’ve decided to waive the fees for street parties to celebrate the coronation.
“We want to make sure that our residents can have a fun and memorable weekend, and I’d encourage everyone to speak to their neighbours about organising street parties and apply for a street party road closure as soon as possible.”
Hertfordshire has a strong reputation for community-held royal celebrations, with the county hosting more than 560 street parties to celebrate the Queen’s platinum jubilee last summer, and “claiming the title of street party capital of Britain for previous royal weddings and jubilees”, the county council said.
Maternity services at Lister Hospital in Stevenage have been rated inadequate by healthcare watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC) following an inspection at short notice. The CQC looked at whether the services are safe and well led and found they “did not have enough staff to care for women and keep them safe”, that staff “did not manage medicines well and there were delays in the investigations of incidents”, and that equipment was not always maintained, serviced or replaced.
The CQC also found staff did not always follow best practice to protect women, themselves and others from infection, and did not always assess risks to women, act on them and keep good care records.
The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which runs Lister, was highlighted as one of eight ‘worse than expected’ NHS trusts in England on cleanliness.
The CQC added: “People could not access the service when they needed it and had to wait too long for treatment, which impacted on the care received. “There was no systematic approach to prioritising women who attended triage,” and “leaders did not always effectively identify and mitigate risks to the service”.
However, the watchdog did find that “staff worked well together for the benefit of women”, that managers monitored the effectiveness of the service, and that “there was a strong culture for improvement, research and innovation”.
Following the inspection, the CQC issued a warning notice to the provider under the Health and Social Care Act 2008. “We took this urgent action as we believed a person would or may be exposed to the risk of harm if we had not done so,” the watchdog explained. “We found that the service had deteriorated since the last inspection in July 2018.”
Responding to the CQC’s report, published in January following the October inspection, the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust acknowledged the CQC’s concerns that there were insufficient staff, that mandatory training was below the Trust target, that equipment needed more regular servicing, and that cleanliness must improve. The NHS trust also highlighted how the CQC recognised that staff worked well with women in the community to plan services, that there was a culture for improvement and innovation, and that the team achieved good outcomes for women.
Adam Sewell-Jones, the NHS trust’s chief executive, said: “Our maternity team work incredibly hard and keep the interests of parents-to-be central to everything they do. I want to reassure you that our hospital remains a safe place to give birth – as shown by other national measures that we regularly review and report on.
“However we take this report very seriously and our new director of midwifery has already led immediate and thorough action to increase cleanliness, and to ensure that our equipment is up to the required standard. “We have a detailed improvement plan to address remaining issues and will report openly on our progress.
“We recognise the national shortage of midwives, however our staffing levels are in-line with other maternity units in the east of England, and since the inspection we have recruited 17 more midwives.”
The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust has set up a helpline for patients who are due to give birth at Lister and have concerns. Call 07918 468736 between 9am and 3pm, Monday to Friday. If you leave a voicemail outside of these hours, a member of the maternity team will get back to you as soon as possible.
An injunction to ban car cruising in Stevenageoriginally imposed after a horror crash in the town injured 19 people - has been granted for a further five years.
During an unauthorised car cruise event in July 2019, two cars collided at the exit of the Roaring Meg South car park on Monkswood Way, before ploughing into crowds of people that had gathered to watch, injuring 19 people.
Subsequently, Stevenage Borough Council successfully applied for a two-year injunction to ban car cruise events in the town. An injunction, which has a power of arrest attached, has now been granted for a further five years, until 2028.
Leader of the council, Richard Henry, said: “We’re pleased that the injunction to ban car cruising will be granted for a further five years, protecting our residents from this dangerous and highly disruptive behaviour. We have worked with our partner
organisations, including Stevenage police, to make this happen and we thank them for their support. “The court’s decision means that the problem can continue to be controlled over the long-term, and that participating, organising and promoting car cruising will continue to be prohibited in Stevenage going forward.”
Graeme Walsingham, chief inspector for Stevenage, added: “We have been working in partnership with Stevenage Borough Council to make sure we do not see a repeat of the horrific collision that occurred after that cruise event in 2019.
“As a result of the injunction extension, we continue to have powers to prevent the kind of activity that caused the incident, and we will take swift action against those who ignore this legislation. My officers will continue to patrol hot spot locations and deal robustly with those people who flout these new rules.”
As a result of the injunction, the following activities are subject to restrictions in the district of Stevenage:
• Drive at excessive speed, or otherwise dangerously
• Driving in convoy
• Racing against other motor vehicles
• Performing stunts in or on motor vehicles
• Sounding horns or playing radios
• Dropping litter
• Supplying or using illegal drugs
• Urinating in public
• Shouting or abusing, threatening, or otherwise intimidating another person
• Obstruction of any other road user
Dominic Brown, 21 and from St Albans, and Julian Castano-Perez, 21, from Dunmow, Essex, pleaded guilty to all 19 charges against them in connection with the car cruising crash. Both drivers were charged with eight offences of serious injury by dangerous driving and 11 offences of wanton/furious driving.
Brown was sentenced to five years imprisonment and was disqualified from driving for seven-and-ahalf years, while Castano-Perez was sentenced to four years imprisonment and banned from driving for seven years and four months.
Planting is almost complete at a new woodland at Fairlands Valley Park, thanks to help from the local community, including ten schools.
Roughly 1,300 new trees were planted in the Southfield at Fairlands with help from pupils from the following schools:
• Almond Hill School
• Shephalbury Park Primary School
• The Thomas Alleyne Academy
• Greenside School
• Ashtree Primary School & Nursery
• Round Diamond Primary School
• St Nicholas School
• Peartree Spring Primary
• Woolenwick Infant and Nursery School
• Roebuck Academy.
A community planting event was also held on Saturday 28th January and was attended by 80 residents.
The planting of the remaining trees to complete the new woodland is expected to take place in February.
A mixture of trees mainly native to the UK have been planted, including Silver Birch, Wild Cherry, Crab Apple, Hazel and Hornbeam. The trees will also vary in size – ranging from smaller seedlings to some over two metres tall, but the majority will comprise whips, which are tree seedlings around two or three years old.
In addition, seven Silver Maple trees were also planted within the new woodland to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee.
Councillor Simon Speller, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Climate Change, said:
“I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in the planting of the new woodland so far – their efforts will help to improve air quality, increase biodiversity and tackle climate change, and provide a new woodland for people to visit for years to come.
Woolenwick Infant and Nursery School
Almond Hill School
Shephalbury Park Primary School
The Thomas Alleyne Academy
“It will be several years before the woodland is fully mature; however, in the meantime, there will be a variety of different habitats to enhance biodiversity, including meadow grasslands, woodland glades, naturally regenerating scrub and access paths.
“Don’t forget there’s still time to submit suggestions for a name for the new woodland.
Please send your ideas to community.woodland@ stevenage.gov.uk by Wednesday 8 February.”
Name suggestions will be shortlisted, and residents will be invited to vote for their favourite name during March 2023.
If you have a story or feature please email us on hdmdigitalsales@gmail.com
Greenside School Round Diamond Primary School St Nicholas School
Peartree Spring Primary
Roebuck Academy
Newly refurbished garages are now available to let, thanks to Stevenage Borough Council’s garages refurbishment programme.
Newly refurbished garages are available to let in Broadwater and Shephall, with more garages available across the town.
Anyone wanting to rent a garage can now easily apply online, thanks to a new online digital lettings system.
The system allows residents to:
View garages online that are available to rent Make online bids to rent garages from the council Have a choice where they would like a garage Digital Lettings went live in December 2022, and anyone who is interested in renting a garage can view the availability of garages by visiting www.stevenage.gov.uk/garages/apply-for-a-garage
Councillor Joan Lloyd, Executive Member for Resources, said: “We currently have a number vacant garages available, so whether you need somewhere to store your car or somewhere to keep extra items, there is bound to be one in a location to suit you.
“As our refurbishment programme continues, more garages will be added to our new digital lettings system once they’re ready – so sign up to the waiting list today to be notified.”
For more information, visit: www.stevenage.gov. uk/garages
If you have a story or feature please email us on hdmdigitalsales@gmail.com
The MP for Stevenage, Stephen McPartland, has announced he will not be seeking re-election.
In a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak yesterday (February 13), Mr McPartland said that “after much soul-searching” he has “decided not to seek re-election in order to take up new opportunities outside of politics”.
He said “it has been the biggest honour of my life to serve as a member of parliament for Stevenage since 2010,” adding: “I have fought four elections and always felt humbled that my vote and vote share has increased each time, as my constituents place their trust in me.”
Mr McPartland points to “securing hundreds of millions of pounds of infrastructure investment from the government for Stevenage”, citing “the rebuilding of our local hospital, school rebuilds and refurbishments, new GP surgeries, more affordable homes, a new platform at Stevenage station, more destinations, seats and train services, as Stevenage has become the economic engine of Hertfordshire”.
He said: “I have always fought for those who could not have their voice heard, and never shied away from taking on vested interest in government and leading campaigns, for example on making asthma inhalers legal in school first aid kits, reversing planned cuts to tax credits, or helping millions of leaseholders trapped in a building safety crisis.”
Concluding, he said: “I have always cared about the individual person and their families, not the politics,” and, referring to John Major, who was prime minister from 1990 to 1997, Mr McPartland said he “will continue to support the party that offered a working class kid from Brixton the opportunity to be prime minister”.
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“It has been the biggest honour of my life to serve as a member of parliament for Stevenage since 2010”
Have your say on proposals for the Stevenage Station Gateway Area Action Plan, which include either reducing Lytton Way to a single carriageway or blocking the road to through traffic by creating a pedestrianised plaza.
Stevenage Borough Council says it has drawn up new proposals based on feedback from a round of consultation that closed in November 2021.
Options for Lytton Way - between Swingate and Danesgate - include doing nothing, reducing the road to a single carriageway for all traffic, reducing the road to a single carriageway for buses and taxis only, or creating a pedestrianised plaza.
The council says reducing the road to a single carriageway for buses and taxis only was the preferred option during consultation, with creating a pedestrianised plaza also a “popular” choice. The Stevenage Station Gateway Area includes that around the railway station, bounded by the railway tracks and Lytton Way.
“The key gateway for the town has the potential for significant transformation and is used by thousands of people given our well-connected position only 20 minutes from King’s Cross in London,” the council
said. “The development will form a key part of the regeneration of the town centre.”
Councillor Simon Speller, the borough council’s executive member for environment and climate change, said: “We want Stevenage to be a top destination for businesses and for people to live in, work and visit, as well as a place that our residents are proud to call home.
“As part of this, our town is undergoing major regeneration at present. So why not have your say in how Stevenage will look in years to come? The heritage of the town is an important aspect to us all and this redevelopment will build on that, so I urge you to make your views count and help shape the future of Stevenage Railway Area Action Plan that will help transform our town centre.”
The council says this consultation, which runs until March 18, “will provide a great opportunity for the public and key stakeholders to engage and shape this area”. It says: “It will also act as a catalyst for developers interested in supporting this key part of the Stevenage Borough Local Plan.”
To view the proposals and have your say, visit https://stevenageplanningpolicy.commonplace.is/
