A plan to open up long-stay parking spaces to short-stay weekend visitors to Berkhamsted has been shot down by borough leaders.

Town councillors had complained that the current parking policy creates a shortage of places for shoppers and leads to drivers being fined unnecessarily.

The town’s St John’s Well Lane car park has about 30 short-stay spaces, but nearly 80 long-stay spaces.

Councillor Garrick Stevens told a recent town council meeting: “There’s only one site in the borough that continues to operate with a segregated parking system. I think we ought to change it.”

Dacorum Borough Council says all long-stay spaces will be transferred to Berkhamsted’s new Lower Kings Road multi-storey car park, should it go ahead.

Until then, plans are that the designated parking areas in St John’s Well Lane car park remain the same throughout the week.

Town councillor Tom Ritchie said the borough thinks any changes would be ‘too complicated’ to implement at the moment.

He said: “We need to discuss a resolution. We need to find a mechanism for taking this back to the borough council and I do not think this is the place to do that.”

The plan will now be discussed by the town council’s transport and environment committee on Monday, February 10.

It could be at least two years before the multi-storey car park is built, town councillors were recently told.

The Gazette reported last week that a meeting to decide whether the multi-storey plan proceed or not has been delayed for a second time by the borough council.

A £200,000 scheme to repair the worn-out surface of part of the A4146 between Leighton Buzzard and Hemel Hempstead is to start on Monday.

The work, which will be carried out between 8pm and 5am Monday to Friday over nine nights, will see the stretch of the Leighton Buzzard and Dagnall Road improved from the Link Road roundabout in Hemel Hempstead to the junctions for Hudnall Lane and Pedley Hill.

Herts County Council cabinet member for highways Terry Douris said: “This essential maintenance work is likely to cause disruption and inconvenience both to motorists and residents.

“Our contractors Eurovia will work hard to minimise any disruption, but we ask everyone for their co-operation.”

Vehicle access to properties will be maintained whenever possible and signed alternative routes will be in place. For more information visit www.hertsdirect.org/roadworks.

A £20,000 community offering in return for being allowed to build six houses in the place of a social facility ‘verges on the insulting’, protestors say.

They said it would not be enough to replace New Mill Social Centre and could end up funding facilities elsewhere in Tring. Tim Amsden said this would ‘verge on the insulting’.

He said: “It would see the demolition of the existing centre, and the money spent on facilities that would not be in New Mill.”

He spoke out at a meeting of Tring Town Council on Monday, which heard that the area had already lost its corner-shop and butcher’s.

Councillor Dawn Rance said: “Everything has gone from New Mill and it should be about what we can put back into New Mill, not about what we can put into other facilities.”

Councillor Barry Batchelor said a more appropriate pay-out would be ‘northwards of £60,000’. Otherwise, he said: “New Mill is going to be subsumed into the metropolis of Tring, and I think the people who live there are very proud of their village.”

New Mill Social Centre was closed in 2012 after Tring Team Parish – which owns the site – sought permission for new homes to be built there.

Councillor Nick Hollinghurst said: “When looked at in terms of the likely benefit to the developer, £20,000 is pretty small. It is really not large enough to do anything useful for the community of New Mill.”

If the homes are built, one will house Tring School’s chaplain.

Not long now until January is behind us, thank goodness. I can’t wait to see the back of it.

It’s not what you think. I’m not in the grips of some seasonal affected disorder which plunges me into a bleak midwinter depression.

I haven’t been spending sleepless nights worrying about the Christmas credit card bills thudding onto the doormat, sent into a state of soggy despair by the relentless rain or tempted to give up on the human race once and for all by the combined onslaught of TV programmes featuring so-called celebrities falling into swimming pools, falling off mountains or just sitting around in a locked house competing to see which of them is the most self-regarding and stupid.

Those are all expected trials of life, and just because it’s January doesn’t make them any more or less annoying.

No, the reason I am only too eager to say farewell to this particular ordeal by calendar is because all those smug detox dunderheads can finally shut up and get out of my face.

Now we are all familiar with the advice from the experts about how we should take urgent steps to improve our lot, no matter which days and weeks we are crossing off the calendar.

You can tick off all the stuff we are supposed to be doing but don’t – eating less, eating more healthily, taking exercise, kicking tobacco, cutting down on our alcohol intake so that’s more of a tipple treat than an everyday essential.

Well done to all those who have the strength of mind to follow that advice, I am sure it will be a positive step for you.

But please, keep it to yourself. I really don’t care, and I certainly don’t want to know.

You’d think these people were engaged in some sort of heroic quest instead of cutting down for a few weeks.

You get to the end of a trying day, you suggest a swift drink after work to help ease the strain, and that saintly, self-satisfied look comes into their eyes.

There’s no apology on the way as piously tell you that they’re not partaking of that particular poison at the moment, while obviously pitying you for your helpless dependence on the demon drink.

There are even those who will refer to themselves as a ‘dryathlete’ as if not bending the elbow and swallowing quite as often as usual was some sort of Olympic event.

But soon it will be over, and I can’t wait.

However, a simple tip to bear in mind when these self-denying sorts come out of the woodwork next year. Whatever they say they have given up, just look them in the eye and say: “Doctor’s orders? Of course, I understand.”

The implication that they’re on a course of tablets to clear up a nasty infection or other embarrassing medical condition is guaranteed to wipe the smug look off their faces.

Mark Wahlberg’s reinvention as everyone’s favourite everyman killing machine continues apace.

Lone Survivor has one of those titles that indicate a high body count, and it doesn’t lie – our Mark is the only special forces op still breathing after a disastrous mission in Afghanistan.

It’s based on a true story and is told with a grim attention to keeping it rough and real. It’s not for the squeamish, but it’s certainly not as gung-ho as most American films featuring their boys on the front line.

Not a lot of laughs, either, in Out Of The Furnace, in which ex-con Christian Bale tries to keep little brother Casey Affleck out of trouble without much success.

Woody Harrelson, Forest Whitaker and Willem Dafoe add support in a gritty and brutal blue collar drama from writer/director Scott Cooper, whose last project was the Oscar-winning Crazy Heart.

What would happen if Dr Frankenstein’s monster still walked the earth 200 years on?

He hasn’t got the familiar bolt through his neck, but the creature, now looking a lot like Aaron Eckhart, is centre stage in the an age-old battle between supernatural entities.

I, Frankenstein bills itself as fast-paced gothic action movie and is adapted from a graphic novel by Kevin ‘Underworld’ Grevioux, so it’s slick , high fashion fare.

That Awkward Moment answers that nagging question: Whatever happened to Zac Efron?

The teen sensation is back in a ‘raunchy’ romantic comedy about three lads who, when one is dumped, vow to all stay single and pursue no-ties fun.

Of course it doesn’t work, or it would make for a pretty dull story – but Zac and co stretching for those grown-up gags doesn’t seem right, somehow.

Working with local small businesses is something we take very seriously at Dacorum Borough Council and are focussing on as part of our Dacorum: Look No Further campaign.

Last week we were able to share some of our successes and advise other councils how they can engage better with small businesses, as part of a live discussion for the Guardian newspaper.

We believe that small businesses are the drivers of our local economy. We are doing what we can to encourage growth in the local community and help local businesses prosper by creating an environment where businesses can grow unhindered, where people want to work and businesses want to locate.

Our Economic Wellbeing team is focussed on supporting your businesses on a day-to-day basis, to help tackle any issues you may be facing. Whether it is recruiting an apprentice, developing sustainable travel plans, help starting a business or looking for a commercial premises we can provide expert support and advice.

And what better way to support local business than by helping to drive more customers to the area?

Kings Langley is attracting interest from across the world as it prepares to temporarily change its name to King’s Landing, the fictional location in the TV series Game of Thrones.

American broadcaster HBO is changing the village sign for a week from February 17 to promote a new DVD release, and they’re encouraging their fans to come and take pictures there.

We are working with them to make the most of the opportunity to promote the village and everything on offer for visitors to Kings Langley and the rest of the borough.

This is a major win for Dacorum and will put Kings Langley firmly on the map.

School staff, parents, governors and neighbours are being asked for their views on a new proposal which has been described as an ‘exciting new development for Dacorum’.

Plans by Hemel Hempstead’s Longdean, Adeyfield and Astley Cooper Schools to join forces into an innovative co-operative learning trust are open for consultation, with a public meeting planned for Monday evening.

The idea will be the first of its kind in West Herts – but elsewhere in the county two Letchworth secondary schools have come together into a single trust, as have Royston Upper and Middle schools. It will involve Adeyfield and Astley Cooper Schools adopting foundation school status and working collaboratively together and with Longdean, which will retain academy status.

No staffing arrangements are expected to be changed at any of the schools as part of the proposal which, if implemented, would come into effect on June 1.

A public letter from head teachers Scott Martin of Adeyfield, Eddie Gaynor of Astley Cooper and Graham Cunningham of Longdean, inviting people to the open meeting, says: “The partners in the East Dacorum Co-Operative Learning Trust want to develop in all students the academic and social skills needed to contribute to and shape the communities they are part of throughout their lives. We believe that to achieve this we need to work collaboratively, building on the existing strong relationships between the schools, rather than acting alone.”

Herts County Council cabinet member for enterprise, education and skills Chris Hayward said: “We welcome and encourage the diversity and autonomy of Hertfordshire schools and increasingly we are seeing schools joining together in a range of local partnerships such as this to support each other in raising educational standards in a local area.

“I wish Adeyfield, Astley Cooper and Longdean well in this exciting new development for Dacorum.”

Details of how to make comments on the proposals can be found on each of the schools’ websites. The public meeting will be held at The Astley Cooper School in St Agnells Lane, Grovehill, at 6.30pm on Monday.

Berkhamsted have followed in the footsteps of neighbours Hemel Hempstead by taking top spot in their league, thanks to a convincing third win of the season over Hertford Town on Tuesday night.

The Broadwater pitch again beat the weather but with leading scorer Connor Calcutt sidelined the home side squandered a hatful of first half chances including a missed penalty.

But after the break they rattled in four goals, climbing above Ampthill Town to take over as leaders of the South Midlands League Premier division.

The two sides turned round at half time with Hertford in the lead after keeper Carl Tasker denied Elliott King’s first strike after a rare attack but was beaten by the follow-up.

Josh Chamberlain, who had missed the spot kick in the first half, soon had his side level after the break and when James Bent and Adiel Mannion came on for the home side more goals followed.

Ed Canham bundled home from a Chamberlain corner to put Berko in front, and a Jamie Gavin header was blocked on the line as the home side began to dominate.

Mannion’s pace took him clear to latch on to a flick from Chamberlain and net with aplomb to make it 3-1, and Chamberlain put his side in the driving seat with a fourth.

Hertford netted a late consolution but the points, and the Premier Division top spot, belonged to Berko.

Mick Vipond’s side will next be in action next Tuesday, February 4, when Hoddesdon Town visit Broadwater in the quarter final of the Premier Division Cup.

A teenage girl escaped with just cuts and bruises after her car hit the central reservation on the A41 last night.

Fire crews were called out at 5.42pm after receiving initial reports of people trapped inside a car that was upside down on the dual carriageway, but they arrived on the scene to find that wasn’t the case.

The East of England Ambulance Service’s Richard Dunne said: “We treated a 19-year-old female at the scene. She was what we term as the walking wounded, and she was discharged without having to go to hospital.”

It is believed the car clipped the central reservation before slipping over to the embankment on the stretch of road between the Chesham Road and Bourne End Lane junctions.

Two engines from Hemel Hempstead and one from Berkhamsted were sent to the scene along with a rapid response vehicle and an ambulance and the incident was dealt with by 6.04pm.

An attack which resulted in a string of cars on a garage forecourt in Hemel Hempstead having their windows smashed has prompted a police appeal.

The window wreckers struck between Monday, January 20 and Friday, January 24 while the cars were parked in front of JMS Autos in Maylands Avenue.

The windows of several cars for sale on the forecourt were broken and there was also damage caused to the windscreen of another vehicle at the location the previous week.

PC Michael Caird of the Hemel Hempstead intervention team said: ““I am appealing to anyone who may have seen a person or people acting suspiciously or causing damage to property at these premises to contact the police.

“From my initial investigation it would appear that this is nothing more than mindless vandalism.

“The total cost of the damage caused is substantial. It’s possible someone may have information that could assist the investigation and I would ask that if someone believes they know who is responsible, that they contact me immediately.”

Anyone with information that could aid the investigation should contact PC Caird using the non-emergency number 101, citing crime reference number D1/14/518.

They can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Dacorum’s top policeman has sent out a warning to all landlords in the borough after a police raid on a Berkhamsted pub brought about a conviction for drug dealing.

The warrant executed in the High Street’s The George pub in December saw 57-year-old Alan Clark charged and publican Mark Wheway cautioned in connection with the investigation. Clark, who lived on the same road as the pub, was jailed for four years after having supplied class A drug cocaine to undercover police officers on five occasions from September to December.

He pleaded guilty to the offences at St Albans Crown Court on Friday.

Chief Insp Glen Channer said: “I am very pleased with the result at court. We had information to suggest that Clark was using the pub as a place to freely deal drugs so launched an operation to gather evidence. I’d use this as an opportunity to remind publicans of their responsibility to ensure they are operating within their licence.

“Where we have information about suspected breaches or unlawful activity, we will do all in our power to investigate and take action.”

Tanya Wheway, mother to The George landlord Mark, spoke to the Gazette on her son’s behalf.

She said: “We were completely unaware that Clark was doing this and are obviously very shocked.

“If the police found things while Mark was unaware that something untoward was going on, unfortunately landlords have a responsibility, even if they are unaware.

“They have a door policy and an age policy – you try to run a business in the best way you can but you sometimes don’t have full control.

“From hearsay I understand there is a problem with drugs in Berkhamsted – it is quite an affluent town – and it is a good thing the police are being vigilant.

“Mark and his wife Katherine have children and do not want to see a situation where the town becomes renowned for dealing with drugs.

“It is in everybody’s interests that this is monitored by the police and they do their best to curtail it.”

In the fifth instalment of our guide to preparing for distance running, prepared with the Berkhamsted Half Marathon in mind, we look at the challenges of winter running.

{http://www.berkorun.com|If you’re planning to take on the Berkhamsted challenge but haven’t yet officially entered, here’s a link to the official form}

We also hear from Berkhamsted’s Ashlyns School, which will be fielding talented young runners in the inaugural Schools Challenge, a race within a race, over the five-mile Fun Run course on March 2.

But first, let’s look at Week 5 of the Berkhamsted Half Marathon race schedule laid out by John Jales, head coach of Dacorum & Tring Athletics Club and winner of the recent Lifetime Achievement award at the 2013 Dacorum Sports Awards ceremony.

All three groups of runners have been set at least one session of off-road running this week - and getting off the hard pavement onto softer grass or trail can be a make-or-break factor at this time of the season, as the miles start to accumulate in the legs.

One of the joys of living where we do is the easy access to spectacular countryside full of country lanes and winding footpaths on our very doorstep - not to mention the wonderful Ashridge estate, where much of the Berkhamsted Half Marathon takes place.

Running outdoors in January and February in Dacorum does have challenges, though, with the temperature and the terrain both meriting special attention.

Athletes will often make the mistake of over-dressing as they set out on a winter run. The key factor is to wear two or three layers, with a wind/rain-resistant outer layer that can be taken off and tied around the waist if you get too hot.

One quick tip to make those first few minutes out the door a bit more pleasant is to warm your running gear up on a radiator first. Investing in a buff – a tubular neckwarmer made from fleece, or even better, merino wool - will keep your neck warm and stop cold air going down your front. A buff can also be pulled up over your mouth when the temperature’s below zero, to stop freezing air causing that ‘burning’ sensation in the lungs.

It’s important to warm up well before starting into a hard session, but warm-ups should NOT involving stretching cold muscles. Leave the stretching to later, when you’re done. Instead, spend a good five to ten minutes doing a ‘mobility’ warm-up – gentle jogging, skipping, high knees and heel flicks – to warm up the leg muscles, along with wide arm rotations to open the lungs and ankle rotations and heel and toe walking to limber up your lower legs.

Also be aware that although you don’t sweat as much on cold days, you still need to re-hydrate, so take a bottle of water or diluted energy drink with you on longer runs, and drink lots and get warm and dry after you’re done.

Adequate footwear is also essential for off-road running. If you don’t have them already, consider investing in a decent pair of trail shoes with a chunky tread – you’ll be amazed at how much more traction they give you on muddy, wet ground and even in snow, compared to normal trainers.

Beware of hidden holes and cracks and uneven terrain; turning your ankle at this stage of the season could put paid to your spring marathon goals.

Finally, a word of advice from John: be flexible with your training! Going out to do a speed session in a gale force wind and driving rain will mean that your split times are certain to be below target.

You won’t be getting the full benefit of the session and the poorer-than-expected times could knock your confidence. If you can, swap the hard session to another day, or head indoors to a treadmill. Staying healthy is your number one goal in the depths of an English winter!

Winning the Schools Challenge would give Ashlyns ‘bragging rights’!

Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted is one of the first schools to sign up to the inaugural Schools Challenge, and has embraced the invitation to take part with gusto.

PE teacher David Jones told The Gazette that it’s “fantastic to have a Schools Challenge within our local race because it encourages friendly competition, with those coming out on top on the day gaining the town’s ‘bragging rights’.”

“It is also a great chance to compare our students to others in the borough within a one-off head-to-head race.”

He’s thrown down the gauntlet to other schools in the area - declaring that the “real competition” will come from Ashlyns, as it has a number of excellent runners, and has proven to be very competitive at district and county competitions in recent years.

David has been a PE teacher at Ashlyns School in Berkhamsted since September 2011 and was delighted to hear about the Challenge, which, he says, has given a real focus to the school’s running programme.

This year, he’s been able to boost his squads with talented students in Years 7 and 8, following the changes in Berhamsted that saw Ashlyns become a full secondary school as the town moved to a two-tier system. He’s been working hard with a group of committed runners across all age groups at Thursday lunchtime cross-country club sessions and has an eye firmly cast upon the Schools Challenge, both for the boys and girls categories.

“Ashlyns has some very competitive runners in both cross-country and athletics,” he says. “I think we have a good chance of taking both the boys and the girls prizes, because we’ve been very competitive at District and Country Cross Country level - for example, at the District championships in November, Year 8 student Ellen Northwood came away as U13 girls champion in a strong field of runners from around Dacorum.”

The school has also entered a competitive team of 10 runners for this weekend’s County Cross Country Championships at Verulamium Park in St Albans, which David says will allow the students to push themselves further and gain greater experience of running in highly competitive situations”.

The Ashlyns cross-country and athletics squad has been training once a week since October, with many of the runners also training two or more times a week with their athletics clubs, including Chiltern Harriers in Chesham and Dacorum & Tring AC in Hemel Hempstead.

David points out that the Ashlyns team has “some really fit runners: in addition to Ellen, we have brother and sister duo Jake and Emily Alderson, Zoe Richardson. Emily Bannister and Molly and William Jarvis to name a few. We also have three brothers, Stephen, Nathan and Zack Burgess, who have competed in many triathlons across the country together.”

Winning the schools Challenge would be a “real boost and an immense source of pride to the whole of Ashlyns School”, continued Jones, “and I’m confident it would help encourage more students to participate and compete”

He knows that winning the race won’t be easy. The course is “very hard, with Bulbeggars Hill at Mile 2, but I feel with the number of runners we have and with each of their strengths, the course will suit all of them during the race.”

Whatever the outcome on March 2, Ashlyns will continue to build the strengths of its competitive teams, not just in athletics and cross-country.

David says: “We have a great school in terms of PE because of the wide variety of sports that are provided, but also because there are so many sports clubs and activities available to our students within the local community and beyond”.

Among his goals as a PE teacher at Ashlyns are to continue fielding competitive teams in local competitions, but more importantly, to ensure that the students achieve something for themselves and, ultimately, that they have fun.

Next week, we hear from a series of local businesses who are backing the 2014 Berkhamsted Half Marathon and Fun Run, and what their runners hope to achieve.

JOHN JALES’ TRAINING SESSIONS

Week 5/8 (Feb 3-Feb 9)

ELITE ATHLETES

Men: Sub 1h18 / Women: Sub 1h25

Monday: 5 miles easy off-road if possible

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 2 mile jog, then 5-6 miles at Half marathon page, then 1 mile jog

Thursday: 5 miles easy, to include 8 x 200m strides

Friday: Rest or 3 mile recovery jog

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Warm up, then 6-10 mile race if possible, warm down.

CLUB RUNNERS

Men: Sub 1h18 to 1.31 / Women: Under 1.39

Monday: 5 miles easy, off road if possible

Tuesday: Rest

Wednesday: 8 miles fairly fast

Thursday: 4 miles easy

Friday: Rest or 3 mile jog

Saturday: 4 miles on grass if possible, to include 6 x 200m strides

Sunday: Warm up, then 10k race if possible, or 6 miles at good pace

BEGINNERS, based on athletes who have been running at least 2-3 miles, 2-3 times per week

Monday: 3-4 miles easy off-road, if possible

Wednesday: 3 miles, to include a few short bursts

Friday: 3 miles on grass if possible

Sunday: Warm up, then 10km race or 6 miles at good pace, then 10 min walk or jog

{https://www.facebook.com/RotaryClubBerkhamsted|Find out more about the Rotary Club of Berkhamsted here}

{https://www.facebook.com/DacorumTringAthleticClubRoadRunners|Find out more about Dacorum & Tring Athletics Club here}

An historian and author has given his time for free in aid of a charity fundraiser for the Hospice of St Francis in Northchurch.

Paul Adams – author of Haunted St Albans – has offered himself up as tour guide for a paranormal walk around the ancient streets of the city.

For £10, those interested in the unexplained will be able to listen to Paul’s tales of ghosts and ghouls from long ago, before finishing up in The Goat in the city centre.

The tour – on Saturday, February 1 – will begin at 6.30pm and last for around 90 minutes.

Paul and Jenny were colleagues at Synergy – a construction and property consultants in Hemel Hempstead – before he left to concentrate on his writing career. When he heard about Jenny’s charity mission he was more than happy to help out.

The walk is just the latest in a line of events Jenny – who lives in Leverstock Green – has organised to raise money for the hospice. Last year, she held an Anglo-French dinner party and her husband Gavin even shaved his head.

For more information and to book tickets in advance, email j.howard@synergyllp.com.

{http://www.pauladamsauthor.co.uk/index.php|For more information about Paul, visit his website here.}

Police have released an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with a theft from a supermarket in Tring.

The theft occurred on Friday, January 17 between 6.20pm and 6.35pm in the Marks and Spencer store in Dolphin Square.

Cameras caught the offender picking up a number of bottles and leaving the store without paying for them.

Police wish to speak to the man pictured as it’s believed he may have witnessed the theft, or has information that could help the investigation.

If anyone recognises the man, or he recognises himself, they should contact PC Rachel Vaughn on non-emergency number 101.

Anyone who has any information should contact PC Vaughn on the same number, quoting crime reference number D3/14/39.

Alternatively they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

A warning to all cab users to only get into licensed vehicles has been issued by police after a woman was raped by a bogus taxi driver.

The incident in Redbourn happened after a woman was picked up outside Luton and Dunstable Hospital by what she believed to be a genuine cab on Tuesday, January 14.

The driver of the shiny black four-door car took her home before going into the property at around 8.30pm and assaulting her.

The counterfeit cabbie is described as a white man aged in his early to mid 30s, 5ft 10ins tall and of slim build. He had short hair and was wearing a black jacket with a yellow Ferrari emblem on the shoulder.

Det Con Annette Sims from Herts police’s sexual offences investigation unit, investigating, said: “I would appeal to members of the public in the area of the hospital who saw a car and driver matching the description above to contact me with any information. I would also be keen to hear from anyone who saw a car similar to this at any petrol stations in the area to contact police.

“This is a highly unusual incident however, I would like to take this opportunity to remind members of the public that if they are using a taxi to ensure that it is licensed.”

Call Det Con Sims on 01707 355071 or on the police non-emergency number 101 with information, quoting the crime reference number F2/14/66.

Acclaimed musician Shiry Rashkovsky will be playing the viola alongside Robin Green on piano in a unique performance at Berkhamsted Civic Centre from 7.30pm on Saturday next week.

They will perform the classical music of Johannes Brahms, Niccolo Paganini, Rebecca Clarke, Henri Vieuxtemps, Joseph Jongen and Max Reger.

Shiry’s performances have taken her across the globe. She gave her Royal Festival Hall debut in October 2012, and is a member of the Countess of Munster Musical Trust Recital Scheme.

She was the 2012 Philharmonia Orchestra Meyer Award holder, performing under the batons of Esa-Pekka Salonen, Lorin Maazel, and Christoph von Dohnanyi among others.

Robin Green enjoys an active career as a chamber musician, piano accompanist, and conductor. With Antoine Françoise, he performs as the Françoise-Green piano duo.

The Berkhamsted concert has been organised by Berkhamsted Music. Tickets are £13 for adults, but under-18s get in free. To book, contact treasurer Neil Kennedy on 01442 862798 or email treasurer@berkhamstedmusic.co.uk

Last month in this column I talked about the exciting year ahead for Dacorum with progress being made on several major schemes in the borough.

This month I thought I’d update you with more details of when you can expect to see change happening.

While we continue with the Old Town improvements, we will also be starting soon to prepare where staff from our Hemel Hempstead Civic Centre will go once they move out this summer.

Most of our services will move to 39/41 Marlowes – the former Gazette offices and business centre in the red brick building opposite the Civic Centre – and will remain available to the public in the same way as now.

This building is now empty and we will be appointing a contractor soon to carry out the necessary internal alterations.

But as this is a temporary home, we’re keeping this work to a minimum.

The remaining services will move into the former magistrates’ court building next door to the existing Civic Centre.

Looking ahead to creating our permanent home, we will be ready to award the contract for the new ‘public service quarter’ and the regeneration of the old Market Square in April.

At the same time, we’re also preparing our bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to renovate the Water Gardens for the February deadline.

We expect to hear the decision in June, with work due to start in Spring 2015.

This proposal includes funding for long term maintenance so that once refurbished, the gardens remain in the condition we all want to see.

But the biggest change we will see this year will be on Marlowes.

We start work in the spring on a major refurbishment of the pedestrian zone.

This involves new paving, seating, lighting and planting along the length of the pedestrian area, as well as a new events area near Bank Court, which is itself being upgraded.

To help minimise traffic in this zone we are creating a new exit between Next and Primark so that vehicles won’t need to turn and travel back through Marlowes.

Entry bollards will also be replaced, which will help reduce the number of vehicles in the area.

Another very important part of Dacorum Borough Council’s plans for the next 12 months is the development of new affordable housing.

The demand for council housing continues to increase and I am delighted that after nearly 20 years Dacorum is now able to build new homes for rent.

We’ve already started work on the first of three new sites in Gadebridge, Berkhamsted and Tring, as well as the new 41-bed homeless hostel on Redbourn Road.

As well as our own new housing we are continuing to work with local housing associations, especially the Maylands-based Hightown Praetorian & Churches, which will soon be starting work on building the 87 new homes planned for the former Royal Mail sorting office site in the town centre.

So it’s onwards and upwards for Dacorum. We’re already full steam ahead.

Councillor Andrew Williams is leader of Dacorum Borough Council. Email him on andrew.williams@dacorum.gov.uk  

A keen runner who has set up a club that benefits the Hospice of St Francis is also taking on this year’s London Marathon in aid of the charity.

Berkhamsted solicitor Paul Owen, who already hosts running club session with proceeds going to the good cause, has secured a place in April’s famous 26-mile running event.

The 46 year old dad-of-two, has already completed 52 marathons and ultra-marathons but had fought shy of raising donations for many years - until his brother Michael died in a hospice.

“The quality of the care and compassion my brother and our family received made a huge difference at a time when it was needed the most,” said Paul, a partner at Sumner and Tabor and an English Athletics running coach. “The free support they give to those who are going through the most difficult experience they’ll ever face is something we’ll forever be grateful for. It’s an experience which has convinced me that I need to give something back.”

The hospice is currently recruiting runners for other events including the Berkhamsted half marathon and fun run on Sunday, March 2 and The Great North Run in September.

Fundraisers can get running fit by joining Paul’s club with varying routes through Berkhamsted on Wednesdays at 9.30am. There are also runs on Mondays at 9.30am and Saturdays at 7am. It costs £3 for one run or £5 for two or more in a week. Contact Paul on 01442 872311 or email paul.owen@sumtab.co.uk. To sponsor his marathon effort visit {http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PaulOwen5|uk.virginmoneygiving.com/PaulOwen5}

For more on hospice challenges contact the fundraising team on 01442 869555 or email fundraising@stfrancis.org.uk

A proposed health hub in the heart of Hemel Hempstead has been set back after negotiations on the town centre property fell through.

The planning application which would see office block Brindley House in Corner Hall transformed into a new mental health and learning disability facility was withdrawn when the landlord of the building decided to sell it for residential development.

A spokesman for the Hertfordshire Partnership Foundation Trust, which would have managed the facility, said: “This came when we were at the final stages of negotiation for a lease. We had intended to use this building as a new ‘hub’ to for our community staff who care for those who use our services in their own homes and in our smaller clinics nearby. We will continue to look at other options for a hub in and around Hemel Hempstead.”

The Trust is holding a recruitment open day at Holiday Inn, Breakspear Way, on Saturday from 9am to add to its mental health care team. Successful candidates for part and full time roles will receive full training, though experience is preferred. Call 01727 804821 for more.

Train operator London Midland has launched a new app providing up to date rail information and journey planning at the swipe of a screen.

The fast, free facility can be downloaded on both Apple and Android platforms.

London Midland’s chief executive Anthony Smith said: “These apps should be free and provide passengers with the latest travel information, allowing them to make informed choices.

“The versatile design of the new app allows customers to truly make it their own, from nicknaming stations and adding icons to saving the journeys that matter to them most.”

The app is available now from the App Store and Google Play.