Constituency

HITCHIN & HARPENDEN CONSTITUENCY PROFILE

The Parliamentary Constituency of Hitchin & Harpenden was created in 1997 as a result of the Boundary Review.

The constituency is made up of:

  • the town of Hitchin and the surrounding villages (Pirton, Holwell, Ickleford, Offley, Lilley, Hexton, St Paul's Walden, King's Walden, St Ippolyts, Breachwood Green, Preston, Little & Great Wymondley, Langley, Kimpton and Whitwell), which were transferred from the old constituency of North Hertfordshire.
  • the town of Harpenden and the villages of Redbourn and Sandridge which were transferred from the St Albans constituency.
  • the village of Wheathampstead which transferred from the Welwyn and Hatfield constituency.

A map of the Hitchin & Harpenden constituency is included as Appendix 1.

Hitchin is an important old market town whereas Harpenden has only expanded from a small village over the last century.

With Harpenden close to the M1 motorway and Hitchin close to the A1, both towns have seen a spread of the industrial and commercial towns that their population serve. Apart from a similar history and connections with the same county town, there is no other easy or obvious link, particularly as the journey from one end of the constituency to the other is difficult involving, for the main part, minor roads.

 

PARLIAMENTARY PROFILE

The 2005 General Election gave the following result for the Hitchin and Harpenden Constituency

 

Turnout


70.5%

Rt Hon Peter Lilley

Conservative

23,627

Hannah Hedges

LibDem

12,234

Paul Orrett

Labour

10,499

Other Votes


1,027

Conservative Majority


11,398

The 2001 General Election gave the following result for the Hitchin and Harpenden Constituency

Turnout
67.2%
Rt Hon Peter Lilley C
21,271
Alan Amos Lab
14,608
John Murphy Lib.Dem
8,076
Other Votes
969
Conservative Majority
6,663

The 1997 General Election gave the following result for the Hitchin and Harpenden Constituency

Electorate
67,219
Turnout
77.99%
Rt Hon Peter Lilley C
24,038
Ms Rosie Sanderson Lab
17,367
Cllr Chris White LD
10,515
Other Votes
507
Conservative Majority
6,671

 

LOCAL GOVERNMENT

The Hitchin and Harpenden constituency returns:


• 8 County Councillors to Hertfordshire County Council
• 20 District Councillors to North Hertfordshire District Council, and
• 20 District Councillors to St. Albans City and District Council

Hertfordshire County Council had the following make-up:

As at
May 2005
May 2001
May 1997
May 1993
May 1989
Conservative
46
40
38
27
45
Labour
16
28
30
30
27
Liberal Democrat
14
8
9
19
5
Independent
1
1
0
1
0
Total number of County Councillors
77
77
77
77
77

Conservative Hertfordshire County Councillors elected from Divisions which have wards within the constituency are:

 

Hitchin South - Priory & Highbury

Cllr. Derrick Ashley,  12 Nuns Close, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1EP

Knebworth & Codicote - Langley, St Pauls Walden, Kimpton, St. Ippolyts & Gosmore & Wymondley

Cllr. Richard Thake, Hindsmount, Maydencroft Lane, Gosmore, Hitchin, Herts SG4 7QB

Hitchin Rural - Offa, Hoo, Cadwell, Oughton and Preston

Cllr. Nigel Brook, Home Orchard, 16A Orchard Close, St. Ipployts, Hitchin, Herts SG4 7RH

St Albans Rural - Redbourn & Wheathampstead

Cllr. Derek Hills, 34 Kingfisher Close, Wheathampstead, Herts AL4 8JJ

Harpenden North East

Cllr. Bernard Lloyd, 16 Hartwell Gardens, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2RW

Harpenden South West               

Cllr. Teresa Heritage, 5 Sibley Avenue, Harpenden, Herts AL5 1HE  

  

North Hertfordshire District Council has the following make-up:

Conservative
32
Labour
8
Liberal Democrat
9
Total District Councillors
49

Conservative North Herts District Councillors elected from Divisions which have wards within the Constituency are:

 

Hitchin -Priory  

Cllr. Mrs Allison Ashley, 12 Nuns Close, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1EP 

Cllr. Richard Thake, Hindsmount, Maydencroft Lane, Gosmore, Hitchin, Herts SG4 7QB

Hitchin – Walsworth      

Cllr. Ray Shakespeare-Smith,

102 Bedford Road, Hitchin, Herts SG5 2UE

Cllr. Bernard Lovewell, 23 Milton View, Hitchin Herts SG4 0QD

Cllr. Alan Millard, 15 Franklin Gardens, Hitchin, Herts SG4 0BS

Cadwell               

Cllr. Tricia Gibbs, Old Church House, Gurneys Lane, Holwell, Hitchin, Herts SG5 3SN

Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo            

Cllr. David Miller,  25 Sycamore Close, St. Ippolyts, Hitchin, Herts SG4 7SN

Cllr. David Barnard,  Lodge Cottages, Lilley Bottom, Nr. Luton, Beds LU2 8NH

Cllr. Mrs Claire Strong,  Ashroy, Pirton Road, Holwell, Hitchin, Herts SG5 3SS

Kimpton              

Cllr. John Bishop, 8 Cresswick, Whitwell, Hitchin, Herts SG4 8HU

 

 

 

St Albans City and District Council has the following make-up:

Conservative
22
Labour
5
Liberal Democrat
30
Independent
1
Total District Councillors
58

Conservative St Albans City and District Councillors elected from Division which have wards within the constituency are:

 

Harpenden East

Cllr. Mike Wakely, 5 Oakfield Road, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2NF 

Cllr. Julie Bell, 37 Tuffnells Way, Harpenden, AL5 3HA  

Harpenden North

Cllr. Bert Pawle, 9 Bramble Close, Harpenden, Herts AL5 4AN 

Cllr. John Chambers, 6 Ridgewood Drive, Harpenden, Herts AL5 3LA

Cllr. Geoffrey Turner,  44 Roundwood Lane, Harpenden, Herts AL5 3BU

Harpenden South           

Cllr. Teresa Heritage,  5 Sibley Avenue, Harpenden, Herts AL5 1HE

Cllr. Paul Foster,  34 Milton Road, Harpenden, Herts AL5 5LS    

Cllr. Stuart Roberts,  1 Hammonds End Cottage, Harpenden AL5 2AY

Harpenden West            

Cllr. Julian Daly, 50 West Common, Harpenden, Herts AL5 2JW 

Cllr. Daniel Chichester-Miles, 32 Churchfield, Harpenden, Herts SG4 1LL

Cllr. Allen Chamberlain,  1 Old Rectory Close , Harpenden, AL5 2UD

Redbourn

Cllr. Susan Carr, 103 Dunstable Road, Redbourn,  Herts AL3 7PR 

Cllr. Maxine Crawley, 14 Saberton Close, Redbourn, Herts AL3 7DS

Sandridge           

Cllr. Frances Leonard,, 14 Rose Walk, St. Albans, Herts AL4 9AF

Cllr. Beric Read, 34 Windmill Avenue, St. Albans, Herts AL4 9TF  

Wheathampstead          

Cllr. Gill Clark, (Anthony), 16 Tudor Road, Wheathampstead, AL4 8NW

Details of individual councillors and the wards they represent are available on the following websites:

http://www.hertscc.gov.uk/
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/ 
http://www.north-herts.gov.uk 

Appendix 1: Map of Hitchin & Harpenden

Appendix 2: County Councillors

County Councillors elected from Divisions which have wards within the Hitchin & Harpenden Constituency

 

Division

Elected Representative

Hitchin North (Bearton & Walsworth)

Dr. David Billing (Labour)

Hitchin South (Priory & Highbury)

Derrick Ashley (Conservative)

Knebworth & Codicote (Kimpton, Whitwell, Langley, St. Paul’s Walden, St. Ippolyts, The Wymondleys and Todds Green and Knebworth & Codicote from Stevenage Constituency)

Richard Thake (Conservative)

Hitchin Rural (Hitchin Oughton, Pirton, Holwell, Ickleford, Offley, Lilley, Breachwood Green, Hexton, Kings Walden, and Preston)

Nigel Brook (Conservative)

Harpenden North East (Harpenden North and East)

Bernard Lloyd (Conservative)

Harpenden South West (Harpenden South and West)

Teresa Heritage (Conservative)

Sandridge (Sandridge, Jersey Farm and Marshalswick North)

Geoff Churchard (Liberal Democrat)

St. Albans Rural (Wheathampstead, Redbourn, Harpenden Rural and St. Michaels)

Derek Hills (Conservative)

  

Appendix 3: District Councillors

North Hertfordshire District Councillors

North Hertfordshire District Councillors elected from Wards within the Hitchin & Harpenden Constituency

 

Hitchin Bearton

Judi Billing (Labour)

Deepak Sangha (Labour)

Martin Stears (Labour)

Hitchin Highbury

Paul Clark (Liberal Democrat)

Lawrence Oliver (Liberal Democrat)

Clare Body (Liberal Democrat)

Hitchin Oughton

Dr. David Billing (Labour)

Joan Kirby (Labour)

Hitchin Priory

Allison Ashley (Conservate)

Richard Thake (Conservative)

Hitchin Walsworth

Bernard Lovewell (Conservative)

Alan Millard (Conservative)

Ray Shakespeare-Smith (Conservative)

Cadwell

Tricia Gibbs (Conservative)

Graveley & Wymondley

Sal Jarvis (Liberal Democrat)

Lee Downie (Liberal Democrat)

Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo

David Barnard (Conservative)

David Miller (Conservative)

Claire Strong (Conservative)

Kimpton

John Bishop (Conservative)

  

St Albans District Councillors

St Albans City & District Councillors elected from Wards within the Hitchin & Harpenden Constituency

 

 

Harpenden North

John Chambers (Conservative)

Bert Pawle (Conservative)

Geoffrey Turner (Conservative)

Harpenden East

Julie Bell (Conservative)

Mike Wakely (Conservative)

Alison Steer (Liberal Democrat)

Harpenden South

Paul Foster (Conservative)

Teresa Heritage (Conservative)

Stuart Roberts (Conservative)

Harpenden West

Allen Chamberlain (Conservative)

Daniel Chichester-Miles (Conservative)

Julian Daly (Conservative)

Redbourn

Susan Carr (Conservative)

Maxine Crawley (Conservative)

Tony Swendell (Independent)

Wheathampstead

Gill Clark (Conservative)

Chris Oxley (Liberal Democrat)

Judy Shardlow (Liberal Democrat)

Sandridge

Frances Leonard (Conservative)

Beric Read (Conservative)