Jan Maddern

04/01/2026

Hats off to the team at Cupids Green today.

This is the first year I decided to take my tree to be recycled. The depot is set up as a one-way system and worked like a dream!

I pulled up (no queue), the guys opened my boot, took out my tree and put in 2 bags of chippings to bring home. Open until 2pm.

Great job Dacorum!

Information on recycling at Christmas

02/12/2025

Having just completed my MSc in Urban Studies, I was really lucky to be invited to the University of Hertfordshire a couple of weeks ago, to talk to the students on the "Sustainable Planning Master's Programe", about how the planning process works from a councillor's prespective.

The students were really engaged and knowledgeable, and we spent a happy hour with me guiding them through the process, while we discussed the pros, cons and pitfalls of lay people making these monumental decisions. I absolutely loved my very first opportunity to speak to students following the completion of my academic studies, and they have already asked me to go back next year if the course runs again!

Here is the Professor's post about the event:

It has been a busy period lately running modules in the Sustainable Planning Master’s Programme at the University of Hertfordshire. The first of the ones I've run lately, Planning Law, Policy and Practice, offered a chance to explore a range of critical planning law and practice themes with our st...

28/11/2025

Yesterday was very much a day of mixed emotions.

We held an extraordinary county council meeting to appoint this term’s Honorary Aldermen, which was wonderful as many of them, from all parties, are friends from my many years of working alongside them. To honour Baroness Taylor of Stevenage and Asif Khan from Watford (both Labour) are two people I admire enormously. David Lloyd OBE (ex PCC) and Terry Douris, both Dacorum Conservatives, Richard Thame and Mark Mills-Bishop, old pals I’ve served with over the years, and several more.

The event is always well supported by previously awarded Honorary Aldermen too, so I got a big hug from one of my faves, Peter Ruffles. One very special woman, who blows me away every time I hear her speak, is Annie Brewster… previously Chairman of the county council, although she stood down early to become the High Sheriff of Hertfordshire, and has just been made an Honirary Alderman to go alongside her new role as Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire. She’s just awesome and I’m so thrilled for her.

But it was also an incredibly sad day. After 86 years of the council sitting in this magnificent chamber, the doors closed for the last time at the end of the day. It’s a Grade II listed building so I have no idea what developers will do to it, but for us it’s the end of an era. We’re moving to a modern, soulless cuboid ‘multi function’ room in Stevenage, with tables on wheels and stacking chairs, where we’ll be making important decisions for our residents. There won’t be space for a large public crowd as we’ve had a couple of times recently at County Hall, when contentious issues are being discussed. Such a shame.

Farewell County Hall, I for one will miss you enormously. 😢❤️😢

14/11/2025

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

We are required by the government to move from a 2-tier system of local government to a single tier. This will certainly simplify things so if you have an issue you know who to go to, but there are some very real concerns by councillors across the county about how this will impact our residents. Of course, it is only relevant to individuals if and when they need support; for most people, most of the time, they get on with their lives and the council services just ‘happen’. However, when people do need support from a councillor, or officer, it’s so important that they have a real person to talk to.

On Wednesday night, Dacorum’s councillors voted resoundingly to support the option of a four unitary authority. This, if it gets through all the other stages, would put us in a unitary with just Dacorum and St Albans council areas.

In my opinion, this is the least ‘bad’ option. Your local council offers a very personal level of support at Borough level. The bigger the authority ends up, the further removed our housing, planning,waste, clean/safe/green etc officers are from local people.

In contrast, I believe that the two unitary option means when you need advice on housing, planning matters etc you may be speaking to someone half way across the county who has no local knowledge. The two unitary option puts us with St Albans, Three Rivers, Watford and Hertsmere. This option presents a very real danger of our council house stock being offloaded to a housing association (Three Rivers, Watford and Hertsmere have already done this). This would likely push up social house rents locally. Also, from a personal perspective, should this be the chosen option, your councillors’ ‘patches’ would be based on current county council divisions, with probably 3 councillors covering the work currently covered by one county councillor and in my area 5 borough councillors. I can’t see that I could serve my residents well if this was the way we go. On a positive note, this option would keep us with St Albans so won’t split the new Hemel Garden Communities (HGC) area.

The 3 unitary option is BY FAR the worst in my opinion. It separates us from St Albans, splits HGC in half, so we get the headache and St Albans get the council tax income. It puts us with Watford, which has no correlation with Dacorum, it’s much more akin to a London borough. Like the 2 unitary option it will also base the councillors’ areas on county divisions with 3 in each.

The 4 unitary option is the only one that works for me. It puts us with ONLY St Albans, so keeps us small enough to be able to continue the very local services and hands on approach with local knowledge from officers. From a councillor’s perspective, it also bases councillors on current wards, so workload would be manageable for councillors.

In a very strange legal process, for some reason the decision on Dacorum’s submission is not made by the full council, but by the cabinet. Wednesday’s vote (results in pic) is called an ‘indicative’ vote. That means it is just a demonstration of the will of the council, but the cabinet is not obliged to act on this. The cabinet meeting is on Tuesday evening, when we find out whether they will honour the wishes of the full council. It was a recorded vote, which means there is a published list of how everyone voted. All but one Lib Dem voted for the 2 unitary option, with one independent. Tories, Labour, one Lib Dem and the other independents voted 4.

Presently, the Liberal Democrats are the administration, despite them only having 17 councillors against 18 Tories, 5 Labour and 11 independents. The entire cabinet voted for the 2 unitary option. I sincerely hope that they will act on the recorded vote and put their own opinions aside. I’m sure they will, I believe this is the very best option for our residents.

Sorry for long post but it’s VERY important.

12/11/2025

𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧!

This evening, at 7.30pm, is an 'Extraordinary Council Meeting' at the Forum.

Dacorum councillors will be debating the options to decide whether we will propose a 2, 3 or 4 unitary authority split for Hertfordshire.

Personally, I don't believe that the Local Government Reform will be of any kind of benefit for our residents, so I will be speaking about what I consider to be the 'least bad' option.

These meetings are important. This is why you vote for us... to do the best for you and try to protect our services for you.

This is the only agenda item - if you can spare the time it is being live streamed, please see the link and the agenda here:

To consider questions (if any) by members of the public of which the appropriate notice has been given to the Assistant Director (Legal & Democratic Services)

12/11/2025

This is the most important day of the year for me. I was honoured to once again be invited to lead the Nash Mills Parish Council Act of Remembrance, which I have led for around 10 years, missing just one in 15 years.

The event is such a wonderful community gathering. Our parish councillors (I am also one!) take an active part, our wonderful clerk and warden are there to make sure everything runs smoothly, and we welcome members of the Nash Mills community (and beyond) to join us.

This year, our recently retired head groundsman from Abbot's Hill took an active role in the formal part, Nash Mills CofE School sang 'Lean on Me' beautifully, and a year 11 pupil from Abbot's Hill School played The Last Post and Reveille wonderfully. So many wreaths were made, and some crosses were placed by school children. Our fabulous parish warden laid the wreath on behalf of the parish council this year. What a special half hour it was.

I grew up in the RAF and my Dad was a very, very proud veteran. Even through his dementia journey he never forgot that he was part of the RAF 'family'. Remembrance is such an important time every year. We need to never let this slip, our younger generations need to understand that our liberty is thanks to the sacrifices our troops (and supporting civilians) made, and still make.

I spend a great deal of time planning this event, and trying to find the most appropriate poems and music to reflect the specific anniversaries. The parish team are always amazing in their support - this is truly a parish event, but I'm stealing their post so I can tell you all and hopefully get even more people there next year!

04/11/2025

𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗭 𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧!

Come and join us to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Nash Mills Village Hall!

I'll be 'Quiz Queen Jan' again at our celebratory Quiz Night. If you've been to the DENS Quiz Nights in recent years, or the recent Woodhall Farm Quiz Night when we raised money for local SEND departments in the Woodhall Farm schools, you'll know just how much fun we have at these events. I write and host the quiz.

I don't normally promote events on my councillor page, but part of my role as a local councillor for Nash Mills is to be Treasurer of the village hall, so I'm spreading the love of our local - newly decorated and refurbished - social centre!

Tickets are just £5 each and that includes a raffle ticket - ALL the money raised will go towards a commemorative bench seat for the village hall garden.

Book here:
https://forms.gle/QbVoBFLpGVwETtYp6

**QUIZ NIGHT!**

Come and join the celebrations!

Quiz Night to celebrate 75 years of Nash Mills Village Hall being at the heart of the community.

Tickets £5 to include cake and a raffle ticket!

Your Quizmaster is "Quiz Queen Jan" (as named by Justin Dealey on BBC3CR during Covid!)... Jan Maddern.

See the poster to find out more - or follow this link to book your team:
https://forms.gle/T5B87opa4kEzKCf66