Town Council councillors by name

Ron Cowie

Ron Cowie moved to the Berkhamsted Area thirty-nine years ago and has lived in the town for twenty-three years.

After a 30 year career with BP Group Companies, latterly as head of the Management Consultancy Division in BP International, he took early retirement to set up his own Management and Information Technology Consultancy business in Berkhamsted.

Now retired, he is the Chairman of the Berkhamsted & District Chamber of Commerce, and Chairman of Berkhamsted Town Hall Trust. He is active in promoting the interests of local businesses for the benefit of the town, and also in community projects, serving on a variety of local groups.

He is keen to support any moves to preserve the Green Belt, to promote the interests of the Town at Borough Council and County Council level, to improve parking in the Town, and to encourage small shopkeepers to remain in the Town Centre.

Penella Warren

Berkhamsted is a great place in which to live and work and bring up a family. I love its rich heritage and new café society. After living in Surrey, Cornwall, Aberdeen and Malaysia, I was happy to settle in Berkhamsted in 1985. My children have attented Swing Gate, Greenway and Berkhamsted Schools.

In 1987 I set up my own company, a rental and relocation business in Berkhamsted. Many tenants were newcomers attracted to the delights of living in Berkhamsted and through running my own business, I developed a greater understanding of the town and its opportunities.

I am a founder member of the Berkhamsted & District Chamber of Commerce establishing a network for small businesses in the area and was a committee member of The Chiltern Breakfast Network Group and the Berkhamsted School Association. I started a local branch of the NSPCC and organised the Christmas Lights in 1995. I believe such experience of goal achieving teamwork enables me to play an active role in the Town Council.

I am keen to help local businesses, to protect the Green Belt and to promote the continuing development of Berkhamsted as a highly desirable town, a source of civic pride for us all.

Laurence Handy

Laurence has lived in Berkhamsted for over 30 years. He is married with one adult daughter. An ex-pupil of Hemel Hempstead School he is an associate and former director of Ashridge Business School. Laurence was elected as a town councillor in June 2009.He is a member of the Town Planning Committee to which he was previously co-opted.

While Laurence supports development which improves the character of the Town he feels strongly that we need to protect our limited open spaces whether they are in the public or private domain. He has sought to protect the Green Belt and make improvements to our infrastructure a top priority. His experience to date suggests, however, that if the challenges facing Berkhamsted are to be met successfully residents must be encouraged to take responsibility for their community and engage actively in the planning process.

Fiona Macdonald

Fiona grew up in Berkhamsted, attending Berkhamsted School, and now lives with her husband on Gravel Path.

Like many who live in the town she is a daily commuter into London where she works as a solicitor for an international law firm. She perseveres with the daily commute because she enjoys living in our picturesque historic town surrounded by the beauty of Ashridge and the Green Belt.

She was elected as a town councillor for Castle Ward in June 2009 and currently sits on the Planning Committee and the Transport and Environment Committee.

She is passionate about local planning issues because she wants to help ensure that only appropriate development occurs in our town which is essential for its progress and economic prosperity, whilst ensuring that its unique historic character is retained for future generations to enjoy.

In her spare time she enjoys playing for a local lacrosse team, running along our canal tow path and working and relaxing in her garden.

David Collins - West Ward

David was elected a Town Councillor in May 2007. He is the past Town Mayor and is Chairman of the Finance and Policy Committee. His stewardship has helped deliver a Council Tax Reduction of 1.5% over two years while at the same time increasing money spent on services.

David is a Governor at Westfield First School.

He is a strong campaigner for Green Belt protection. He campaigned for extra school places in Berkhamsted. He believes that focusing on delivering improvements for key areas is the way to improve council performance while at the same time reducing waste and council tax bills.

As Town Mayor he called a public meeting to campaign against proposed flight path changes and new gypsy/traveller sites.

David is married with a grown up family.

David has had twenty five years’ experience in developing and managing small to medium size businesses in the consulting and engineering sectors. He established his own consultancy group advising on business development in a wide range of industries from electronics to construction.

David believes that his experience of working with both large and small organisations as well as local charities is of benefit to the Town Council.

Stephen Bateman

I am a local Berkhamsted person; I have lived in Berkhamsted all my life and presently represent East Ward, Berkhamsted on both the Town and Borough Councils

I initially lived in the now Central Ward, then Charles Street and latterly Lombardy Drive. I have been educated in local primary schools with higher education at Ashlyns School.

I started my own business in 1995 in the High Street and now employ twenty people. In my youth I have played football and cricket for Berkhamsted, I enjoy watching both sports.

I sit on the Finance and Policy, Environment and Transport committees and a number of working groups. One of my priorities is to protect our town’s character and its continued prosperity.

Elaine Collins

I live in Berkhamsted and have a grown up family. I have been a university lecturer in economics with special reference to the construction industry, and a company director. I am now a governor at Bridgewater School, a member of the National Trust and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. I support the Mission to Seafarers which is a charity offering support and practical help to seafarers regardless of race or religion. I am the council representative on the Graham Greene Trust. A keen walker, I am committed to retaining the Green Belt.

John Lythgoe

Councillor John Lythgoe has lived and worked in North East England, Lancashire and Oxford.

Has lived in Berkhamsted for 31 years and worked in higher education until 1995.

He became a Town Councillor in 1999 and in that role continues to work to improve young peoples facilities and has brought the Dacorum Arts Education Programme to Berkhamsted.

He was a Borough Councillor from 1995 to 2007 and was Vice Chairman of the Social Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Garrick Stevens

A Town Councillor since 1999, Mayor 2001/02, he led the work leading to Berkhamsted Town Council being awarded Quality Council status in 2006, and setting up the Council’s Help Point.

He represents the Council on the Hertfordshire Association of Parish and Town Councils where he is its current chairman.

Has lived in Berkhamsted for 30 years, and has a longstanding concern about the absence of proper provison of services and the infrastructure which has not kept up with the growth of the Town.

Tom Ritchie

I moved to Berkhamsted in 1976 with two very young daughters, a new job in the London area and a large mortgage, a scenario perhaps familiar to many new Berkhamsted residents

My daughters attended firstly, Westfield Scool and both moved to Berkhamsted School (for Girls - as then known); they each went on to The University of Southampton, are now in their mid-late thirties and have (currently) three children between them.

My wife became, in the early 1980's, one of the town's first GP-based Practice Nurses and eventually retired from that role after 25 years.

I worked in the construction products sector, for a number of major International companies before leading a Management Buy-out (MBO) to form a new company in 1998. This role involved substantial overseas travel, with more than 70% of our products being exported - the company won The Queen's Award for Enterprise in 2003. I retired from this business in 2008.

Locally, I was for eight years a Foundation-appointed governor of Thomas Coram School. I am a member of Berkhamsted Golf Club, where I have served as General Committee member and am currently match vice-captain of the senior's section. I have been a member of The Rotary Club of Berkhamsted-Bulbourne for the past eleven years.

Mrs. C. Green

I have been a Town Councillor for some 12 years having moved to the town in 1972. I had the privilege of serving as Town Mayor for the year 2007/8 and 2011/12.

I have a BA (Hons) in Psychology and served as a prison visitor for some 20 years and as treasurer for a local branch of a services charity.

As I have lived in my Ward for a number of years and brought up my two children in the town I feel I am able to contribute to the aims and objectives of the Town Council in preserving and protecting our wonderful market town.

Julie Laws

Occupation: Housewife Leisure activities (when I get a chance) – walking, golf, swimming and socialising.

I have lived in Berkhamsted with my husband and three children since 2000. I am a governor of the Swing Gate First School and Berkhamsted School.

I have been a Town Councillor and a Borough Councillor for Berkhamsted East since May 2007.

I am Chairman of the Allotment Management Team. Together with a fellow Councillor, I champion transport, roads and pavements within the Towns’ strategic plan in addition I Chair the Berkhamsted and Northchurch Transport Plan Working Party.

I believe there is much work to be done in Berkhamsted and my aim is to address issues, find a solution, I firmly believe there always is one.

Peter Matthews

After spending 7 years as a science teacher in Comprehensive schools Peter changed careers and has now spent 30 years in the IT industry, starting with mainframe and COBOL, stopping off on the way to write commercial software for Apple computers on their entry into the UK market in the 1980s. He then worked in the nascent Unix and Database Industry and is a published author of technical books. He spent some time working with artificial intelligence and predicitve technology and moved into technology research with a leading IT company, CA. He is now a Research Staff member with CA Labs working on Business Process and Service Oritented Architecture projects.

Married with a 13 year old daughter, Peter has wide interests including watercolour painting, playing hockey for the Berkhamsted team and Freemasonry. Peter was a Governor at Greenway school for a number of years and a Town Councillor since the 2007 elections.

Ian Reay

Ian Reay is married with adult children and has lived in Berkhamsted for 30 years. He has worked for the Civil Aviation Authority and at a senior level for Royal Mail in London. As well as being a Town Councillor he is currently the Portfolio Holder for Planning and Regeneration at Dacorum Borough Council, and a Member of the Chilterns Conservation Board , the Luton Airport Consultative Committee and the Executive Committee of the Berkhamsted and District Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Trustee of the Berkhamsted Market Fund.