Town Council councillors by name

LLaurence 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.

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.

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.

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.

Andrew Fairburn

Andrew has lived in Berkhamsted since 1996 and is married to Kristina. They have two small children.

Like many other Berkhamsted residents, Andrew is a daily commuter by train. He works in London as a director of a specialist crisis management consultancy.

Andrew also represents the Berkhamsted Castle ward on Dacorum Borough Council. During his time on the borough council, he has held the economic regeneration, finance and community service cabinet portfolios.

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 currently Mayor allowing me to be an ex-officio member of all the Town Council standing committees. 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. Together with residents, voluntary organisations, schools and businesses I hope to make a contribution to our local community during my year as Mayor.

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.

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.

Phil Gibbs

I am Councillor Phil Gibbs, Lib Dem Councillor for East Ward, have been a Town Councillor for 10 years, and a Borough Representative for East ward for 8 years, until I lost my seat at the 2007 elections. I was born and raised in Berkhamsted, and had the pleasure of being Mayor of my home town in 2003 and 2004.

I have 4 Children, 4 grand Children and 2 Great grand children.

I sit on the planning Committee. But take an interest in all aspects of the Council's work.

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.

Malcolm Allen

Malcolm has lived in Berkhamsted with his teacher wife and two daughters since 1982 when he resigned his army commission to take up a senior managerial appointment in British Gas. After retiring from the industry he ran the Herts County Show for five years until 2002. For many years he was chairman of the Hemel Hempstead Club for the Blind, and a director of the Hertfordshire Society for the Blind. He served as a governor of Bridgewater Middle School and is a long term collector for Dr Barnado’s.

He became a Town Councillor for Castle Ward in May 2007 and has worked mainly on allotment, and transport and environment issues. As a relatively new councillor, Malcolm has found how difficult and frustrating it can be to achieve results within the local government bureaucracy. Notable successes (or imminent ones) following nearly two years of determined effort include some needed yellow lines, less fly posting, a light in Church Lane and a couple of speed indicator devices. He is also been a solid advocate of a freeze in the Berkhamsted share of Council Tax. He is now concentrating on the 2011 Transport Plan to ensure that the needs of Berkhamsted are included. He will also continue his struggle to get the A41 bypass regularly cleared of litter. Watch this space.

Malcolm is a keen golfer and spectator of other sports, an avid letter writer to newspapers and a regular contributor to the Hertfordshire Countryside Magazine.

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.

Lindy Foster Weinreb

I have lived in Berkhamsted since 1965 and both my children were educated here. I love our town and am totally committed to its wellbeing. For nearly thirty years I owned and ran our local boatyard, Bridgewater Boats, which enjoyed an international reputation. I have served on the statutory body which advises DEFRA on inland waterways and have been made an honorary life member of the Inland Waterways Association for my associated work at Westminster. I first joined Berkhamsted Town Council in 1995 to try and give back a little of what the town has given me. I served as Mayor over the Millennium. A particular concern of mine is to protect our environment from inappropriate development. I chair the Canal and Riverside Partnership and championed the many improvements to our waterside. Since 2002 I have run my own PR company ‘Castle Wharf Promotions’ but it still leaves me time to work tirelessly for our town.

Two thousand five hundred years ago the city of Athens required that its citizens swear an oath – part of which ran …“We will leave this town not less but greater, better and more beautiful than it was left to us”
This seems to me to be a definition of civic responsibility, which has lost none of its value over the years.

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.