In Hitchin & Harpenden, we are fortunate to have some of the most valuable and unique natural resources in the world – as well as our beautiful local countryside and scenery. Residents know how vital it is that we protect and enhance our local environment, ensuring that it can thrive for current and future generations.
Bim is working hard to secure Government and Natural England’s support to greatly expand the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty into the heart of our constituency. This would cover a significant part of North Hertfordshire and deliver real benefits for our area – including more protections for our countryside against inappropriate development, more opportunities to enhance our natural environment, and more support for our local economy.
It is also vital that we protect our rare local chalk streams. Bim voted for new legal measures to tackle sewage discharges and enhance our chalk streams through the Environment Act and he will be working with Ministerial colleagues to ensure that Hitchin & Harpenden’s chalk streams benefit from the Government’s Chalk Streams Strategy.
Improving biodiversity and planting more trees is another key way that we can improve our local environment. Working with local Parish Councils and other community groups, Bim is leading on the planting of 1,000 trees in the constituency by 2024.
