According to papers filed with the borough council, the Conservative party is fielding a Welwyn resident, Duncan James Bell, for the Hatfield Villages seat. Given our Conservative MP, Minister, and senior party official, the Hon Grant Shapps, likes to stress his local credentials, it seems a surprising choice by the party.

Mr Bell is apparently hoping to replace Councillor Clare Berry (Conservative), a Hatfield resident, who apparently is not standing again as a WHBC councillor. This is hardly surprising as Councillor Berry, as the Hatfield North Hertfordshire County Councillor, has infamously repeatedly spoken and voted against LibDem (supported by Labour) proposals to exclude the New Barnfield site on the grounds that it was next to a special needs school. However, she is not alone in that respect, another of Hatfield's elected representatives at HCC, Councillor Bill Storey (Conservative), also spoke and voted against the proposals. Ironically, both of these councillors are also members of smaller local councils (Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and North Mymms Parish Council respectively) which have declared themselves to be opposed to the incinerator.

It is not clear whether Councillor Berry is hoping to cling on to her more lucrative Hertfordshire County Council seat or whether she is standing down from that as well.

Hatfield's third and last HCC representative, Councillor Stuart Pile (Conservative - Hatfield South) doesn't live in Hatfield South. When asked by a leading Hatfield Against Incinerator organiser whether he was representing his Hatfield South constituents or HCC at Veolia's Community Engagement Group meetings he replied that he was representing all of Hertfordshire. Councillor Pile was also on the HCC Library Panel that gave the green-light to move the Central Resources Library out of Hatfield.

The moral of the story appears to be it doesn't matter so much where councillors live as to whether or not they represent the interests of voters or their own political ambitions.

However, there is at least one benefit to being represented by a candidate who does live in your ward - they will also have to live with the mess they created or allowed to be created. Yours, Trekbat