Recently BBC 3 Counties Radio invited WGC Tory Borough Councillor Mandy Perkins to discuss Hatfield’s run down town centre with Hatfield Labour Councillor Dean Archer. A nervous Cllr Perkins tried to defend the alleged bias that sees most investment go to WGC whilst Hatfield rots. Cllr Archer emphatically explained otherwise. But a new row has erupted over the Borough Council’s led Town team who have just spent a whopping £27k on a portable stage that will spend 99% of its time in storage and will cost over £600 every time it’s used. The BBC have today once more picked up on this story and again invited along Hatfield Town Councillor Dean Archer. But the Tory led Borough Council appeared to duck the challenge, preferring to wheel out a big gun in the form of Tory MP Grant Shapps.

But the discussion dramatically backfired on the flustered MP who clearly had no real idea about how the portable stage would be used, whilst Cllr Archer explained that his original plan was to create a vibrant market by using some of the Portas £100k prize to pay for selected traders to come to Hatfield for a six month trial period. He also stated that a solid, ornate bandstand costing just £30k would prove much better value as a permanent entertainment hub for the town centre. Mr Shapps retaliated by calling Cllr Archer “Grumpy” because his ideas weren’t implemented. Then he tried to stop a caller speaking against him because she didn’t come from Hatfield. The station received several calls, with all but one complaining of the waste of money. But Mr Shapps tried hard to deflect blame away from the Borough Council who are, in fact, charged with leading the town team!

Town centre shopkeeper, Carl Welch, called in to say that he’d attended many meetings where nothing much is ever sorted out. He also thought that some of the Portas prize money should be spent on painting the town centre, and complained that WGC town centre “ is beautiful” by comparison to Hatfield’s. Cllr Archer later said, “At least I have a definite scheme that will transform our town centre for the better. Clearly neither Grant Shapps or the Borough Council have given it any coherent thought. It’s just a publicity exercise for them”
The BBC are now considering calling back Mr Shapps and Cllr Archer for further discussions.