Reform took two county council seats from the Conservatives in Hertfordshire last night as the first election results were declared All 78 seats on Hertfordshire County Council are up for grabs in this year’s local elections – where Conservative Labour and Reform are standing in all seats While counting in the majority of the county’s seats will begin this morning (Friday) last night the six divisions in Broxbourne were declared The Conservatives held on to four of those seats – in Cheshunt Central Reform’s Tony Hill took Flamstead End and Turnford and Anthony Owen took Goffs Oak and Bury Green which were also previously held by the Conservatives Serving Conservative county councillor Mark Mills-Bishop – who is also leader of Broxbourne Council – lost the Flamstead End and Turnford seat by just 28 votes says the overnight results have been “phenomenal” – predicting further wins for the party in other areas of the county He says that following the wins in Broxbourne the Conservatives will now have to consider that support for Reform in the county is “not just a protest vote” He added that voters are feeling the pain of the past 14 years and wanting change locally He says that with seats on the county council Reform will now have the opportunity to influence budgets and to highlight “erroneous decisions” Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service on Friday morning stressed that more than 90 per cent of the county council seats had yet to be counted He congratulated those Conservative candidates who had ‘hung on’ to the seats in Broxbourne He said: “There’s a national sentiment that has been driven by Nigel Farage “And it has washed over our local elections from the north of the country to the south “Last night I was really please we hung on to four of the six county council candidates all six divisions in Broxbourne had been held by Conservative councillors In the four seats that were retained by the Conservatives last night the share of the vote was significantly decreased from the last all-out elections in 2021 Conservative Paul Seeby polled 1,169 votes (equivalent to 38 per cent of the votes cast) to win the seat for the Conservatives That was just 162 votes more than were cast for second-placed Reform candidate Siobhan Monaghan who is already a serving councillor on Broxbourne Council It was also 948 votes fewer than were cast for the Conservatives in the same division back in 2021 Serving Conservative councillor Dee Hart retained the Waltham Cross seat – and also saw her vote cut significantly equivalent to 46 per cent of the votes cast – with Labour in second place she won the seat with just 939 votes – equivalent to 32 per cent of the votes cast Reform’s James Beatty was in second place in the Waltham Cross division with 843 votes – and Labour third with 691 votes Conservative Alexander Curtis won the seat with 1,460 votes – equivalent to 41 per cent of the votes cast Reform candidate Giles Hall was in second place with 1,302 votes This division was previously held by Lewis Cocking MP who back in 2021 had polled 2,324 votes for the Conservatives Cllr Steve Wortley – who is the existing councillor for the Cheshunt Central division – retained the Hoddesdon South seat for the Conservatives last night He took 1,669 votes in the election – equivalent to 44 per cent of the votes cast – but still 968 votes fewer than were cast for the Conservatives in the same division back in 2021 Second place in the division last night was Reform candidate Adam Clayton who polled 1,239 votes – equivalent to 33 per cent of the votes cast Reform’s Tony Hill took the Flamstead End and Turnford division after receiving 1,197 votes – equivalent to 38 per cent of the vote That was just 28 more than the 1,169 votes polled for Conservative Mark Mills-Bishop Cllr Mills-Bishop had been elected after polling 2,280 votes Mr Hill will be joined on the county council by fellow Reform candidate Anthony Owen who took the seat in Goffs Oak and Bury Green Anthony Owen polled 1,472 votes in the Goffs Oak and Bury Green election equivalent to 43 per cent of the votes cast Second-placed Conservative Corina Gander polled 1,178 votes in the division equivalent to 34 per cent of the votes cast the Conservatives had won the seat with 2,352 votes which was then equivalent to 64 per cent of the votes cast Harrow Online is a company registered in England and Wales FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETitle: "PA Chumbawamba Soars in Hoddesdon Wednesday's Premier League Week 14 Showdown"In the Premier League division of the Hoddesdon Wednesday 6-a-side Football league an absolute shocker was witnessed as the PA Chumbawamba stole the spotlight with an impressive 14-1 victory over Pathetico Madrid The dominant display from PA Chumbawamba was the talk of the night as they demonstrated their scoring prowess in this week 14 showdown.In other games Expected Toulouse made their mark with a strong 6-1 win over the Mighty Ducks With a performance that was nothing short of spectacular Expected Toulouse proved their mettle to the spectators reinforcing their standing in the competition.Meanwhile the Golden Lion also roared with a 7-2 victory over Madeline Milan The Golden Lion's strong offensive strategy paid off leaving Madeline Milan struggling to keep up the pace This win solidifies Golden Lion's status as a force to be reckoned with this season.However the night wasn't as favourable for the Gunners who had to admit defeat at the hands of Freaky Footballers The Freaky Footballers brought their A-game outmaneuvering the Gunners and securing their place as a strong contender in the competition.Week 14 has proven to be one of the most surprising and exhilarating rounds in the Hoddesdon Wednesday league's Premier League division The top scorers for this week were the teams from PA Chumbawamba Their performances have set the tone for the coming weeks suggesting that the competition in the league is about to heat up.In conclusion leaving fans and spectators eagerly anticipating the next face-offs With the teams giving it their all in every match it makes one wonder about the surprises and upsets that Week 15 holds in store for us SIGN UP HERE Hoddesdon Wednesday's Premier League division was a hotbed of action during week 15 of the season displaying some of the best talent and team spirit in 6 a side football The thrills and spills were unmistakable and the scorelines tell the tale.In the first match of the evening outscoring Spoons To Glory with a 5-2 victory Spoons To Glory couldn't match up to the aggressive gameplay of Gunners who showed top form and excellent teamwork.The second game saw Freaky Footballers dominate Golden Lion with a 6-3 scoreline showcased some freakishly good football skills leaving Golden Lion grappling for answers.Next up Mighty Ducks went up against Pathetico Madrid and emerged victorious with an impressive 5-0 win The Mighty Ducks displayed incredible defence and their offensive line was nothing short of breathtaking leaving Pathetico Madrid scoreless.In the final match of the evening Sniffing Sorts was the top scorer of the night thanks to their dominant gameplay and exceptional goal-scoring prowess couldn’t match the relentless assault of Sniffing Sorts.These games have considerably shuffled the Premier League rankings and set the tone for the forthcoming matches Week 15 was a testament to the skilful play and competitive spirit of the teams The fans and the players now keenly look forward to the upcoming games Football enthusiasts in Hoddesdon and neighbouring towns have a unique opportunity to join the region's leading 6-a-side football league as the John Warner Sports Centre announces the availability of its final team slot for the upcoming season.​ interested parties are encouraged to act swiftly to secure their place in this esteemed league The entry fee has been reduced from £50 to a promotional rate of £10 making it an opportune moment for new teams to join.​ Teams eager to participate can sign up through the official Leisure Leagues website. The registration process is straightforward, and the league provides all necessary equipment, including referees, footballs, and fixtures. For further inquiries, prospective teams can contact the league via email at [email protected] or whatsapp 07449773861​ The John Warner Sports Centre's central location in Hoddesdon makes it easily accessible for players from nearby towns such as Broxbourne Residents from these areas can reach the venue within a 20-minute drive making it a convenient option for those seeking quality 5-a-side and 6-a-side football leagues Don't miss this chance to be part of Hoddesdon's premier 6-a-side football league teams are encouraged to register promptly to secure their spot and experience the thrill of competitive football in a professionally organized setting.​ For more information and to register, visit the official league page XFASTINDEX McLaren Construction has been selected to build the £11.4m High Leigh Primary School in Hoddesdon The new two-form entry primary school for 420 pupils aged 4-11 will have an integrated 30-place nursery  It replaces the existing one-form entry Westfield Community Primary School in Hoddesdon and provides additional space to serve the new High Leigh Garden Village The new school will be built using structural insulated panels (SIPs) between concrete floors The SIPs are produced by Coventry-based Innovaré Systems which was acquired by Bowmer & Kirkland from the Osborne Group last year The timber panels provide thermal and acoustic insulation and fire resistance and enable the structure of the building to take shape rapidly McLaren was appointed by the council through the Department for Education framework The contractor won a place to deliver medium value contracts in London the southeast and east of England in 2021 and has worked with Hertfordshire to bring an existing planning consent up to latest specifications McLaren divisional director for education Tony Whyte said: "High Leigh will quickly take shape now and that is the result of an effective partnership between Hertfordshire its designers and contractor to update a 2020 planning consent and get back on schedule to deliver much-needed new school places "Budgets are always tight in the public sector and the education authority needs the confidence that a quality learning environment for pupils can be created within agreed costs We can give that confidence through our experience of building many schools for all ages alongside sports or science facilities and buildings designed for pupils with special needs.” Got a story? Email news@theconstructionindex.co.uk 12 hours Following a recent expansion into North America, Murphy Group has now entered Australia. 3 days A Devon housing development has emerged as the centre of a web of corruption. 12 hours Controversial government plans to allow developers to pay into a central nature levy to offset local environmental harms are generating increasing opposition. 3 days Dolphin Living has appointed The Hill Group to deliver the redevelopment of the New Era housing estate in Hackney. 3 days Tilbury Douglas continues to progress after collapse of parent company 3 days John Sisk & Son has started work on a £65m refurbishment of Haringey Civic Centre in London. © 2025 The Construction Index [Company No ' + response[i].created_nice + ' ' + response[i].description + ' This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. 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Win HappyPremiumSearch Rayogreatest hitsbeds bucks hertsnewsMan seriously injured in Hoddesdon dog attackPolice are appealing for the public's help to find someone in connection with the attack A man has been left with a serious facial injury after a dog attack in Hoddesdon Hertfordshire Police say the incident happened in Barclay Park around 8am on January 4 The victim was walking his two Chihuhuas when they were suddenly attacked by a Staffordshire Bull Terrier causing the Terrier to turn the attack onto him and are asking the public for help to identify the person who may have been in the area at the time from the Broxbourne Neighbourhood Policing Team said: “I am appealing to the public to assist in identifying the individual pictured as we believe that they were in the area at the time of the incident and may be able to assist with our inquiries please report information to me by emailing me at ruby.hope@herts.police.uk.” Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited Company number: 1394141Registered office: Media House Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern London NW1 2PL All registered in England and Wales VAT no 918 5617 01H Bauer Publishing are authorised and regulated for credit broking by the FCA (Ref No: 845898) Headquarters to the VolkerFitzpatrick and VolkerHighways businesses and housing VolkerWessels UK’s support services the extension also comprises a new training academy facility supporting learning and development for the wider business VolkerWessels UK has had its head office in Hoddesdon since 2007 and the VolkerFitzpatrick business (formerly Fitzpatrick Contractors) has been on the site since 1972 The extension to the building has enabled employees working in smaller annexes to move into the main office building and the creation of the expanded training facility The new building has been rated ‘excellent’ by the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) a measure by which the sustainability of buildings is assessed and certified The building incorporates solar panels generating energy for the new building and minimising carbon emissions All waste wood from the project has been recycled by St Albans based Community Wood Recycling charity The building project offered a number of local work opportunities with many of the operatives on site being drawn from within a five mile radius It also supported the training of two university industrial training placement students and a visiting apprentice on day release from college charities and organisations in the area in a number of ways and during the office construction the site was opened up to schools via the construction industry’s annual Open Doors event which aims to encourage students to consider careers in the sector Members of the site team also took part in a ‘Get Work Ready’ workshop event at the local Simon Balle school in Hertford helping to prepare students for future job applications and interviews which included a tour of the new building and an unveiling of a commemorative plaque the Mayor was joined by colleagues from the Borough of Broxbourne Council and other guests Steve Wortley said: “It was a pleasure to officially open the impressive extension to VolkerWessels UK’s Hoddesdon office The company has a long history in the local area offering local employment opportunities and supporting the community in a number of ways It’s therefore very good news that its headquarters are expanding and that it looks set to retain its presence in the Borough for the long term.” said: “We are very proud of our new extension building which brings our teams together under one roof and provides an extensive training facility The build team has done an excellent job on this project – not easy when you are working directly under the gaze of your colleagues in the existing part of the building I’d like to thank everyone who had a part in making this project possible our colleagues and of course the build team.” Tel: +44 (0)1992 305 000Email: enquiries@volkerfitzpatrick.co.uk  Office opening hours:Monday to Friday 8:30 – 17:00 Rayogreatest hitsbeds bucks hertsnewsBody found in search for missing Gary from Stanstead AbbottsPolice confirm the body of a missing 60-year-old man has been recovered from water in Hoddesdon bringing an end to a week-long search involving specialist teams has come to an end after a body was discovered in water in Hoddesdon this morning (Friday A member of the public found the body at around 9.15am near the marina area where police had been focusing their efforts with the help of dive teams and other specialist resources throughout the week said: “We can confirm that the body recovered is that of Gary Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time “The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file is being prepared for the coroner.” Gary was last seen at The Boat Yard in South Street The police search intensified earlier this week with the deployment of specialist dive teams to comb the waterways near the marina are receiving support from police officers Anyone with further information is urged to contact Hertfordshire Police directly Hear all the latest news from across the UK on the hour, every hour, on Greatest Hits Radio on DAB, smartspeaker, at greatesthitsradio.co.uk, and on the Rayo app. By 2024-06-06T11:27:00+01:00 Harlow-based Hoddesdon Distribution’s problems started after it was sold to an investment company which prompted an exodus of staff and resulted in a loss of goodwill was purchased by Aquila Food Group Holding Company in February 2022 but according to Kroll Advisory there followed a departure of key personnel – with Hoddesdon Distribution bearing the loss of their knowledge The acquisition also led to a loss of goodwill with customers and Kroll added: “Coupled with high interest rates rising prices of key costs and technical issues associated with the implementation of a new technology system [this] resulted in the company experiencing significant liquidity issues.” seven weeks after Aquila suffered the same fate Hoddesdon stablemates TWT Logistics and Switch International Trailers (UK) have also recently called in the administrators Kroll said it had made £50,000 selling Hoddesdon’s fleet of trailers and trucks and a further £51,500 in respect of the firm’s warehouse assets Its licence to operate 21 HGVs and 30 trailers was revoked last month The administrator added: “The company’s books and records indicate non-preferential unsecured creditors total £405,629 it is anticipated that there will be insufficient funds to pay a distribution to non-preferential unsecured creditors.” Sutton Coldfield-based family firm The Haulage Group has called in the administrators Scottish specialist training firm Ritchies HGV Training Centre has collapsed into administration with dozens of employees made redundant Site powered by Webvision Cloud England has played a huge role in some of this year’s biggest cinematic releases from Wicked to Deadpool 3 and even Gladiator II But with lots of exciting productions filming across the regions and even more to come in 2025 what will the next few years bring to our screens Find out what’s been shooting behind-the-scenes over the last three months Following a 19-year-old Sherlock Holmes as he finds himself entangled in his first murder case the upcoming Amazon series Young Sherlock has been filming in Bristol this November We have great news… a third series is on its way The Apple TV series has been filming in Hoddesdon Studios in Hertfordshire The Woman in Cabin 10 is a Netflix thriller about a journalist who witnesses a passenger thrown overboard a luxury yacht were shocked to see Daniel Day-Lewis arrive in town in October to film upcoming feature Anemone the film will star Day-Lewis alongside Samantha Morton and Sean Bean CC: Emily – Working Title/Focus Features  Filming in some iconic spots in Manchester CC:Emily  is a new romantic comedy set on a college campus which is led by up-and-coming stars Angourie Rice and Spike Fearn A new supernatural series is on its way from Oscar-nominated writer John Lee Hancock (The Blind Side inspired by Anne Rice’s novels of the same name Retreat – The fold/104 Film/XYZ Films  Production has begun on Ted Evan’s debut thriller Retreat. Featuring an all-deaf principle cast, Retreat is centred around an isolated deaf community which becomes threatened by lies and deceit. It is supported by Creative UK’s West Midlands Production Fund and executive produced by Head of Film Birmingham  Steven Knight’s iconic saga returns with a Netflix film which sees Cillian Murphy reprise his role as Tommy Shelby alongside Rebecca Ferguson Night And Day – Asterick Films/Piccadilly Pictures  Haley Bennett plays an astronomer in this new feature film that’s been filming in Newcastle also starring Timothy Spall and Lily Allen.   Creative England’s Filming in England team are on hand to facilitate high-end TV and feature film productions working with local and regional partners.  production@creativeengland.co.uk +44 (0)20 8324 2311 McLaren Construction has been appointed to build the £11.4m High Leigh Primary School at Hoddesdon for Hertfordshire County Council The award came through the Department for Education framework which McLaren won a place on to deliver medium value contracts in London the South East and East of England in 2021 The new two-form entry primary school for 420 pupils aged 4-11 has an integrated 30-place nursery It replaces the existing one-form entry Westfield Community Primary School in Hoddesdon and provides additional space to serve the new High Leigh Garden Village where it is located The new school will be built using Innovare’s structural insulated panels (SIPs) between concrete floors The pre-manufactured timber panels provide excellent thermal and acoustic insulation as well as enabling the structure of the building to take shape rapidly McLaren’s divisional director for education Tony Whyte said: “High Leigh will quickly take shape now and that is the result of an effective partnership between Hertfordshire “Budgets are always tight in the public sector and the education authority needs the confidence that a quality learning environment for pupils can be created within agreed costs alongside sports or science facilities and buildings designed for pupils with special needs.” Libraries & Lifelong Learning at Hertfordshire County Council added: “The appointment of McLaren will now allow the building of a new primary school with state-of-the art facilities delivering the tools children need to thrive.” McLaren will be following its policy of procuring locally wherever possible and has already found suppliers in the surrounding area for brickwork cleaning and the school’s sports pitch Infrastructure investor Bioenergy Infrastructure Group (BIG) is to mothball its Hoddesdon-based energy-from-waste plant in another blow for the UK’s beleaguered waste-gasification sector.  EWB understands that while the plant and another EfW facility owned by BIG, Energy Works (Hull), were declared operational last May Hoddesdon underperformed on both the quantity and quality of waste it was able to process.  When it was originally developed the plant was due to have a capacity of 10MWe and process up to 90,000 tonnes a year of refuse-derived fuel EWB understands the “operational” plant did not get near to either of these.  A spokesperson for BIG confirmed to EWB: “Hoddesdon Energy Limited (HEL) has reached agreement with its contractor bringing to an end both the engineering and operation & maintenance contracts of the EfW plant at Hoddesdon.”  The spokesperson confirmed HEL was also “evaluating several options” for the future of the facility which will be “placed in preservation from March 2022”.  said staff were told the plant will close in the next few weeks and will not reopen.  EWB further understands the cost of repairs and changes needed to get the facility up to full capacity were too great.  BIG told EWB in the summer of 2020 that the facility was back on track with builders France-based Bouygues Energy & Services at that point “tuning the plant and working through snags” with its gasification technology since then EWB understands that the problems have persisted with the equipment not working to the expected standard and the cost of correcting the issues considered too high given there was no guarantee the problems would be fixed.  The plant started construction in 2015, with Bouygues Energies & Services winning the build contract, and was due to be operational in the first half of 2017. However, in the end it was quietly confirmed as operational four years later in 2021 when EWB checked on its progress.     Back in 2015, investment fund Foresight and the then-called Green Investment Bank (GIB) backed half of the £60m (€82m) development in Hoddesdon which was at that point set to be the UK’s first waste-gasification facility.  While facilities such as Amey’s Milton Keynes-based 93,600t/yr plant and Viridor’s Glasgow-based gasification plant have become operational many others have struggled to do so.  Hoddesdon has sadly joined the increasing list of failures alongside Air Products, which failed to complete two waste-gasification projects in Billingham And Resource Recovery Solutions (RRS), a joint venture between construction firm Interserve and waste business Renewi, has so far failed to commission a waste-gasification facility. However, plans to get the Derby EfW plant operational are continuing.  Many other projects initially developed with the intention of using gasification technology have switched to traditional grate-based systems.  One is the Northacre EfW plant, which is also part-owned by BIG. EWB first reported in March 2020 that it would not be developed with the gasification-technology it had been consented with.  Tracking the waste-to-energy and biomass energy industries Email: report@ends.co.uk. Register See all benefits Need to activate your subscription? Complete your subscription activation here The second series of Apple’s Silo is now filming at Hoddesdon Studios in Hertfordshire Rebecca Ferguson stars and executive produces Silo is created by screenwriter Graham Yost said: “It has been enormously fulfilling to see the engrossing atmospheric and beautifully crafted sci-fi epic ‘Silo’ quickly become Apple’s number one drama series The drama centres on the last ten thousand people on earth living in an underground home a mile-deep to protect them from the deadly outside world But nobody knows when or why the silo was built and those who try to find out meet their death By NOTICEBOARD · 20 February 2024 Police have released an image of a man they would like to identify following a theft in Hoddesdon The incident happened at around 11.45am on Tuesday The victim had their card stolen after using it at the self-service It is believed the suspect saw the victims PIN number at the self-service Three withdrawals of £250 were made from an ATM at Asda on Conduit Lane with the card from the Hoddesdon & Broxbourne Neighbourhood Team said: "We believe the man pictured may have been in the area at the time and could have important information for us please email me at laura.shearsby@herts.police.uk." You can report information online at herts.police.uk/report, speak to an operator in our Force Communications Room via our online web chat at herts.police.uk/contact or call the non-emergency number 101 Alternatively, you can stay 100% anonymous by contacting the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or via their untraceable online form at crimestoppers-uk.org LoadingDaily Email Updates {{contentTitle}} We use some essential cookies to make this website work We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK remember your settings and improve government services We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time Freedom of Information releases and corporate reports On 13 June 2015 Border Force officers at the UK inward tourist controls at the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles France stopped a British-registered VW Touran who said he had been on a day trip to Belgium The purpose of his trip had been to identify a suitable location to scatter the ashes of his girlfriend’s Belgian grandfather Officers noted a blanket had been laid across the rear seats in such a way that it obscured the view into the vehicle’s boot They asked Milton to open the vehicle’s boot and found the Albanian hidden inside Director of Border Force South East and Europe said: This was a deliberate attempt to bypass the UK’s border controls made all the more shameless by Milton’s efforts to use the death of his girlfriend’s grandfather as a cover story Border Force officers are on the frontline keeping our borders safe and secure We will continue to work with law enforcement colleagues to ensure that people smugglers and traffickers who often put the lives of others at risk through their actions Milton was arrested and the investigation passed to Immigration Enforcement Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) officers During subsequent interviews Milton claimed he would be travelling back to Belgium with his girlfriend and intended to combine the ashes-scattering with a surprise proposal of marriage He was charged with assisting unlawful immigration into the UK Milton was found guilty by a jury after a trial lasting 3 days at Canterbury Crown Court and was sentenced immediately Milton’s explanation for his trip did not stand up to scrutiny He claimed he was looking for a romantic spot where he intended to both propose marriage and scatter the ashes of a loved one yet when he was asked where he had been in Belgium he could not even recall the name of the town if unsophisticated attempt to undermine the UK’s border controls and the case should serve as a warning to anyone tempted to get involved with this kind of criminality We work closely with Border Force colleagues to rigorously investigate allegations of immigration related criminality The Albanian man involved was passed to the French Police Aux Frontières Anyone with information about suspected immigration abuse can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 anonymously or visit crimestoppers-uk.org Don’t include personal or financial information like your National Insurance number or credit card details Homes and Property | Home Page The full extent of the criminal past of a nightclub owner shot dead outside a Hertfordshire gym can be revealed today was a well-known underworld figure with many enemies Police believe he was involved in drug dealing and handling stolen property He served time in prison for a violent assault and several of his associates have also been murdered A police source said today: "Whatever someone's past But it was the way of the world he operated in." died in a hail of AK47 bullets last Friday outside the Physical Limits health club in Hoddesdon in a suspected contract killing by an unknown assailant with an automatic weapon An investigation by the Evening Standard shows that King has a criminal past going back at least a decade and links to some of the most violent men in the country The 6ft 2in sometime-bodyguard was in prison in the Nineties for violently assaulting a man in Stevenage and hiding his victim in the boot of a car After King's release from prison he became a nightclub doorman where he quickly helped control the sale of drugs to nightclubbers It is understood his nightclub career took off after meeting Tony Tucker Essex Boys gang that ran one of Britain's drug rings who had by then earned a reputation as a good fighter in the mid-Nineties when he frequented Tucker's north London shop selling muscle-building supplements the pair occasionally worked as bodyguards for boxer Nigel Benn although King's association with Benn ended after Tucker's death There is no suggestion that Benn was aware of the pair's criminal activities and two of the other Essex Boys - Patrick Tate 26 - were gunned down as they sat in a Range Rover in a country lane in Rettendon King launched his own nightclub in Stevenage The Renaissance was a notorious centre for drug dealing and was closed by the local council for non-payment of rent last year One bar manager in the town said: "It was a drugs haven An employee of King's said of his old boss: "He was a nice feller in his way but you wouldn't want to get on the wrong side of him." The worker added: "He lived his life to the full King's murder came as a shock to the community in Hoddesdon One of his close friends was a man named Darren Pearman who was stabbed to death in a mass brawl at the Epping Forest Country Club in 1999 Underworld sources say Pearman's stabbing was the result of an argument started by King at a north London pub - which ended in Ronnie Fuller When Pearman saw Fuller at the Epping Forest Country Club a few weeks later there was a fight during which Pearman was stabbed to death Fuller was charged with taking part in Pearman's killing but the charges were later dropped A year later Fuller was also dead - shot in an apparent contract hit outside his home in Grays No one has been convicted for either killing King was linked to the lucrative London trade in stolen watches - earning him the soubriquet "Rolex Dave" - and was rumoured to sell them to the Russian mafia Former gangland enforcer turned author John Rollinson said in his book that King had angered many with his attitude "He joined up with our firm after coming out of prison once he did he systematically began to turn everybody against each other and caused a lot of bad feeling." One criminal source said: "He was a violent bully." remember their Glasgow-born son as a football-crazy family man They said in a statement: "He was ambitious for himself and for his family and wanted the very best for his children David's bodybuilding formed a great part of his lifestyle He was proud of his appearance and a perfectionist in all that he did." Prince Louis steals the show at VE Day parade as he keeps dad William looking sharp and mimics brother George Prince Louis steals show with sweet antics at VE parade VE Day 2025 fashion: best looks from the day VE Day 2025 fashion: Princess of Wales to Lady Victoria Starmer UK tourists face major travel shake-up as Dubai airport set to close Royals watch historic flypast as huge crowds turns out for VE Day 80th anniversary  Royals watch historic Red Arrows flypast for VE Day 80th anniversary Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in major blow for Putin ahead of Victory Day celebrations Ukraine 'launches stunning Kursk offensive' in blow for Putin A flagship gasification facility in Hoddesdon is running potentially a year behind schedule The £60 million advanced conversion treatment (ACT) plant being developed by AssetGen Partners was expected to become operational in early 2017 It is now believed to be in the late stages of construction: the reason for the delay has not been disclosed Sources close to the project have confirmed it will become operational in 2018 It is thought that some testing is currently taking place involving refuse derived fuel (RDF) and urea procurement and construction (EPC) of the facility is construction company Bouygues will also manage operation and maintenance of the plant for a period of 10 years The gasification technology is being provided by Biomass Power Hoddesdon Limited – linked to Biomass Power Limited – based in Stafford Bouygues entered into a “Deed of Variation” with the subcontractor In an accounts document for Biomass Power Hoddesdon Limited published on Companies House it is stated: “This contract variation has limited all Performance and Delay damages to that which can be recovered under the insurance policies in place.” “The variation also effected the assignment of all Sub-subcontractors to Bouygues and payments to these suppliers will continue to be made through the Biomass Power Hoddesdon Ltd bank account.” A comment has been requested from Bouygues A spokesman for Biomass Power Hoddesdon said that they could not comment on the matter Saxlund, which is part of the Trention AB energy and environmental technology group, has been contracted to provide a ‘Push Floor’ fuel storage system for the facility, as well as discharge bunkers (see letsrecycle.com story) will limit the opportunity for RDF to degrade or compact with a reciprocating action back and forth across the bunker floor continuously breaking up material The Hoddesdon ACT will have capacity to treat over 90,000 tonnes of RDF and will be capable of producing 10MW of power for the National Grid It is said that the facility will be the first commercial scale RDF gasification plant to be construction financed by third party investors with Foresight Group as Fund Manager Investors in the project include Noy Fund (based in Israel) Originally the Green Investment Bank (GIB) and its partner Foresight Group following the acquisition of GIB by global banking firm BIG acquired four of its biomass and waste-to-energy facilities BIG’s investment was made in partnership with the Hancock Renewable Energy Group BIG is believed to be a 25% shareholder in the project responsible for bioenergy and waste infrastructure sectors at Foresight Group RDF for the plant is to be supplied by waste management firms Biffa and Powerday – both companies currently send a significant proportion of the RDF that they produce overseas for incineration It is expected that the gate fee for the Hoddesdon plant will be lower than that charged for export RDF Full contact information: HERE Get the latest waste and recycling news straight to your inbox We are using cookies to give you the best browsing experience on our website You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again This website uses cookies to collect anonymous information such as the number of visitors to the site Keeping these cookies enabled helps us to fund and improve our website which is free to visit and use All such information remains confidential and we use only to determine which pages are popular with readers Please enable Strictly Necessary Cookies first so that we can save your preferences More information about our Cookie Policy seesaw and interactive play panels will be installed By Charlotte Page · 15 April 2021 April 12 to improve the play area at Barclay Park in Hoddesdon The refurbishment forms part of Broxbourne Council’s rolling programme of play area improvements and is expected to take around three to four weeks The main scope will be to provide separate toddler and junior areas and install new swings On Monday Broxbourne Council said: "Just a reminder for all residents that improvement works will start at Barclay Park today "This is part of our programme of play area improvements and will look to provide separate areas for toddlers/juniors and new swings and slides." The council apologised for any temporary disruption while work is underway See the latest news, information, conversations and much more, all tailored to your neighbourhood, in your InYourArea live feed here The new bridge has a design life of 125 years and is significantly stronger than the 60-year-old bridge it replaces By Charlotte Page · 16 March 2021 Pictured above the completed New River Bridge (Credit: Hertfordshire County Council) has opened to road users on time following a 15-month multi-million pound build modern and resilient road link to improve access and safety for vehicles cyclists and pedestrians going in and out of the 118-hectare Hoddesdon Business Park The business park is one of the largest employment sites and home to major employers including Sainsbury’s and the Ambition Broxbourne Business Centre allowing for much larger loads to meet the needs of local businesses The old bridge – now closed to vehicles  - previously served as the only access for HGVs despite its narrow road and pavement with any incident requiring repairs to the bridge having a major adverse impact on the business park developed by Hertfordshire County Council in conjunction with Broxbourne Borough Council is supported by an £8.9 million Local Growth Fund investment from Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) £1.47 million from Hertfordshire County Council and £400,000 of developer funding from Broxbourne Borough Council cabinet executive member highways and environment at Hertfordshire County Council said: “We’re delighted that the project has completed on time and is now open to all road users “This is a true example of collaboration and strong partnership working as we pulled together in the face of adversity and continued to deliver a vital scheme for the  county “Local jobs are crucial to achieving sustainable growth and the new bridge will make it much easier to get to and from the Business Park making it amuch more attractive place for  business “The scheme has significantly improved walking and cycling along and across the road in response to comments made by the community during the planning phase and in response to the county council’s ongoing commitment to sustainable travel and its  associated benefits for public health and the environment “We would like to thank the local community and businesses for their continued support and patience during the construction.” added: “The Hoddesdon Business Park is one of the most important employment areas in the borough “The improved access to the park will encourage new businesses to set up here creating more jobs and better prospects for the borough and will allow existing businesses to grow and thrive “Full credit is given to the team working on the project for delivering on time and in full particularly given the difficulties we have faced during the last year.” head of infrastructure and regeneration at Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership said: “The New River Bridge is vital to the continued success of Hoddesdon Business Park and to unlocking the town’s economic potential providing new opportunities for businesses and local people “We are delighted that construction has progressed at pace despite the significant challenges posed by Covid-19 and are confident its opening will coincide with a new chapter of growth for the area post-pandemic.” added: “We are delighted at Osborne to have been able to deliver such an important piece of Infrastructure for our client Hertfordshire County Council and their key stakeholders Broxbourne Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership to a high standard of quality whilst keeping the community informed and considered throughout is fundamental to a successful project such as this.” along with hundreds of square metres of woodland mix planting and wildflower seeding to support and enhance wildlife around the New River Bridge Supporting the local community to continue to thrive and prosper has been at the heart of the New River Bridge project the project team swapped site work for schoolwork taking part in a community volunteering day at St Catherine’s Church of England Primary School in Hoddesdon suppliers Barao Construction and DGL Ltd and design partner WSP joined staff and friends of the school and local businesses including Sainsbury’s to transform the school’s outdoor play areas new play equipment mostly from recycled or repurposed materials and re-vamped existing facilities ready for the children’s return to school 'We really need the local community behind us now more than ever so please come and visit the shop and café and help us to make a difference.' By InYourArea Community · 22 October 2021 Teens Unite's new shop will officially open next month Submitted by Teens UniteDespite the turbulence the last 18 months has brought to the charity sector Hertfordshire is embarking on an exciting new chapter with an office move as well as a shop and café opening at the same premises This new initiative will generate income to support more young people fighting cancer and help to fund Teens Unite’s long-term plans to build the first retreat in England for young people fighting cancer Teens Unite’s head office can now be found at Hoddesdon Gateway; the former police station Whilst the activities Teens Unite organises for the young people will continue to take place off-site at venues in central London the charity’s staff will operate from the Hoddesdon Gateway address Use of the premises has been generously donated to Teens Unite by a long-standing supporter whilst the charity’s plans to build the retreat at a site in Goff’s Oak Hertfordshire continue to develop with the Borough of Broxbourne Council The team behind Teens Unite are now fully operational from the new office and the shop and café will officially open on Monday The shop will only stock brand new items of clothing and accessories from high street retailers will be in the depths of the former police station providing customers with a unique experience as they enjoy their coffee in the original jail cells networking groups and organisations will also be able to hold meetings team building activities and events within this space and the former police interview rooms seven young people hear the words ‘you have cancer’ Teens Unite supports them to rebuild their lives or at the very least live with their diagnosis in the best possible way Dealing with cancer at this age impacts every aspect of a young person’s life from their friendships and education to their self-confidence and emotional wellbeing When life is put on hold and becomes consumed by fear Teens Unite enables those in their teens and early 20’s to continue living life regular activities that take place face-to-face and digitally young people fighting cancer are brought together with others who understand what they’re going through As the only charity to provide this ongoing emotional and social support to this age group Teens Unite is experiencing increasing demand and without a designated facility to host the young people and the activities the charity has reached capacity for the support it can provide Teens Unite has submitted plans to Broxbourne Borough Council and received a recommendation for approval to build a retreat for young people fighting cancer at a site in Goff’s Oak The charity is currently awaiting approval from councillors at an upcoming planning meeting later this month The House of Teens Unite will be a safe and tranquil retreat with dedicated space to hold activities such as yoga cookery lessons and career development workshops It will incorporate short term accommodation for a maximum of three nights and will be a haven for the young people to relax whilst benefitting from opportunities which help them to live life beyond cancer said: “Covid has brought so many challenges and it hasn’t been an easy ride reaching this stage "We’ve been continuing to support young people throughout the pandemic despite experiencing a significant loss of income We really need the local community behind us now more than ever so please come and visit the shop and café and help us to make a difference.” For further information on Teens Unite and the charity’s plans to build the retreat, please visit: www.teensunite.org 'It was fantastic to round off this strangest of years with such a wonderful display of colour which brought the whole school together for the first time in over a year.' By InYourArea Community · 8 August 2021 Year 1 children with part of their winning playground display Submitted by The Cranbourne Primary School Hertfordshire ended their school year with a display of colour as they hold 'Cranbourne flower show' Each year group took responsibility for their own garden and could grow whatever they chose and some fully embraced their competitive side by adding water features All the children from nursery to Year 6 were involved in planting and were really proud of what they had created the site manager and instigator of the competition was pressed into service painting fences and planters to help with the overall effect The school was delighted to welcome the Deputy Mayor of Broxbourne It was a very difficult task with many of the gardens scoring top marks in all the judging categories the joint winners were Year 1 who had brightened up their playground with a display of pots and hanging baskets and upper school (Years 5 and 6) who had created a 'dig for victory' vegetable garden The winners were awarded a trophy and a visit from the ice-cream van courtesy of The Friends of Cranbourne fundraisers said: “It was fantastic to round off this strangest of years with such a wonderful display of colour which brought the whole school together for the first time in over a year.” The school’s next gardening project is an overhaul of their sensory garden which will again see the green-fingered children getting creative with planting Shops and market traders are welcoming back customers as lockdown eases By Charlotte Page · 4 May 2021 Master Henry Hoddas visits the flower stall (Credit: Love Hoddesdon) Love Hoddesdon’s mascot - Master Henry Hoddas - visited the town last Friday (April 30) for market day The popular mascot has been visiting  local businesses in Hoddesdon as lockdown continues to ease and shops and market traders begin to welcome back customers Master Henry Hoddas was accompanied by Councillor Keith Brown Councillor Ken Ayling and Councillor Aran Banks and visited a number of market stalls Love Hoddesdon is a campaign by local shop owners to encourage people to shop in the town Among the reasons Love Hoddesdon says it is important to shop locally are that it is a more ethical choice with smaller shops selling more seasonal food with shorter journeys and less packaging often used a larger share of money also stays within the local economy businesses use local produce and neighbouring businesses get more trade Love Hoddesdon adds that independent shops give a town personality and are more likely to support local events and groups - creating vibrant areas with a sense of community See which businesses are declaring themselves #BackForGood near you by entering your postcode below or visit InYourArea Broxbourne Council has been encouraging residents to shop locally A spokesperson said: “Local businesses have been busy getting ready to welcome you back to the High Street and  have measures in place to make it safe.” FMG Repair Services will open a new flagship accident repair centre in Hoddesdon which is the company’s 65th site in the UK will be equipped with all the latest automotive repair technology enabling repairs to all vehicle derivatives including electric vehicles (EVs) and vans the new facility will allow the business to expand their existing footprint in the London region Operations director Paul Wrigglesworth said: “The new site is a perfect addition to our existing estate with good arterial roads and logistical links “It’s a perfect fit for our strategic plans and we recognise Hoddesdon as a high-profile claims area where capacity is at a premium.” Site planning and preparation to transform the former empty industrial unit started in autumn 2022 with construction work starting in February 2023 The fit out programme was project-managed by Rhys Walters south east senior regional operations manager He said: “I’m looking forward to welcoming new colleagues and customers to our purpose-built facility strengthening our regional proposition and being future ready to serve our client base.” The opening of Hoddesdon forms part of the FMG Repair Services wider growth plans with investment and upgrade works planned for the existing estate as well as purpose developed sites in new locations like Hoddesdon The new site includes a large commercial spray booth a curtain-heat-and-extract prep area and extended heavy duty geometry equipment and alignment Jig taking the combined operation of FMG Repair Services to 65 sites employing more than 1,500 staff and the capability to repair in excess of 100,000 vehicles per annum.  Earlier this year, FMG Repair Services was selected to host the IMI World Skills Body Repair National Qualifiers for the fourth year running which identifies the most talented apprentices in the automotive industry was held in June at FMG Repair Services’ Technical Training and Professional Development Academy in Goole (pictured above) Employing case studies and expert advice Fleet News examines ways in which you can take pre-emptive action to reduce the chances of an incident occurring deploy technology to minimise incident severity and have a clear process to manage the aftermath of an incident Gareth has more than 20 years’ experience as a journalist having started his career in local newspapers in the 1990s he worked in the public sector as a media advisor and is currently news editor at Fleet News Register to receive our range of digital content By submitting any material to us you are confirming that the material is your own original work or that you have permission from the copyright owner to use the material and to authorise Bauer Consumer Media to use it as described in this paragraph You also promise that you have permission from anyone featured or referred to in the submitted material to it being used by Bauer Consumer Media If Bauer Consumer Media receives a claim from a copyright owner or a person featured in any material you have sent us we will inform that person that you have granted us permission to use the relevant material and you will be responsible for paying any amounts due to the copyright owner or featured person and/or for reimbursing Bauer Consumer Media for any losses it has suffered as a result Food waste treatment firm Tamar Energy has opened a 66,000 tonnes-per-year capacity anaerobic digestion (AD)facility in Hoddesdon The plant is the firm’s fifth operational facility The facility takes in food waste from local authorities Tamar Energy claims the plant will produce enough energy to power more than 6,000 homes and produce biofertillser for agricultural use said:  “Our new Hoddesdon plant is gearing up to process high volumes of food waste which few other AD facilities are able to offer “The Hoddesdon plant’s accessible location long opening hours and network of complementary sister plants means that Tamar offers a reliable cost-effective service to local authorities and businesses looking to manage their organic waste in the most responsible way “Anaerobic digestion is the cost-effective choice for recycling unavoidable food waste and is also a transparent way for local authorities and businesses to showcase their green credentials; something that’s increasingly important in today’s working environment.” Tamar Energy was established in February 2012 with around £97 million in financial backing from investors including The Duchy of Cornwall The Rothschild family and Rothschild Investment Trust Dubai-based investment company Fajr Capital and supermarket chain Sainsbury’s In November 2012 Tamar completed a deal to acquire the organics arm of Countrystyle Group Limited Barclays staff will be on-hand to provide face-to-face support for its customers with a wide range of services including digital banking By Charlotte Page · 24 January 2024 visit the Barclays Local service at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon (Credit: Broxbourne Council) A Barclays Local service has opened at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon The service is open Monday to Friday between 10am and 12.30pm; and 1pm and 4.30pm It is a cashless site so cash banking transactions will continue to be completed at a local Post Office said: “The council is keen to ensure that banking services remain accessible to residents of the borough and I am delighted that Barclays has chosen to work with us at The Spotlight to ensure that this is the case for its customers “A local presence is really important for all high street banks - not all members of the community are able to access the digital services offered I urge all banks to consider setting up a similar service in places they do not have a physical presence Although Barclays Local is currently cashless I will continue to campaign for cash services that are accessible to all.” A spokesperson for Barclays said: “We are pleased to open a Barclays Local here in Hoddesdon working with Broxbourne Council at The Spotlight to offer a new more flexible way for our colleagues to continue to support customers with their banking needs.” Barclays Local is a walk-in facility, but appointments can be made at events.uk.barclays/local. 04 Jan 2012 By Centros UK has named McLaren Construction as preferred bidder for the £20 million redevelopment of Hoddesdon town centre A Centros spokesman confirmed a final contract award is expected in the coming weeks ahead of a start on site in late spring It is hoped the scheme will help revitalise the area which has long suffered from low occupancy rates and high tenant turnover London based developer Centros claims the scheme will encourage more people to visit the town centre Development director John Marsh predicted last year the scheme would create between 300 and 400 jobs a new car park will take the place of the centre’s range of inward-looking units with the existing pavilion near to the clock tower retained and enhanced The 58,000 sq ft single-level food store will be positioned on the northern side of the tower but with its main pedestrian entrance alongside the tower and facing the town centre the existing pavilion will be retained and enhanced using similar materials to the rest of the development Its covered shops will provide space for existing retailers and new ones seeking to benefit from the increased footfall that the food store will generate while the offices above will continue to provide space for local businesses The residential tower – home to more than 60 tenants and their families – is to be retained and the external finishes are to be improved A new canopy will be provided along the front of the tower and two new entrances will face the town centre The residents will also benefit from a new community facility and upgraded The development will have two shoppers’ car parks – on the surface in front of the tower and on two levels below the store – providing around 250 spaces in total This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth Who is Harmsworth?… This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth McLaren Construction Midlands… This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth Wigan Council has…