Our latest Newsletter (March April) is here! Read about the Triangle Community Garden, the Friends of Hitchin Cemetery, the Big Spring Clean and also updates on Luton Airport, the Council’s Town Centres Strategy and our delving into recent planning applications in the town. There is also the burning issue – woodburning stoves and our health!
The Forum Big Spring Clean on Sunday March 22nd was a great success – 140 volunteers and 100 bags of litter!
The Council’s Town Centres Strategy – we have commented previously on the clarity and quality of this consultation, greatly reduced by attempting to deal with four very different and distinctive towns in one document. Our Forum response is here and one member’s excellent response is here. For comparison (and to see how much has happened, or not, in the last 20 years) read the 2004 Strategy for Hitchin here. Officers are mulling over the responses and we wait to hear more….
Highover Farm Development. There is an amended plan available on the NHC website – if you have difficulty with that link the Application number is 18/01154/OP. The amended plan is NTS2d Illustrative Masterplan (received 24.01.2023) under Related Documents/View associated documents. The Forum had been involved in a 2019 meeting with the developers and others and the meeting minutes are here. Comments on the plans are included in our January 2022 newsletter. North Herts Council Planning Committee approved the amended plan at its meeting on October 12th 2023, despite representations against this, and despite an excellent commentary on the plans in this video! Work on site looks set to start….
Hitchin Footpaths 
– How You Can Help For some years, Hitchin Forum members have worked in coordination with Hertfordshire County Council’s then Countryside Access Officer for our area. Read more here about what we do and what can be done for the town’s 100+ footpaths and bridleways.
Friends of Butts Close – Butts Close is the oldest open space in Hitchin. The Friends help take care of it, do some extra litter clearance and even some planting. Their latest newsletter is here – and more about the Friends here.
What else do we do? 
The Forum exists to develop and channel energy and enthusiasm for the town. We work to highlight things that we think need to change and improve the town. Information on all of our current and recent campaigns, issues and concerns are available here. We have organized working groups to look at the main issues as they arise 
– eg. the town centre, transport, open spaces and recreation, planning applications and planning policies More details here with info on the planning system.
Hitchin Forum was formed in 1992 as a non-political umbrella to bring together people and organizations to challenge developments that we think will damage our heritage and future- more history is here.
Read more about Hitchin, its history and the changes here.
Members are regularly updated on issues and meetings, by occasional emails and a 2 monthly newsletter – present & previous ones are here. Do join us! Anyone with an interest in Hitchin can join the Forum, either as an individual or as a nominated representative of an organization in the town. If you do want to be more involved then tell us – we often need an extra pair of hands! It is important that we have a wide membership base, partly so that we can hear a wide range of opinions, and also that we hear about issues in all corners of the town – membership details here.
Contact the co-chairs at chair@hitchinforum.org.uk