hertscouncillors.org Geoff Churchard

Geoff Churchard

Welcome to the webpages of Geoff Churchard, Liberal Democrat Councillor

Geoff is a semi retired primary teacher who still enjoys working with children and keeping up his teaching skills. He is married to Janet a Hertfordshire primary teacher. They have three adult children, two girls and a boy.

Geoff has been a St Albans District Councillor for Marshalswick North since 1982. He has been Chair of Housing and Chair of the Environment and currently holds the Portfolio on St Albans District Council for Sustainability, Roads & Transport. The roads aspect of the portfolio is a poison chalice as the roads budget is controlled by Hertfordshire County Council.

His main political interests are: looking after the environment both locally and nationally, sustainability, Fairtrade, and all green issues including recycling, energy saving, green transport plans, protecting Hertfordshire's greenbelt and biodiversity. He would like to see Hertfordshire's ailing public transport brought up to the standard of the rest of Europe and would like to see climate change moving to the top of the agenda.

Geoff is concerned at the awful state of Hertfordshire's roads and pavements and will support moves to increase the budget. He is fighting, with some success, against the cramming of extra houses into back gardens which is beginning to spoil the green suburb of Marshalswick. He is also concerned about the slow progress of sustainable development and the lack of urgency in dealing with climate change.

Geoff has been a member of Sandridge Parish Council since 1985 and has served as Chair for a number of years.
He is particularly proud of being involved in the local community battle in the 1980s when Jersey Farm Woodland Park was saved for the community from a take over bid by St Albans School. He is a member of the Woodland Park Management Committee.

Geoff was elected to Hertfordshire County Council in 1997 for the Sandridge Division which includes Marshalswick North, Jersey Farm, Sandridge Village and the hamlets of Sandridgebury, Coleman Green and Coopers Green. He has served on the Education Committee and the Environment Committee.

Current Position

Currently he is Lib Dem Spokesperson on the Development Control Committee and the Rural Affairs Cabinet Panel. He is also a member of the Waste Management Panel, the Herts Education Foundation, the Snowdonia Management Committee, and the Herts Rural Forum.

Other interests: when politics don't get in the way, are reading, sailing, gardening, travelling and walking.