Hertford Town Council has awarded a grant in support of next year's Classic Bus Day on 3rd June.

The grant of £820 will be given to Classic Bus Rallies for what will be the 14th year of the event.

Hertford's Classic Bus Day usually takes place on the same day as Hertford Fun Day, but next year it will co-incide with the Queen's Diamond Jubillee.

A man who attacked a woman in a late-night road rage incident has been jailed for nine weeks.

Mark Champion of Glebe Road followed the woman on 20th August before blocking her vehicle and assaulting her.

Champion was already disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.

Proposals for a Young Persons' housing scheme in Hertford have been unveiled by a local housing association.

Aldwyck Housing Group have submitted a planning application for a Supported Housing Scheme for people aged between 16 and 25 on the former council car park in Baker Street.

The scheme comprises of 14 bed-sit flats plus offices, together with staff accomodation and communal space.

The project dates back to 2008 when the District Council approached Aldwyck to develop the scheme due to high demand.

The company also runs other housing schemes in Hertford, including key-worker homes in Mill Road and shared-ownership flats in Florence Court.

Hertford Town Council is set to freeze its portion of the Council Tax bill for a third year followijg a meeting of the Council’s Finance, Policy & Administration Committee last night.

Whilst District and County Councils are required by the Government to freeze their bills for a second year, Town Councils are not subject to these restrictions but, in contrast to the larger councils, Town Councils do not receive any financial contribution to their running from the Government so must raise all their funding locally.

Chairman of the Finance, Policy and Administration Committee, Cllr Chantal Geall, said: "Hertford Town Council has continued to focus on strong financial management, enabling us for the third year running to freeze our portion of the Council Tax bills. Careful budgeting is ensuring that money is spent in ways that will protect services and enhance our community, including support for our town centre, good stewardship of the town’s allotments and cemetery and support for the running of the Hertford Museum which continues to inform residents and visitors about the town’s past.".

Projects and services to benefit from funding for the coming financial year will include support for the town centre, including continuing to fund a Town Centre Co-ordinator, providing a Town Development Fund and ongoing funding of the hanging baskets and Christmas lights. The Town Council’s popular events programme at Hertford Castle will also be maintained. There will also be a small increase in the grant made to Hertford Museum, with the Town Council’s being its principal funder.

The Budget will go to the meeting of the Full Town Council on 16th January 2012 for final approval.

The Mercury offices in Ware Road were broken in to last nigfht, with cash and sweets taken from the reception area.

The offender used a brick to break a side window, before climbing through in to the building and taking two charity collection tins and chocolates. The incident took place around midnight and was caught on CCTV.

PC Mark Bullen said: "We have recovered items that we will be testing for fingerprints and further enquiries are being made in town. I would urge the offender to turn himself in".

Anyone with information should contact PC Bullen on the non-emergency police number 101.

A new timetable has been introduced at Hertford East station.

The new weekday service will see an additional train during the morning rush hour, adding 31 seats to the schedule and reducing average journey times to Liverpool Street by 3 minutes.

During the evening rush hour, the number of seats will increase by 835.

Off-peak train times will remain unchanged with departures at 09 and 39 past the hour.

Police are appealing for information following an armed robbery at the Co-Operative store in Bengeo Street this morning.

Police were called just after 6am after robbers threatened staff with a firearm before making off with a quantity of cash. The offenders escaped in two vehicles, one of which was later recovered by police.

No-one was hurt in the incident.

A spokeswoman for Herts police said: "Enquiries are ongoing to trace those responsible. If anyone has any information on this incident, please contact police on 101."

Bookmaker William Hill have closed their Market Street premises and re-opened in Maidenhead Street.

The relocation sees the betting shop move in to premises that have been empty for a number of years, following the closure of the Woolwich Building Society.

The future of the Market Street premises is uncertain.

Car parks in the town centre will be free from 3pm onwards on the next three Thursdays up to Christmas.

The move has been taken to encourage local people to come into the town centre for late night Christmas shopping.

In October a meeting of Hertford traders recommended that Thursdays should be designated late night shopping nights for those shops which wish to open late in the run up to Christmas. They also asked East Herts Council to support this initiative by providing free parking on Thursday nights which the council has now agreed to.

Retailers including Margaret Hart of the Fore Street haberdashery shop and Linda Smith of Sugarsmiths in Post Office walk have described the free parking concession as "excellent news".

Councillor Jane Sartin, Chairman of the Town Council’s Development and Leisure Committee, also welcomed the free parking concession: "Free parking from 3pm on Thursdays in Hertford in the run up to Christmas will hopefully provide people with an added incentive to shop locally this Christmas and take advantage of many shops opening later. I am grateful to East Herts Council for listening and acting upon the traders' request."

Hertford's new library in Dolphin Yard will open it's doors to the public on Thursday 12th January 2012.

The new library offers an improved layout, a children's area, a wider selection of stock, more public computers, toilets and baby changing facilities and space to offer events and activities. 

The existing library in Old Cross will close on Christmas Eve, with stock being moved during the intervening period.

Chris Hayward, Cabinet Member for Libraries, said: "The new library offers improved facilities to provide the best service to users, in more attractive and comfortable surroundings.

"We hope that Hertford residents enjoy their new library and I'd like to thank local people for their patience while we have been developing the new site." 

An official opening ceremony, to be attended by Ed Vaizey MP, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, is scheduled to take place on 19th January 2012.

To find out more visit the library in Old Cross where there are plans of the new library on display. Staff will be pleased to answer any questions that you may have.