The Flyer
Update from Sir Alan
Good News for Commuters in Bishop Stortford
Mark Prisk
has renewed
his call for a
fairer deal for
his commuters,
in a debate
he secured
in the House
Mark Prisk MP of Commons.
He said that
commuters
across East Hertfordshire, including
Bishop Stortford, paid a lot for
a service which they often felt
was “unreliable, unpleasant and
unacceptable”.
In his speech Mr. Prisk called for a
number of improvements including
better compensation for when things
go wrong, automatic refunds for
commuters, modern carriages and four
tracking into London so to ensure a
more reliable service for commuters
travelling to and from Bishop Stortford
daily.
On refunds for delays, Mr. Prisk
pressed Claire Perry MP, the Rail
Minister, on two key fronts: reducing
the threshold for when refunds are
available and automatic compensation
for commuters. At present Abellio
Greater Anglia provide refunds for
delays of 30 minutes or more. Mr.
Prisk called this inadequate for the
typical journey to London. In reply
the Minister announced that detailed
plans for applying refunds after 15
minute delays would be set out in the
next few months. She confirmed this
would include Abellio Greater Anglia.
The Minister also confirmed that
the Government expected that
new contactless cards would make
automatic refunds practical and that
the rail companies would be setting
out their plans shortly.
Mark Prisk said “I am encouraged by
the good news on rolling stock and
on the new fairer rules for refunds.
Passengers pay a lot to travel and
they deserve a more reliable, quality
service and a fair refund when things
go wrong.”
Details of the debate can be found at
www.markprisk.com
Bishops Stortford Country Market
One market that seems to have slipped
through the net of the markets in
Bishop’s Stortford as shown in the
March issue is Bishops Stortford
Country Market, formerly run by the
Women’s Institute since the 1940’s in
various parts of the town.
We are now based at the back of the
Half Moon pub in the old stable yard
at the bottom of North Street. It is
open every Thursday from 8Am to 12
noon. Every article on sale ranging
from wrapped cakes and pies to jams,
knitware, pottery, wood craft, cards
and other crafts as well as seasonal
flowers and veg is produced by local
people. We also have a charity book
stall which during this month we are
supporting Foxdales Animal rescue
centre. In total we have 7 stalls so
we are a thriving part of the local
community.
Phil Sortwell, Chair Bishops Stortford
country Market
Whilst an
international
airport is not
universally seen
as the most
comfortable of
neighbours it
would be churlish
not to offer
congratulations to
Sir Alan
everyone involved
Haselhurst
as Stansted
M.P.
marks its 25th
year in the iconic terminal, and with
record numbers of passengers and
the announcement of a new airline,
Stansted Airport is on the up. 2015
was Stansted’s busiest year since
2007, with over 22 million passengers
travelling through the terminal.
During the year, the airport saw six
consecutive months of passenger
numbers in excess of 2 million for
the first time since 2007, and ended
the year on a high with the busiest
December on record. With large
investments in the terminal and the
development of a new hotel, as well
as the potential of further airline
partners this coming year, passengers
will be able to take more long-haul
flights from Stansted and experience
a greater quality of facilities whilst at
the airport.
British Airways have recently
announced that they will be one
of these new airline partners, with
flights to Faro, Malaga, Palma and
Ibiza commencing on May 28th. These
popular holiday sunspots are strong
additions to the route network of
Stansted, which now covers over 170
destinations across Europe and North
America.
This comes at a time when uncertainty
over the future of Heathrow Airport
and the expansion proposed by
Sir Howard Davies is yet to be
clarified. The Report provided by the
Airports Commission recommended
the building of a third runway at
Heathrow, but also proposed that the
Government should pass legislation
Contined from Page 8.
hands it’s one of the most engaging,
human, and personal theatre
experiences around. The company,
based in Worcester, tours nationally
and internationally every year, and
aims to showcase and popularise this
fascinating theatre genre. Unusually
for a theatre production, its visual
style also makes it completely
accessible to deaf and partially deaf
audiences, without the need for signer
or captions. The Best Thing is a cocommission with London International
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THE FLYER | A PRIL 2 0 1 6
prohibiting a fourth – one of the
Report’s biggest weaknesses. First, a
government cannot bind the future in
that way; second, those of us familiar
with the Stansted saga remember
the inspector taking the Airports
Enquiries of 1981-83, saying he would
recommend expansion at Sta