Four members of Harlow Liberal Democrats - Peter Mabey, Linda Pailing, Lorna Spenceley and David Wright - attended the party's East of England conference in Huntingdon on Saturday 29 October.

The team ran a stand to demonstrate the local party's web site, and a fringe meeting to show others how it's done. The stand attracted a steady stream of visitors, including MPs Norman Lamb and Bob Russell, and party president Simon Hughes (seen here viewing the Harlow web site). Harlow's site was narrowly pipped at the post by Chelmsford Liberal Democrats for the region's web site of the year award.

Lorna chaired two debates at the conference - one calling for improvement and expansion of public transport in the region and encouragement of walking and cycling, and the other on events in Kashmir. In addition, the conference debated rural housing, NHS reorganisation and faith schools.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors Su Lawton, Lorna Spenceley and Lesley Rideout were among those wearing pink on Friday 28 October.

The event was part of the national "Wear It Pink" day to raise funds for, and awareness of, breast cancer.

Donations from the local Liberal Democrat team pledged on the day will be sent to Harlow Council. There they will be added to the funds for breast cancer research raised by council staff, who also marked the day by wearing something pink.

Harlow Council's green waste recycling service will carry on until Saturday 3 December, by popular demand! Residents can take their green waste to the Latton Bush Centre and Swimming Pool car parks from 8:00am to 11.15am on Saturdays. (Please help keep our town tidy by only taking green waste along to the 'bring' sites at those times).

People on the state retirement pension, income support, housing benefit or council tax benefit who do not have access to a car can book a green waste collection until Friday 2 December (phone Contact Harlow on 446655).

Liberal Democrat environment spokesman Cllr Eleanor Macy says:

"The service was due to finish at the end of October, but we have experienced a lot of demand from local residents. Usually we would see demand tail off in September, but not this year. By extending the service people can continue recycling their green waste and help us reach the town's recycling targets."

Harlow Council will make its decision on Friday 16 December about the future use of three more community buildings - the former childcare buildings at The Dashes and Ladyshot, and the Norman Booth Centre in Old Harlow.

Expressions of interest were invited from local groups and organisations, and information packs have been sent out to those who responded to the council's advertisement.

This follows the council's decision at the end of July to open negotiations with local organisations over three other community buildings: the Study Centre (with Harlow Education Consortium), The Wreck (with Herts & Essex Muslim Cultural Association) and Sumners Leisure Centre (with Great Parndon Community Association).

Harlow Council's Call-In Committee today voted to allow plans for a new skateboard facility in the Town Park to progress to the next stage.

Councillors Robert Thurston and Chris Millington represented the Liberal Democrats at the meeting.

Cllr Thurston said:

"It's excellent news that we can now continue to consult residents on this scheme. Local young people have been waiting for their new skateboard park for a long time."

Chris Robins was re-elected as Chair of Harlow Liberal Democrats at the organisation's Annual General Meeting today.

Cllr Chris Millington was re-eleced as Secretary, and Nick Macy as Treasurer. Officers take up their posts on 1 January for the 2006 calendar year.

Local Liberal Democrat councillors Eleanor Macy and Lorna Spenceley took part this evening in the latest part of a major consultation exercise on improving Harlow's much-loved town park.

Students from Harvard Graduate School of Design have been working for several months on imaginative ideas for the park, as part of their course of study - and some of the resulting work, including six three-dimensional scale models, is on display in the Civic Centre, closing tomorrow.

The students were told not to consider issues of cost or practicality, so not all the designs are feasible. However, the consultation has given local residents an opportunity to consider different ideas, and express their views about what they would and wouldn't like to see in an improved park. Meanwhile, Harlow Council's regeneration unit is putting together bids for money from various sources to make a realistic scheme possible.