Hitchin's MP, Alistair Strathern, will be holding a public meeting on 28th March alongside Cllr Ian Albert to discuss the progress made so far in addressing the recurring fires in Hitchin.

In a statement Mr Strathern urged residents to attend saying that it "is an important issue for our community, and your input is vital to shaping the next steps. I therefore encourage you to attend and make your voice heard".

"As you are aware, Hitchin has faced multiple fires over the past year at the National Metal Recycling and Global Ardour waste recycling centres. These incidents have largely been linked to the processing of lithium-ion batteries—an issue currently under national discussion as we push for stronger regulations".

"While these discussions move forward, we also need immediate steps to safeguard residents and prevent future incidents. I have held meetings with key stakeholders, including Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), North Hertfordshire District Council (NHDC), the Environment Agency (EA), Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service (HFRS), Highways, and local councillors, to assess the situation and identify solutions".

"We want to make sure you are at the heart of our work on this, so as well providing updates on this work we want to use this meeting to discuss possible next steps and how we can work together to help secure long overdue progress".

The meeting will take place at Holy Saviour Church Hall from 6:30 to 8:00 PM.