Good Morning {{first_name | Reader}},

Summer has officially taken its bow, and with rain in the forecast this week it feels safe to say the season is behind us. We hope you made the most of the Bank Holiday weekend. Things were a little quieter in the community this time compared to the buzz at the start of summer, perhaps because many of us are already looking ahead to the events lined up for September.

On the local front, anti-immigration protests continue to gather momentum, with Broxbourne increasingly seen as a centre for these demonstrations following the Epping case. The debate is also spilling over online. In line with this, today’s Bank Holiday editorial explores not the protests themselves, but the rise of St George’s flags across our streets, a symbol sparking pride for some and unease for others. Be sure to scroll down, read the piece, and share your views in our quick survey.

Here’s what’s inside today’s issue:

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Broxbourne residents are set to benefit from a new Hertfordshire-wide Retrofit Strategy aimed at making homes warmer, greener and more affordable.

The initiative brings together councils, businesses and education providers to help homeowners improve energy efficiency through upgrades such as insulation and heating system replacements.

A spokesperson said the strategy is a “significant step” in supporting residents to cut costs and reduce environmental impact.

Residents can find more information and resources at 👉 hccsp.org.uk/building-retrofit.

We studied what professional roofers are saying about gutter guard prices in 2025… and here’s what we found out.

Finding the best price comes down to just two simple things:

Cut out the middleman and get a solution that installs over your existing gutters in a day or less.

If done right, you can afford the best gutter guards along with increased property value and even a 100% no-clog guarantee.

You can learn all the basics and how to ‘skip’ the middleman with (fair) local pricing on this new website.

Just hit the link below, browse through and complete a short survey.

Learn More

Broxbourne Borough Council is seeking urgent legal advice on the use of the Delta Marriott Hotel for asylum seeker accommodation, following a recent High Court ruling in favour of Epping Forest District Council.

Council Leader Cllr Corina Gander said the hotel should be used for its intended purpose and warned the arrangement puts pressure on local services and risks community tensions.

The council has written to the Government and the Home Office, urging an end to hotel use and seeking assurances that asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel in Epping will not be relocated to Cheshunt.

👉 Read more

Broxbourne MP Lewis Cocking has responded to the recent High Court decision preventing the Bell Hotel in Epping from being used to house asylum seekers.

Mr Cocking said many Broxbourne residents had contacted him with concerns that asylum seekers from the Bell Hotel might be transferred to the Delta Marriott Hotel in Cheshunt. He confirmed that ahead of the court’s ruling he wrote to the Home Secretary to express his opposition to this outcome, and added that he is not aware of any transfers having taken place.

He welcomed the court’s ruling, which confirmed that the Bell Hotel will no longer be used for asylum accommodation, and argued that this strengthens the case for Cheshunt. Mr Cocking said he would continue to work closely with Broxbourne Borough Council to press for the Marriott Hotel to be restored to its intended use and to prevent further strain on local services.

Reaffirming his position, the MP stated that the use of hotels for asylum seeker accommodation must come to an end, and promised to keep pressing the Government for a long-term solution.

Cafes, restaurants and takeaways across Broxbourne Borough are being celebrated for their commitment to sustainability through Hertfordshire’s Responsible Food Awards.

The awards highlight local food businesses that go above and beyond — from reducing waste and sourcing responsibly to engaging with the community and raising hospitality standards. For residents, it’s also a guide to choosing places that not only serve great food but also care about the environment and their local community.

Broxbourne’s winners now join a growing county-wide network of recognised establishments, giving diners more confidence in their choices while encouraging other businesses to raise the bar.

Residents can search the full list of award-winning eateries at 👉 hertfordshire.gov.uk/HRFA.

Hertstown Media, the parent company behind Broxtown and Hertstown newsletters, has launched a website giveaway offering 100% free WordPress websites to businesses and individuals across Hertfordshire, including Broxbourne.

The initiative aims to give every local business and resident a chance to build a strong digital presence at a time when commerce and community are increasingly online. The offer includes a fully functional basic website at no cost, with optional extras available for those wanting more advanced features.

Most websites can be completed within just one week, removing the barriers that often prevent small businesses and individuals from getting online. Hertstown Media says the goal is simple: to help Hertfordshire thrive in the AI-driven and digital-first era.

👉 Click here to claim your free website and get started

With its newsletters and podcasts already connecting thousands across the county, Hertstown Media is now extending its mission by helping the community establish its digital estate and secure its place in the future.

If you think you’ve tried every pizza in town, think again. Hot Dough in Waltham Cross is redefining artisan pizza with bold flavors and creative twists that take comfort food to the next level.

Highlights include the City Sizzle Chicken Pie Pizza, a rich blend of mushroom sauce, roasted chicken, leeks and mozzarella, and the Metropolitan Olivescape, featuring butternut squash sauce, ham, mushrooms, black olives and Parmesan for a Mediterranean touch.

Even the classics shine, with a grown-up Margherita and a fiery Peri-Peri Pizza drizzled in their signature sauce. Add in unbeatable value, like two 15-inch pizzas and a drink for just £20.95, and you’ve got one of the borough’s best-kept dining secrets.

And here’s the kicker. If you’ve ever wanted one of their awesome pizzas for free, you can actually get it. All you have to do is stop their countdown clock at exactly 10 seconds (00:10:00). Some have managed to pull it off. Think you’ve got what it takes? 🎯 Give it a try and you could be eating on the house.

Hot Dough isn’t just a pizza spot. It’s a destination for food lovers who crave innovation, premium ingredients and unforgettable taste.

The debate around asylum seeker accommodation in hotels is intensifying across the UK, and Broxbourne has become one of the flashpoints.

At the Delta Marriott Hotel in Cheshunt (Broxbourne Borough), protests have continued for weeks, with demonstrators voicing anger at the government’s use of hotels to house asylum seekers. Alongside placards, the St George’s Cross has become a striking symbol of this resistance, painted onto roundabouts, on the lamp posts and flown proudly from windows. To some, this is an ordinary act of patriotism, being proud to fly the national colours. To others, it signals an undercurrent of division.

This tension is not unique to Broxbourne. Across Hertfordshire, for example, streets have been lined with Union Jacks and St George’s flags by groups who are being patriotic. Their message is framed as reclaiming pride, unity and love of country. Yet the association of these same flags with far-right movements has left some residents uneasy, worried that patriotism and protest are being blurred with xenophobia.

In Broxbourne, Council Leader Cllr Corina Gander has made clear the borough’s opposition to the hotel being used for asylum seeker accommodation, stressing that the facility should return to its purpose as a hotel and warning that the situation places pressure on local services. Meanwhile, residents are left to grapple not just with questions of housing and resources, but with the symbolism of the flags themselves: do they represent national pride, or do they risk fanning resentment?

Across England, flag-waving has become a grassroots form of protest and identity politics, reflecting deeper frustrations about immigration policy, community resources, and a sense of being overlooked. What may appear on the surface as simple street decoration is in fact a complex response to how people feel about the state of the country.

The challenge for Broxbourne, as in Epping, and elsewhere, is to separate rightful concerns about planning and capacity from symbols that can harden divisions. Whether the painted roundabouts and fluttering flags fade with the summer or become permanent features will tell us much about where the debate on immigration, identity and belonging is heading.

✍️ Editor’s Note: What do the flags mean to you? Are they a proud display of English identity, or do they carry a different message in today’s climate? We’d love to hear your perspective. Share your thoughts with Hertstown and join the conversation.

Tuesday

25°C 🌡 13°C | ☀ Sunny interval and a moderate breeze | ☀ Sunrise 06:02 Sunset 20:01

Wednesday

21°C 🌡 11°C | 🌦 Light rain and a moderate breeze | ☀ Sunrise 06:04 Sunset 19:59

Thursday

20°C 🌡 13°C | ☔ Drizzle and a moderate breeze | ☀ Sunrise 06:05 Sunset 19:57

Friday

20°C 🌡 11°C | 🌧 Light rain showers and a gentle breeze | ☀ Sunrise 06:07 Sunset 19:54

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Wishing you a fantastic rest of your day!

Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya

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