AN EXCITING chance to grill some of the key movers and shakers in the St Albans district is being pioneered by community broadcasters Radio Verulam next week.

Your Questions is the first in a series of radio programmes in which members of the public can quiz a panel of local politicians, businesspeople and decision makers on what is happening in the district.

With a format similar to the BBC television programme Question Time, the show will take place in front of a live audience of people who live and work in the district.

For the first show, the station has secured the participation of senior public figures from county and district government, business and the press, all ready to field questions from the west Hertfordshire public about a wide variety of issues affecting the area.

The line-up of panellists for the first programme of Your Questions includes:

n Cllr Chris Brazier – Deputy Leader of St Albans City & District Council and Portfolio Holder for Planning and Conservation, Liberal Democrat for Colney Heath Ward;

n Cllr David Lloyd – Deputy Leader of Herts County Council, Portfolio holder: Executive Member – Resources & Economic Well-Being, Chairman – Policy & Resources Cabinet Panel, Member of Herts Police Authority, Dacorum Borough Conservative;

n Cllr Maxine Crawley – The Right Worshipful, the Mayor of St Albans City & District;

n Matt Adams – Editor, Herts Advertiser;

n Mel Hilbrown – Director, St Albans District Chamber of Commerce, St Albans Enterprise Agency.

The presenter of Your Questions will be John Stephenson, who said: “We are delighted that there is so much enthusiasm for Your Questions amongst the community. As a station, we are committed to serving the people of west Hertfordshire.

“Your Questions, in particular, has been designed to provide a platform for voicing questions and getting answers in the context of a community forum, and we feel privileged that we are in a position to facilitate such debate.”

The first programme will be recorded on the evening of Tuesday, March 15, at the Maltings Arts Theatre in the centre of St Albans starting at 7pm. It will be broadcast on Radio Verulam at 92.6FM on Sunday, March 20, at 6pm and 12am. For Radio Verulam listeners who cannot attend the recording or listen to the broadcast, a podcast will be available from the Your Questions section of the Radio Verulam website following the broadcast.

Admission to Your Questions is free, and there will be an opportunity to purchase drinks and submit questions during the reception prior to recording. While guests can turn up on the night, Radio Verulam strongly encourages people to pre-register by clicking through to the Your Questions section of the Radio Verulam website, http://www.radioverulam.com/, to avoid disappointment as spaces are limited. The website also provides the opportunity to submit questions in advance of recording via the registration form.