Herts Highways has announced that part of Nettleden Road will be closed for repairs during the period 20th to 23rd December between the hours of 9.30am and 4.00pm.

This document gives more details.  It looks like the closures will be between the junction with Pipers Hill in Nettleden and Little Gaddesden  It may advisable to avoid the road completely during these times.

For more information you can email hertsdirect@hertfordshire.gov.uk or telephone on 0300 123 4047.  You will need to quote permit number BR6401000123696.

Berkhamsted Town Council have issued an update on the new multi-storey car park in Lower Kings Road which can be viewed here.

The Parish Council will be re-opening the play equipment on the Spencer Holland recreation area on 4th July 2020.

Government guidance is that although the risks of COVID-19 surviving when outdoors is reduced where surfaces may be subject to UV light and/or rain, the virus could survive long enough on frequently used/touched outdoor surfaces to facilitate transmission. As a result parents and carers are asked to be aware of the following – please note that failure to comply with these guidelines could result in the Council closing the play area again.

• Children using the equipment do so at their own risk.
• So far as is possible you should ensure that children adhere to Government guidelines on social distancing.
• We recommend that you restrict the number of children using the play equipment as follows:
  • Climbing frame – 2
  • Slide – 1
  • Springy – 1
  • Seesaw – 2
  • Swings – 1 on each unit ( we will close the second swing)
• Only one family member should accompany each child in the play area
• The Parish Council will not be cleaning the equipment; parents and carers should bring sanitising gel/hand wipes to clean children’s hands before and after using the equipment. If they are also able to clean the equipment where it has been heavily used by their children this would be of benefit to the community as a whole.
• Please remind children not to put their mouths on equipment or their hands in their mouths.
• The consumption of food and drink whilst using the play equipment is banned.
• Please dispose of any litter responsibly, particularly any used protective wear such as face coverings or gloves, preferably by taking it home.
• Current government guidance states that face coverings should not be used by children under the age of 3 or those who may find it difficult to manage them correctly. Parents should be aware that wearing a face covering in a playground setting could pose an additional safety risk and should use their judgement on whether their children wear a face covering.
• Families with children with special needs should contact the Parish Clerk to discuss their requirements.

Once a year Nettleden with Potten End Parish is required to hold a meeting when local government electors are able to table agenda items for discussion. Decisions taken at the meeting are not binding on the Parish Council, but the Council may chose to take account of them in the future. This year the Parish Meeting will be held at 7.30pm on Thursday 18th March.

All Parish Electors are welcome to join the meeting online at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88429006356?pwd=L0wyUVRDYlFMYUgrdi9IMG54ZURQUT09 or by phone on either 0203 901 7895 or 0131 460 1196 using the meeting ID: 884 2900 6356 and passcode: 723386.

The agenda may be found here.

The minutes of the last meeting may be found here.

Every four years elections are held for Parish Councillors; the next election will be on Thursday 4^th May 2023. If you’re interested in standing for election you need to apply by Tuesday 4^th April at the very latest – details of how to apply can be found here.

Why is it important? I’m supposed to say because it’s the level of government closest to you (despite the name, it’s nothing to do with the church), and its activities are funded out of your council tax. But important though those reasons are, they don’t really tell the full story. What follows is a summary of four years in the life of Nettleden with Potten End Parish Council; if you find it interesting, or there are local issues which are important to you and don’t appear below, then you should consider standing for election as a Councillor.

Managing the Community’s resources – when you walk across The Green, when you feed the geese on the pond, if you use the allotment, when your children play on the recreation ground, if you play cricket or football on the sports field, and if your loved ones are buried in the Pouchen End burial ground, then you’re using land owned by the Parish Council on your behalf.  The grass gets cut, the 500+ trees and the pond are maintained, and the litter both on council land and along many of the roads through the parish gets collected, all by the Parish Council.

Celebrating the Community – over the last four years the Council installed the new play equipment, the all-weather football pitch (both at the recreation ground) and the new cherry tree avenue (at the burial ground). It also helped organise last year’s Jubilee Festival, the open-air cinema and Carols on the Green, and is part of the committee looking at options to celebrate the coronation in May. It’s all part of making us feel proud of our community.

Giving the Community voice – the Council undertook surveys to gauge the community’s interest and concerns regarding community events and highways and your response to those surveys has guided actions in both areas. The Council responded to Dacorum’s consultation on its draft Local Plan and to Hertfordshire County Council’s consultation on its Speed Management Strategy, raising issues which affect the local community. It’s also held meetings with Thames Water about sewerage in the village and Affinity Water about the burst pipes on The Common.

Every year, the Council considers around 100 planning applications from across the parish ranging from simple tree pruning, lots of extensions, new garages and home offices, to more complicated issues like the development at Valerie Way, the solar array on Little Heath Lane or the proposed developments at Frithsden Vineyard. Councillors meet local residents affected by developments, listen to their concerns, and where appropriate represent those concerns at Dacorum planning meetings.

The Council has lobbied extensively for the speed limit along The Common to be regularised at 40 mph, has joined the 20’s Plenty Campaign looking to change the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph, and has had two Speed Indicator Devices installed in Potten End with a third to follow later this year.

All this for less than the price of a cup of coffee per house per month!