Highways

The Highways Working Party and DriveSafe team meeting with Jonathan Ash-Edwards, the Hertfordshire Police and Crimes Commissioner, has had to be deferred until November.

The gas main replacement road works reported last month in various locations around the parish are now extending into the New Year. They’re summarised here or for more up to date information please refer to Causeway one network.

The Council will be discussing a proposal to consult residents about a proposal to create a raised platform at the junction of Church Rd, The Green and Water End Road.

Residents in Vicarage Road will be receiving a letter from the Council asking that they don’t park on the pavement. Unfortunately some people (not necessarily residents) are parking so far across the pavement that it’s causing people with buggies or mobility issues to have to walk in the road.

Planning

At its meeting on Thursday the Council will consider the following applications which are on the agenda:

• Five Acres Farm – change of use of equestrian building to residential (25/02356/FUL)
• Raja Tuan – use of barn as residential (25/02405/LDE)
• Caversfield – partial demolition, replacement and infill extension (25/02421/FHA)
• 14 The Back – work to trees (25/02467/TCA)

Also the following applications received since the agenda was finalised:

• Hollybush Wood – replace entrance gates and railings (25/02547/FHA)
• House in the Wood – works to trees (25/02541/TPO)
• 4 Chestnut Close – works to trees (25/02542/TPO)

Open Spaces

The ball stop netting behind the goal on Spencer Holland has been replaced and the hedge which was pushing against it has been cut back. 

Work will start later this week on improvements to the entrance to the sports field which will tidy up what is a slightly messy area and create a little more parking space.

Frustratingly we’re still waiting for the specialist equipment necessary to removing some of the water lily rhizomes from the pond to become available.

The cross-beams for the swings on the Spencer Holland Recreation Ground have been replaced and we’re waiting for a date when the safety surface underneath the swings can be replaced.

The triennial tree risk report has been completed and the council will be discussing the prioritisation of the work identified as a result.

The council will also be discussing what to do about the unauthorised parking on The Green both near the junction of The Green with Water End Rd and on either side of the parking spaces opposite the Village Hall.

Residents along Water End Rd who back onto the Old Green will have received a letter about the Council’s plans for a ‘lets go wild’ project to facilitate very significant benefits to the children of the parish, the local environment, the health of parish residents and accessibility, as well as improving nature and biodiversity.

Other matters

The Council will receive another payment from new property developments which it has to use to improve the infrastructure of the parish like the ‘let’s go wild’ project mentioned above. The Council will be considering how best to use this money in the light of its budget considerations over the next few months.

A major consideration in the Council’s budget deliberations will be Dacorum’s proposal to phase out the grants it pays the parishes and towns to reimburse us for the contribution we make to Hemel where there is no town council. These grants represent c. 30% of the Parish Council’s income so it’s a significant issue. Last month I reported that Dacorum proposed replacing the grants with a centrally-operated grounds maintenance contract, but less than an hour before last months council meeting it became clear that Dacorum proposed simply to remove the grant payment. The Council wrote to Dacorum expressing its very strong objection to the proposal but has received no acknowledgement or response.

And finally the Council will be considering the co-option of Doug Doolan to fill the vacancy left following the resignation of Dina Westenholz-Smith in June.

David Lloyd visited our parish in his capacity as our county councillor in order to discuss a number of largely transport related issues.  The parish council is currently especially concerned about the impact of the proposed ban on HGVs over Water End bridge, progress with the installation of the ‘smiley face’ speed indicators, both the barrier and flooding outside Martins Pond and about parking arrangements on and around Potten End village green.  The adoption of the footpath in School Gardens was also discussed.  Councillor Lloyd will attend the 17th November parish council meeting, which will be an opportunity for parishioners to raise any concerns they have about these and other matters.

Dacorum’s February Digital Digest contains a reminder that If you have extra garden waste you can buy additional green-lidded bins.  They cost £25 each and you can arrange to have them emptied through a seasonal subscription service, which costs £50 for each additional bin.  For more details and to sign up for the service visit the Dacorum website.  If you don’t already receive Dacorum’s Digital Digest you can sign up for it here.  It’s a useful monthly newsletter from our borough council

The Council has been approached by the Harlequin Group on behalf of Cornerstone Group, a joint venture between Telefonica and Vodafone, as a pre-application consultation in advance of a planning application for the erection of a mobile base station on Hempstead Lane opposite the lay-by to provide 4G coverage within the area. The Parish Council is only being informally consulted and does not have the authority to allow or refuse the application. We have until the 24^th January to make comments and have also been asked to advise Harlequin of any local stakeholders or groups that might like to make comments.

This will be discussed at the council meeting on 16th January but if anyone is unable to attend that meeting and would like to submit comments via the council please contact the Parish Clerk.

An explanatory letter from Harlequin may be found here, and a map of the proposed location may be found here.

The agenda contains links to all supporting documents.

The minutes are available here.