HertsLynx

For those unable to attend the March Council meeting here’s a brief summary of the HertsLynx presentation. There are currently three operational buses with one in reserve handling approximately 100 trips per day. Over the next few months this will increase to five buses (still with one in reserve). HertsLynx have identified that they have overestimated journey times and believe that this is the main cause of customers being told that buses are not available, when they are, and of buses operating at low capacity. They are working on a software upgrade to increase the efficiency of the booking system. They are looking at extending the limited fixed time service currently operating between Castle Village and Berkhamsted to include Potten End. There was a change of policy after the service was launched and pets are now allowed on the buses at the discretion of the driver – that’s a standard caveat for public transport and HertsLynx aren’t aware of it being applied. A good session with HertsLynx clearly open to feedback.

Local Government re-organisation

The Council will be considering a response to Dacorum BC about Local Government re-organisation along the following lines 

• There is insufficient information to form a view about the five options they’ve sent to government, although the single unitary model which would see Herts County Council staying and all the borough and district council’s being abolished seems the least attractive
• (Existing) Parish and Town Councils should be used to balance the increased ratio of residents to Unitary councillors rather then creating (new) local administration areas run by unelected officials
• Need to keep a distinct voice for rural areas
• Need clear and timely communication and involvement

Highways

There continue to be a plethora of road closures in and around the parish over the next three months for a variety of reasons, in particular along Hempstead Lane and Water End Rd. Rather than list them here you can see them summarised at https://drive.google.com/file/… or for more up to date information on roadworks please refer to Causeway one network.

Planning

The Council will consider the following applications at its meeting (reference numbers relate to the Dacorum Planning Portal)

• The Barn, Little Heath Lane – change of use and alteration of existing barn to a residential dwelling (25/00719/FUL) – although technically this property falls just outside the parish.
• Orchard Cottage, Frithsden Lane – re-model the rear elevation, rooflights and addition of a sun room to the rear of the property (25/00816/FHA)

The Dacorum Local Planhas been submitted to the government for the next round of evaluation. Over 1,600 comments were received from the public which is considered high, the majority relating to the proposed expansion of Tring. In the absence of an agreed plan there is an increase in speculative development proposals. In an interesting insight into government thinking, a development being considered to the west of Leighton Buzzard Road and north of Galley Hill is likely to be classified as ‘grey’ rather than ‘green’ belt

Infrastructure investment in our Parish: Have your say!

This has been the subject of a separate email but just to remind you that the Parish Council will be considering investing in one or more of seven infrastructure projects around the village and would very much like your views on which you consider most important. You can express your vies usuing the online survey at https://docs.google.com/forms/…

VE Day – 8 May

The Parish will be celebrating VE Day on Thursday 8 May by raising a flag at the church at 9am, ringing the bells at 6.30pm, and lighting a beacon on The Green at 9.30 followed by a short service.

arish Council meets at 7.30pm on Thursday, 18 June in the Church Room. The agenda can be downloaded and contains links to all the supporting papers, some of which are replicated below. Everyone is able to attend and comment on agenda items or raise matters that are of concern.

Click here to access the full agenda for the council meeting

Highways

Cadent appears to be finished – and in their place we seem to have a rolling programme from Affinity over the next couple of months, but not as disruptive. 

Details of road works

Open Spaces

The Council agreed to commission the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to produce a pond management plan to form the basis of future maintenance activity. It also agreed a proposal to clear approximately 5m of the undergrowth on the Conservation Green (that part of the Green to the west of Hempstead Lane – the Martins Pond side) where it has encroached over recent years although this won’t take place until September to avoid any possibility of disturbing nesting birds. 

The new village sign has now been delivered and installed. 

Planning

At the meeting on Thursday the Council will consider:

i. 26/01178/FHA – Orchard Cottage, Frithsden Lane, HP4 1NW – Construction of a singular row of ground mounted solar panels at the base of the rear bank behind the main dwelling.

ii 26/01155/FHA– The Old Farmhouse, Nettleden RD, HP1 3DG – Installation of domestic solar panels and associated Battery storage and inverter to the existing garage/store

Finance

The Council agreed a grant request from the Potten End Pre-school for £250 to support it’s summer fete and will be reviewing the projects it has agreed to fund from CIL (funds received from local developments)

Details Of Meeting

Meeting held on Thursday 21st September 2017
In the Church Rooms, Potten End at 7.30pm
Continue reading “PC Meeting Thursday 21st September 2017”

Meeting to be held on Thursday 21st February 2019
In the Church Rooms, Potten End at 7.30pm
Continue reading “Annual Parish Meeting Thursday 21st March 2019”

The Parish Council obtained approval for and purchased a new Speed Indicator Device  earlier this year. We are pleased to report that this has today been installed along the Common, close to Bullbeggars lane as you enter Potten End from Berkhamsted and will hopefully help slow traffic as it enters the village.

We are continuing to explore with Hertfordshire Highways  the possibility of reducing the speed limit along The Common from 50 to 40 mph.