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THE NEXT PARISH COUNCIL MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY 2nd JULY at The Village Hall, Colney Heath High Street, at 7.30pm PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE IS A SHORTENED AGENDA TO ALLOW FOR A PRESENTATION BY Herts HighWays Partnership (HHWP) ON THE HIGH STREET, COLNEY HEATH, TRAFFIC CALMING SCHEME.
News from CHPC - Freedom of Information Below you will find a link to a PDF file which details where information can be found / obtained relating to all aspects of the Parish Council's operations. Click on this link to download the detailed list
PARISH MATTERS - June 2009 Spring is giving way to summer, the evenings have lengthened and the warmer temperatures are here, allowing us to get out into the countryside that surrounds us on the south side of the City of St Albans. I know from my regular footpath walks, as well as the Parish Council’s well attended Beating the Bounds ceremony around Colney Heath Common on Rogation Sunday, that our rural environment is looking at its best. With the trees now fully in leaf, the crops growing rapidly in the fields, the many shades of green, the hedges full blossom and the colours of the flowers in the gardens around the parish. It is a pleasure to be part of it all.
Which flowery introduction should help to underline why it is so important to protect this precious resource from those who would seek to develop it and cover it in concrete. I am glad to report that your parish council has had some success in this field recently.
Chris Brazier wrote in the last Parish Matters column of the Parish Council’s purchase of the Gloucester Park green space between Drakes Drive and Hill End Lane which is now safe from the threat of development.
In May, the District Council secured an even greater victory with a High Court decision overturning the Government’s intention to allow housing development comprising 7,200 new homes on the Green Belt to the east and west of the St Albans. These proposals threatened to impose the building of an additional 1,000 houses to the west of Welwyn/Hatfield, which would have effectively swallowed up all the remaining space between the two conurbations, with Colney Heath losing its unique village identity. If unchecked, this sort of development can only eventually lead to the whole of South Hertfordshire becoming part of the Greater London sprawl.
The District Council challenged the Government’s East of England Regional Plan in the High Court. After a three-day hearing in late May, Mr Justice Mitting found that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government had not conducted a proper environmental assessment in preparing the Plan. He ruled that the parts of the Plan that relate to the housing growth to the east of Hemel Hempstead and the west of Welwyn/Hatfield be quashed. He also ordered the Secretary of State to pay the St Albans District Council £15,000 towards its legal costs, about half the sum spent in bringing the legal action.
While this is a great result for the whole district, including Colney Heath, the land will remain the target for developers, and so we must remain vigilant in defending it from future proposals. The recent resubmission of plans for a rail freight terminal at the Radlett aerodrome, a development that, if allowed, would greatly increase the HGV use of the A414 to the detriment of residents living on both sides of the dual carriageway, is an example of the continued development pressure on the amenity green space in the district.
The Oaklands College redevelopment is another. While I know there are mixed feelings on this application – some residents regret the proposed extension of the college into the green space on Hatfield Road, others believe that an extended college and sports facilities would enhance the area – the project still awaits the decision of the Secretary of State, who called in the planning application for further consideration at national level. While awaiting the decision, it appears that the Learning and Skills Council that was to contribute the lion’s share of the project funding has overspent its budget disastrously, casting serious doubt on the viability of the whole project. Worse, this stasis also affects the development of the former Oaklands Home Farm site, even though it is now under separate ownership. I know local residents are as frustrated as we are that this site continues to deteriorate, and become a growing eyesore and reservoir of vermin, while caught up in the wider political standoff.
No Parish update would be complete without an update on the illegal development saga on Coursers Road. In another High Court decision in March – we are getting to know our way along the Strand to the Royal Courts of Justice! – the Parish Council’s appeal against the Secretary of State’s January 2008 decision was upheld. Mr Robb had successfully appealed against St Albans District Council’s refusal of planning permission for his illegal development on Coursers Rd. The Parish and District council maintain that the construction of a hard standing to support the mobile homes on the site is affecting the River Colne floodplain, so increasing the risk of flooding elsewhere in the village. With the help of a fighting fund generously contributed by residents, we challenged the appeal finding, and had the appeal quashed. The Judge also ruled that Mr Robb should pay the Parish Council’s costs incurred up to September 2008.
Of course, development need not always be negative. Spring 2009 saw the re-opening of St Mark’s parish church after its extensive remodelling. I have to admit I had misgivings when James Spanner first unveiled his proposals at a Parish Council meeting to open up the side of the existing church and extend the space, not to mention the removal of the pews. But, having attended the rededication service led by the Bishop of Hertford in April, I am totally won over. The church is a pleasure to be in, the light is wonderful, and I am convinced we have a brilliant new asset for the parish. Even if you are not a regular worshipper, it is well worth having a look at the new St Mark’s to see how clever architecture can transform a perhaps under-utilised building into a vibrant, relevant and modern space. James and his parishioners are to be congratulated on their vision and determination in realising and achieving the modernisation of St Mark’s in such a short space of time – see pages 19-22 for pictures of the project.
There have been some changes to the Council since the last Chronicle. At the annual meeting in May, I succeeded Chris Brazier as Chairman, while Dennis Horner was elected Vice Chairman. Sadly, Geoff Rump, who represented the Hill End ward of the parish has had to resign, as his employment means he has had to relocate to Montreal for a least a couple of years. We are grateful to Geoff for all he has done for the parish, especially in progressing many issues with Colney Heath Football Club.
We are also pleased to welcome Jane Lewis to the council. Ironically, Jane was proposed for the Parish Council by Geoff, shortly before he realised he would have to move on. Jane also lives in the Hill End area. There are now two vacancies on the Council. I am aware that many residents of the Highfield estate within the parish feel that this part of the area is under-represented on the Parish Council. Here is the ideal opportunity to influence the Parish Council from the inside and speak up for Highfield - if anybody from Highfield - or indeed anywhere in the Parish - is interested in being considered for these vacancies, please contact the Parish Clerk, John Dean, in the first instance.
And, in case you haven’t heard yet, Chris Brazier is now the County Councillor for the Colneys ward of Hertfordshire County Council, following the early June County Council elections. The ward comprises the Colney Heath and London Colney parishes. Congratulations Chris – I don’t know how you are going to fit it all in, but if you represent the parish’s interests at Hertford as effectively as you have at St Albans, we are in safe hands.
Please enjoy the summer in our lovely surroundings, and support your Parish Council in keeping them that way.
Jamie Day
Chairman
Colney Heath Parish Council |
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