Thank heavens, (and you probably do too), that I don’t have to write for the parish news more than four times a year! The Editor is awaiting copy and there is only one day left to deliver the goods. So I took a look at last year’s offerings to jog the muse. Well, we have seen CCTV installed and one additional site approved at Kings Road. Street works at the Northern end of the village were substantially completed; yes, we know the interesting vegetation near the roundabout still needs clearing. Hundreds of shrubs were planted in Walsingham playing field. The estate (land and buildings) for which we are responsible and our main responsibility is, as ever, enviable. Dog and litter bins are emptied, play equipment repaired trees and shrubs pruned and so on. We have moved into much more suitable office accommodation at the old Lloyds Bank Building 154 High Street. We needed to, as the imposed paperwork continues to grow and is just about a job in itself for our clerk. The move will mean that we will also have space to manage community initiatives that come along from time to time. Initially it is a case of moving in then we can decide how to make the space more user friendly. We have also commissioned a web site. One of the many advantages of this is that new comers will be able to access information about London Colney. In the past, we have distributed welcome packs but this has become onerous because of the quantity needed, the cost, and keeping the information fresh. Finally, many people have contributed to events that continue to be a credit to the village.
Some of our problems though are more intractable. Hertfordshire Highways seem to have gone into hiding lately and we are not seeing the safety work and repairs that were expected. We must stress that this is not a direct Parish Council responsibility but a cause for concern.
Inconsiderate parking causes problems in the High Street and for people especially with motorised chairs using the pavements. How is it that parking completely on the pavement is not challenged? We all have to rub along but at least let’s be reasonable about it. On reflection, has anyone seen a parking warden in the village lately? Our thin blue line have reported reduced crime although this is no comfort if you have been affected. The line seems particularly thin lately though we are expecting two additional PCSOs soon.
Our river has mostly dried up beyond Shenley Lane after the driest season since 1976. The effects of a spill of sewage into the Lowbell fishing lake which killed a number of fish were exacerbated by the lack of flow of oxygenated water. The opposite situation with too much water affecting areas is also a risk. There have been meetings with the Environment Agency to air our concerns. These are the removal of tree debris that could block the flow, excessive reed growth, and the state of the drainage system, which can become overloaded. At the Hertfordshire Flood Warning Planning Group meeting in we discovered that sewer flooding and blockages were a factor that worsened the terrible January flooding of Carlisle. DEFRA are planning an integrated urban drainage management initiative called’ Make Way for Water’. Unfortunately, this is some way off. We can report that the London Colney Stream which caused the flooding in Cherry tree Avenue is now a COW (critical ordinary watercourse) and falls under the jurisdiction of the environment agency. It is not clear if the local authority will continue to be responsible for maintenance on an agency basis.
The District Council Planning Policy Advisory Panel has been discussing a possible sites in the village for an Islamic Centre. Councillors are irritated not to have been consulted. One site under consideration is Tyttenhanger Field next to the Morris Playing Field. The Parish Council has had a long-standing interest in this land. It was intended as a green belt buffer between White Horse Lane and the industrial estate which was allowed to be built on condition that Tyttenhanger Field remained in recreational use as a possible extension to the Morris Playing Field. The relationship with the countryside, with views toward Tyttenhanger Park, makes this green wedge particularly attractive. Indeed as our premier playing field it is extremely popular with local families who have used it extensively this year for outdoor activities including Larks in the Park. It is the last remaining corner of London Colney that has not been either developed or dug up for minerals which has access to undamaged countryside.
We were delighted that children from two of our primary schools took part in this year's Civic Service in the Abbey. They sang as young people from many youth organisations processed down the Nave in a celebration of youth. Thank you to the staff who supported them, we are sure it was a day the children will remember.
In September, Councillor Mary Crouch was elected to join the Parish Council and we welcomed Mary to her first meeting in October. We appreciate the experience that she brings and look forward to hearing her valued contributions.
John Dent