The Lower Heath, with dark track showing the remains of the temporary access road (February 2017).
We were very grateful to everyone who contacted the press and their local Councillors when we got the shock news, only a week ahead of the Cabinet Panel meeting on 9 December, that Hertfordshire County Council (“HCC”) was going back on its previous decision in 2014 to support discussions with the District Council to transfer the Lower Heath to them. Read more ›
A walk around the parish of St Saviour’s, Sandpit Lane conducted by local historian Peter Burley.
Meet at the hall, 25 Sandpit Lane at 2.00 pm
on Sunday 19th February.
The walk will be followed by tea and a talk in the hall at 3.30 pm. You are welcome to arrive in time for the talk.
It will not cover the whole boundary, that would be too ambitious, but the eastern third of the parish going from the church via the Wick and back again along Marshal’s Drive.
This is a valedictory event for Father Peter at St Saviour’s and all are welcome.
Download a poster here (pdf)
Work on the removal of hundreds of tons of sand and hardcore which made up the road across the Lower Field has been going ahead this week and it looks as if it will be completed next week beginning 30th January. Material is being transported to the old fire station yard before removal from the site. Read more ›
8.40 am, 17th January 2017 – frost on the Upper Field Photo: MN
We promised to post our response to the County Council’s bombshell last Friday – and here it is.
Remember that the County Council can give itself planning permission for school building – so if they decide to retain the Lower Field as a school site and sell off the rest of the site for housing in Spring 2017, there may be no further opportunity to make the case
Please, please, contact Roma Mills (County Councillor) [Roma.Mills@hertfordshire.gov.uk] or Christopher Hayward (Chairman, Resources & Performance Cabinet Panel) [Christopher.Hayward@hertfordshire.gov.uk] and Richard Curthoys [Cllr.R Curthoys@stalbans.gov.uk] to make your views known before the Panel meeting on Friday morning
Here’s the Friends response to the report to the Resources & Performance Cabinet Panel. Read more ›
We heard last Friday (2 December) that the County Council will put the old fire station site off Harpenden Road (“the Ariston Site”) on the market for housing in Spring 2017.
The white broken line marks the boundary of the Lower Field. A temporary road now crosses the field following the sinkhole event.
At the same time, the Council is going back on the plan to transfer the Lower Field to the District Council to retain it as part of Bernards Heath open space in perpetuity, and instead wants to earmark the Lower Field as a 2 form entry primary school site – adding an additional 420 children up and down Harpenden Road during the school run.
The Friends of Bernards Heath believe the sensible place for a new school (if indeed one is needed) would be in the vicinity of the fire station, currently earmarked for more houses.
We’ve been campaigning for nearly twenty years for the Lower Field to be recognised as a full part of Bernards Heath alongside the registered common – and for the past fifteen years following the Village Green Inquiry, that’s been the District Council’s view too.
You can read HCC’s report here and the plans of what’s proposed here
We’ll be putting our case in more detail on our website in the next few days, but in the meantime, please make your views known to our county and district councillors before the Cabinet Panel meeting on Friday 9 December. Their contact details are:
County Councillors (click on the link to email)
| Councillor | for | phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roma Mills | County Councillor St Albans North | roma.mills@btinternet.com | 01727 837319 |
| Chris Hayward | Chairman – Resources & Performance Cabinet Panel | chris.hayward@hertfordshire.gov.uk | 01923 291574 |
District Councillors (click on the link to email)
| Councillor | for | phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Richard Curthoys | Marshalswick South | Cllr.R.Curthoys@stalbans.gov.uk | 01923 675924 or 07896786485 |
| Salih Gaygusuz | Marshalswick South | cllr.s.gaygusuz@stalbans.gov.uk | 01727 858289 |
| Steve McKeown | Marshalswick South | Cllr.S.McKeown@stalbans.gov.uk | 07980 101206 |
| Malachy Pakenham | Batchwood | cllr.m.pakenham@stalbans.gov.uk | 01727 868247 |
| Tim Smith | Batchwood | cllr.t.smith@stalbans.gov.uk | 07966 241934 |
| Roma Mills | Batchwood | Roma.mills@btinternet.com | 01727 837319 |
It must be a great relief to residents of Fontmell and Bridle close that almost all traces of the sinkhole have gone after 14 months of repair works. The Grand Opening is on Saturday, 3rd December.
FoBH looks forward to the removal of the temporary road across the Lower Heath, scheduled for early next year.
Some of the volunteers who helped to clear out the old WW2 fire fighting water tank on Sunday, 27th November also unearthed a bottle of champagne (inset). We’ve previously found a full bottle of gin during a clear up and there are probably more hidden caches – what next? Read more ›
Despite heavy rain on the morning of Sunday 16th October, an intrepid group of volunteers were able to clear large areas of brambles adjacent to the path on the southern side of the Dyke. This clearance work not only makes the the path more accessible, but gives clear views to the bottom of the Dyke. It may also provide more ventilation to the Dyke and reduce its boggy nature at certain points. Read more ›
June 2017
June 2017
2017 subscriptions now due
Mugs available from the Heath Bakery (Londis) at £5 each
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