Month: February 2016

Posted on

FoBH funds path improvements

Mud glorious mud – if you’ve walked the paths on the Heath recently you’ll be well aware of this kind of sight where paths become a glutinous, slippery mess.

Having recently organised and part funded a new path extension to the Ancient Briton, FoBH has now brought in the same contractor to improve access to the west of Harpenden Road. The aerial view below shows where work has been done, especially between Edmund Beaufort Drive and Spinney Lane. Hopefully, this will make the latter an all-weather path, rather than the mire it was recently. The full extent of paths in this area is not shown.

Unbroken white lines show where paths have been resurfaced.
Paths were excavated to a depth of about 10 cm and filled with crushed road scalpings,

The entrance to the longer path from Harpenden Road. More work is needed on this section

On this occasion budget restrictions have not allowed  St Albans District Council to support us financially even though it was agreed that the need to improve this well used amenity was very great. Therefore, following a resolution at our recent AGM, FoBH has met 100% of the cost from members’ subscriptions.

Posted on

Ariston site – Heathlands Drive work

If you have walked along Heathlands Drive recently, you will probably have noticed clearance work near the Judo Club building.  Following on from work on the Lower Field, ground checks are being made on this area and the possibilility of having to divert the road.

Ground clearance at the end of the Judo Club building

Chris Parkes FRICS, director of Lambert Smith Hampton, informs us that:

‘Survey work is required to check out some gravitational anomalies that have been found in the vicinity of the entrance to Heathlands School.

Microgravity investigation in the road at the front of the Pioneer Club

There are 2 elements to the work:

1.       Thursday 11  February and Monday 15 February- clearance and microgravity survey of an alternative route to the school behind the Judo Club (to allow for the unlikely event that the other survey work causes concern over ground stability of the existing access road). The clearance work is being carried out with a JCB, so there will be some noise.

2.       Tuesday 16 and Wednesday 17 February drilling in the access road outside the school gates to check on subsoil conditions. Depending on what that reveals, further intrusive survey works may be required.

The current intention is that the access road will be narrowed whilst the works are carried out, but will ‘remain in use’.

Posted on

Objects left on the Lower Field

Friends of Bernards Heath met with representatives of St Albans District Council and councillors Roma Mills and Richard Curthoys to review the current condition of the Lower Field. The new road across the field from the old fire station works well, but many objects have been left, seemingly at random, which make the area look untidy and in some areas, dangerous. It is hoped that contractors will be able to tidy up in the near future.

Continue reading “Objects left on the Lower Field”