Thunderstorm over the Bernards Heath area

A thunderstorm on the 16th September over Bernards Heath broke the long spell of relatively dry weather in July, August and September, when local gardens and the Heath were looking parched.  We’ve only been measuring rainfall and temperature over the last 2½ years, but this was a record.  You can find our data here.

School Crossing Patrol wanted!

We are urgently looking for someone who would be interested in becoming the School Crossing Patrol for

Bernards Heath
Junior School

The pay is £7.20 per hour (plus holiday pay and retainer).  If you are interested or would like further information please contact Heather Hill on 01992 556815

Can we please remind you that it is a parental responsibility to get your child to and from school safely.

Hertfordshire County Council, Transport, Access and Safety,
County Hall, Pegs Lane,
Hertford, SG13 8DN.
Tel: 01992 556815
March 2016

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’.

Underage drinking in Bernards Heath

FoBH is collaborating with St Albans District Council (SADC) on a project to reduce underage drinking in Bernards Heath and the associated extreme litter problems that have resulted. The Community Alcohol Partnership (CAP) is an organisation, funded by the major retailers, which brings together all the interested parties including SADC, Police, local retailers,

Trading Standards and the Community  to address the problem in a co-ordinated way. They claim to have had very positive results in other parts of the UK and the Bernards Heath CAP  will be a pilot for the whole of St Albans.

Find out more from this CAP presentation document (pdf).

FoBH clears paths and removes hazards

Even at this time of year, small trees do come down on the Heath and block paths. Unfortunately, St Albans Council do not see this as a priority so they are often left for some time. A member of the Friends of Bernards Heath cleared this path as it has been blocked for some time.  There may be hazards lurking in the long grass as well.

path blocked
path cleared
hazardous metal nearly 1 ft overall

Photo: RM