including Beech Bottom Dyke and Sandridge Road Wastes
In the early morning of Friday 17th October a large tree fell across Harpenden road, between the Old Harvester and the Pioneer club. The council cleared the tree quickly, but our FoBH chair took the below photos for us.
This is a timely reminder that the heatwaves and lack of rain this year has put trees under stress. Please be aware of this as you enjoy the heath this autumn.
FoBH members report a large branch has fallen across National Cycle Route 6 – the path running between the school sports grounds and Harpenden road (pictured top).
There was also a branch across one of the paths near the old WWII water tank. The FoBH chair managed to shift it! (Pictured below.)
Please be alert for any other fallen trees or branches and do let us know so we can report them. chairman @ bernardsheath.org
Friends of Bernards Heath (FoBH) urge you to act today to protect our local representation.
In 2028, under central Government reforms, St Albans District Council (SADC) will cease to exist.
Bernards Heath – your local green space – could be managed by people many miles away, with no knowledge of the area.
Central St Albans doesn’t currently have local representation in the form of a parish council and soon we will lose our councillors.This means:
– no-one to speak up for local residents and businesses.
– nobody based locally to look after our parks, community spaces and markets.
The FoBH believe that establishing a Parish Council for central St Albans is the best way to keep our local voice and to protect our Heath.
We urge you to get involved with the consultation scheme which runs until Monday 6th October.
What can you do?
We risk losing the chance to have any future influence on our community.
To support a parish council for central St Albans, email CGR@stalbans.gov.uk
Include your name and address (your details will be kept confidential).
The wording can be short and simple –“ I/We support the creation of a parish council for central St Albans to ensure that the city has local representation.”
Further information is available at: www.stalbans.gov.uk/local-government-reorganisation
Q1. We’re already in the parish of St Peter’s. Why would we need anything else?
A1. Strangely, parish councils have nothing to do with churches. The word ‘parish’ has two meanings. The non-ecclesiastical version just refers to the smallest or lowest level of local government.
Q2. Why doesn’t central St Albans have this ‘smallest or lowest’ level of local government, given everywhere else in the district (Harpenden, Sandridge, London Colney etc) does.
A2. Because St Albans City and District Council (SADC) was allowed to direct-govern the centre through the City Neighbourhoods Committee. This will disappear when SADC and our local councillors go, leaving a gap.
Q3. Hertfordshire councils are merging. Won’t the city of St Albans be the new HQ for the unitary authority governing its area?
A3. Very unlikely. Land is expensive and space and roads tight. That’s why we need a local body to speak up for us.
Q4. Why a parish council and not a town or city council?
A4. Parish council is a general term for the smallest or lowest level of local government. Our ‘parish council’ would no doubt be called a town or city council. Harpenden Town Council is a parish council.
Q5. The process for creating a parish council (town council/city council) is a Community Governance Review (CGR). A consultation on this is running till 6 October. There’s a later consultation stage with more detail. Can I just ignore this first stage?
A5. Not if you want there to be a second stage. We understand that SADC needs a show of interest to move things forward effectively.
The deadline for CGR consultation responses is Monday 6 October. If you have a view on whether we should be progressing to the next stage on creating a parish council (aka town council/city council) for central St Albans please send your consultation response to CGR@stalbans.gov.uk.
Friends of the Heath report that the path along the bottom of Beech Bottom Dyke (BBD) is blocked by a large tree. The Friends do work hard to keep the paths in BBD, and across the heath, open. However, this job is too large for the Friends to manage and has been reported to the council.
The prolonged period of low rainfall has been obvious is the grass, which has been dying on the heath since the end of May. However, the parched conditions have now claimed a more substantial victim, a young cherry next to the cycle path on the upper heath.
The tree was planted several years ago, on top of the old air raid shelter. Despite the FOBH tree warden making the council workers aware of the problem, planting continued. The tree has exceeded expectations, until now. The attached photo clearly shows the parch marks of the old shelter in the ground, with the poor tree planted on top.
A substantial brach has fallen from an Ash tree and is blocking one of the paths off Spinney Lane. The branch fell during the weekend of the 12th & 13th July and has been reported to the council.
Please let the FOBH know of any ongoing access issues.
As reported in April, there have been on-going investigations into the soil conditions on the old orchard and Ariston site areas on Bernards Heath. We believe these are linked to a long-expected planning application. Do contact us if you have any concerns.
The Friends are happy to take questions about, and report incidents regarding, the heath, dyke and wastes to the council. Residents can now also report incidents directly to the council when logged ino the their account on the SADC website.
FoBH chair, David Pearce, noted that this is a useful tool as “local can check to see whether the incident has already been reported by someone else or to obtain an update”.
