The WPAG August Newsletter has been published to subscribers. This is the first Newsletter after a long break due to technical problems, now overcome.
If you wish to receive a Newsletter online each month, then please go to the Newsletter Page and ‘subscribe’. It is free, but we do hope you will like what you see, decide to support us, and follow the registration link when you subscribe, to join WPAG as a fully paid up member.
Relaxed planning rules covering the construction of low cost ‘starter homes’ for local residents could be extended to rural towns and villages in England as part of plans to boost the rural economy which also include moves to make neighbourhood planning more straightforward.
Last week the Treasury and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs unveiled a package of proposals aimed at boosting rural productivity.
A key element would involve amending planning rules to allow so-called ‘starter homes’ to be built on Rural Exception Sites for the first time.
According to the policy paper, the government intends to make it easier for local areas to establish their own neighbourhood plans. They could then use these to allocate land for new homes, including starter homes on rural exception sites. The government also intends to review the existing threshold for the conversion of agricultural buildings into residential buildings.
(The Links Page provides easy access to the Government Planning Portal)
WPAG are subscribers to the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE). You can go to their Hertfordshire branch website for local news and information, or otherwise go to the National website. But since the summer issue of the national ‘Fieldwork Newsletter‘ was published, details of a new CPRE ‘Our Green Belt’ campaign have just been launched.
CPRE are marking the 60th Anniversary of the launch of official government Green Belt policy to protect the countryside by preventing urban sprawl. While CPRE’s recent poll showed there is still widespread public support for the Green Belt, it also highlighted that more needs to be done to continue to spread the word about its benefits.
The CPRE therefore wrote a letter to The Times recently, supported by famous luminaries, which called on the Government to strengthen the protection of the Green Belt, and to highlight its importance.
The CPRE has also launched the ‘Our Green Belt’ campaign, and is calling on the public to share Green Belt stories and case studies with the CPRE.
If you support the CPRE as a tool for good planning and share your support for the Green Belt, you are asked to go to the appropriate place on their website to submit your story.
The latest Newsletter from the Friends of Panshanger Park is now freely available online to members and friends. To subscribe, go to the Panshanger Park website.
The latest Newsletter details the many activities that can be enjoyed, including:
The Newsletter also details current Planning Applications which are causing concern to The Friends.
If you want to learn about the background to the creation of this fine Country Park, right on our doorstep, then the Panshanger Park website provides masses of information about the history of the S52 Legal Agreement to deliver a Country Park at Panshanger for the people of Hertfordshire, which dates back to May 1980, when following a Public Inquiry, the Secretary of State for Environment granted planning permission for mineral extraction at Panshanger Park, in return for the delivery of a Country Park across the 1000 acre estate.
In an email message sent this evening, 1st September 2015, to all volunteer members of the Drivesafe teams, for whom he was the local Organiser and Adviser, we have learned with great regret that PC 1467 Ben Satchfield has announced his resignation from the Police Force :
“I am writing to inform you that I will be leaving as your Drivesafe Volunteer Advisor.
After nearly 9 years in the job I have resigned and will be leaving the Police on 16th September 2015. This is due to me having other business interests outside of this job which I will pursue.
I have worked closely with a number of you over the past couple of years so please email me individually if you wish and I will happily explain more.
You will be advised of your new Advisor in due course. I trust they will organise a Christmas BBQ or other social and I hope to be able to attend if this is the case.
Regards,
Ben
PC 1467 Ben Satchfield | Neighbourhood PC – Welwyn Hatfield North SNT | Welwyn Hatfield
Everybody in Welwyn remembers Ben’s arrival as Neighbourhood Team Co-ordinator for Welwyn, Digswell and The Ayots, initially with two PCSO’s working for him.
He arrived like a blast of fresh air; young, lean and hungry, and very very tall, and he took an immediate and earnest interest in just about every activity in Welwyn. Ben was tireless in the way he attended and supported village meetings, not just to ‘be seen’, but to speak to us all. Whenever he could, he would switch his shift pattern, or work extra hours in order to respond to an Invitation.
At public meetings he was well informed, well prepared, and impressively articulate. As a result he was always well liked and well respected. He regularly attended the Tuesday Community Cafe where all the ladies loved him!
Ben was also very good at booking those who chose to ignore zig-zags on the zebra-crossing when parking in the High Street.
In the past two years, following a reorganisation within the Welwyn Hatfield police, Ben moved on as our village policeman to become a leading member of the Welwyn Hatfield based Safer Neighbourhood Team, and we read about his many successes in that role in the local Press.
Ben will be remembered locally for many reasons, not least by one of my grand-daughters who was prompted to say ‘hello’ to this lofty policeman when he called upon me one afternoon to discuss Neighbourhood Watch matters. We had had a well-loved Golden Retriever at home named ‘Ben’ for very many years, and on retiring to our kitchen while I talked with PC Ben Satchfield, my grand-daughter commented to my wife – “Ben is a funny name for a man!”
During his time in the Safer Neighbourhood Team in Welwyn Hatfield, Ben Satchfield has been the organiser and administrator of the very successful Drivesafe Project, whereby Police volunteers are trained, formed into teams, and then authorised to man speed cameras to deter speeding in and around Welwyn Hatfield.
Welwyn has three Drivesafe teams of its own, and although we did have some early administrative problems to do with equipment access, and long-winded and archane reporting procedures, these were not of Ben’s making, and he worked with great patience to get things sorted out amicably. Ben encouraged a Team spirit which was fortunately not entirely wrecked by his plan to have a BBQ at the Stanborough Police Headquarters on a freezing winter’s night. It is clear from the concluding comment in his resignation letter that, in the BBQ sense, he is a glutton for punishment!
Following the recent well constructed Survey of our vews on the operation of the Drivesafe Project, team members will all now hope that Ben Satchfield’s departure at this stage will not hamper its continuing success. Many people in Welwyn will echo our wishes for every success in Ben’s new business venture, accompanied by our thanks for helping to keep us safe.
Thanks Ben.
The Improvement.
Late in 2014 the Highways Agency (now called Highways England) announced that as part of its ‘Pinch Point Programme’, it would be ‘improving’ the northbound carriageway and slip roads at Junction 6 in order to ‘improve’ traffic flow between Junctions 6 and 7. This stretch of motorway carries 39,000 vehicles per day, and the ‘pinch’ is caused where the road going North at Junction 6 reduces from three lanes to two.
The Improvement work was completed in two phases at a cost of around £2.2million. and overhead gantries have now been installed. The Motorway layout has indeed been ‘changed’:-
a) to provide a ‘lane drop’ at Junction 6, leaving just two running lanes continuing to Junction 7, and
b) to lengthen and ‘amend’ the layout of the Junction 6 ‘on-slip’ at The Clock, with the purpose of reducing the traffic feed entering the A1(M) to a single lane, so as to ease the merging of traffic on the main carriageway further along.
The Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC) view.
The Spring/Summer 2015 Edition of the WHBC Newsletter ‘On The Move’, (which regularly documents progress on projects/actions), reported that ‘Early indications are that the scheme has not lived up to expectations. Queues are longer, and anecdotally there appears to be more rat-running along the A1000. Highways England is currently evaluating the situation and considering further measures to improve performance of this congested junction’.
The Welwyn village view.
As reported above, evidence is mounting that the changes to the Motorway have made what was a serious local traffic issue, infinitely worse:-
a) the lane-drop has provided north-bound rat-running traffic with a one mile clearway to Junction 6, and
b) the narrower ‘on-slip’ road at The Clock, regardless of its new length, causes rat-running traffic to back up to the already congested Clock roundabout, regularly causing a gridlock at rush hour.
The Danesbury Residents Association (DRA) solution.
The DRA has been voluble over many months, and active in raising concerns to local Borough Councillors, and to local resident County Cllr. Richard Smith.
The DRA Chairman Peter Branchflower, has put forward a remedial short-term solution. The suggestion is to install a single traffic light control at the southern entry point to the Clock Roundabout. This would regulate (i.e. halt/discourage) Motorway rat-running traffic, with the important side benefit of making it easier, and safer for local traffic to enter the roundabout at all times from the B656 Link Road (Codicote Road), and the B197 Great North Road (Oaklands/Woolmer Green/Knebworth).
The DRA suggestion has the active support of County Councillor Richard Smith, and the support of the local Borough Councillors too. County Cllr. Richard Smith raised concerns on 28th June with the County Executive Member for Highways and warned of worsening problems as The Clock development nears completion and current congestion problems worsen. (The Clock will soon open its 50 doors to new residents, with a projected 50-100 extra car movements directly onto the Roundabout).
The Hertfordshire A1 Corridor Consortium. (HACC).
One of the local Borough Councillors, Cllr Mandy Perkins, sits on the Hertfordshire A1 Corridor Consortium. (To learn of the purpose and membership structure of HACC please go to the Hertfordshire A1 Consortium.)
One of the HACC’s aims (apart from the Junctions 6 – 7 Improvement Scheme itself) is to deliver a strategy for the A1 corridor which will be available late Autumn 2015. It will be a fairly high-level document that will highlight problem areas and suggest interventions at junctions along the A1 and the adjacent local road network.
But this is clearly long term planning that will not help anybody in the short term, and in the short term, things do not look good.
Nevertheless, through the HACC there is an opportunity to bring pressure to bear on Highways England (HE) to bring about further works to improve the operation of their scheme. And indeed, at the 6th July 2015 meeting, local Consortium representatives vigorously urged Highways England to re-think on the current local rush-hour problems caused at The Clock Roundabout.
Where do we go from here?
On 7th August 2015, the DRA were advised by County Highways, (Andrew Morris – Highways Major Project Group) that ‘signalising the Clock Roundabout is not a proposal being considered in detail as part of the A1 Strategy. Even if the Strategy were to recommend this type of scheme, there would still be a need for further analysis, design development and funding obtained. To my knowledge HCC does not have any current proposals for signalising that junction’.
And then on 26th August 2015, County Cllr. Richard Smith again discussed these matters with the County Executive Member for Highways and pressed for short term measures to reduce the daily congestion.
For the moment, we must remain hopeful that somebody in authority has the capacity to apply ‘The Churchill Factor’ and “Action This Day”.
A body exists called the Hertfordshire A1 Corridor Consortium, (HACC)
The HACC is a group of councillors and council officers from Hertfordshire County Council and local authorities along the A1 in Hertfordshire. The Consortium also has representation from the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Highways England (formerly Highways Agency).
The Consortium was originally formed to lobby Government for investment in the A1 and they do claim some success. They played a part in the Government’s announcement of the A1(M) Junctions 6 – 8 ‘Smart Motorway Project’. This is planned to be built sometime around 2019/20 and will see the hard shoulders used as an extra lane between Junctions 6 and 8. Basically it will mean the current two-lane section will become three lanes in each direction, with laybys created for broken down vehicles.
One of the HACC’s aims (apart from the Junctions 6 – 7 Improvement Scheme which is already completed) is to deliver a strategy for the A1 corridor. The Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), working with Consultants Aecom, have been developing a Strategy, gathering data from the emerging Local PLans and other sources of development data, all of which is being fed into the Welwyn/Hatfield and Stevenage/Hitchin traffic model.
This A1 Strategy is due to be available late Autumn 2015. It will be a fairly high-level document that will highlight problem areas and suggest interventions at junctions along the A1 and the adjacent local road network.
Dog owners are very lucky to be living in this area, as there are so many different places where you can take your beloved pet for a walk. We all know how dog walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and become healthier. So lets take a look at some of the best amenity places around Welwyn where you can walk your dog, or dogs, and get the most out of this exercise.
Mardley Heath
Located in the Oaklands area, Mardley Heath is a Local Nature Reserve with some very interesting walks, some in wooded areas and some open space areas where your dog can run around free. Mardley Heath is owned by the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council and is managed by the council and Friends of Mardley Heath. There is a car park on Heath Road, which serves Mardley Heath very well. Mardley Heath can be accessed in numerous places including Hangmans Lane, Heath Road, Canonsfield Road, Dolesbury Drive, and others.
Danesbury Park
This is a beautiful 24.5 hectare public park and Local Nature Reserve, also owned and managed by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. The site was formerly the park of Danesbury House, and it still has some large mature trees which are important to wildlife. On occasions the park hosts Long Horn Cattle so take note of the notices that are posted on the entrances to the park which will provide information about the cattle and their occupancy of the park. When the cattle are present in the park, make sure your pets are kept under control. There is access from a number of roads including Codicote Road, North Ride and Danesbury Park Road.
Singlers Marsh
On the other side of Codicote Road from Danesbury Park is Singlers Marsh, a 6.3 hectare Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council. The site is bordered by the River Mimram. It has grassland, which is sometimes managed by cattle grazing and cutting, and areas of willow scrub with some more mature trees. As with Danesbury Park, be careful with your pets when the cattle are grazing and make sure they are under control. Singlers Marsh provides a habitat for a wide range of insects and birds. There is access by a kissing gate at the corner of Codicote Road and Fulling Mill Lane.
Harmergreen Wood
This is a 44-acre ancient woodland site which is ideal for dog-walking. It is a ‘back to basics’ woodland which is very appealing to those who like to witness nature in its natural form. The woods are located within walking distance of Welwyn North train station and can be accessed from Robbery Bottom Lane, Turpins Rise, and Harmergreen Lane.
All the sites mentioned that are owned and managed by the council, dog waste bins have been provided and are used by all responsible dog owners. This helps to ensure our community areas are kept clean.
These are just some of the best places in our beautiful area for dog-walking. So it would be nice to make the most of them and enjoy keeping healthy.
The Sherrardspark Wood Wardens Society organise a number of interesting walks which are detailed in their website.
The following walks are being organised over the next few months:
Please note that some of these walks allow only limited numbers and it is important to go to the Sherrardspark Wood Wardens website to get full details and, where needed, pre-book.
Lafarge Tarmac has opened up an Oak Trail which will allow people to see the magnificent Panshanger Oak once again. The Oak Trail starts close to Riverside Cottage in the heart of the park, and allows the public to walk close to The Broadwater, which is a lake fed by River Mimram and designed by Humphry Repton 200 years ago. On the Broadwater is a 19th century waterwheel.
Access to the Oak Trail is by foot from the Thieves Lane car park
On top of the hill are the remains of the Orangery and Conservatory, as well as the site of the former Panshanger House, demolished in 1953. From the site of the old house there is an impressive view across the valley towards Cole Green.
For more details of the impressive work of the Friends of Panshanger Park, and to see how you might help, go to the Friends of Panshanger Park.