Abbots Langley News

I have further news on the closure of Gallows Hill Laneover the summer.  As I previously told residents, the road was due to be closed between Hazelwood Lane and Adrian Road for up to six weeks to enable drainage construction works to be carried out in Gallows Hill Lane, near the junction with Popes Road. It has now been clarified that the works will only mean full closure of the road between a point just to the east of Breakspeare School and the Manor House entrances to the pedestrian access to Garden Road and Kitters Green.

The road will be open for access only over other parts of the road, but it does mean that all except seven homes in Gallows Hill Lane will retain vehicular access. The project engineer has personally assured me that the county council are in contact with the affected residents and will try to maintain vehicular access as much as possible. The community centre, police station, doctors’ surgery and Manor House will keep their access.

Temporary bus timetables have been distributed by both Arriva and Mullanys and made available on their vehicles and hopefully at bus stops. If anyone has any questions, please contact me. If there are any problems during the works, I have the number of the project engineer to raise issues with him directly.

The next meeting of the Three Rivers Youth council will be held at Three Rivers House on Tuesday 13^thJuly between 5.30 – 7 pm. The agenda includes a discussion with a local journalist, hearing from a Holocaust survivor and news on summer holiday activities, plus a chance to discuss local issues.

For more information, please contact Ryan Watson on 01923 727334 or email commsadmin@threerivers.gov.uk.

Hertfordshire County Council are closing Gallows Hill Lane from the junction of Hazelwood Lane up to Adrian Road for 6 weeks from 26^th July to allow drainage works to take place. This will hopefully relieve the flooding problems that have plagued the junction of Gallows Hill Lane and Popes Road in particular.

The closure of this main route will cause a lot of disruption. The main diversion route will be via Gallows Hill Lane, Gallows Hill, Hamilton Road, Hunton Bridge Hill, South Way, Langley Lane and Tibbs Hill Road.  That’s a very long way round! I am assuming that access arrangements will be made for homes in High Street, Gallows Hill Lane & Kitters Green will be made, together with Vine House, police station, Manor House and cricket club, but I have not been told what they are yet.

The plan from the bus companies is to re-route the buses left out of Hazelwood Lane onto Gallows Hill Lane, into Gallows Hill and then use Abbots Road to access the High Street. Any other route would leave the companies unable to serve the Hillside area, High Street and Tibbs Hill Road for the entire summer period, leaving many people cut off.

I am pressing for the closure to be as short in time and area as possible and will let you have further news as soon as I have it.

Please try to support the remainder of our local primary schools’ fetes over the next fortnight. They are:

Saturday 3^rd July               Tanners Wood School Summer Fair         12 – 3pm
Sunday 4^th July                  Divine Saviour School Summer Fayre      1 - 4pm
Saturday 10^th July             Abbots Langley School Summer Fete      1 – 4pm

A number of residents have contacted me to ask why a large beech tree was chopped down on the edge of the woods in the Manor House, near the bucket swing.

The answer is that, whilst seemingly healthy, the trunk of the tree was substantially diseased and a decision was made by an arboroculturalist to fell it quickly before the dead wood progressed further. When the tree was sawn up, the damage proved to be even greater than originally thought.

There are many other trees in this area, so it will not be directly replaced.

I have been contacted by a number of residents being kept awake by the noise from the heating/ventilation unit on the roof of a block of flats in Shirley Road.

This is being investigated by Three Rivers’ Environmental Health, who have contacted the managing agents for the building..

Local councillors are continuing to press for a solution to the parking problems faced by residents of the houses in 1-4 Gade View Gardens (which front onto Gallows Hill Lane. The residents previously parked on the main part of the Gade View Gardens estate, but the site has been closed since the existing flats were earmarked for demolition. The site is now owned by a housing association, who will be redeveloping the site with houses and flats for social renting.

The proposal is for parking bays to be cut into the bank at the front of the houses, running parallel to Gallows Hill, similar to those at the bottom of Hazelwood Lane near the turn into Upper Highway. Previous suggestions of the officers have proved impossible due to service ducts and tree roots.

The design is not yet finalised, as there are a number of issues still to overcome, including the various requirements for sight lines and the changes already planned to the entrance to the new homes. It will be at least three months before plans are prepared, residents consulted and planning permission applied for, but at least things are moving in the right direction.

Three Rivers have again refused planning permission for a development of nine houses on land between Gallows Hill Lane and Hazelbury Avenue. The reasons given are the same as the previous refusal given last year:

• the proposed development would be cramped and contrived and would result in an unsuitable development;
• that there would be an unacceptable loss of trees and pressure to fell further trees in the future.

Congratulations to the team of residents who have worked so hard to block this application. We expect an appeal to be lodged within the month.

St Lawrence Church in Abbots Langley will hold their annual garden fete in the Vicarage Garden on Saturday 26th June. 

The Garden Fete will be open from 2-5pm and admission is free. There will be lots of fun for all the family, with the usual stalls and refreshments and a dancing display from the Rachelle School of Ballet. This is always a good event, come rain or shine, with plenty to do.

All profits will go to two local charities.

St. Paul’s Church and School in Langleybury have again joined forces to organise a Grand Summer Fayre on Saturday 26th June from 11am to 3:30pm

The bell ringers and choir will welcome you to the school and church at the start of the day.  Traditional stalls and games, an exhibition of children’s art, mini zoo, pony rides, vintage cars, and so much more will be on offer throughout the day, together with a variety of refreshments.