UPDATE THE NORTHAW & CUFFLEY PARISH COUNCIL MAGAZINE
OCTOBER 2018 ISSUE 65
Hello Autumn!
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
KGV – CUFFLEY CLERK’S OUR NEW HORTICULTURAL UPDATE IN PLAYGROUND SOCIETY PICTURES
see page 14 see page 18 see page 24 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
Travis Perkins
Supplies more than 100,000 product lines including general building
Materials, timber, plumbing & heating, kitchens, bathrooms,
Landscaping materials & tool hire.
Next day delivery service
Branch Manager Assistant Manager Ryan Shrives Craig Knight
Why not take advantage of the Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council Cash Card which offers discount on all our product lines. Simply bring in a copy of this advert.
Cuffley Branch Sopers Road, Cuffley, Herts EN6 4SE Tel: 01707 873536 E-mail: [email protected] www.travisperkins.co.uk Opening Times Monday to Friday 7.30am – 5.00pm Saturday 8.00am – 12 noon
UPDATE ISSUE 65 CONTENTS Editor: Jason Grocock, Clerk to the Council Page
Chairman’s Update...... 3-7
SCANGB Update ...... 8-11
KGV – Our New Playground...... 14-15
What’s On At Cuffley Hall...... 16
Date for your Diary – Annual Community Party...... 17
Cuffley Horticultural Society ...... 18
The Cuffley Airship VC – 100th Anniversary ...... 19
Northaw Community Orchard...... 20
Friends of St Thomas’s...... 22
Clerk’s Update in Pictures...... 24
Travel Questionnaire ...... 25-26
Northaw & Cuffley Parish Local Organisations & Socieites ...... 27
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Chairman’s Update Autumn 2018
Welcome to our Autumn Update. After a long hot summer we are assessing the impact of the lack of rain on our open spaces and reviewing summer events such as Village Day, The Chairman’s Cup at the Bowls Club, the evening guided walks, the opening of the new playground in Cuffley. and a wonderful visit to the Oshwal Centre. We are now refocusing our work plan, firstly, on our response to the Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Review, then on our Parish Three Year Plan and the Neighbourhood Plan as well as planning Village events over the next year and Phase Two of the play areas for KGV field in Cuffley.
Local Plan
The Welwyn Hatfield Green Belt Review has been released. This has been part of the Inspectors Review of the Local Plan. We will have responded to our concerns on the methodology of the report by the 18th September. The Inspector of the Local plan will then decide whether this report can be used to get the Borough to relook at the sites they could release from the greenbelt for potential building now or in the future. See the article in this edition.
Neighbourhood Plan
We started our Neighbourhood plan three years ago but because of the Local Plan being under review we put this on hold.
We are now looking to review particular sections of the plan before we ask residents to comment. If you would be interested in joining us to help us complete the plan we are looking for people with a particular Interest in 1. KGV Field Cuffley to look at the future uses of the field and the amenities that should be available on it, 2. Station Road how we might make it more of a village centre and how we might control the traffic flows through it. 3. The density and style of housing we think should be built in our villages for the future if, further building were to be allowed. We will be looking for a maximum of 5 people to join each of these groups. Other topics maybe added to this list.
If you think you might be interested and want further information on how much work might be entailed please let me know by emailing [email protected]
Playground
The New Playground in Cuffley opened on time, and, in time for the last day of term at Cuffley School so had a great rush of children using it on the first day. Feedback has been very good so a big thank you to Councillor Brook and the working group for their hard work. We have a few teething problems with one rubbish bin overflowing whilst all the rest are empty so will be looking at moving some bins.
3 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
Events Licencing and Planning permission
We have received many complaints about excessive noise and disruption from events in and around our two villages over the summer months. This has come both from a restaurant hosting noisy outdoor parties and events on farmland. We are trying to look at the ways forward working with the Borough Council Licencing and Planning departments and with the event organisers. As many of the events are on greenbelt land there are restrictions on how many days events can be run at a particular location. The 28 days allowed includes setting up and taking down the event.
We recently had a useful meeting with Colesdale farm to discuss how things can be improved to prevent the road chaos, noise and litter problems of the previous event. They will be in future just using one events management company to organise their events. This company will be running a phone line throughout the event for residents to report any problems. They would prefer to sort out problems at the time rather than waiting until after the event. They will send this contact number to the Parish Office so that we can put it on the website as well as giving it to the Residents Association for circulation. They will also publish events in good time. Update will come out after their Bank Holiday weekend event so hopefully we will see the benefit of their new systems.
We will be meeting with the Borough and Licencing in October so will highlight the number of weekends, particularly over the summer, that are now being disrupted for residents due to the increasing number of local locations running events.
Parking
After some problems with the Borough Council traffic wardens not being able to issue parking fine notices in Sopers Road carpark, the problems have been resolved, so expect a parking fine if you haven’t paid. The Borough Council wardens have website access so can see if your car has been registered as paying online on that day.
The parking fee, which comes to the Parish Council, pays for Business rates, the maintenance of the car park and employment of staff to keep it free of litter and during the winter keep it salted and gritted. The Parish gets no money from parking fines, these all go to the Borough Council.
Village Day and 125 years
Another enjoyable day, but an absolute scorcher. Around 1500 people braved the soaring temperatures to either help at a stall, perform or just come and enjoy the day. The Bollywood Dancers were a great hit and got the crowd participating in the dancing. I would like to thank the organising committee- Hanal, Nicola, Colin, Nick, Shani, Claire and to all the stall holders, volunteers, sponsors, performers and staff who helped make this a successful event. Thanks also goes to Councillor Sharkey and his grandson who took on the most difficult job of the event each year- carparks.
The Bowls Club said they had the best year for visitors during the day and kindly donated £100 to the Charities we collected for on the day so thanks you to them. Andrew Tweed has kindly made a short film of the event so coming soon on the website there will be a link to this.
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Next year the Parish Council will be 125 years old so hope to make Village Day a very special event. If you have any photos of Carnivals, processions or fetes in Northaw and Cuffley over the last 125 year please let us have a copy.If you would like to get involved please let me know. Our first meeting will be in October.
Chairman’s Cup
The annual Chairman’s Cup event at the Bowls Club is one of a few events when the Chairman gets to wear the official Chain of Office .The Club are always very welcoming and it was great to sit in the peace of a Cuffley afternoon with just the click of the bowling balls and words of encouragement between players. The skill of the players has obviously been honed from many hours of practise over many years and although all players have that competitive streak the obvious companionship between all the players is apparent. This is one of the friendliest clubs I have been to and members are always happy to introduce people to this great sport for all ages.
Chairman’s Cup winners 2018 Maureen and Roy.
5 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
Staff Leaving
We are sorry to be saying goodbye to our Financial Officer, Hilary. She has been a massive asset to the Council over the last few years. We wish her all the best for the future but would love to have her back if she finds she has free time.
Oshwal Centre 50th Anniversary of the Oshwal Association of the UK
Many of you may not know that hidden away on Coopers Lane Road, Northaw is the most awe inspiring Jain Temple and Community Centre in the most beautiful country setting. I was honoured to be invited to their 50th Anniversary celebrations along with the Mayor of Welwyn Hatfield, Barbara Fitzsimmons. The two days gave me a chance to understand more about their community and culture, and to eat the most delicious vegetarian food. We often talk about community events in our Villages and I think we have a lot to learn from the Oshwal community who have a sense of real belonging and responsibility for each other. As part of their celebrations they were welcoming a group of Armed Service representatives who were travelling around the country talking about the work they do. The Centre welcomes people to visit and I hope that we may be able to arrange some joint working in the future. Thank you to the President and Executive Committee for their warm welcome.
Council elections May 2019
Have you ever thought about becoming a Parish Councillor? If you have then in May you will have the opportunity to stand for election. There are 8 Councillors and to apply to become one of them you must live in the Parish of Northaw and Cuffley. The positions are not paid but reasonable expenses are covered. You would have access to training which is fully funded which includes basic training on the responsibilities of Councillors to understanding the finances or engaging your community. There is a certain amount of work on top of the 6 full Council meetings a year plus committee meetings dependent on which committees you join. We have tried to move most meetings to the evening so people who work in the day can attend. I
If you have an interest in shaping your community and have skills in project work, finance, buildings planning or the environment or are willing to learn more about them, get in touch and speak to one of the councillors. The Parish Council, like all others, works on the democratic principle of majority vote. This means you will have to work in an environment when you won’t always agree with all the decisions. However, once the decision is made you will need to be able to work with the group to ensure its success in achieving its plan. Parish Councils are an important part of local democracy and to ensure our local residents influence the future of our two villages we need committed people to apply.
Sally Pollitt
Chair
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We have the ability to comfortably seat 120 (100 if sat at tables). There are also a couple of anti-rooms leading off from the main hall and stage areas that can be used as a cloak-room or food/drink serving area. There is an ample sized kitchen for food preparation that also has a serving hatch.
Our regular hirers who run various classes and events that might be of interest are as follows:
Mondays 9:30am - 11:00am Yoga Class with Sally Norfolk 2:30pm – 4:00pm Pilates by Lynnette Fignon Northaw Village Hall is situated between Potters Bar and Cuffley in the village of 4 :00pm – 5:30 pm Pilates by Lynnette Fignon Northaw. The Hall can be found approximately mid-way between St Thomas a Becket 7:30pm - 9:00pm Wing Chung Kung Fu by Peter Foreman Church and the junction of Church Lane with Northaw Road West. The Hall has its Tuesdays 10:00pm-11:30am Keep Fit by Lynnette Fignon own car park. 11:30am - 1pm Pilates by Lynnette Fignon Our Hall caters for a wide variety of clubs, institutes and classes, as well as being used 2:00pm - 3:30pm Positive Movement with Helen Nygate for local polling during elections. Apart from the normal main hall entrance, Northaw The Women’s Institute - 1st Tuesday evening every month – Village Hall also has an additional front elevation entrance that has been specifically Frankie Stephens/Carol Summerhayes designed and installed to enable wheelchair access. There are also toilet facilities Cuffley Industrial Heritage Society - 2nd Tuesday evening every inside the Hall that are friendly for the elderly as well as those with physical month – Michael Game disabilities. Wednesdays 9:15am - 10:15am Yoga Class with Marina Coleman 7:00pm - 8:00pm Pilates with Divina Gutteridge 8:15pm - 9:15pm Opacize with Xanthia Adamou
Thursdays 9:30am - 10:30am Zumba Class with Judy Martell 8:00pm - 9:30pm Tai Chi Class with Bob and Joanne Fermor
Friday 9:00am – 10:45am Yoga by Victoria Scriven
Saturday & Sunday – Call for availability
Northaw Village Hall is a completely self-sufficient, charitable organisation that is run by a dedicated team of volunteers. If you are interested in joining the committee of trustees to help run and maintain this valuable local resource then please contact us; we would love to hear from you! For further details please contact Northaw Village Hall Bookings Secretary on: 0778 955 8928
7 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
S C A N G B U P D A T E
Local Plan Stage 3 Green Belt Study -What It Means To Northaw & Cuffley
Dear Supporters,
Well its been many months since we last contacted you about developments with the Local Plan so I’m sure you were wondering what is going on – so were we. In the last week or so there has been a lot of information published from Welwyn and Hatfield about the work they have been doing and some of the next steps so this report is intended to bring you up to speed where we are today.
In short, as part of the Local Plan Process, the Planning Inspector with WHBC have concluded an assessment of all potential land within the borough that could or should be considered for development. For Cuffley (not so much Northaw) this has bought in to play virtually ALL the land surrounding the village. These are not proposals or even decisions but purely an assessment of what could be candidates for developments. The Parish Council are on the case and are preparing a response but we all felt it was important to give all residents the opportunity to understand the detail or just be aware of the headlines and how they may be affected.
If you want to know more then the following is a summary of where we are today and how these assessments may affect us but at this stage, it’s a starting point for site identification and is by no means binding or final.
What has changed in the last year or so?
Housing Target When the WHBC Local Plan was first published, it had, at the core of its objectives, to build some 12,000 dwellings over a 20-year period (from 2013 to 2033). We always thought that this target was very much on the high side, as it was skewed very much by the development of the British Aerospace site and expansion of the University, so it was with some encouragement when we heard that the government was introducing a standard approach to calculating population (and thus housing) target. Sadly, this enthusiasm was short lived as the target has risen and it is this revised number that the latest version of the Local Plan is looking to accommodate. Exactly what this new target is depends on who you speak to WHBC claim it should be circa 16,000 based on their local knowledge, and input from various planning consultancies and experts. The Planning Inspector who is appointed by the government to oversee this process has a different view and has requested Stage 3 assessments to be based on targets of 20,000. So the new approach to standardising housing targets is working well then.
Government legislation The whole planning process is governed by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) which is intended to give guidance to local councils on, amongst other planning issues, what and how they utilise the Green Belt. It is, amongst other things, intended to provide the mechanism of protecting the Green Belt from over development or urban sprawl whilst increasing housing development to meet government targets. Pretty much an impossible task so its perhaps not surprising that in its current form can be interpreted in a number of different ways. In an effort to manage these conflicting objectives (protecting the Green Belt whilst allocating land for development) the government has done what governments do best – pass the responsibility to the local council, or so they claim. Rather than bring clarity to the whole conundrum of Green Belt protection, we believe its just made things vaguer and passing decision making to local Borough Councils seems more random than ever.
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Allocating sites for developments Another change is the approach to identifying the necessary land needed to meet the housing need (12,000, 16,000 or 20,000). Historically this was done, pretty much, in two ways. a) Share the target across the borough in proportion to current settlement numbers regardless of the local infrastructure – basically giving every area a similar proportion of the target. b) Canvass local landowners to accumulate enough land in the designated areas for the desired number of houses – if there was more land available than the local target then the council would choose the most appropriate sites.
This approach whilst aiming to be fair by ‘sharing the pain’ was flawed in a number of ways and failed to meet the 20,000 target so the Planning Inspector stepped in to ask the council to commission an independent report on all Green Belt land in the Borough – regardless of whether a landowner has offered it for development or if it is in excess of a local apportionment.
The Local Plan hasn’t quite gone back to square 1 but the process of site determination has had a major review. So as it stands today we have two targets, one from WHBC and one from the Planning inspector. As we understand it the intention is to find enough land to accommodate the 20,000 target that will be used until 2033. If the 16,000 WHBC target proves over the next 15 years or so to be more realistic then the land that was surplus to the 20,000 target will likely form part of the land bank for post 2033 development.
So what does this mean to Cuffley and Northaw? The first thing to understand is that the one thing the NPPF is quite clear on is that parcels of Green Belt land that are remote from an existing settlement should not be used for development. This is to avoid building a housing estate on a large field that is not attached to an existing boundary of a town or village. Therefore, the vast majority of all land that is being considered to support the 16,000 homes is either.
1) Brownfield land or business premises converted to residential. The issue of how this is managed is a careful balance between employment locations and housing. Certainly there are plenty of candidates for conversion but how far in favour of one or the other will the council be prepared to go? 2) Green Belt land that adjoins an existing settlement. What the review has undertaken in Cuffley is an ‘impact’ review of all Green Belt in Cuffley that borders the village. Realistically, this is the only land that stands much chance of being included for development – it could be a large swathe of land or it could be small but the principle is it has to be ‘connected’ and wherever possible create a natural boundary.
The ‘impact assessment’ has tried to provide an objective view on the ‘value’ that each parcel of land that surrounds Cuffley brings to the Green Belt. So, rather than target developments that have been driven by the willingness of developers, this new approach is intended to put all the potential parcels of land ‘on the table’ and then decide which ones are best suited for development. This approach could be a blessing or a curse to residents of Cuffley depending on the relative ‘quality’ of Green Belt land throughout the borough but it does go some way towards addressing our early concern that housing targets were being apportioned purely on a pro rata basis not on a ‘best fit’ basis.
What’s the outcome of this Green Belt Assessment? Every parcel of land in the following table was assessed on several different criteria to determine its impact on the Green Belt if it were to be developed. This criteria included how ‘open’ the site is (this is an important definition according to the NPPF), how it safeguards countryside from encroachment, preserving special character and so on. Preserving boundaries to the Green Belt is also important, making sure they are clearly defined (ideally this could be a road, stream, railway line) and defensible (to make it more difficult to ‘creep’ in to Green Belt spaces). A full list of these can be found on the Council’s web site (see below). It resulted in an overall score that categorised each parcel as low impact, low to medium, medium, medium to high, high and very high. Obviously the lower the category the more likely it is to be a candidate to develop.
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More details of these assessments can be found on the borough council’s website using the following link and searching for pages 370 to 412. Please be aware - the document is huge and may take quite some time to download. www.welhat.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=13870&p=0
There are 10 parcels of land that have been assessed that directly affect Northaw and Cuffley
WHBC Ref No Location Green Belt assessment P82 Wood Green Timber, Chase Storer Recycling, Old Owens Sports Moderate to High Ground. Adjoining to Potters Bar P83 Land between Hook Wood & the M25. Adjoining to Potters Bar Moderate to High P84 Land around Northaw Village up to The Ridgeway and inc Stud Farm & High Park Farm P85 Northaw Village Moderate to Low P86 Land behind The Ridgeway, Nyn Farm and Thornton’s Farm High P86a Partial use of site P86 (Ridgeway and Carbone Hill) Moderate to High P87 Land to the North of Northaw Road East (formerly The Metropolis site) High plus land connecting to the East Ridgeway P88 Land to the south of Northaw Road East (KGV playing fields and Cuffley Moderate to High School) up to and beyond the railway line P88a – P88e Partial release of pockets of land within P88 – ranging from Cuffley School (low) to land to the west of the railway line (Moderate to High) P89 Land to the north of The Meadway Moderate to High P89a Part release - Land to the north of The Meadway Moderate P90 Tolmers Activity Centre (scout camp) including Peters Wood Moderate P91 Tolmers Wood (to the south of Newgate Street) High
What about Northaw? In the early versions of the Local Plan, Northaw remained excluded or ‘washed over by Green Belt’ meaning that it had a significant amount of protection and it was (and still is) difficult to introduce any development even inside the village boundary as these were subject to stringent rules. In the new ‘assessment’ things have changed and Northaw has been reviewed in an effort to find suitable land. Basically, development constraints (including small house extensions) inside the village boundary may be relaxed to bring Northaw in line with Cuffley. However, the surrounding area that sits outside the village boundary has been classified as high Green Belt impact and thus seemingly well protected.
If approved, it’s really difficult to know what long term impact this may have on Northaw village, i.e. retaining Green Belt constraints outside the village boundary but removing the “washed over” Green Belt status of the existing village.
However, this could be the thin end of the wedge and if Northaw is treated the same as Cuffley there is nothing to say there won’t be the same clamour to extend Northaw in to the surrounding Green Belt in exactly the same way as Cuffley.
The problem is that the future landscape of our villages are dependant on so many factors there is no one that can give a definitive answer to the question ‘What will happen in the next 15 years?’ There are so may if’s, but’s and maybe’s that large chunks of the plan is still speculative. The concern is that if WHBC and the Inspector cannot agree on the objective of the Local Plan (housing target) then it doesn’t bode well to get agreement on how this target will be achieved.
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So, what is the significance of these assessments? They are important as they provide a priority of which land areas should be considered for development, but they are NOT, in any way, final. The first consideration would be if the landowner is willing to sell – for example Peters Wood is defined as medium and thus a contender for consideration but given its owned by the Parish Council its hardly likely it will be offered for development. There are also a number of other considerations that will come in to play before any land is considered for inclusion in the Local Plan – this includes environmental, traffic, sustainability aspects that could well exclude low, or low to medium sites. But the reality is that it will put more pressure on including land within the moderate or moderate to high category.
What happens next? The Inspector has asked for comments relating to the methodology and approach that has been used to asses all these sites within the borough – its not about the conclusions that have been reached but just about the way it has been done and the criteria used. This requires a significant amount of technical knowledge on these matters and the Parish Council have commissioned a Planning Consultant to provide such comments. These need to be completed in the next 2 weeks. Once these observations have been submitted to WHBC it may result in some adjustments of the current assessments or they may stay the same, either way, residents will then have the opportunity to challenge the actual assessment themselves on a site by site basis – this is likely to happen toward the end of the year.
What is the opinion of the Parish Council and SCANGB? Its very difficult to draw a conclusion from this report because it is not making any decisions or proposals, its merely an assessment of what we have today. The good news is that it applies to the whole borough which makes it fair but that bad news is that we could end up with much more development than was originally proposed because our surrounding land is deemed less ‘open’ than in other parts of the borough. And herein lies the problem with this process. We are not dealing with binary decisions on where to develop, it is by its very nature, a very subjective decision which doesn’t deal with black and white but different shades of grey. All we can do is help inform this decision through local opinion and evidence
Likewise, we really don’t know how many of these assessed sites will in fact come in to play. Since the last Local Plan satisfied the need to accommodate 12,000 homes, other sites have since been put forward and these may well go a long way to filling the gap for an additional 4,000 to 8,000.
It’s difficult to anticipate how this will be managed by WHBC insofar as there appears to be sufficient land to support development for several years so there isn’t any immediate pressure to conclude this process, but their approach should become clearer in the coming weeks and months
If you would like to see the Full Stage 3 documentation - it is available on the borough council’s website via this link: www.welhat.gov.uk/article/6938/Examination-Documents Go to the bottom of page and download EX88A, EX88B, EX88C EX88D
The Parish Council are leading on this. SCANGB together with the Residents Association are helping with communication to the community. Between us we will keep you posted in the coming weeks on progress.
With thanks SCANGB
Recently we have noticed a significant amount of bounce back emails. If you previously signed up for SCANGB emails but haven’t received the above Local Plan Stage 3 explanation - please check your spam folder. Please also add [email protected] & [email protected] to your address book (also know as a white list). If you still experience issues email: [email protected]
IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO SIGN UP AND RECEIVE OUR FREE EMAIL UPDATES JUST DROP US A NOTE AT - [email protected]
11 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
Foot Health Clinic For foot healthcare and comfort
When: Wednesdays and Fridays Where: The Cuffley Clinic 5 Maynard Place, Cuffley
Nail cutting service Full foot health service (For treatment of corns, callus, fungal toenails, cracked heels, verrucae and ingrowing nails)
Call 01707 875400 or 07879447644
Mrs Geraldine Croker S.A.C. Dip FHPT S.A.C. Dip FHPP MBSR MIFR Foot Health Practitioner [email protected]
New Residents Information Packs If you have recently moved into Northaw or Cuffley, you can obtain a Parish Information Pack from the Parish Council Offices. This pack includes details of local organisations throughout the district, general information about the Northaw & Cuffley Community and relevant contact telephone numbers etc.
A warm welcome awaits you in the office, and there is always time to help with your enquiries, or you can ring the office on: 01707 875825 You can also contact us via our own website: www.northawcuffleypc.org.uk Or you can E-mail Carol Branigan for an electronic copy at: [email protected] If you have a new neighbour, who you think might appreciate an Information Pack, just let them know that they are available free from the Council Office, at 7 Maynard Place, Cuffley, EN6 4JA. Jason J Grocock - Clerk to the Council
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Whatever event you have in mind ... will provide the ideal setting ! Wedding Receptions Ͳ Parties Ͳ Exhibitions Stage Shows Ͳ Concerts Ͳ Dancing and so much more !
Accommodation & Facilities Main Hall: 55ft (16.8m) x 31ft 6in (9.6m) Capacity: 180 for plays, shows, concerts, etc. or up to 140 at tables, depending on layout Facilities: Stage with 18ft (5.5m) proscenium, theatre lighting, grand piano, PA system, adjoining kitchen and licensed bar. Small Hall:22ft (6.7m) x 23ft (7m) Capacity: 30Ͳ40 depending on furniture layout Free WiͲFi available throughout the premises
Regular activities at Cuffley Hall include: Mondays: Badminton, Country Dancing, Short Mat Bowls, Art Society Tuesdays: Badminton, Art Society, Floral Art Club (monthly) Wednesdays: Cuffley Homemakers (monthly), Short Mat Bowls, Line Dancing, Weightwatchers Thursdays: Tea Dances (fortnightly), Horticultural Society (monthly), Residents Assn. (monthly) Fridays: Weightwatchers, Sarah Luke Dance Academy (term time only) Fridays & weekends: Generally available for private hire (also some slots available on other days, please contact us for details) All events open to the public, including plays, shows, exhibitions and charity events are listed in our What’s On guide, which is displayed at the Hall and on our website Reception is generally open from 9:00 to 11:30am Monday to Saturday Why not call in to have a look around and see what we can offer? We look forward to welcoming you to Cuffley Hall!
Maynard Place, Cuffley EN6 4JA 01707 875389 [email protected] facebook.com/cuffleyhall
cuffleyhall.co.uk Registered Charity No. 213603
13 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
KGV – Our New Playground
The old playground – a reminder!
Removing the old equipment Putting the swings in
Putting in the tunnel Building the towers and mound
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Installing the wheelchair accessible roundabout
Setting up the cableway
Levelling out the site with recycled rubber
Laying the safety surface
The finished result – Huge thanks to the PlayQuest Sat 22nd September 2-4pm – We had team and to the Mums on the a transformation! an invitation to young and old to get Working Group – Angie, Nat, Ant together and do some planting around and Caroline for their inspirational the playground. This was a real input over the last year community event.
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Now that Phase 1 of the playground redevelopment has been completed the Parish Council is keen to provide something at KGV for young people over the age of 11 years
We particularly want ideas from young people themselves!
Some suggestions already made:
• A skateboard park • A bicycle track • An all-weather track round the field • A climbing wall Send us your thoughts. Call the Parish Council office on 01707 875825 or email [email protected]
What’s On at Cuffley Hall- Autumn 2018 October Wed3rd Ͳ Fri 5th Greenwood Players: ‘Cheshire Cats’ by Gail Young Tue 9th Cuffley Floral Art Club: ‘Out of Africa’ by Vijay Bhatia Thu 11th Northaw & Cuffley Residents Association Fri 12th Cuffley Players Quiz Night Regular activities include: Wed17th Cuffley Homemakers: ‘Wildlife in the Garden’ with Chris Ward Thu 25th Cuffley Horticultural Society: ‘News from the Garden Centre Shelves’ Art Society Short Mat Bowls November Badminton Thu 8th Northaw & Cuffley Residents Association th Tea Dances Fri 9 Floral Demonstration in aid of The Nightingale Cancer Support Centre Sat 10th Cuffley Art Society Annual Exhibition Line Dancing Wed21st Cuffley Homemakers: ‘A Century of Ordinary People and Ordinary Songs’ Country Dancing with Christine and Peter Padwick Flower Arranging Thu 22nd Northaw & Cuffley Parish Council Meeting nd Weightwatchers Thu 22 Cuffley Horticultural Society: ‘TV Gardener’ with Danny Clarke Sat 24th Cuffley Players Coffee Morning To find out more, Wed28th Ͳ Sat 1st December Cuffley Players: ‘Duets’ by Peter Quilter call 01707 875389 December th or visit our website: Thu 6 Northaw & Cuffley Residents Association Tue 11th Cuffley Floral Art Club: ‘Let’s Get Creative for Christmas’ cuffleyhall.co.uk by Jonathan Moseley (National Demonstrator) Wed12th Cuffley Homemakers Christmas Lunch (booking essential) Fri 14th Community Party for the over 60s residents of Northaw & Cuffley Sat 15th Cuffley Players Mulled Wine & Coffee Morning
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MAKE A NOTE IN YOUR DIARY!
ANNUAL COMMUNITY PARTY For our Over 60’s residents. To be held in Cuffley Hall Friday 14th December 2018 12 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
For those of you who like to plan ahead, we have confirmed the date for this year’s party. Due to the success of last year, we will be repeating the same format to include a Fish & Chip lunch followed by dancing to the vocal talents of the amazing, JODIE STONE and to help get us into the Festive mood we will have the traditional visit from the delightful CUFFLEY SCHOOL CHOIR.
BOOKING DETAILS NEARER TO THE TIME
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Thursday 25th October News from the Garden Centre Shelves with Chris Thorne of Aylett Nurseries
Chris Thorne, retail manager for Aylett Nurseries, brings an amusing and informative talk on products and materials on sale to help your garden grow. With experience of running a radio phoneͲin he pronounces himself happy to be led up any garden path our members might wish during the evening!
Thursday 22nd November TV Gardener with Danny Clarke presenter of the BBC television series The Instant Gardener
Danny Clarke is a professional garden designer, maintenance practitioner and landscaper. A selfͲconfessed ‘friend of the earth’ Danny is not only an experienced horticulturist, but is also an established TV presenter and expert. Full on energy. Not to be missed!
7:30 for 8pm at Cuffley Hall Refreshments, Raffle & Plant Sales Admission Free for members (only £1 for visitors) Annual membership fee still only £5 per household! Full details on our website cuffleyhortsoc.org.uk or call 01707 875742
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19 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
www.northaworchard.com
The Community Orchard is a public green space in the heart of Northaw for all in the parish to enjoy. We aim to provide opportunities for education, conservation and healthy living.
It has been quite a challenging summer in the orchard weather wise. The drought conditions in June and July meant that some serious watering was needed to keep the young trees alive . Initially we watered only the most vulnerable trees but ended up having to water the whole orchard several times over 3 weeks . Thanks to the volunteers who turned out for us. The dry weather led to an increase in voles burrowing around the tree roots which was interesting to see. The weather finally broke just in time, although this made mowing quite a challenge as it suddenly became rather wet! Nick and his ‘trainees’ practising their scything
As well as our Scything Demonstration in August, we had an evening visit from the North London Organic Group who brought a picnic and had a tour of the Visitors enjoying fields. We also gave a talk at the Cuffley Horticultural Society in July on the an afternoon in theme of ‘Keeping It Local’, all about how the Orchard came about. the Orchard Name that Tree - Using a key to identify In early August Nick Scything Event trees from their leaves Edwards (the Slim Reaper) paid us a return visit. It was a lovely sunny afternoon and Nick worked
really hard showing his skills and helping people who wanted to have a go. There was plenty of cake, fruit punch and cream teas to go round. The children especially enjoyed doing a Scavenger Hunt and both adults and children had a go at identifying trees from their leaves. A great get together for everyone.
A good year for butterflies On Saturday 6th October Northaw Transition AGM was held in Ash Field. Raising Apple Day -Our main event of the the yurt year was held with Children’s activities and in April competitions, apple tasting, plants, cider, cakes and refreshments and .…………. Allsortz Comedy Award winning stand- up comedy from Barnet. The North London Organic Group Marbled White Skipper Orchards East Project The University of East Anglia is documenting orchards in the six eastern counties. We are looking for volunteers to locate and map past and Volunteer Help with Orchard tasks is always appreciated. If you would like to get some fresh air and gentle exercise present orchards in the Parish. Maps and survey forms provided. To get involved or find out with like-minded folk do contact us. more contact us or visit https://www.uea.ac.uk/orchards-east/home Marquee and yurt We have a 4m x 4m marquee and a yurt which can be hired for suitable events. Befriend a Tree For a small donation you can befriend your very own tree. In return, you will receive a certificate and be able to sample fruits from your tree. F ind the Orchard______between No. 47 and 49 Northaw Road West (access road to the Scouts) or Church Lane (by the bungalows) Contact us Ring the Parish Council office on 01707 875825 and someone will return your call or visit our website www.northaworchard.com and send us a message www.northaworchard.com
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NORTHAW VILLAGE HALL
Help keep this vital asset for your local community.
Committee Members urgently required.
Please contact Trevor Harvey on (01707)872768 e-mail [email protected] OR Jane Sheridan (01707)875163 Mob. 07832869528 e-mail [email protected]
BOWLS 4 FUN
At Northaw and Cuffley Bowling Club King George Playing Fields, Cuffley CUFFLEY FLORAL
Like to Try? ART CLUB Flower Arranging Demonstrations Bowling for all ages Come and see colourful flowers transformed Free qualified coaching into stunning arrangements.
All equipment provided, just We are a flourishing, friendly club meeting on 2nd Tuesday in the month at bring flat shoes or trainers Cuffley Hall, Maynard Place. ! Demonstrations at 8pm, doors open 7pm. In addition we have a garden meeting, Social and an Outing during the year, Further information please call Give it a go! You are very welcome to come along. Mrs Jackie Robinson 020 8441 3663
For more information call: Our future events are: 13th November: Club Social
Vic Boyle – tele: 07763334805 or 11th December: Kathy Stangaard - Joyous Noel
Joan Fryett – tele: 01707874474 www.nandcbowlingclub.co.uk
21 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018 F O S T Friends of St Thomas’s
Everyone is attracted by the image of the church of St Thomas a Becket overlooking the green at Northaw. And inside there are the exceptional murals and stained glass windows to admire. Keeping the fabric, furnishings and decoration in good repair is however a costly business. That’s where FOST comes in. You can be a Friend for just £1 per month. Every little helps. As a Friend you will receive a periodic newsletter. It will keep you up to speed with FOST’s activities and undertakings including the annual Friends Day. Most importantly you will be doing your bit. Helping to preserve St Thomas’s for future generations. To find out how to join FOST or make a donation, visit the Friends page on the parish website: www.norcuff.com or email: [email protected] or pick up a form or leaflet at the back of the church.
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Our new PCSO for Northaw and Cuffley, is Deborah Rogers. If you see her when she is out on patrol around the Villages, just introduce yourself, and I’m sure Deborah will be only too pleased to meet you. You can contact Deborah by telephone on the 101 Number by using full name, or her Warrant Number: 6425. You can also arrange to meet Deborah in the Council Offices when she is on duty.
Jason Grocock, Editor. CUFFLEY ART SOCIETY CUFFLEY FRIENDS OF CANCER RESEARCH UK
If you are interested in joining Thank you to all the Cuffley Art Society, Friends of Cancer Research who we meet on Monday afternoons from 1.30 – 4.30 pm all enjoyed a very informative talk and on Tuesday evenings by Dr Helen Fry on "Bugging the from 7.30 – 10.00pm. German Generals at Trent Park". Over £500.00 was raised from this evening. We hope to have a similar WWII talk next year.
Thanks to all our friends and supporters, we sent £6,500.00 to CRUK last year. Phone Sylvia for details on 01992-636977.
23 UPDATE OCTOBER 2018
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Following reductions in the 242 bus route service the Parish Council and the Resident’s Association received a large number of complaints. It seems unlikely that WelHat will provide a subsidy for this service in the future. This made us think about how the Parish Council could help with the transport issues that have arisen subsequently. This questionnaire has three aims: • Firstly, we need to know whether and how this has affected you. • Secondly, we’d like to find out about alternative transport solutions you may be using • Thirdly we’d like to hear any suggestions you might have that we could share with others. So do take a minute to complete this questionnaire. All results will be confidential. You can return it to the Parish Office at 7, Maynard’s Place, Cuffley, EN6 4JA.
About bus usage
1. How frequently in the last two years have you used the 242 bus service Daily Weekly Monthly Less than 6 times a year Not at all • • 2. If you have used the bus service, what was your reason for doing so? (Please tick any that apply) • To go to work • • To go to the hospital/GP To visit leisure destinations e.g. library, theatre • To go shopping • To go to school/college/university • Because your car was unavailable • • Other • • 3. If you never use the bus, why is that?
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About alternative services 1. If a bus has not been available, what alternative services have you used? Your own car Bicycle Taxi Lift with a neighbour, friend or relative Other
• 2. Does your place of work have a travel plan? If so, tell us about it here. • • • • 3. Have you ever used any of these schemes Dial-a-Ride (Herts County Council door to door service for people over 75 or with a disability) Shopper Hopper and Lunch Hopper (Welwyn and Hatfield minibus service for older and disabled • residents or those who have difficulty getting around. Trips to supermarkets and lunch clubs) • Hertfordshire Action on Disability Service (HAD) (a charity providing a 24hr door to door service for people• with disabilities) Car share companies e.g. BlaBla Cars, Liftshare (nationwide services open to anyone and booked • online) 4. Have you used any other service not listed above? Please let us know the details below
About you
1. What age category are you in?
Under 18 19-30 31- 60 60-75 Over 75 2. What road do you live in? 3. Do you have an older person’s bus pass or a disabled person’s bus pass? 4. Do you have a disability? Is there anything else you would like to add?
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