S W Winter 2018 Issue 91 E N y d t i n o u o m h m o r c u e h t o SYMONDSHYDE DEVELOPMENT The current state of play n b i JERSEY FARM PARKRUN e Now taking place on the Woodland Park h c i FREE TREES g o v Get planting with the new urban tree packs i r e u www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk o Sponsored by Sandridge Parish Council for everyone Y N in Sandridge, Marshalswick and Jersey Farm CHILDREN’S BALLET, TAP, STREET/JAZZ, STREET DANCE AND MUSICAL THEATRE CLASSES MORNINGS Mondays in Jersey Farm FOR AGES Tuesdays in Hatfield Road 18 MONTHS - 5 YRS Fridays in Cottonmill Lane (PAY-ON-DOOR) Saturdays in Jubilee Centre (Catherine St) Mondays in Cottonmill Lane AFTER SCHOOL Tuesdays in Hatfield Road & Highfields Charters YMCA CLASSES FOR Wednesdays in Marshalswick AGES 3-15 YEARS Thursdays in St Stephens, Watling Street (opp King Harry pub) Saturday mornings in Jubilee Centre, Catherine Street, Pilates Workshop at Magenta, Ronsons Way 2 WINTER 2018 www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk Neighbourhood NEWS In this issue... Chair’s report 4 SandPit Theatre news 23 Councillor Janet Churchard Amazing events coming up this season Sandridge Neighbourhood Plan 5 Consultation this autumn Jersey Farm Free trees 6-7 Get planting with the new urban tree packs parkrun Roll on a wet winter 8-9 Now taking place on Heartwood Forest wetland area 24-25 the Woodland Park Elections 27 Could you be a Sandridge Parish Councillor? St. Albans Jersey Farm Community Centre 28 A listing of activities and regular hirers rocks Local parent Spencer Hall 29-30 A listing of activities and regular hirers decorates rocks for Marshalswick library Sandridge Village Hall 31-32 A listing of activities and regular hirers 10-11 Marshalswick Community Centre 33 A listing of activities and regular hirers Noticeboard - Winter 2018 12 A listing of contact points Local church news 34-38 Find out what’s going on at your local churches Who do I contact? 13 Useful numbers for many local issues that arise in our parish Local business profile 39 The Marguerita Hoare School of Dance Symondshyde development 14-15 The current state of play Burglary prevention 40-42 PCSO Chris Stokes Education news 16-19 Find out what’s going on at your local schools Sandridge WI 43 A busy season Parish Council Meetings 2018/19 20 Dates and venues of Sandridge Parish Council meetings Marshalswick North Residents’ 44 Association Going off with a bang! 21 A very successful AGM Jersey Farm fireworks are back after a two year break Free pensioners’ bus timetable 45 Cover photo - Winter sun on the Woodland Park Sponsored by Sandridge Parish Council Published for and on behalf of Sandridge Parish Council Published by: LOCAL PUBLISHING LTD Tel: 01727 757475 Circulation: Over 4,750 homes in Marshalswick, Jersey [email protected] Farm and Sandridge. This is equivalent to all of the www.localpublishing.co.uk AL4 9-- postcode area. Editor: STEFANIE HAYES [email protected] EDITORIAL DEADLINE Advertising: NICK HAYES [email protected] If you have an article you would like to be considered for the SPRING 2019 issue, please email it to the editor Address: Neighbourhood News, c/o Sandridge Parish by Thursday 14th February 2019 Council, Marshalswick Community Centre, COPYRIGHT - Items in this publication are subject to copyright. The Ridgeway, St. Albans, AL4 9TU Copying in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Unless specifically stated, views expressed in Neighbourhood News are not necessarily those of the editor or of Sandridge Parish Council. While sponsored by Sandridge Parish Council, Neighbourhood News is an independent publication. The editor reserves the right to shorten, modify or reject submitted material. All advertisements, photographs and artwork supplied to Neighbourhood News are accepted in good faith (free of copyright). Neither Sandridge Parish Council nor the editor can be held responsible for goods or services advertised. www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk WINTER 2018 3 Chair’s report Councillor Janet Churchard ANDRIDGE Parish Council is always Councillor who had a passion for providing keen to promote exercise and healthy good play areas for children of all ages. Sliving. We maintain a number of play As Chair of the Sports and Recreation areas and open spaces which many of our Committee, he worked tirelessly to extend residents regularly tell us they enjoy using. and update play equipment, and he was a When we were approached by the key negotiator on behalf of the Parish organisers of ‘parkrun’, we were interested to Council regarding the Children’s Centre at hear their proposal. Their request to relocate Sherwood Avenue. It was decided to place a from Heartwood Forest to Jersey Farm plaque to his memory on a bench in the Woodland Park was discussed at a Parish Jersey Farm Adventure Playground. Council meeting. Their Event Support It is with regret that the Council have Ambassador, Mr Andrew Van Heiningen, asked St. Albans District Council to remove was present to answer questions. some of their recycling facilities. This is partly due to fly-tipping alongside the large Impact bins that has attracted rats, and partly due to The issues raised by councillors included improved and extended kerbside recycling the potential for damage to footpaths, for householders. The facilities at marshalling, impact on wildlife and impact Marshalswick Community Centre car park on other users. It was decided to give parkrun and Spencer Meadow in the village are the a year’s permission to hold a run each areas that have suffered the worst problems. Saturday morning at 9am. A trial session was held at the end of Improvements October, and regular runs will be underway by the time you receive this edition of Councillors who were available visited the Neighbourhood News. The Parish Council, new building at Sandridge School, which will and our residents no doubt, will be provide extra facilities for the children. They monitoring the impact on the Woodland were most impressed by the building and the Park. All being well, this will be a positive positive impact it will have on the pupils. new initiative at the centre of our We have appointed Emma Hostler as our community. new Deputy Clerk, and she has now joined Many residents will remember the late the team in the Parish Office. Although Peter Kennedy, particularly those in Jersey mainly office based, she will also get out and Farm where he lived. He was a Parish about in the parish. www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK For news and information from the Parish Council and the surrounding areas 4 WINTER 2018 www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk Sandridge Neighbourhood Plan Consultation this autumn AST quarter, I reported that we The core policies that have been discussed planned to consult with residents on to date remain unchanged, and we are L a draft Neighbourhood Plan for working to ensure the document has the Sandridge parish this autumn. Unfortunately, necessary clarity to pass the required for various reasons, we have slipped on our examination by an independent inspector. timetable, but hope to consult early in the We have also been checking that our new year. Neighbourhood Plan aligns with and builds Once the consultation has been completed, upon the draft local plan. The two the comments reviewed, and any necessary documents have to be considered together, changes made, the draft plan will go to the and therefore it is important they do not District Council and an independent contradict each other. inspector before we hope to have the final This autumn, the District Council has version ready for a referendum been consulting on its Local Plan. The Parish next year. Council did respond to the consultation and Hopefully the delays repeated some of the comments they have mean we have a better made before about the number of new Neighbourhood homes proposed, the likelihood of those Plan to present numbers being built, and the level of to you. affordable housing proposed. Councillor John Hale On behalf of the Neighbourhood Plan Task and Finish Group www.sandridge-pc.gov.uk WINTER 2018 5 Free trees Get planting with the new urban tree packs ID you know the UK’s gardens Woodland Trust want everyone to have the cover an area bigger than the Lake chance to plant a tree. They know space is DDistrict and Peak District limited in urban areas, so the packs contain combined? And that’s not including the a mix of 15 saplings, ideally suited to this allotments, parks and playing fields dotted environment. across our towns and cities. You can plant them in your school These urban green spaces are vital for both grounds, local park, or even share with your people and wildlife. We can make them even neighbours to green your whole street. greener by planting trees. If you’re part of a school or community That’s why the Woodland Trust have group, you can apply for a pack free of launched their brand new urban tree packs - charge. If not, they are available for a small and you can order yours today! subsidised fee from the Woodland Trust Whether you live in the shop. country or a city, the Why plant trees anyway? Here are three pollution from the air each year. reasons to get planting in your area: Trees also boost our health and wellbeing. People with access to trees and green spaces • Plant for wildlife are more likely to be active and there’s strong The urban environment can be hostile for evidence of a positive impact on mental wildlife.