The Chorleywood Residents' Association is on the lookout for new committee members.

We meet every six weeks on a Wednesday at Sunrise Nursing Homes, and we discuss various topics on the agenda concerning Chorleywood and the impact on our residents. These range from health, planning applications, the common and its use, dog fouling, the new Children's play facility budget and many others.  We consist of twelve executive members and have a number of sub committees which need support. If you would like to become more involved in your local community please get in touch we would love to hear from you.

Chorleywood & Rickmansworth Area Female Driving Instructor - Mags
ADI Registered
Contact Details: Mags Tel:07921 836601
Email: woodsy.mags@btopenworld.com


Excellent Pass Rate and builds confidence with all pupils
Pass plus registered
Refresher courses given,
Motorway lessons
Discounts for block bookings

For further information about this event, please contact the school

Take a look at the competition rules and the entry form
Happy snapping!

Anyone visiting the branch of Nationwide Building Society over the past week will have had the opportunity to notice that from the 8th of November 2010, the branch opening hours are going to be reduced.

Day	Current Opening Hours	Opening Hours from 8th Nov	Difference
Monday	0900-1700	0900-1600	-1hr
Tuesday	0900-1700	0900-1600	-1hr
Wednesday	0900-1700	0900-1400	-3hrs
Thursday	0900-1700	0900-1400	-3hrs
Friday	0900-1700	0900-1530	-1.5hrs
Saturday	0900-1200	Closed	-3hrs
Sunday & BH	Closed	Closed

You can take a look at a scan of the notice on the branch door here

Is this the thin end of the wedge? Just a sign of things to come? In a society when more and more of our transactions are done electronically there must be hard commercial decisions to be made with the increasing costs to banks and building societies to maintain a branch network. Barclays pulled out of Chorleywood a few years ago. But at the same time the banks and building societies have an impotant role in society, and the presence of banking facilities is an important factor for general retail trade in the high street, and there are many residents who are not interested in undertaking their banking transactions electronically. And even for those who who are internet connected and prepared to submit to internet/telephone/postal banking, there are some transactions that cannot be done outside of the branch.

We feel that the loss of local Nationwide banking facilities on Saturday morning is going to have the most impact for our residents, and this will only seek to drive residents who are otherwise busy during the week and who have a need to visit a branch for a specific transaction to drive to other towns where their bank branch is open on Saturday, and our local shops will loose out as a result.

It's not just Nationwide that are the bad guys - all the banks are at it.

• Nationwide building society warns of branch closures and job cuts
• 'Why is Nationwide abandoning us?' Another branch closure goes ahead despite big protests
• Loyal customers betrayed as high street bank closures go on

We're fortunate that this is a reduction in hours, rather than a branch closure. The branch of Nationwide in Chorleywood high street is as a result of Nationwide's take over of the Portman Building Society in 2007, and there was probably a statement that branches would be protected for a period of time after the merger.... if that period was 3 years, maybe the gloves are off now?

Nationwide have probably some evidence to support their business decision to announce a change in banking hours, but we would encourage all residents, especially those who are members of Nationwide, to contact Head Office, and maybe challenge the business decision that has been taken to modify the opening hours of our branch.

To give Feedback online to Nationwide (no reply offered) go to http://www.nationwide.co.uk/contact_us/feedback/feedback_form.htm
Or you can write to

Have you heard about Hertfordshire Constabulary's Community Messaging service?

Community Messaging uses the Online Watch Link (OWL) to keep you up to date with what’s going on in your police service. It is an automated system that emails you with useful information, news about your local police and crime prevention advice. It can also send short SMS text messages direct to your mobile.

To receive Community Messaging you must be living or working with a registered postal address in Hertfordshire. In most instances we will contact you by email. Should the need arise, occasional SMS text could be sent to your mobile phone for urgent or emergency incidents.

After you have signed up to Community Messaging we will be able to send you messages of interest relating to Hertfordshire and/or specific to your neighbourhood or district. Hertfordshire Constabulary will send you around one or two messages a fortnight, although you may be sent additional messages should the need arise. This service is completely free.

If you already receive messages via OWL as a member of a Neighbourhood Watch scheme, there's no need to register as you will automatically be sent Community Messages.

To find out more, and to sign up, go to Hertfordshire's Online Watch Link (OWL)

This year's local forum is to be held on Monday 11th October at 2pm.  All are welcome.

Concerns may include the lack of facilities for youngsters in the village, planning objections or perhaps dog fouling on the Common. Why not go along and have your say?

Our Chair, Annette Naughton will be attending on behalf of the Residents' Association

Agenda & Minutes of last year's meeting are attached.  For further information please contact:

Janet Ide
Committee Manager - Democratic Services
Three Rivers District Council
Tel: 01923 727250 (Internal only: 7250)