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Environment

The Residents of Chorleywood can be very proud of their local environment, with a substantial common, the grounds of Chorleywood House, as well as being surrounded by the rolling Chiltern Hills, greenery and trees in our community, all in juxtaposition to the M25 which cuts our community in two. But our environment is not just about greenery, and we all need to consider our wider impact upon the environment. With the carbon emissions we are responsible for, the waste that we generate and how we dispose of it. 

The Residents Association is very much committed to maintaining and improving the local environment for the benefit of residents, and ensuring that our collective impact upon the environment can be minimised where possible.

Contact us at environment@chorleywoodresidents.co.uk if you have any comments or queries.

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Chorleywood & Sarratt Policing Priority Survey June 2015

posted 12 Jun 2015, 03:07 by Phil Ellis   [ updated 12 Jun 2015, 03:08 ]

Vote for your neighbourhood policing priorities! This is your opportunity to influence policing priorities in your neighbourhood for the coming months. Please note that this concerns the day-to-day policing work of your local Safer Neighbourhood Team; any major crimes or incidents will of course be dealt with as a matter of urgency. Please spare just one minute to vote online.

The link below can only be used once so please avoid sharing it with others. If you know someone who would like to participate next time please ask them to sign up to OWL.
 
Please click here to view the survey. It will open in your web browser.

N.B. If you have already seen the survey originally sent via OWL, you can ignore this message!

Police and Crime Commissioner's Annual Lecture

posted 18 May 2015, 02:09 by Phil Ellis   [ updated 18 May 2015, 02:09 ]

David Lloyd, Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire will deliver his annual lecture on 16 June and will also be marking the official publication of the refreshed Police and Crime Plan for Hertfordshire ‘Everybody’s Business’ 2015-2020.
 
The Future of Policing
At a time of austerity many people are arguing that current models of policing are no longer sustainable and fundamental change is required. Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd will give his view on the choices that we need to make. More information about this event
 
When    
Tuesday 16 June 2015
18:00 - 20:00
 
Where
The Weston Auditorium, de Havilland Campus, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU
 
More information and booking
 
This is a free of charge public lecture. Please register your attendance online: go.herts.ac.uk/events-booking or email events@herts.ac.uk or telephone 01707 284121
 
Parking permits will be sent a week prior to the event.

Police and Crime Plan, Everybody’s Business 2015-2020

posted 18 May 2015, 02:03 by Phil Ellis   [ updated 18 May 2015, 02:04 ]

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, David Lloyd, has published the first draft of his refreshed Police and Crime Plan, Everybody’s Business 2015-2020, and is asking for feedback before it is finalised.

At the core of the revised plan is the protection of the current local policing model of ten district teams, led by a senior officer. Hertfordshire is one of only a handful of forces that has been able to preserve a full ‘neighbourhood’ model for local policing.

The new plan, which has been developed in consultation with the police and other experts in the field of crime reduction, safety and criminal justice, also focuses on the changing nature of crime. It prioritises the safeguarding of children and vulnerable adults, as well as tackling the growing menace of cybercrime.  

It also contains a new section outlining some of the Commissioner’s proposals for putting victims at the heart of the criminal justice system and new services which are being commissioned to support them.

The Commissioner would like to know what you think.  Does the plan reflect your needs and concerns? What would make you feel safer?  Please read the plan (Draft Everybody’s Business 2015-20) and feedback your views via email the.plan@herts.pnn.police.uk or by post to The Plan c/o the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Hertfordshire, Harpenden Police Station, 15 Vaughan Road, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 4GZ.

Submissions should be made by Monday, May 25th.

Regards,
David Lloyd Police and Crime Commissioner 

Public Spaces Protection Order relating to the control of dogs

posted 6 May 2015, 11:42 by Phil Ellis   [ updated 6 May 2015, 11:43 ]

A Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) is a new power introduced by the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This power allows Local Authorities to identify a public open space or spaces and may prohibit specified things being done in the restricted area and/or require specified things to be done by persons carrying on specified activities in that area.
 
Three Rivers District Council is proposing to introduce a PSPO district wide in relation to the control of dogs. Please read the attached draft PSPO and if you wish to express your views then complete the survey at:


The closing date for the survey is 15th May.

| Attachments: PSPOdraft2.pdf

Three Rivers takes the lead on Safety around Dogs

posted 30 Mar 2015, 09:21 by Phil Ellis   [ updated 30 Mar 2015, 09:24 ]

A recent change in legislation has led to the District Council voting to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in accordance with the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime & Policing Act 2014.  

The Bill provides a more flexible route for local authorities to tackle anti-social behaviour which reduces local environmental quality such as littering, graffiti and dog fouling.
We have lobbied the Parish Council and TRDC for several years on the introduction of controls for those who fail to pick up after their dogs.  A PSPO will create the following offences throughout Three Rivers District:
  • Failing to remove dog faeces 
  • Not putting a dog on a lead when directed to do so by an authorised officer
  • Permitting a dog to enter specified land where dogs are excluded (this will cover children’s’ play areas, picnic areas and grazed areas).
  • Failing to keep a dog on a lead in designated areas  
  • Restrict dog walkers to no more than 4 dogs at any one time.
All assistance dogs (e.g. guide dogs) will be exempted.

Three Rivers Rangers, Parish Council Rangers and PCSOs will be given enforcement powers to challenge members of the public and hand out on the spot fines of £75.00. 

Debbie Sandling, Animal Control & Enforcement officer at TRDC has said “we are obliged to carry out a public consultation, the results of which may amend the order.  The final proposal will be put before the Policy & Resources Committee for approval in June 2014”.  


For General Public Services and Community safety Committee meeting 12.03.15 and Leisure, Health and wellbeing committee meeting 11.03.15 for the proposal.

Maria Larkin
18th March 2015

Tree clearance alongside railway in the Pheasants Wood area

posted 23 Mar 2014, 14:26 by Tomo

We have been informed that Transport for London (TfL) intend to undertake significant works on the railway embankment alongside Pheasants Wood and the Berry Lane area this summer. In preparation for these works to go ahead, TfL intend to clear most of the vegetation and trees from their land. 

TfL have already undertaken similar works around the Little Chalfont and Moor Park areas. Residents should be prepared for the area to be disrupted during the works and for it to look relatively barren either side of the railways track once the work is complete. We are seeking clarification from within TfL on the scope and nature of these works.

Felling of wind blown trees in woods around Chorleywood

posted 18 Mar 2014, 06:26 by Tomo

We have been advised by Hertfordshire Countryside Management that clearance of wind blown trees will be taking place in Hillas Plantation, part of Carpenters Wood, Chorleywood during week commencing 17th March 2014. Contractors will be felling leaning and hung up trees, which have become dangerous after recent high winds. The timber will be cut to length and stacked with recently felled timber for sale at a later date.
 
The work should last one week, with machinery being delivered to site on Monday 17th March.  The machinery will be dropped at the junction of Farm Road / Burtons Lane / Blacketts Wood Drive and Charlfont Lane, before being driven into the wood along Farm Road.
 
Signs will be placed at the woodland entrances and during the works some paths and part of the permissive horse riding trail will be closed.  However the majority of paths through the woods and the Public Bridleway will remain open.  Please follow any safety instructions given to you by contractors working on site.
 
If you have any queries about the work, please feel free to contact Alex Laurie, Projects Officer Countryside Management Service - Tel 01992 556612

The Chorleywood Common Project

posted 3 Feb 2014, 13:26 by Tomo

The Parish Council has taken on a temporary post - a Research Assistant - looking at how the Parish can apply for funding to support various projects it would like to undertake.

One such project under consideration at the Parish Council is a project to improve the communication of the value and the heritage of the Common to the users and potential visitors of the Common. The Research Assistant has assisted in the preparation of a presentation that was recently presented to the Open Spaces committee of the Parish Council, the content of which has been shared with us.


It introduces the concept of providing further information about the common near the various permissive parking areas as well some of the concepts around the Nature Trail that was suggested the Parish Council as an alternative to the proposed Play Area on the common.

We're sure the Parish would welcome any feedback on the proposals, they can be contacted at info@chorleywood-pc.gov.uk or 01923 285594

Upcoming changes to Recycling

posted 7 Jul 2013, 10:24 by Tomo   [ updated 7 Jul 2013, 10:28 ]

The recycling service in Three Rivers is already pretty good.

Our district is consistently in the top of the charts for our recycling rate. And many of the services we have enjoyed in Hertfordshire and Three Rivers for several years are only just being rolled out in neigbouring Chiltern and South Bucks District where garden waste collections will not be a free service. So we have something to be proud of that we're collectively doing our bit for the environment, and keeping our council's waste bill down.

However, one concern that has been voiced by a number of residents over the years is the space required to accomodate all the collection bins and boxes, for some properties there is simply not enough space.

Due to national changes regarding recycling, new regulations due to come into force in 2015 will require that cardboard with printing on it, such as cornflake packets, can no longer be included with garden waste for composting (the brown bin). This is apparently because printing inks contain chemicals that could get into the food chain. There has also been an increase of plastics attached to carboard (sticky tape, etc) affecting the quality of the compost produced.

Three Rivers has therefore decided on a new system, which will come into operation in late 2014:
  • The current stackable boxes for tins/plastics, glass and paper will be replaced by one large wheeled bin. This will take all your tins and plastics, glass, paper (no sorting required) and well as cardboard, and will be collected weekly..
  • The green wheeled bins for residual waste will contine to be collected fortnightly, as now.
  • The brown wheeled bins will now take just garden and food waste and will switch to a fortnightly collection.
  • Residents who do not have the space to take a third large wheely bin or those who are concerned about smells and vermin can opt for a new, larger kitchen caddy for food waste, to be collected weekly

You can read more about the changes on the Three Rivers website in Recycling to go weekly

Any residents who have concerns or comments about the proposed changes should feed back to Three Rivers District Council, or let us know you views at environment@chorleywoodresidents.co.uk. As there is over a year until the new system is implemented I'm sure any constructive feedback about the new system will be received by gratefully by the Council.

Did you know? Maple Lodge Nature Reserve...

posted 9 Jun 2013, 07:49 by Tomo

Just a short distance from Chorleywood and situated in Maple Cross, Maple Lodge Nature Reserve is 40 acres of mixed habitat, owned by Thames Water who lease it to the volunteer members of Maple Lodge Conservation Society. Regular work parties from the Society are responsible for maintaining and enhancing the reserve.

Although the nature reserve is not open to the public (members have 24hr access) the society host a couple of open weekends each year when they offer guided tours of the reserve. The next one will be on Sunday 4th August 2013 in celebration of their 30th anniversary. For more details check out the Maple Lodge website. 


Highlights of what's available:
  • From the Clubhouse Hide there is a view over the lake, and the feeding site attracts a wide variety of birds and animals.  Strategically placed posts here and elsewhere on the reserve provide kingfishers with good fishing perches.
  • The Plantation area has been planted with native trees such as oak, alder and ash.  The alder cones attract mixed flocks of siskin, lesser redpoll and tits.  The mature trees and hedges provide nest sites for many common birds.
  • The Paddock is carefully managed and is only cut twice a year.  During the summer it is a haven for wild flowers, butterflies and warblers.
  • The Wild Flower Meadow is protected by a rabbit-proof fence and is home to marbled white butterflies in mid-summer.  It also houses a barn owl box from which young have successfully fledged.
  • Marsh Lake and Clubhouse Lake support breeding wildfowl including gadwall, teal, tufted duck, shoveler and little grebe.  The reed beds are visited by reed and sedge warblers as well as the occasional bittern.
  • The Long Hedge contains an ancient mixture of shrubs and trees with flowers to attract insects and butterflies, followed by berries for wintering birds.  Mammals present on the reserve include fox, weasel, common shrew and harvest mouse.
  • There are 10 hides on the reserve so that people can observe wildlife without disturbance.  Seats and benches are also sited around the reserve so that visitors can pause and enjoy the peaceful setting.  Where practicable, areas of the reserve have been made wheelchair accessible, including a number of the hides.
  • The clubhouse has toilet facilities with disabled access.  Car parking is available in the nearby social club car park and there is disabled parking next to the entrance to the reserve.
Membership of Maple Lodge Conservation Society is open to anyone with an interest in conservation and natural history.  The Society also welcomes visits from interested groups.  Access to the reserve is via membership or by pre-arrangement with the Society.

For more details please visit the society's website http://www.maplelodge.org/ or contact the Chairman, Keith Pursall, on 07580 535986 or keith@maplelodge.org

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