Launch of show apartment heralds next phase of Hertford’s Lea Wharf development as anticipation grows

As building work continues, and the blocks rise from the ground, Hertford’s much-anticipated Lea Wharf development is moving ever closer to becoming a reality. The next stage in the project going live is the launch of a show apartment on the weekend of 6th and 7th May (full details of which can be found on page 19 of this issue of Axis).

In all, 98 one and two-bedroomed apartments are being built above a range of ground floor commercial units on the industrial-influenced development, which is on the site of the former Bircherley Green shopping centre between Railway Street and the riverside.

The commercial units will include new restaurants, one of which will be called Vault, shops including Boots, a state of the art new NHS doctors’ surgery and a gym. Meanwhile, developer Chase New Homes, which is building Lea Wharf, has submitted a change of use proposal to East Herts Council for the small unit close to the bus station that had been expected to be a café, which would enable it to house a nail bar instead.

l See page 19 for details of how to book an appointment to view the show apartment through the Hertford-based selling agents Lanes Exclusive Homes.

Crime figures show Hertfordshire is one of the safest places to live

Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show Hertfordshire is one of the safest places to live in England and Wales.

The county’s Police and Crime Commissioner David Lloyd has welcomed the figures, that show the county has the fifth lowest overall crime rate.

Statistics were gathered from across 43 police force areas with Hertfordshire registering 63.3 crimes per 1,000 residents, which is two thirds of the average.

It is the lowest in the Eastern region with Cambridge scoring 80.7, Essex 91 and Norfolk 75.7.

The highest regions in the country were Cleveland at 139.6, West Yorkshire at 132.9 and Greater

Manchester at 128.5.

The only places where crimes were lower than Hertfordshire were Wiltshire at 58.1, North Yorkshire at 58.5, Devon and Cornwall at 58.9 and Surrey at 59.7.

Mr Lloyd said: “Often the fear of crime is higher than the reality, so I welcome this report which shows Hertfordshire really is one of the safest places to live.

“We are outperforming our neighbouring areas and it is reassuring to see that the chances of residents in our county becoming a victim of crime are among the lowest in England and Wales.

“Hertfordshire now has more police officers than at any time in its history, which has helped us maintain a strong neighbourhood policing model.

“The constabulary have also embarked on a Prevention First strategy which concentrates on reducing the number of crimes being committed.”

He said he did recognise though that the figures would offer small comfort to those who had had offences committed against them and said that the Hertfordshire Beacon service (hertfordshirebeacon.org) was able to give support to victims of crime even if a crime was not reported to police.

The latest ONS figures cover all recorded crime with the exception of fraud up to the year ending September 2022.