NEWS FROM THE CLERK

or we make it into a wildlife garden – all ideas will be considered.

www.redbourn-pc.gov.uk

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So what happens next? Comments made about the Local Plan are currently being assessed. Next year there will be another public consultation and then the final draft of the Local Plan will be submitted for Examination to determine whether the Plan is sound and legal. Of course, new homes are much needed but Redbourn Parish is being asked to take more development than any other area in the District and we could see an increase from 2,600 homes to 6,400 homes. Redbourn Parish Council will continue to argue against extensive development on the local Green Belt.

Congratulations to Redbourn in Bloom on their success at Britain in Bloom, winning a Gold and best Small Town, 2023. Congratulations as well to St Luke’s School for winning a Certificate of Achievement for their garden, and to Pat Schofield for her Community Champion Award. There is no doubt that everyone in Redbourn appreciates the dedication and considerable talent of Redbourn in Bloom members who make the village look so blooming lovely!

Finally

I wish everyone a very happy Christmas and hope to see you at the Redbourn Christmas Market on 3rd December!

As we move towards the winter months hopefully you will find time to read through the contents of this newsletter, which I think you will find both informative and interesting. My thanks go to our Communications Officer, Becky for all the work that goes into producing such a high quality publication.

Since the last edition of Redbourn News the council have a been working on the following:

‘PROJECT PANHANDLE’

This is an area between Hilltop and the back fields at the Recreation Centre. I am told by one of our Councillors that this area used to house a cycle track years ago, but in later years it has become unkempt and overgrown. Clearing the whole area has always been cost prohibitive so when an opportunity came along to work with the Community Payback Team, we took it! This will be a long term project (see page 6-7)

Once we know what the useable size of the plot is, we will consult with residents and the District Council to find a better use of land, whether it be an area of recreation for teenagers, eg, reinstating the bike track, creating a basketball court;

Gis Mapping

We are working with a consultant to help us map all our assets which will help in the process of maintaining them. It will also aid in terms of monitoring the grounds maintenance contract.

Changes To Grants

Please note that Redbourn Parish Council now only accepts grant applications from January to March, so if you have a community project that needs funding, remember to get in touch early in the New Year. More details on page 17

Commemorative Tree

Residents of New Forge Place wanted to plant a commemorative tree for the Queen but did not have the space in their grounds. U3A also had the same idea but nowhere to plant, so we have worked with both organisations and have planted a tree in Cumberland Garden.

Festive Lighting

This continues to be a problem. We apply to Ringways, a contractor of Herts County Council, for a licence which is required if you want to utilise the lampposts to hang the festive lights on. This year, Ringways have told us that our decorations ‘affect the luminaire lighting’ and will not issue a licence – basically, our decorations are having a negative impact on the output of the lamp. This is frustrating as we have not changed our decorations for 5 years – we have contested this and Ringways have compromised by letting us use them for this year but we will have to change them for the following year. The whole festive lighting offering will have to be rethought!

Cost Of Living Survey

A survey was completed by Healthwatch Hertfordshire and in response to their findings, Redbourn Community Group have provided information on what assistance is available to residence in Redbourn who may benefit (see pages 14-15)

Parish Centre Hall Hire

The Parish Centre continues to be well used not just by private and commercial hirers but also by local organisations who may qualify to have use of a room free of charge. We currently have Monday mornings free if you’d like to make a booking please call 01582 794832 and we can check availability. For more info see our flyer page 13.

Meet Your Councillors

Becky Firth - Communications Officer

This year has seen quite a change of guard at Redbourn Parish Council with 4 new councillors joining the team. In May we welcomed Andy Hayes and Tom Finnis, then Richard Bullen and Wendy Bloisi were co-opted onto the council in July bringing us back up to the full compliment of 12 councillors.

Below is some background information about each of the new councillors. Their contact details are on the back page of this magazine should you wish to contact them.

Andy Hayes

Andy hails from Southeast London, but has lived in Hertfordshire for nearly 30 years, and moved to Redbourn in 2016.

Until 2021 he worked for GlaxoSmithKline for 36 years and has a degree in

Biological Sciences & a master’s degree in computer science. He currently works part time for a software company in Redbourn creating products for the notfor-profit charity sector.

Until very recently Andy was a member of Redbourn Friends of the High Street (FOTHS) and he still volunteers for the Communities 1st charity making regular phone calls to isolated and lonely individuals.

Tom Finnis

Tom was born in St Albans and grew up in Redbourn, but left as a young adult to go to university in Manchester.

He has worked in the IT industry since 1995, originally in networking/ infrastructure and systems support, now as a general consultant for SMEs. Officially his company is based in London but he has principally been working from home in Redbourn for the last 5 years. This has given him more time to get involved in the village, joining the Fireworks Committee and volunteering for Redbourn Museum.

Wendy Bloisi

Wendy has lived in Redbourn for 26 years and has always played an active part in the community. She served as a trustee for a local conservation charity, has been on the organising committee for Redbourn Classics Motor Show and is also a member of the rejuvenated Redbourn WI “Bourn to be WI’ld”.

Wendy works as an academic in a university in London and teaches research in Business and Management. In the past she was actively involved in a charity which offered support for entrepreneurs and small businesses.

Richard Bullen

Richard has lived in Redbourn since 1985, initially working locally as Head of Business Lending at Barclays Bank in Watford. He joined the Central Bank of Kuwait in 1997 whilst his family remained in Redbourn.

Since arriving home, he has volunteered with Citizens Advice, CPRE Hertfordshire and the organising committee of Redbourn Christmas Market.

Richard’s interest in the protection of the countryside, against inappropriate development, and in finance and accounting as well as loving and valuing living in Redbourn, prompted him to put himself forward for parish councillor.