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Author: Sarah Heighton
Last chance to shape vision of SW Herts
 Residents and businesses have just under two weeks left to give their views on the future of South West Hertfordshire, as part of a public consultation on a draft vision of the area.More than 3000 people have already responded to the consultation on the South West Hertfordshire 2050 – Realising Our Potential document. The document, which includes a draft vision and objectives for the area until 2050, marks the first formal plan-making stage for the South West Herts Joint Strategic Plan (JSP) and covers all aspects of life in South West Hertfordshire, as well as the big issues and opportunities that lie ahead for the area, such as the challenges of climate change. We’ve drawn it up in collaboration with St Albans City and District Council, Dacorum Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council, supported by Hertfordshire County Council. Responses can be submitted to the consultation until 5pm on Friday 4 November by the button below. |
Older Person’s Safety Information Event
Come along to this FREE safety information, help and advice event being run by Hertsmere’s Community Safety Partnership for people aged 60+.
The event takes place Thursday 3 November, 9:30am-1:30pm at The Borehamwood and Elstree Synagogue. The day will include safety talks and information, a hot lunch and refreshments provided by Herts Independent Living Service. See further details of the event in the flyer, pictured below. Spaces are limited so please secure your place by calling 0208 207 7801 or email linda.hammond@hertsmere.gov.uk.
Official Notice for the Appeal on the Solar Farm
APPEAL BY: Elstree Green Ltd.
SITE: Land North Of Butterfly Lane, Land Surrounding Hilfield Farm and Land West Of Hilfield Lane, Aldenham, Hertfordshire
DESCRIPTION OF DEVELOPMENT: Installation of renewable led energy generating station comprising ground-mounted photovoltaic solar arrays and battery based electricity storage containers together with substation, inverter/transformer
stations, site accesses, internal access tracks, security measures, access gates, other ancillary infrastructure, landscaping and biodiversity enhancements.
Planning Inspectorate Reference: APP/N1920/W/22/3295268
Hertsmere Planning References: 21/0050/FULEI and 22/0016/APP
Appeal Start Date: 3rd May 2022
Case Officer Contact at the Planning Inspectorate: Kerr Brown. Telephone: 0303 444 5243 Email address: kerr.brown@planninginspectorate.gov.uk
I wrote to you recently regarding the above appeal. The Public Inquiry is to be held by H Heward BSc (Hons) MRTPI who is an
Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government to consider this appeal using powers under Section 319A of the Town and Country Planning Act 2008 (as amended).
The Public Inquiry will start on Wednesday 19 October 2022 at 10 am and will also sit on
Thursday 20th October, Friday 21st October
Tuesday 25th October, Wednesday 26th October, Thursday 27th October
Tuesday 1st November
Wednesday 2nd November
Friday 4th November (Virtual meeting only)
The Inquiry will take place at the Civic Offices, Elstree Way, Borehamwood, Herts WD6 1WA and will be held as an in-person event with the facility to participate virtually. You may attend the Public Inquiry and, at the Inspector’s discretion, give your views either in person or through a representative. Please note that there is limited capacity at the Civic Offices and we recommend you view via the webcast.
View Documentation relating to this appeal.
You can view all the Core Documents by using the link below
www.hertsmere.gov.uk/solarfarmappeal
If you do not have access to the internet, please contact us and we can make the documents available to view at the Council Offices by prior arrangement.
The Inquiry is being live streamed and can be viewed at https://hertsmere.public-i.tv/core/portal/home
How to participate virtually.
If you wish to participate in the Inquiry virtually, please contact us as soon as possible prior to the Inquiry by either emailing appeals.planning@hertsmere.gov.uk or by ringing Sally Whittall on 0208 207 2277 ext 5155.
The Civic Offices are fully accessible for people with disabilities including toilets and parking. If you require further information please contact us using the details at the top of this letter.
When made, the decision will be published online at https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk/ (please use search for – case ref: 3295268)
Beryl to launch new e-bike scheme in Hertsmere
 The UK’s leading micromobility provider, Beryl, and Hertsmere Borough Council are launching a brand-new bike and e-bike share scheme. From Thursday 20 October, a new fleet of 25 bikes and 20 e-bikes will be available to hire via the Beryl app. A launch day event will be held from 10am at the junction of Furzehill Road and Shenley Road in Borehamwood to enable people to look, try out and chat to Beryl representatives about the new scheme. The bikes can be hired from and returned to 24 ‘Beryl Bays’, which have been located as conveniently as possible following consultation with communities and key stakeholders. This means that 28,089 people are no more than a five-minute walk from a bay, which represents 87.5% of the service area’s population. The scheme will be operated by Beryl on behalf of Hertsmere Borough Council. The project is being funded by Strategic Community Infrastructure Levy, Section 106 contribution from SKY Studios and Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy from Elstree and Borehamwood Town Council. Users can pay for their journeys in a variety of ways to suit individual needs and circumstances. Pay As You Ride is best for single journeys or occasional rides and will cost users £1 unlocking fee and 5p per minute on pedal bikes or £1.50 unlocking fee and 10p per minute on e-bikes Minute Bundles enable regular users to buy upfront and save money, starting at 100 minutes for £5 Day Passes are suitable for people on long days out and offer people unlimited riding over a 24-hour-period for £12 for pedal bikes only or £16 to include e-bikes The Beryl app is available for free download on the App Store for iOS, and the Google Play Store for Android users |
Healthy Hub – October
 Hertsmere’s Healthy Hubs Our Healthy Hubs provide FREE lifestyle support for individuals and their families covering mental health, physical activity, weight management, smoking cessation, health MOTs and nutritional advice, and sexual health testing kits. Contact Lee or Nicola to make a face-to-face appointment or phone in: Lee Bruce – Lee.Bruce@inspireall.com or 07741 248852 Nicola O’Neill – healthyhub@communities1st.org.uk or 020 8207 5115 Find out more at the Healthy Hub website. Alternatively, visit our Healthy Hub Self Service page, where you can access all of the services you need online. If you would like to access free health advice, fill out our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you. New Healthy Hub pop ups are coming in October. See the below graphic to see where we will be and when. Drop in for a free confidential chat with our staff! The Justice Bus is coming to Borehamwood on Thursday 20 October 10am-12:30pm. The Law Clinic will offer FREE advice to members of the public on a range of legal issues including family, employment, housing and consumer. If you would like to book an appointment to guarantee you are seen at the satellite clinic please contact the Law Clinic on 01707 284115 or by email.   We Move, She Moves new sessions! We have two new sessions, book on now! Zumba – Every Monday 8-9pm at Maxwell Park Community Centre, Borehamwood for just £6 a session Squashercise – Every Tuesday 6:30-7:30pm at Hertswood Academy, Borehamwood for just £5 a session Please visit our website and Facebook page @WeMoveSheMoves for session updates and to find out what’s on near you and how to book.  COVID-19 and flu – get protected and get on with life this autumn Everyone aged 50 and over, people working in frontline health and social care, and those who are at high risk, will be offered a COVID-19 booster jab and a free flu jab this autumn. More than 60 local pharmacies, most GP practices, ‘pop up’ vaccination centres and outreach clinics will be taking vaccinations into the heart of communities across Hertfordshire. People who are at most risk of serious illness, such as those aged 65 and over, pregnant women, those who are immunosuppressed and frontline health and care staff, can book their autumn COVID-19 booster now. Adults aged between 50-65 will be invited to book their vaccinations in the next few weeks, if not already. Children who were aged 2 or 3 years old on the 31 August 2022, all primary school-aged children and eligible 11-16 year olds will also be offered the flu vaccine. If you are eligible and have never had a COVID or flu vaccination before, it’s not too late to have your first. Make an appointment online, speak to a pharmacist, visit one of our local walk-in clinics or ring 119 for more information.  Borehamwood Community Wellbeing Fair 2022 Come along to the Borehamwood Community Wellbeing Fair and make your health a priority. This event is taking place at the Allum Manor, 2 Allum Lane, Borehamwood, WD6 3PJ on Friday 21 October 1-5pm. The event will feature a market place with stalls offering wellbeing information services and advice from organisations supporting the Borehamwood community. No need to book just drop in! For further information please email community.services@hertsmere.gov.uk.  Smokers encouraged to join Stoptober Stoptober is back, calling on smokers in England to join more than 2.5 million others who have made a quit attempt with the campaign since it launched over a decade ago in 2012. Nearly 6 million adults in England still smoke, and it remains the single biggest behavioural cause of preventable death, with 64,000 deaths a year. This year’s Stoptober mass quit attempt is as important as ever, with quitting being one of the best things a smoker can do for their health. That’s why this year’s Stoptober campaign is encouraging smokers to join the thousands of others who are giving quitting a go for the month of October, making it to 28 days smoke free means you’re five times as likely to quit for good. Quitting will allow you to start moving better, breathe more easily and give you more money to spend. Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools including: the NHS Quit Smoking app, Facebook messenger bot, Stoptober Facebook online communities, daily emails and SMS, and an online Personal Quit Plan tool. For more information visit the NHS Better Health website.   Free NHS Health Checks Everyone is at risk of developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and some forms of dementia. The good news is that these conditions can often be prevented – even if someone has a history of them in their family. If you’re aged 40-74, Healthy Hubs in Hertsmere are offering you the opportunity to have a free health check. You’ll be assessed on your personal heart health, cholesterol levels, blood pressure and risk of diabetes. Your personal advisor can also help with information on diet, physical activity, smoking, alcohol, and risk reduction. Places must be booked in advance so please contact us for more information. To be eligible you must: be 40-74 years of age not have had an NHS Health Check in the last five years not have had a stroke or heart disease not been diagnosed with high blood pressure or atrial fibrillation (fast irregular heartbeat) not be taking cholesterol lowering medication not already been diagnosed with a risk of 20% or more of having a heart attack or stroke in the next 10 years To register your interest please complete the online registration here. Or for more information you can contact Hertfordshire Health Improvement Service here. SRMD Yoga and Meditation sessions SRMD are excited to share that they will be continuing their weekly morning Yoga and meditation classes in October and November! Kickstart your weekend with a one hour asana class followed by a LIVE meditation! Every Saturday in October and November 8:15-9:15am (Yoga) & 9:30-10:00am (Meditation) Venue: SRMD London Spiritual Centre, Falconer Road, Bushey, WD23 3AD For more information and to book your tickets, visit the London SRMD website here.  |
Climate change focus of new planning guidance
 Have your say on new guidance aimed at helping Hertsmere to lower its carbon emissions and achieve net zero by 2050 from today.We’ve published three draft Supplementary Planning Documents, which provide detailed advice or guidance on our current planning policies. They include how we intend to: promote sustainable transport and parking through changes to off-street parking requirements for new developments, including new requirements for electric car charging points, and the provision of electric car clubs and bike hire schemes in some developments; set up a carbon offsetting fund, which will collect payments for carbon emissions, where they can’t be avoided, and use the payments for carbon reduction projects; ensure biodiversity net gain by requiring developments over a certain size to result in an increase in biodiversity. In 2019, we declared a climate emergency and committed to achieving net-zero emissions no later than 2050. The guidance is one of many ways we’re exploring to help us meet this pledge. Find out more www.hertsmere.gov.uk/planningconsultations  |
Your Tree Our Future: creating a more sustainable borough through tree planting
Hertsmere Borough Council is working in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to offer residents the chance to claim free trees as part of the ‘Your Tree Our Future’ scheme.
By giving residents the opportunity to plant trees, the council hopes to meet some of its sustainability aims, as tree planting has a positive impact on air quality, helps reduce the carbon in our atmosphere, supports biodiversity and can help communities adapt to the impacts of climate change. In addition, access to natural features has been linked with benefits to physical and mental health.
Councillor Seamus Quilty, Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with neighbouring authorities and Hertfordshire County Council on the Your Tree Our Future initiative and I hope Hertsmere residents take advantage of the scheme to help create a greener Hertsmere. In addition to the 10,000 trees being given away as part of the county-wide scheme this year, we are giving away an additional 4,000 trees to Hertsmere residents.
“Trees are so important to improving air quality, increasing natural habitats for our wildlife and helping to combat environmental issues, which is why we have committed to this initiative. Each tree sapling planted locally will help in the fight against climate change and will benefit local biodiversity, as well as air quality, for years to come.”
Hertfordshire residents can visit www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/yourtree where they will be able to choose from a selection of eight different native species, or a hedgerow pack, which will be provided on a first come first served basis. Residents who have successfully requested a free tree will receive an email from the county council with details of how to collect them from a local pick-up point in December 2022.
The ‘Your Tree Our Future’ scheme was created as part of Hertfordshire County Council’s Tree and Woodland Strategy, which sets out how the council will increase tree cover in the county. The project will be delivered in partnership with all ten district and borough councils.
To download a copy of the logo, please click on the image below.
Notes to editors:
The Your Tree Our Future project will run for four years, starting in Autumn/Winter 2022 where 10,000 trees will be available. A further 30,000 trees will be available each year for the following three years.
Residents will be able to choose from eight different species, all of which have been chosen for their suitability for planting in Hertfordshire:
• Crab apple
• Field maple
• Hawthorn
• Hazel
• Hornbeam
• Rowan
• Silver birch
• Wild cherry
A limited number of hedgerow packs which include 30 trees (enough to plant 5-6 metres of hedgerow) will also be available.
September – World Alzheimer’s Month
September – World Alzheimer’s Month
World Alzheimer’s Month is a global opportunity to raise awareness around, educate, encourage support of and demystify dementia. World Alzheimer’s Day takes place on 21 September as part of World Alzheimer’s Month.
The theme for World Alzheimer’s Month in September 2022 is ‘Know dementia, know Alzheimer’s’. This year it has a special focus on post-diagnosis support.
There’s a lot to think about after receiving a diagnosis of dementia. But you are not alone. The Alzheimer’s Society, among the charities, can help people adjust to a diagnosis and access support.
Your GP can also provide support by offering treatments, referrals, advice and information to manage the condition and live well with dementia.
The APC Access for All Working Party want to support everyone in the community to the best of its ability, whether that be through sign posting, sharing information or just hear what we can do to make our community a better, more accepting and accessible place to live.
Dementia support
Call: 0333 150 3456
If you are affected by dementia, worried about a diagnosis or a carer, trained staff are ready to give you the support you need.
Alzheimer’s Society
Call: 0330 333 0804