North Mymms News: May 2018

Station Road grids blocked with gravel

Recent resurfacing work clogs waterways

Photograph of Station Road, Brookmans Park Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Many of the drains along Station Road, between Brookmans Park and Welham Green, are completely blocked with excess gravel. In one stretch, known locally as Watersplash because it's prone to flooding, all the grids have been filled with stones, leaving nowhere for rainwater to escape.

Parish council hires specialist company

Japanese knotweed in the Gobions Open Space woods
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

North Mymms Parish Council has agreed to a treatment plan for dealing with Japanese knotweed in Gobions Open Space. Work will begin in the summer. A second thicket of the invasive shrub at the North Mymms war memorial has been reported to Hertfordshire Highways.

Suspected thickets of invasive plant being investigated

A suspected thicket of Japanese knotweed close to the North Mymms war memorial on Tollgate Road

North Mymms Parish Council (NMPC) is obtaining quotes for the eradication of Japanese knotweed after the discovery of what is thought to be thickets of the invasive plant in Gobions Open Space and close to the war memorial. One of the patches is close to the rear gardens on the south side of The Grove in Brookmans Park. The other is on the bank to the north of the North Mymms war memorial close to Tollgate Road.

Four-week consultation ends June 6

Aerial photograph of Chancellor's taken by Paul Large of Falcon Media in September 2002

Aerial photograph of Chancellor's School taken in September 2002
Image by Paul Large of Falcon Media

The public has been given four weeks to respond to expansion plans drawn up for Chancellor's School, Brookmans Park, that aim to cater for a rise in school numbers from 180 to 210. The school says the "improved facilities" should be available from the autumn term of 2019.

Welwyn Hatfield told to review housing strategy

The latest edition of the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan newsletter has just been circulated. In it the planning inspector's requirements of the council are set out in a list of 'key tasks'. That list, and the newsletter, are included below.

All departures and arrivals will be changing

Scan of the Great Northern Timetable May 20, 2018 to December 8, 2018

Great Northern has published a new train timetable affecting trains to and from Brookmans Park and Welham Green. It runs from May 20 to December 8, 2018. But local commuters have reported that they've found it difficult to make sense of what's been published online - particularly regarding arrivals and departures. So we've picked up the local timetable, scanned it, and it's now available below to download and print.

Photograph of a Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan event poster - image courtesy of the Welwyn Hatfield Times

The dates for Stage 4 of the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council Local Plan examination have now been announced. They will be on Thursday and Friday June 28/29. Stage 4 will be looking at the individual allocated sites in Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City only; it's unlikely North Mymms sites will be discussed until later this year.

They're at it again, this time it's household waste

Photograph of Bradmore Lane closed at the Station Road end. Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Bradmore Lane, Brookmans Park closed at the Station Road end because of fly-tipping
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

A large dump of household rubbish, fly-tipped in the middle of Bradmore Lane, led to it being closed to traffic on Bank Holiday Monday. It's the third such incident in a little more than a week. Clearly, the current strategy for dealing with fly-tipping isn't working.

Photograph of a polling station sign. Image by secretlondon123 released under Creative Commons

The Conservative Party held Welwyn Hatfield but lost two seats. Labour lost one seat, the Liberal Democrats gained three seats. A third of the council seats were up for election this year. There was a 34.8% turnout.

Groundsman's complaint leads to council action

Fresh grass cuttings in the woods adjoining Gobions Open Space, May 2018 Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Fresh grass cuttings in the woods within Gobions Open Space, May 2018
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

The parish council has written to residents whose gardens back on to Gobions Open Space asking them not to dump garden waste on council-owned property. The letters have been sent to residents in The Grove, Brookmans Park.

Brings to 20 the number dumped in the last week

13 fridge freezers dumped at the western end of Bradmore Lane
Image by North Mymms News released under Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 4.0

Last week seven fridge freezers were dumped on the bend halfway down Bradmore Lane, this week another 13 have been tipped, leaving a trail of glass and metal along the road. The local council has been notified.