East Herts Council have approved our plan and we now move to the final stage (Referendum).
The Polling Station will be set up in January 2026 ready for your vote, so keep an eye out for your voting card.
In the meantime, and before you vote, please visit the website and read the final plan HERE to find out the advantages of saying yes. The final plan is supported by all three Parish Councils and East Herts District Council.
8th May 1945 was a day of immense relief and celebration across Britain and the Commonwealth after nearly six years of conflict.
During the war years, the villages of Great Amwell, St Margarets and Stanstead Abbotts played their part in the national effort. Residents served in the armed forces and civil defence roles, while the countryside and local facilities were used for various wartime purposes. Local residents would have experienced rationing, blackouts and the arrival of evacuees. The local railway line was a key part of the transportation network, linking local communities with the broader wartime logistics system.
This year’s 80th anniversary commemorations not only honoured the past, but also brought the community together in a shared act of remembrance and unity.
Stanstead Abbotts & St Margarets Village Club The Village Club was a hub of celebration on Sunday 4th May.Organised by The Village Club in partnership with Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets Parish Councils, the event that ran from 12 to 4pm welcomed visitors to 4–6 High Street for an afternoon filled with music, fun and community spirit.
Mick was a Paratrooper in the Falklands
St John the Baptist Church, Great Amwell In Great Amwell, delicious cream teas were served from 2.30pm on Sunday 4th May in the beautiful setting of St John the Baptist Church to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of VE Day.
It was a lovely afternoon. Sitting in the quiet of the historic church, provided an opportunity for members of the community to come together, reflect and remember the significance of the day.
Displays Information of wartime life in the villages, where Spitfires shot up our High Street, Flying Bombs took roofs off, and where our brave soldiers and airmen fought and fell are to be found on two notice boards in the villages:
One on the Local History Board at the High Street car park entrance and the other (with extra photos of VE Day street parties) outside the entrance to The Village Club (Home Guard HQ 1939–45).
These will be on show for the next few days for all to see.
As the nation reflects on eight decades since the end of the war in Europe, local commemorations such as these serve to remind us of the importance of remembering history, honouring sacrifice and preserving peace.
Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets Neighbourhood Plan Public Consultation 30th January–14th March 2025
Your responses to this consultation will be submitted to a local planning inspector and following his review, and incorporation of any changes he requires, the Neighbourhood Plan will be voted on by the electorate in the Neighbourhood Plan area. If approved it will be adopted by East Herts District Council.
Paper copies can be viewed at Village Café, The Lounge Coffee Shop, Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council and East Herts Council. Representations made in writing must be received by 5pm on 14th March 2025.
As some of you may have noticed, there is a striking new bench in St Margarets!
St Margarets’ Parish Council received a request from a resident asking if they could provide a bench at the bus stop opposite St Mary’s Church on Hoddesdon Road. They agreed that a bench would be useful for residents, so chose a commemorative bench to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944.
Permission was sought from the Bus Infrastructure and Network Infrastructure Team within the Highways Department at Hertfordshire County Council to place the bench in its location and it was purchased from David Ogilvie Engineering Ltd who specialise in street and park furniture. It was part funded with a £500 Locality Budget Scheme Grant awarded by Cllr Jonathan Kaye at Hertfordshire County Council and the remainder paid for by the Parish Council.
Local resident Matthew King of MK Independent Ltd kindly donated materials and installed the bench. Cllr Jonathan Kaye at Hertfordshire County Council also generously provided a grant towards the cost.
It is really very beautiful and will give residents a place to stop and rest, while also remembering the brave souls who fought for their country and gave their lives for others.
I am sure you will all agree that this bench is a lovely and poignant addition to the village. Thanks go to the resident who suggested it and to the Parish Council for taking up the request.
Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council are looking for volunteers of all ages to lend a hand for a hour carrying out some jobs in the village playground (23B High St, Stanstead Abbotts, SG12 8AS) on Saturday 27th July, between 10am to 12 noon.
Jobst that need doing include litter picking, weeding, bench repairs and other small gardening jobs.
If you can spare some time to help out even just an hour, we would be very grateful.
Recent changes mean that to vote in local and national elections you’ll need to have a form of photo ID. You can check to see if you already have an eligible form of photo ID online and if not, apply for a free photo ID.
Many of you took the time to vote in the Local Elections yesterday, Thursday 4th May. After a busy night of counting and verifying, the result for Great Amwell & Stansteads Ward are in!
Name of Candidate
Description
Votes recorded
BOYLAN Peter
Conservative Party
472 (elected)
DUMONT Joseph Charlie
Liberal Democrats
553 (elected)
HEIGHWAY John
Labour Party
210
HOWLETT Joe
Liberal Democrats
468
MOORE Stuart
The Green Party
169
MOULE Peter John
Conservative Party
397
WATTS Graham
Labour Party
139
*if elected the word ‘elected’ appears against the number of votes
To see more information, please do visit the East Herts Council page by clicking HERE.
WOWA and Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council have organised a litter pick at Stanstead Abbotts Village Playground in the High Street (23B High St, Stanstead Abbotts, SG12 8AS).
It will be held at 10am on Saturday 25th March.
If you are able to help, please go along and be sure to wear garden gloves and sturdy footwear, and bring your litter pickers! Equipment can be provided if required.
On Friday 14th October 2022, a Public Meeting was held at St Andrew’s Church, Stanstead Abbotts to discuss the proposed quarry at the Briggens Estate. Julia Davies, Councillor of Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council and The Three Villages Magazine committee member, attended the meeting and shares this report…
Report of the Public Meeting The meeting was opened by Mike Dormon, Chairman of Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council, who introduced Julie Marson MP. In her speech to the audience of more than 200 local residents, including members of Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council and St Margarets Parish Council, Julie Marson MP made it completely clear that she supports opponents of the quarry at the Briggens Estate.
Julie Marson will ask questions and invite a minister to speak at the despatch box in Parliament to deplore this quarry proposal, which has many holes in it. The extension to Harlow is quite enough development for this area. She will at least slow it down and use every tool at her disposal to stop it.
Miles Dymock then spoke explaining that he lives in the centre of farmland owned by City and Provincial who are leasing the land to Tarmac (who will carry out the quarrying). He urged members of the audience to respond to the consultation using a letter, an email or the online response form and not to be put off by the difficulty of reading the lengthy report that is the basis for the consultation. Just writing in to say you are against the Hertfordshire County Council Waste and Mineral Plan, and giving your name and address would help. Miles had a list of his objections, which were distributed. One of the key points he has made relates to the heritage of the site – he has collected boxes full of Roman relics, which he has put forward as evidence of this area having significant archaeological remains.
Miles spoke about the 80 HGVs that would be going in and out of the site on a daily basis, and that keeping them out of the village would be difficult. Mike Dormon explained that the plan had not taken into account the removal of the Eastwick roundabout, which will be replaced with traffic lights. Vehicles will therefore be looking for an alternative turning point in order to travel west to the rest of the east of Hertfordshire for which the sand and gravel is intended.
The sand and gravel will not be extracted in time for use in the first stages of building at Gilston, so suggesting it can simply be transported there by conveyor belt isn’t going to happen.
There were many concerns expressed by the audience: houses shake when lorries go past; St Albans Sand and Gravel had also extracted for years and the village had done its bit; we don’t need another lake; what about protected species – orchids and wildlife?; could we get funding to fight the cause from the National Farmers’ Union or BBC’s Country File?; this is the only open land in a line north from London to Harlow – it is a vital gap to preserve the separation; people choose to live here because it is agricultural; and that Tudor deer parks are at risk. Another concern is that there is insufficient water and Tarmac would need huge amounts. There were suggestions that people should use their votes to remove councillors who want the quarry and that there could be demonstrations of opposition at Hertfordshire County Council and Tarmac’s AGM.
There were pleas at the end for funds to be donated to the Stop the Quarry website and for expertise – particularly for a hydro-geologist. You can make a donation by visiting the Go Fund Me Page.
The main message from Julie Marson was that she will welcome individual concerns and that everyone should respond.
Next steps would be keep: to up the pressure by following online, attending any relevant HCC meetings with placards, donate to the Stop the Quarry fund and keep writing to Julie Marson to urge her on in Parliament.
Julia Davies
Photo courtesy of Julia DaviesPhoto courtesy of John HickfordPhoto courtesy of John Hickford
FURTHER INFORMATION You can complete a Draft Plan Response Form online or a printable version of the form can be opened in Word by clicking HERE.
Alternatively, contact the Minerals and Waste Planning Policy Team directly: MineralsandWaste@hertfordshire.gov.uk 01992 556227 (office hours are 9am – 5pm)
Minerals and Waste Planning Policy Team Spatial Planning Unit (CHN216) Hertfordshire County Council County Hall Pegs Lane Hertford SG13 8DN
The Three Villages 