• T H E • T H R E E • V I L L A G E S • News & Information covering Great Amwell, St Margarets and Stanstead Abbotts •
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.
See the Facebook Event page HERE.
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
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
STOP THE QUARRY
The Stop the Quarry group has been set up to keep the public informed and encourage residents to actively oppose this plan. You can follow them online…
Website: http://www.stopthequarry.site/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SayNOtoQuarry/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/saynotoquarry
The website also have detailed information about how to complete the online form.
A Public Meeting will be held on Friday 14th October, 7pm at St Andrew’s Church, Stanstead Abbotts to discuss the proposed quarry.
Our local MP Julie Marsom will be in attendance.
Please do attend this important public meeting if you would like to express your concerns about the proposed quarry.
The consultation period for the proposed quarry in Stanstead Abbotts has been extended by one month to 31st October. The Parish Council is organising a public meeting to enable villagers to hear more about what is being proposed, what the Council’s concerns are and to give some guidance about providing an effective response.
We are hoping to get our local MP along to the meeting. Once we have her availability, we will publicise the date. In any case, it will be 2 or 3 weeks’ time.
Cllr Julia Witting
Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council
It is with great sadness that we received the news that Her Majesty the Queen died at Balmoral Castle on the afternoon of 8th September 2022. Our deepest sympathies go out to her family.
Her Majesty the Queen devoted her life to this nation and was a symbol of unity and strength for us all. For many of us Her Majesty the Queen was the only monarch we have known and her experience and wisdom will be sorely missed in the years ahead.
Many of you will want to share your own messages and a book of condolence will be available in the Ashlea Room at Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall from Friday afternoon (opening times will be confirmed shortly).
The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire has an online book of condolence available online here and East Herts District Council will have a book of condolence available from Friday afternoon at the council offices in Hertford and Bishops Stortford .
I hope that we can all find comfort in the memory of this great woman who united a nation as our Queen for more than 70 years.
A book of condolence is available for the residents of Stanstead Abbotts and Stanstead St Margaret’s in the Ashlea Room in Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall. You can visit at the following times:
Saturday 10 th: 10am–1pm then 2–4pm
Sunday 11th: 10am–1pm then 2–4pm
Monday 12th: 2–5 pm
Tuesday 13th: 10am–1pm
Wednesday 14th: 2–5pm
Thursday 15th: 2–5pm
Friday 16th: 2–5pm
The Three Parish Councils that cover Great Amwell, St Margarets and Stanstead Abbotts work hard to ensure that residents are supported and represented, and to make the three villages fantastic places to live.
If you have any questions or concerns, there are several different ways to be in touch with them…
Great Amwell Parish Council
Parish Council Clerk: Jeff Hughes
Website: https://gtamwellpc.org
Email: greatamwellpc@virginmedia.com
St Margarets Parish Council
Parish Council Clerk: Christina Whellams
Website: https://www.stansteadstmargaretsparishcouncil.org.uk/
Email: stansteadstmargaretspcclerk@gmail.com.
Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council
Parish Council Clerk: Sarah Neighbour
Website: https://www.stansteadabbottsparishcouncil.gov.uk/
Email: clerk@stansteadabbottsparishcouncil.gov.uk
On Friday 3rd June, in the glorious sunshine, crowds of you came along to the Platinum Jubilee Party held at The Stanstead Abbotts and St Margarets’ Village Club.
A fantastic time was had by all who attended – and there were a lot of you! Live music, a delicious BBQ, dance performances, tombola, cake stall, face painting and ice creams made for a brilliant afternoon of celebration.
Huge thanks go to Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council, The Village Club and the army of volunteers who made it all happen.
On Thursday June 2nd, around 150 people were present at the Easneye field – at the invitation of Nicholas and Henrietta Buxton – and thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The late sun was shining on the trees with a golden glow as villagers arrived, from 8.30pm onwards, to gaze down to Hoddesdon and far beyond to the City of London and Canary Wharf. People happily picnicked and enjoyed refreshments from the bar as the late sun sank out of sight and the music became more patriotic. From his trailer, Nicholas Buxton delivered a rousing speech extolling the long reign of Her Majesty the Queen, before going over to the enormous bonfire and lighting it – dead on 9.45pm – so that it took its place in the official network of beacons across the country.
Thanks are due to the Buxton family for the welcome on to their land, for the work that went into building the beacon and providing the music. Volunteers were supervising the parking and running the bar and a committee had met several times to ensure that everything was in place. Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council very much appreciates and thanks all of those people who made the beacon happen.
Julia Davies
On Thursday 2nd June residents of Great Amwell were able to meet on the Vicar’s Field (with the kind permission of St. John the Baptist School) and enjoy the sunshine and some fun together before the Platinum Jubilee beacon lighting at 9:45, to coincide with all other beacons across the Commonwealth. Some lively games of rounders were played, children and adults had their faces painted and the souvenir mugs were handed out to provide a memento of what was truly a unique event, all to a well-judged soundtrack of music that easily overcame the neighbouring music festival.
The beacon was lit by Tom Foy as Chair of Great Amwell Parish Council and was spectacular. Indeed, someone called the fire brigade who were obliged to attend; although on a night of national beacon-lighting, this was probably not the only place that this happened. Hopefully, the young who came will look back in years to come and be able to say, ‘I remember the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee’.
The event was organised by Suzie Nichol and supported by East Herts District Council, Great Amwell Parish Council, St. John the Baptist Church and Parish Hall, the Amwell Society, and generous private donations.
Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council is holding its Annual Parish Meeting on Thursday 5th May at 7.30pm in Stanstead Abbotts Parish Hall.
Everyone is welcome to attend the Annual Parish Meeting, which is an informal meeting to update villagers on the work the Council has done in the previous year and plans for the year ahead.
Refreshments will be available, and we hope to see as many of you there as possible.
Stanstead Abbotts Parish Council
The Three Villages 