Goffs Oak News

13 02 2012

Play Time!.

Work is to commence on upgrading two play areas in Goffs Oak. Richardson Crescent, starting 26th February and should take two weeks to complete, and Rosedale Way, beginning 27th February and taking approx. five weeks to complete. This is good news for children and families in Goffs Oak and will substantially enhance the play area at both sites. The Rosedale Way play area is long overdue and will have a substantial makeover.

18 10 2011

GOFFS OAK SAVED

By now many of you would have received an email from the Boundary Commission, heard or read in the newspaper that the campaign to save Goffs Oak village from new electoral arrangements proposed by the Local Government Boundary Commission to merge Goffs Oak with Bury Green, has been successful in its entirety. The commission in an unprecedented judgement has reversed its decision and come down on the side of Goffs Oak.

In its judgement published on Tuesday 18th October 2011, a day that will live long in the memory of the community, they concluded;

‘in response to evidence from local people and groups, the commission is recommending to move away from its initial recommendation for a Goffs Oak and Bury Green ward in favour of a Goffs Oak ward which comprises the settlement of Goffs Oak without the inclusion of Bury Green. Consequently the commission proposes a Rosedale and Bury Green ward whose boundary would be the Lieutenant Ellis Way dual carriageway’.

The full report can be seen by clicking on the link;

www.lgbce.org.uk

The next step is that the changes now proposed must be approved by Parliament. An order, the legal document that brings into force the commission recommendations, will be laid in parliament. If accepted, the new arrangements will come into force at the next election for borough councillors in May 2012.

The campaign by local residents and many others was right and the right outcome achieved. It was a straightforward common sense victory for the community, retaining the identity and community of Goffs Oak. A campaign of immense importance for many reasons, but, as I say not least our identity and village settlement.

Individually and collectively we all serve our community and at times come together to lobby a just cause. I am extremely grateful to the Goffs Oak Community Association for their unstinting efforts, the borough council, CEO, the Leader of the Council, Paul Mason, the local press, colleagues and to all those who attended meetings, delivered leaflets, wrote to the commission, spoke up, supported the cause, signed the petition, wrote letters, emailed, crowded out the village church and council chamber, a very big thank you; ‘We few, we happy few, we band of brothers (and sisters)’.

It was by co-incidence that on Wednesday I was in Rosedale, a long standing engagement, to deliver an address on ‘The Community’. I know that with the coming together of Rosedale and Bury Green wards a thriving and vibrant community will blossom.

Please pass on the news to all your friends and neighbours, who may not be on the Internet or heard the outcome or not able to get out but just as keen to support the effort, (at the same time with the cold weather coming on check they are OK). I am sure a celebratory coming together of residents will be held next year at the annual community meeting in the village hall of the Goffs Oak Community Association, details of the date will no doubt follow in due course from the association.

Once again my grateful thanks for all your efforts.

16 10 2011

Information from Hertfordshire County Council on Street lighting

The Change to Part Night Lighting – Implementation Programme

Street lighting, energy saving

It takes a lot of electricity to power the county’s street lighting. Currently, the annual energy bill is running at £3.4m – and energy prices are rising.

On 29 November 2010, the council’s cabinet approved plans for changes to street lighting designed to reduced the street lighting energy bill by up to £1.3m per year (at current prices).

The decision was to convert the majority of the county’s street lights to part-night operation. In the future, most street lights will be on from dusk through to late evening and, during the winter, in the morning rush hour. They will, however, be extinguished during the late hours of the night when road and pedestrian traffic volumes are lower. The changes will be implemented over 18 months, starting in June-July 2011, a map is in the implementation link on the left hand side of this page.

Why are changes to street lighting are necessary?

Just like all of the UK’s local authorities, Hertfordshire County Council must make significant savings over the next few years. Our initial target is £150m per annum and this may increase to over £200m by 2014/15.

The council has already identified efficiency savings rising to £110m a year, and is working hard to find more – but a gap remains. We estimate that changes to our street lighting service will save £1.3m a year – and thus make a significant contribution to these savings. Not only that, but our plans will also reduce carbon emissions.

Exceptions

Most of the lights in the county will be converted to part-night operation. However, there are some exceptions where, lights will remain on all night. In agreeing the exceptions, discussions will be held with local county councillors, the county’s police force and road safety experts. The exceptions will include the following:

town centres & other civic districts where there is significant night time economy. These areas contain the majority of restaurants, pubs, night clubs, major transport hubs and similar facilities that encourage pedestrians to be active in the immediate area later in the night. These areas will remain fully lit

road traffic obstructions. where there is a obstruction on the road (such as a junction on a main road, a roundabout, central island, traffic calming measure, pedestrian crossing etc) the street lights associated with the obstruction will be left in all-night operation. Traffic routes with a history of night time accidents will also be left with all night lighting

CCTV coverage and zones of relatively higher crime. Locations covered by the authority’s CCTV cameras will be left in all-night illumination. Areas of night-time crime will be identified in consultation with the Police and they will recommend an appropriate treatment level of lighting for those areas

Where will the changes happen and when?
The project will begin in June-July 2011. The objective will be to change large numbers of lights quickly, so works will focus – at least initially – on the urban areas of the county. Changes will start in Welwyn Garden City and progress south through Hatfield and southwest to Cheshunt (ie the districts of Welwyn & Hatfield and Broxbourne). Following these areas, part-night lighting will be installed in Hertsmere, Watford and Three Rivers before progressing through the rest of the county.

Where can I find more information?
You can read a series of answers to the most frequently asked questions about the changes by clicking the link “Street lighting FAQs”.

Street Lighting FAQs

29 09 2011

Meeting of the Community Safety Forum held at the Council Offices, Churchgate.

Minutes of meeting held on 29 September 2011

16 08 2011

Next meeting of the Goffs Oak and West Cheshunt Neighbourhood Forum (GOWEST), on Thursday 24th November 2011 at 7pm, in the Council Chamber, Council Offices, Churchgate.

01 08 2011

Message from the Secretary of State for Overseas Development

Dear Mark,

Today, hundreds of thousands of British Muslims will begin the holy month of Ramadan – a time of fasting, devotion, charity, and care. From sunset to sunrise, they will refrain from eating and drinking, and focus on reflection, self-discipline and prayer.

But for millions of Muslims in the Horn of Africa, this month of fasting will be more than a matter of religious devotion. In Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia people are experiencing the worst humanitarian catastrophe in a generation. Many areas are facing the driest period for sixty years. 10 million people are in desperate need of emergency relief.

In the past few weeks, I have visited the region and was horrified by what I encountered. At one refugee camp in Kenya, I met women who had walked for weeks to reach refuge. Some had been robbed; many had met violence; others had lost children to hunger along the way.

We cannot ignore this appalling situation and I am proud that Britain is leading the way. The government has already provided over £90 million of aid to the region which will provide emergency assistance to more than 2 million people, including access to clean drinking water and treatment for starving children.

But far more is needed urgently. We are vigorously pressing the international community to join us in taking action. We also need to work together as a country, in line with our strong tradition of generosity, and do everything we can to support the DEC Appeal. The British public have already been incredibly supportive but please, as we enter Ramadan, reach into your pockets and give what you can.

Thank you and with all good wishes for Ramadan.

Andrew Mitchell

31 07 2011

Last day before the consultation period ends on the Local Government Boundary Commission proposals for Broxbourne. There has been a great campaign and lots of people from Goffs Oak have supported the call to reject the commission’s proposals for the merging of Goffs Oak and Bury Green. There was a packed meeting at the Methodist Church who voted overwhelmingly to say no to the proposal.

Many letters and a petition has been submitted to the commission saying no. Full council meeting on the 26th July 2011 was to a packed gallery calling on the commission to accept the original council proposals and reinforced their position;

West of the A10

That:

(a) in light of the considerable public disquiet in relation to the Commission’s

proposed Goffs Oak and Bury Green ward (ward 4) the Council does not

support the Commission’s proposals for the wards primarily to the west of

the A10 (ward numbers 4, 5 and which do not meet the Commission’s

technical criteria on community identity and effective and convenient local

government;

(b) the Commission be requested to abandon its proposals for the boundaries

for these three wards and replace them with the Council’s proposed

warding arrangements submitted during stage one of the review, subject to

Lieutenant Ellis Way forming the boundary between the Goffs Oak and Bury

Green/Rosedale wards; and

residential estate south of the Brookfield Centre (Mylne Close – Brookfield

Lane West) is with no logic split between two wards under the

Commission’s proposals, under any warding arrangement this residential

area and the rest of the residential area south of the Brookfield Centre

should all be in the same ward.

That the Constitution Working Party:

(a) be requested to meet to consider the appropriate names for each

new ward and any outstanding matters relating to the electoral

review; and

(b) finalise the Council’s submission and be authorised to submit this on

the Council’s behalf.

Consultation on review of ward boundaries to end on 1 August

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) seeks views on its proposals by 1 August. The LGBCE has published draft recommendations on the Council’s size and ward boundaries and has adopted a Council size of 30 in accordance with the Council’s recommendations. View the recommendations agreed at Tuesday’s Council meeting.

The fight goes on

25 06 2011

Urgent meeting of the Goffs Oak Community Association at the Methodist Church on 13th July 2011 at 7.30pm, to discuss the proposed changes to by the Boundary Commission impacting on Goffs Oak Village. All to attend.

07 06 2011

Saturday 11th June, Goffs Oak Community Fun Day, playing field behind library - 2pm – 4.30pm.

Saturday 11th June, Isabel Hospice Children’s Fun Day, Cuffley Youth Club - 1.30pm – 4pm

30 05 2011

Thursday 09 06 2011 - Goffs Oak and West Cheshunt Community Safety Meeting – Council Chamber, Cheshunt at 7pm.

10 05 2011

Goffs Oak Community Association Annual General Meeting, Tuesday 24th May 2011, at 7pm, in the Village Hall, Goffs Oak.

05 05 2011

Local Election Poll result – Goffs Oak Ward

PEARCE Jeremy – Conservative 1904

ROBBINS Cherry – Labour Party 441

Local Election and AV Result

Congratulations to Jerry Pearce for being re-elected at Goffs Oak at the local elections on May 5th. Goodbye to AV, a resounding NO vote was registered in Goffs Oak and across the borough.

Local Election 2011

Borough elections take place on the 5th May 2011, 13 seatsare up for grabs, 11 held by sitting Conservatives, one Labour and one Independent. Jerry Pearce is our candidate at Goffs Oak, polling stations are in the village at Goffs Oak and the Church Hall, Pear Tree Walk off Hammondstreet. A bumper turn out is anticiapated due, not just because of the candidate for the Conservatives, but, for the referendum vote on the alternative voting system (AV).

Please support Jerry Pearce for re-election.

Borough of Broxbourne

The Local Government Boundary Commission is conducting a separate review of the size of the council and ward boundaries.

Residents can now view planning applications online

Members of the public and businesses can now view planning applications on Broxbourne Council’s website in (please click here); the environment and planning section.

Local Election NEWS 2010

The result of the local election for Goffs Oak was as follows;

Goffs Oak Ward Result 6 May 2010
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Mark Bevis James Mills-Bishop	3,194	76.72	-0.51
	Labour	Cherry Lorraine Robbins	649	15.59	+4.30
	BNP	Russell Jesse Shevill	320	7.69	-3.79
Majority			2,545
Turnout			4,163	67.14
	Conservative hold		Swing

Chosen Charity -

www.teensunitefightingcancer.org

Building the Big Society;-

a thumb nail look at what the new administration in government have in mind.

1- Giving people, communities and local government the power and information they need to come together, to solve problems. Radically reform the planning system to give communities far more ability to determine the shape of the places in which their inhabitants live.

Introduce new powers to help communities save local facilities and services threatened with closure, and give communities the right to bid to take over local state-run services.

2- Train a new generation of community organisers and support the creation of community groups across the UK, and encourage people to take an active role in their communities. Embark on a range of measures to encourage volunteering and involvement in social action, including launching a national ‘Big Society Day’.

3- Abolish Regional Spatial Strategies and return decision making powers on housing and planning to local councils.

Support the creation and expansion of mutuals, co-operatives, charities and social enterprises, and support these groups to have much greater involvement in the running of public services.

4- Use funds from dormant bank accounts to establish a Big Society Bank, which will provide new finance for groups, charities, social enterprises and other nongovernmental bodies.

Cllr Mark Mills-Bishop