Mind the Gap!

As a bit of a history nerd, I am fascinated by old pictures of Borehamwood that give us a peek into a golden age before the huge housing estates, office blocks and warehouses arrived, when Borehamwood was essentially picturesque farmland with a Film Studio skyline, a Tesco-free local economy and a chocolate box car-less street scene. My, how things have changed.

Whereas some areas of Hertsmere appear to have been quite clearly dipped in "council planning" aspic, protecting their leafy lane appearance, Borehamwood was allowed to be developed, redeveloped and then some. Decades of 'well meaning' public servants’ doing what they felt was right at the time, created the 'eclectic landscape' we live in today. Although we will never be able to turn back the clock, from such pictures I can see why residents who have lived in this area for 50 plus years still refer to Shenley Road as the village.

The planning process that has allowed this to happen is quite complicated and it is understandable how those unfamiliar with its intricacies could be intimidated by its 'planning jargon' such as section 106 agreements, permitted developments and 45 degree rules etc, after 10 months in office I am still baffled by it.

Before a planning application reaches planning committee level (committee is made up of local councillors), it is first dealt with by our planning department officers. Normally, it is here that the specific planning case is researched and developed into a recommendation that is then taken to the committee for discussion and potentially the rubber stamp treatment. I have to say that from my limited experience of sitting on this committee, the system seems to work well.

That’s why I was surprised and thankful to be contacted by a local resident alerting me to a "public right of way" issue he has been struggling to resolve for the past 6 years. He was concerned that documents being supplied to the planning committee relating to a proposed development in Borehamwood, made little or no reference to an application he had put into Hertfordshire County Council to have a public walk way that crosses this property officially recognised. The walk way leads to a passage way that has been used by residents of Borehamwood as a shortcut to Shenley Road and the Station for more than 30 years.

To compound the issue further , officers also appeared to be making the case to allow consent to permanently block off this long standing and well used passage, close to what was once the Woodcock Pub/council owned garage site and soon to be developed block of flats.

With the case of Lyndhurst School firmly in my mind, when a building developer 'accidentally' pulled down the Lair Youth club, we know that it is very hard, nye on impossible to reinstate things once they have gone.As the Woodcock Pub site had been given full planning permission, I was keen to inject a level of urgency into this matter.

I had an immediate interest in this case, not only because it happened to be in my ward but also as I have used this cut through myself for the past 15 years when walking to my local synagogue. I could see that if this advice was followed and/or developers got their own way, the consequences would have communities on both sides of the gap quite literally "going around the houses".

Hertfordshire County Council is conducting its own investigation into this. If they can find sufficient evidence of at least 20 years uninterrupted use by the public, Hertfordshire county council can give the walkway official status. If this happens, then what is currently a relatively narrow gap, would have a minimum requirement of 2 metres width imposed on it, allowing people with buggies or wheelchairs to use it.

I hope in conjunction with the developer, this issue can be resolved quickly, openly and amicably, where a permanent solution that allows us all to continue using a walkway that residents have benefited from since local planners first gave the 'go ahead' to build houses on what was once Tilehouse Farm.

Let us all "watch this space".