Welcome to the Keep
Croxley ‘Green’ website!
We
now have a map of the New Village Green –click here
The KCGG was formed by a group of concerned
residents. Its aims and objectives are:
o
To act against inappropriate development of
Green Belt land in and around Croxley Green.
o
To lobby local councillors and local
organisations in pursuit of the above.
o
To protect any land used as an amenity by our
community.
o
To protect and encourage local wildlife.
o
To raise funding in support of the above activities
On this page:
Updates
Latest newsletter
Milestones
Background information
Updates: July 2008
Sponsor a Bird Box
Scheme – this scheme has proved to be very popular. To-date we have erected 13 bird boxes,
4 bat boxes and an owl box. We are
thrilled to report that at least 3 of our bird boxes have already been
successfully nested in this year!
We have received sponsorship for a further 6 boxes which will be erected
soon. If you would like to sponsor
a bird, bat or owl box, please email us at keepcroxleygreen@gmail.com. Sponsorship starts at £5.00 for a bird
box. Anyone sponsoring a box will
receive details of their box number and position on the village green. If you spot a box being used, please
email us so that we can update our records.
Keep Croxley ‘Green’ Group Newsletter January 2008
Hello Residents!
Its official, Croxley now has two Village
Greens!
This is the first edition of
the Keep Croxley ‘Green’ Newsletter.
Some of you will already know that on the 14th December 2007,
following a 4 year campaign, Long Valley Woods and The Buddleias finally became
registered as a New Village Green.
As a result the 25 acre site sandwiched between Frankland Road and the
Grand Union Canal will remain, forever, as an amenity for our community. Not only is this great for us, but it
is also great for our local wildlife.
Last summer we were lucky enough to witness a female muntjak deer just
after she had given birth. We watched for several minutes until the fawn found
its feet and disappeared with its mother into the undergrowth…..
Clear ups on every third Sunday
…..Talking about
undergrowth, concern has been expressed about who will be responsible for the
general upkeep of our New Village Green.
Well, as has been the case for the past several years, there is a hard
core of local residents who are fully committed to maintaining pathways and
clearing rubbish etc. However, we
will never be short of jobs to do, so we are always grateful to anyone who can
spare a little time to help us. It is fantastic to see new faces and everyone
seems to have fun. Regular
clearances now take place on the 3rd Sunday of the month. Future dates for your diary are:
Sunday
16th March, Sunday 20th April, Sunday 18th May
Meet on the open grassy area any time between 10am –
12pm. If possible, please bring gloves
and tools. All ages and abilities welcome! Just half an hour would really help!
Funding obtained from the Council
The KCGG recently put in a
bid for funding being offered by TRDC at the recent Local Area Forum and we are
thrilled to report that we have been granted £500. This sum is mainly to be used to purchase necessary
equipment for the clear ups. For
example, protective gloves, litter pickers/bags, shears and possibly a brush
cutter (to be shared with the Friends of Common Moor). We also intend to purchase bird and bat
boxes, amongst other items, to encourage wildlife.
IMC site, end of Harvey Road
Many residents have
contacted us recently to air concerns about the rapidly deteriorating IMC
site. We have written to Cllr.
Phil Brading listing concerns including the fact that debris from the site is
making its way onto the New Village Green. We have asked what the Council will do to address the
situation. In our experience it is
the weight of resident objection that gets things moving, so if you have
concerns please write to Cllr. Brading c/o Three Rivers District Council,
Northway, Rickmansworth, WD3 1RL asap.
We’d really like to hear from you!
Without the great support we
received from the community, our beautiful woods would now have a Rail Track
Replacement Depot in the middle of it!
So, we want to hear from you!
Have you any good ideas for our Green? Alternatively, have you seen any
unusual or rare wildlife there that you think we should know about? Or, do you
have any interesting photos taken on our Green that you would like us to put on
the KCGG website? If so, our contact details are:
By
email: keepcroxleygreen@gmail.com.
(NB If you would like to receive future Newsletters or reminders of clear up
days by email, please contact us with your details)We can also be contacted by
Telephone on 01923 778660
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Milestones
14th
December 2007
Herts.
County Council formally register application site as a new Village Green
2nd
October 2007
The Development Control
Committee of Herts. County Council voted unanimously to register the site as a
Town or Village Green.
August
2007 – Village
Green Application recommended for Registration
We
received the long awaited report of the Public Inquiry Inspector on 7th
August. The Public Inquiry was held in respect of an application by local residents
to register land in and around Long Valley Wood and the Buddleia Walk as a Town
or Village Green.
The
Inspector was appointed by Herts. County Council (as registration authority) to
hold a non-statutory public inquiry into the application and to report to the
Council with a recommendation whether the Council should accede to or reject
the application.
The
Public Inquiry was held at Durrants House, Croxley Green in the week commencing
Monday 12th March 2007. The applicants were Barry and Mandy Grant
and the objectors (land owners) were 1. Transport for London/London
Underground; 2. Lincat PLC (IMC site) & 3. Mr. & Mrs. Weston.
The
conclusion and recommendation of the Inspector was that the application
succeeded in part, and that the Registration Authority (Herts. County Council)
should accept the application in part and should register the application land
as outlined in the application map, other than the IMC land, as a town or
village green.
There
will be a County Council Development Control Committee meeting on 11th
September where the application will be on the agenda as a matter to be decided
by the Committee. If the application in part is accepted - ownership stays the
same but there will be overriding rights for the land to be utilized for lawful
pursuits and pastimes as they have continued to do so for a min. 20 year
period.
The
application covers 30 acres (mostly woodland, the Buddleia Walk and a large
grassy open area) of Green belt land in the area of Long Valley Wood, South Croxley.
The application was made on behalf of local residents who have used the land
for pastimes/sports with a belief they were doing so as of a right; that they
were never challenged on using the land; that there were no signs forbidding
its use and no other obstructions. This belief and freedom of access was in
existence for at least 20 years (since mid 1984). This does not mean that
every individual using it must have done so for 20 years, simply that,
collectively, such access with the same conditions and belief existed over that
period. The IMC portion of the site which has not been recommended for
registration covers 2 acres.
March
2007 – Tree Preservation Order
We were
heartened to receive notice from Three Rivers District Council on the Saturday
preceding the Inquiry that Tree Preservation Orders had been issued over all
trees in the entirety of Long Valley Wood in the ownership of both London
Underground and IMC/Lincat plc.
July 2007
IMC - Outline Planning Application for 41 Houses & 85
bed Care Home - Appeal
withdrawn.
Subsequent
outline application approved for 41 Houses only.
24th May 2006 – VICTORY IN HOUSE OF LORDS FOR
TRAP GROUNDS, OXFORD Fantastic news for
Village Green applicants as the Law Lords reversed a damaging court of appeal decision
which had required evidence of lawful sports and pastimes to continue right up
until actual registration of land as a village green.
It is
now only necessary to provide evidence of 20 years’ use to the date of
application.
Applications
can be amended by the Registration Authority
A
different area can be registered than that originally planned for (i.e map
amendements are acceptable)
Registration
gives legal rights to use the land for lawful sports and pastimes
Registered
greens are protected from encroachment and development under section 12 of the
Inclosure Act 1857 and section 29 of the Commons Act 1876.
It must
be noted that it was a group of local residents who took the case all the way
to the House of Lords.
July
2004
Local
residents submit Village Green application to Herts. County Council
July 2004 - Right of Way/Bridle Path
Residents have applied for a public right of way to be
considered through the Buddleias and Long Valley Wood in the South of
Croxley. There is no doubt that
this route has been walked regularly for decades. We are confident that this route will be included in the
definitive map.
Local horse riders have also recently applied for a bridle
path to be considered through
Background Information
Why form a pressure group? In March 2004, London Underground Ltd
applied to build a track replacement depot in the middle of Long Valley Wood, between the
In April 2005 we received a letter from the Planning Inspectorate
stating that LUL had withdrawn their appeal. LUL stated two reasons for
withdrawing; the late date that
had been set for the Inquiry and the residents’ applications for Village Green
Status and Public Right of Way.
LUL were advised that it could take one to two years for these
applications to be processed. LUL
therefore felt they would not be able to fulfil their obligations with respect
to track replacement within required timescales and would have to make
alternative arrangements.
As a result of a Public Enquiry in respect of the application to
register a Village Green it was the conclusion and recommendation of the
Inspector that the application succeeded in part, and that the Registration
Authority (Herts. County Council) should accept the application in part and
should register the application land as outlined in the application map, other
than the IMC land, as a town or village green (in part – referred to the
majority (95% of the entire application site).
It is possible to prevent inappropriate development.
Co-ordinated
and well supported opposition is essential.
With the
support of the local community we can continue campaigning to protect our
environment and quality of life.
End