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:

Sponsor a Bird Box Scheme – this scheme has proved to be very popular.  To-date we have erected 25 bird boxes, 4 bat boxes and 3 owl boxes.  We are thrilled to report that most of our bird boxes were successfully nested in this year!    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 June 2010

 

 Clear ups on every third Sunday

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 and are advertised in My Croxley News as well as in notices in and around the Village Green.  In April, Three Rivers District Council provided a skip and rubbish bags to assist us in a large scale clear up of rubbish from the Village Green, towpath and surrounding woodland area and on a sun drenched morning 40 or so volunteers quickly filled the skip to overflowing. This exercise transformed a half mile stretch of Village Green and has made it easier for us to collect the odd bits of refuse we see from time to time.

 

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!

 

We’ve noticed significant change in the site over the last 18 months. We’ve seen some big old trees come down as a consequence of bizarre weather conditions but also more trees have invaded the buddleia walk area as, in some places the buddleia subsides. A couple of benches have “sprung up” and provide an opportunity to stop and take in the views and wildlife. We’ve put up 2 more owl boxes in the woods and we’ll be putting up more bird boxes soon.

 

Funding obtained from the Council

The KCGG has obtained funding from TRDC in the form of  Local Area Forum grants. This funding is mainly used to purchase necessary equipment for the clear ups.  For example, protective gloves, litter pickers/bags, shears.  We also purchase and/or build bird, bat and owl boxes, amongst other items, to encourage wildlife.

 

IMC site, end of Harvey Road

The site has begun to be developed and within the next couple of years we expect it will become an attractive new area of housing nestled within a woodland environment. We are in contact with the developers and the Planning Department at TRDC and we anticipate being in a position to liase with both to ensure that the integrity of the woodland area is maintained and, indeed, enhanced by the application of funding that has been set aside for this purpose.

 

 

Lavrock Lane and All Saints Lane

The Executive committee of Three Rivers District Council has recently voted to install 2 lockable gates on Lavrock Lane. Residents of Lavrock Lane and Lot Mead will have key access, as will the Council and London Underground. This step should end the era of rat running to avoid traffic congestion on the Watford Road. It should make recreational use of the woods and Lanes far safer and hopefully, deter the fly tippers.

 

 

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 Lavrock Lane, across the Buddleia and through Long Valley Wood to Mill Lane.  Local riders have used Lavrock Lane (from All Saints Lane), Long Valley Wood and Mill Lane as a safe off-road route to Croxley Common Moor.    This application has now been accepted as meeting the legal requirements for a valid application and HCC have allotted a file ref. number.

 

 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 Grand Union Canal and Harvey Road, in Croxley Green.  Part of this site was once a tip, but for the past 25 years or more it has been reverting to a green and tranquil haven and is surrounded by ancient bluebell woodland and Common Moor. 

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.

 

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