Agenda item

Question 1 from the Public, Pandora Vaughan-Melly

6a)       Why is Oxhey Fields (‘The Playing Fields/The Old Golf Course’) being considered as a site for cattle or other animals under the ‘ecology diversification’ heading? This idea was tabled at a 3RDC meeting covering the Greenspace Action Plan in November 2023 (Minutes not yet available).

In brief, this is land used to a great extent by dog walkers, both dog owners and those walking dogs for others (commercial walkers). To put livestock on this area, and to contain them - as was suggested at the meeting - through the use of barbed wire is unsafe for both the stock and the dogs being walked, which are almost all running freely off-lead, being the exercise that high-energy and large dogs require on a daily basis.

Because the amenity is in use by a great many dogs throughout the day, it is not safe to add livestock to the mix, and it would not be well-received by the many owners/walkers who make frequent use of the land which has been available to them for this purpose for many years. The proposed site is also next to a main road - the A4123 - and were the livestock to escape, either through panic or malicious or accidental release, then they and any other road users could suffer horrible injuries.

I have further objections to livestock on Oxhey Fields, not least the churning of a heavy clay subsoil, but hopefully it will be decided by 3RDC council that Oxhey Fields is an unsuitable site for livestock.

Written response:

There are no immediate plans to graze cattle or other livestock at this location and should this be actively considered for this location at a future date, local residents and other interested parties would be consulted.

Question 2 from the Public, Resident of Three Rivers

6b)       Why has this bridge been repaired first in 2023 and is now being completely replaced for over a 1.2 million pound?

Written response:

This matter is fully explained in the publicly available reports which can be found on the Council website at:

https://moderngov.threerivers.gov.uk/documents/s4089/CIL%20Spending%20Applications%20-%20Pedestrian%20Bridge%20Aquadrome%20Rickmansworth.pdf

and

https://moderngov.threerivers.gov.uk/documents/s4090/Enc.%201%20for%20CIL%20Spending%20Applications%20-%20Pedestrian%20Bridge%20Aquadrome%20Rickmansworth.pdf

Question 3 from the Public, Resident of Three Rivers

6c)       Is it known when Village Green Status (VGS) for Oxhey Fields will be implemented? Residents would like to know that development will never be permitted on this land, which would be protected by VGS, now and in the future.

Written response:

There is no definitive date. Hertfordshire County Council are the assessment and awarding authority in connection with Town & Village Green applications. In our most recent contact with HCC (7 November 2023), TRDC Officers were advised that the application is next in the list of pending applications and the investigating Officer should be in touch in the first half of next year.

The protections offered by the Town & Village Green status, reinforce existing restrictions and controls upon the land and those included within the local Planning Policy, such as the land forming part of the Green Belt.

The Council received and noted the three questions submitted by members of the public under Procedure Rule 15 and their written responses.