Archive for category: News

Over the past few months Councillors have been actively seeking a viable solution to the flooding that affected the Children’s Playground and wider Village Green.

It proved to be a far more complicated problem to try and solve than had been originally hoped. The Parish Council wanted to ensure they addressed the flooding for the long term and not be faced with this issue every year.

A whole series of surveys were commissioned to try and identify the cause of the problem along with specialist advice on how best to solve it.

Initially it was thought to install a large subterranean chamber, into which the water would drain and from which would be pumped into the nearby brook (permission allowing). This proved to be a very costly option and had long term maintenance implications.

Alternatives were looked for and more cost effective solution and one which is less invasive and more environmentally friendly was then considered by Terrain Aeration Services Ltd. Essentially the method involves hammering a hollow probe into the soil to one-metre depth into which compressed air is then blasted through the probe and at the same time injecting dried milled seaweed.  Over a period of time the seaweed expands and contracts with the moisture content in the soil, helping to keep the fractures and fissures open.  The process is repeated over a grid pattern, two meters apart – the holes are then backfilled with an aggregate to provide a ventilation/aeration shaft to promote the aeration process.

Terrain Aeration Services Ltd. have worked successfully with many clients including: The Royal Parks (Buckingham Palace & Windsor), National Trust, Diddly Squat Farm and all major house builders.  The contractor was subsequently instructed to carry out the works which were undertaken on the 8^th July 2025. The costs were funded by East Herts S106 monies.

 

Chris Hinchliff, MP Member of Parliament for North East Hertfordshire, is currently running a survey for all constituents to inform him of their experiences with our local buses, so that he can push for an improved service that North East Hertfordshire needs and deserves.

Please see the attached poster for further information and QR code to access the survey.

If anyone cannot access the online form, please contact his office via email (), by post (Chris Hinchliff MP, House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA), or by phone (01462 415153) and a hard copy to be provided.

Aspenden Parish Council has been made aware, via a letter to the occupiers of the Watermill Industrial Estate, of the proposed closure of Aspenden Road for the period 5th August to 29th August whilst Dandara carry out their S278 highway works. The Parish Council has made clear on several occasions the serious implications on local residents and businesses of a full daytime road closure.

The diversion route for the period of the planned closure would be via Westmill village.

The Chair of Aspenden Parish Council has contacted the agencies involved in this decision to raise the fact that this diversion route is totally unsuitable. It is not capable of withstanding the volume of traffic (much of which would be HGVs) a full road closure will bring and the junctions to and from the A10 for Westmill are already dangerous.

The District Councillor Sue Nicholls and the newly elected County Councillor Terry Smith have also been informed and are supporting Aspenden Parish Council.

A response from Hertfordshire County Council stated ‘Please be advised we have not issued any formal approvals to enable these works to proceed. To date initial discussions regarding the works have taken place, at which County officers highlighted the concerns with closing Aspenden Road for a prolonged period. Dandara and their contractors have been tasked with exploring alternative arrangements to facilitate the works in the least disruptive way possible. Your concerns are noted and will feed into wider discussions with the developer and contractors.’

Clerk Aspenden Parish Council