Topic ID 2376
What are you hoping to see improved or put right in the community in 2007! I'll start..... The Sportsman! Please can someone bring it back to life. It used to be such a great pub. A new footcrossing on Gascoyne Way for the people on the East side of town! The previous crossings have proved not to slow up traffic and were done for "safety". Can the people on the east have some safety please! The post office! Can they please sort the queues out! Bypass. Can they sneek one in over the school holidays please! That will do for now!
Reply ID 33158
1) Common sense tranplants for the traffic wardens 2) Rush Green roundabout traffic lights to only operate at peak periods 3) No more 'Riviera' type developments - like a Maze Prison H block without the rustic charm. No doubt some will be drawn to the panoramic vista of the Speedy tool hire compound though.
Reply ID 33162
Policing of the pubs, clubs and off licences of Hertford to try and stem the sale of alcohol to the under 18s. Policing of the town centre on Friday and Saturday nights from 9.00pm onwards to stem the drunken, loutish behaviour before Hertford goes even further down the route of being nothing more than the place to come for a drink and a fight. Policing of pavement parking throughout the town, including lower Bengeo. Policing of the No Entry road signs in Hertford that are ignored by motorists everywhere e.g. West Street, Fore Street, Lower Bengeo. Just for starters.
Reply ID 33163
The state of the public toilets..............what sort of impression do they give visitors?
Reply ID 33166
quote:The problem is that they are not "No Entry" just "No Motor Vehicles except for..." OK Fore Street is "except Busses" but the others are except for access and most people only drive up roads for access to somewhere so these signs are particularly pointless.
Originally posted by 2929paul
Policing of the No Entry road signs in Hertford that are ignored by motorists everywhere e.g. West Street, Fore Street, Lower Bengeo.
Reply ID 33170
1) Compromise to be reached between residents, motorists and highways to make Lower Bengeo a safer place to live, walk, cycle and drive. 2) More effort to be made to promote tourism to Hertford, including making the best of the river. 3) Skatepark to finally happen (really, how difficult can it be?) 4) Farmer's Market to be more visibly advertised so I don't keep missing it (for some reason "second Satuday of the month" seems to be too difficult for me).
Reply ID 33172
quote:They are not allowed to use common sense. Their brief is to strictly apply the law. To do otherwise might get them sacked for not doing their job properly.
Originally posted by Leo Densian
1) Common sense tranplants for the traffic wardens
Reply ID 33173
quote:Very hard without the money to pay for it! [:)]
Originally posted by Joby
3) Skatepark to finally happen (really, how difficult can it be?)
Reply ID 33176
Joby - can't do much about 1 and 3. However some good news on the way about 2. As for no4. There are only so many - no so few - places where you can put up a banner without incurring the wrath of Highways who might come along and take it down. There are only a few stores in town who can put posters etc in their windows or flyers on the counter without an area manager removing them. There are adverts in the Mercury on the two preceding Fridays and it goes on hertbeat whatson. And here! Next one being 13 January 2007. But point taken and will liase with East Herts to see what more can be achieved.
Reply ID 33179
Re 4 should be worth putting it on here: http://www.askwatson-hertford.co.uk/
Reply ID 33180
1) Hartham Pool & Gym to be brought up to spec. 2) Agree with Joby on the tourism front. Sloop, why use that £17k grant (Mercury) to produce an Audio/Visual guide? Surely that is for people who have already decided to visit Hertford. It would surely only be used once by them, and only then if they are sufficiently interested in what the guide will reveal? I would have thought it would be better to use the money to attract people, and then to provide some sort of hook that will bring them back again, and/or get them to encourage others to visit by word of mouth. On a survey of 1 (me), I wouldn't decide to visit somewhere new because it has an Audio/Visual guide, and when I visit somewhere new it isn't the first thing I look for.
Reply ID 33182
quote:Absolutely. Add the policing of parking at Mead Lane too!
Originally posted by 2929paul
Policing of pavement parking throughout the town.
Reply ID 33183
Traffic Wardens to spend more time ticketing those who park on double yellows, pedestrian crossings, across dropped curbs and less time waiting by cars in car parks in the hope that the driver might be 1 minute late. No more plans to develop flats & houses. It has ruined Cheshunt and I can see Hertford going the same way.
Reply ID 33184
Oh yes, and an escalator from the bottom of Welwyn Road to the top!
Reply ID 33186
I'd like the lights on the A10/A414 roundabout to be switched off outside of peak-time traffic. It's a pain having to wait at the lights when there is no-one else about.
Reply ID 33187
quote:Semantics. I'm sure you understand the point I'm making in the same way that you understand the reason for the signs being erected in the first place. [:(] Joby's got it right - residents, motorists and highways to work together to make the town/lower bengeo/west street safer and better places to live.
Originally posted by jez_pquote:The problem is that they are not "No Entry" just "No Motor Vehicles except for..." OK Fore Street is "except Busses" but the others are except for access and most people only drive up roads for access to somewhere so these signs are particularly pointless.
Originally posted by 2929paul
Policing of the No Entry road signs in Hertford that are ignored by motorists everywhere e.g. West Street, Fore Street, Lower Bengeo.
Reply ID 33188
quote:I was speaking to someone who has recently become a regular visitor to Hertford and used Hartham pool for the first time recently. She was very impressed with the pool and changing facilities. I never go there - or any other swimming pools for that matter - and so am unable to comment but this surprised me given the average reports I'd heard from other sources. How does it compare to elsewhere? What is "up to spec"? (Perhaps another topic is needed for this?)
Originally posted by nora batty
1) Hartham Pool & Gym to be brought up to spec.
Reply ID 33190
Last time I visited (just before Christmas) the changing rooms had broken doors and lockers, half the showers were cordoned off because they were not working, the diving boards had been condemned, pool tiles at the edge of the pool were broken and badly repaired. The gym shower drains do not drain efficiently and the water does not get hot enough. The hairdryer was broken. There has been a cash injection and a promise that many of the repairs will be undertaken soon - some over the Christmas holiday. I am going to the pool this p.m so I'll update you if anything has changed. There is a lot of mould in the grout in many areas, and peeling paint. By "up to spec" I mean maintained to a reasonable standard.
Reply ID 33205
I'd like to see Herts Highways actually spend some money on useful projects, like road markings, cats eyes and signs on the A414. Driving home along there at night in the fog last months was like a game of chance! I'd also like them or the council, whoever is responsible, to sort out the draingage issues outside Hertford North station and on the St Andrews underpass Most of all, I'd like the Wetherspoons to open and bring a bit of competition to the town centre bars and stop Macs ripping everyone off with their £3+ pints! That and a curry festival would make me a happy man!
Reply ID 33210
I'd rather Wetherspoons did not open. The prospect of cheap alcohol fuelling even more idiots ruining my town at weekends makes me shudder.
Reply ID 33226
Nora, the AV guide is the hook and actually the smallest part of the grant. The rest is for the website, hard copy guide and marketing. I tied this application in with the Hidden Britain campaign and have since working even more closely with Action for Market Towns as they are providing the tutors for the free training programme - details to follow. Call it partnership working. Taken me a little while to understand the ways of all this. Will get an awnswer on the application next week. Will let you know the outcome.
Reply ID 33250
quote:In my experience Wetherspoons doesn't attract the same clientelle as more trendy bars like Baroosh and eve LLoyds No 1 It should fit right in, I can't wait.
Originally posted by 2929paul
I'd rather Wetherspoons did not open. The prospect of cheap alcohol fuelling even more idiots ruining my town at weekends makes me shudder.
Reply ID 33258
quote:I have only been in one JD Wetherspoons in my life, and it was a very pleasant experience both times. I get the impression from the above that this is not generally the case, but it doesn't have to be bad. I have been to the Wetherspoons in Richmond, N.Yorks, twice. Like Hertford, Richmond has a bit of a night time drinking problem as it is so close to Catterick Garrison. However, the Wetherspoons offers a good family place to eat at extremely competitive prices. Children are allowed in a family area til 9pm. On curry night we had poppadums, rice and curry with a glass of wine for £3.95 a head!!! The food wasn't gourmet, but it was good pub food. I understand that Wetherspoons keep their prices down because, unlike a lot of establishments, they do not insist on buying food with long use-by dates. The food is still fresh, probably fresher in some cases as they get it from store to the table quickly. they just buy smarter.
Originally posted by jez_pquote:In my experience Wetherspoons doesn't attract the same clientelle as more trendy bars like Baroosh and eve LLoyds No 1 It should fit right in, I can't wait.
Originally posted by 2929paul
I'd rather Wetherspoons did not open. The prospect of cheap alcohol fuelling even more idiots ruining my town at weekends makes me shudder.
Reply ID 33271
These are our children... ...who are allowed to destroy their health and future prosperity by drinking to excess. To call them "idiots" seems to damn us older folk who know better, why don't we have the will to save them? p
quote:
Originally posted by jez_pquote:In my experience Wetherspoons doesn't attract the same clientelle as more trendy bars like Baroosh and eve LLoyds No 1 It should fit right in, I can't wait.
Originally posted by 2929paul
I'd rather Wetherspoons did not open. The prospect of cheap alcohol fuelling even more idiots ruining my town at weekends makes me shudder.
Reply ID 33276
Pay on exit parking & free parking on a Saturday. Sensible traffic wardens (no gang ticketing or multi-storey lurking) Stricter legislation for new-builds - just because a building can grow vertically to maximise on a small land footprint doesn't mean it should be allowed to. It is possible to build with a greater level of respect for the existing town/history and develop new building methods. It's the developer's greed that causes the problems. A marketing department in the council. Incentives for shop landlords to take care of their own buildings (punishment incentives, not hand-outs)and not bleed new retailers dry with rent. Council (ok, and governement) to introduce a sliding scale of payable rate value in direct response to retailer's age, size of customer accessible square footage and the recognition that new businesses' reputations take time to develop. Sort out the flooded underpasses and area outside Hertford North. Plain clothes raids on under-age drinking and resultant mayhem not only in the town centre but in any area where alcohol is served and vandalising little sods walk home armed with knives (4 tyres <sigh>!). And why were they carrying knives in the first place? Isn't that Going Armed With Intent, Concealing A Weapon etc. That's it for now!
Reply ID 33285
First one that comes to mind is to see all the empty shops being used...
Reply ID 33286
Oh and to have the river, banks and Hartham Park kept clean and free of rubbish...
Reply ID 33300
1. Rush Green traffic lights being turned off outside peak hours, what a waste of energy in this eco-friendly society. 2. To sort out the BP/Mcdonalds exit on the Rush Green roundabout so that the queues do not trail onto the roundabout, this will only happen once someone is killed. 3. A BYPASS PLEASE, think of the poor people who live in the town centre and don't just pass through. Can't think of anything else right now but sure more will arrive!!
Reply ID 33301
Mmmmm bypass.....I have a vague memory of a bypass being discussed in '91/'92.....not sure now if it was proposed to cut across land from the A10 Hertford turn-off, bi-sect Hertford Heath, hack across Mangrove Lane and eventually join up with the A414 near to Hertingfordbury or Birch Green. Perhaps it was just a dream. Get the chewing gum cleaned off the pavements outside Blackbirds/ Bare Toosh etc., and make management of each pub responsible for keeping the pavement areas clean. Do something about the blocked drains on the Ware Road and North Road. No Weatherspoons - Hertford has more than enough pubs and bars.
Reply ID 33303
A couple of people have mentioned how annoying it is that Rush Green traffic lights are still on at off-peak times - well, as far as I can tell, it's custom and practice to ignore them, provided it's safe to do so. Certainly this is the case in the wee small hours, when I've used the roundabout to leave the A10. On several occasions I've seen cars and even a lorry carefully pull onto the empty roundabout despite a red light. I presume there's no CCTV. Has anyone else who drives there late at night noticed this little bit of A10 anarchy? [:)]
Reply ID 33338
ive seen that too - the problem seems to be the timing - at night the lights seem to make you sit there for ages before eventually changing, so im not surprised people are jumping them. I assumed it was just a teething trouble! As for improvements it's got to start with a spoons, and in fact any new development in the town! Spoons would bring something missing to hertford thats for sure!
Reply ID 33342
quote:I'm sorry Steve but that comment is just plain wrong. The council MUST have enough money to pay for it. It just isn't high enough on the agenda. It is not surprising, therefore,that the young and bored can become the angry yobs we see on the street.
Originally posted by Stevequote:Very hard without the money to pay for it! [:)]
Originally posted by Joby
3) Skatepark to finally happen (really, how difficult can it be?)
Reply ID 33373
1) A set of stocks set up in the town centre so that morons who slash tyres/cause trouble etc. can be properly punished. Prison wont do the tyre slashers any good, a dose of public embarrasement may. 2) Can the escalator on Welwyn Road please be changed to a moving walkway as I get off half way up. 3) A bypass/tunnel to get rid of the through traffic. Then maybe the eyesore that is Gascoigne Way could be greened up a bit. 4) Flightpaths over Hertford to be stopped. If Stansted does expand life will be getting very noisy (not forgetting that Luton Airport has expansion plans also).
Reply ID 33375
quote:Escalator?
Originally posted by carlos fandango
2) Can the escalator on Welwyn Road please be changed to a moving walkway as I get off half way up.
Reply ID 33383
See John Smiths desires on page 1 of the thread. I would also like to add: 5) A fast train from HN to Moorgate leaving at 06.00 non-stop until Finsbury Park. If pushed I would accept a Kings X train. [:o)]
Reply ID 33386
quote:Can that service run every half hour until 9am please?
Originally posted by carlos fandango I would also like to add: 5) A fast train from HN to Moorgate leaving at 06.00 non-stop until Finsbury Park. If pushed I would accept a Kings X train. [:o)]
Reply ID 33387
Something drinkable coming out of The Hertford Brewery would be nice.
Reply ID 33388
quote:Absolutely! best suggestion so far ;p) Maytbe whoever moves into the site should have planning constraints added such that they must re-start brewing!
Originally posted by Steve
Something drinkable coming out of The Hertford Brewery would be nice.
Reply ID 33391
quote:I don't get this 'boredom' excuse thing. When I was a lad, I went fishing, played football, went swimming, played cricket, played tennis, played rugby, skateboarded without a skate-park. No school or involvement, just the parks and a few quid from my parents. And if I didn't have anything to do, because I was bored, I never got angry. I blame the parents, but then I suppose they are bored too, what with 600 TV channels to flick through that have absolutely nothing of any interest or value other than 'make-believe' reality.
Originally posted by Dreamerquote:I'm sorry Steve but that comment is just plain wrong. The council MUST have enough money to pay for it. It just isn't high enough on the agenda. It is not surprising, therefore,that the young and bored can become the angry yobs we see on the street.
Originally posted by Stevequote:Very hard without the money to pay for it! [:)]
Originally posted by Joby
3) Skatepark to finally happen (really, how difficult can it be?)
Reply ID 33396
quote:Agree entirely. It's been said many times before on this forum that things have not changed much from when any of us were kids. Why should the council or anyone else have to stump up a whole load of money just because the youth of today cannot amuse themselves with the same facilities we had. There's bound to be people shooting me down here, pointing out how things have changed over the years, but other than the loss of a one screen cinema over 20 years ago, I cannot think of any major changes to the town's facilities for teenagers during my 40 years here. A major improvement I would like to see would be one in social behaviour by residents and visitors to the town.
Originally posted by James007 I don't get this 'boredom' excuse thing. When I was a lad, I went fishing, played football, went swimming, played cricket, played tennis, played rugby, skateboarded without a skate-park. No school or involvement, just the parks and a few quid from my parents. And if I didn't have anything to do, because I was bored, I never got angry. I blame the parents, but then I suppose they are bored too, what with 600 TV channels to flick through that have absolutely nothing of any interest or value other than 'make-believe' reality.
Reply ID 33409
Hi Back to Joby's point 4 about knowing when the Farmers' Market is on...would an SMS service help - i.e. you get a text message on the Friday eve or Saturday to remind you? If so, I could help through my work if the powers that be are also interested.
Reply ID 33422
quote:Perhaps you should contact Sloop John.
Originally posted by Sparks
Hi Back to Joby's point 4 about knowing when the Farmers' Market is on...would an SMS service help - i.e. you get a text message on the Friday eve or Saturday to remind you? If so, I could help through my work if the powers that be are also interested.
Reply ID 33496
Ok here's one, from a well known 60's song: "Bobbies on bicycles, two by two"....or at least on regular foot patrol. I wonder just how much difference that would make in the evenings and at weekends in the centre of town? Just a thought. (Was going to add "and the ability to clip a young 'un round the ear if they were up to no good knowing they'd get another one from t'father when they got 'ome" but that was a bygone age - for better of worse)
Reply ID 33503
The flooded underpass
Reply ID 33509
quote:I am meeting Carole at East Herts sometime this week to discuss Farmers and other things so will mention the possibility of SMS. No promises but will let you know outcome.
Back to Joby's point 4 about knowing when the Farmers' Market is on...would an SMS service help - i.e. you get a text message on the Friday eve or Saturday to remind you? If so, I could help through my work if the powers that be are also interested.