Discover Hertford Online Forum

Reply ID 1463

what would it involve? and would representatives have to live in the town centre?

Reply ID 1464

Take FOlly Island Ascociation. All residents are members - we have a Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and an AGM in April at which officers are elected or carry on regardless. The committee is sometimes 6, sometimes 8 depending .... and meets every other month to discuss issues that concern the island - ie. parking, trees, litter, vandalism, lighting and so on. Then we try and get Council or Highways to do something about it. Success rate is reasonably good. The association was actually re-formed when EHDC cut down the cherry trees in Thornton Street without warning or notice. No one has cut down a tree since! Well, not on the highway anyway. So that's what is involved - need a Chairman or spokesperson with a bit of common sense and a willingness to bash their head against a brick wall until there's no feeling left! As for reps. Unfortunately with a name like bengeobabe it might exclude you. It really is for residents who live in the town centre as defined. I think that one of the reasons that Highways walked away from trying to sort out the Bengeo ratrun was that they offered five different solutions and lo and behold! there was no overall majority. Well, there wouldn't be would there. I believe that an association in Bengeo that could have argued out the proposals amongst themselves and then gone back to Highways with one solution might have got it. Divide and rule!

Reply ID 1472

oh well... i tried...!! and by the way, bengeobabe isn't my real name..!!! ho ho ho!

Reply ID 1491

>I believe that an association in Bengeo that could have argued out >the proposals amongst themselves and then gone back to Highways with >one solution might have got it. Divide and rule! Somehow I doubt it. Granted, it might have given the council a bit more of a headache to come up with a reason for not taking action, but my opinion on this one is that they never had any intention of tackling the problem, regardless of the outcome of a survey. Anyhow, I doubt very much whether a successful association could ever have been formed in lower Bengeo - there were a couple of attempts but they never really got going. From my experience (5 years) on Wellington Street, there is a distinct lack of community spirit. We made the move "up the hill" to Fanshawe Street this summer - only two streets away but worlds apart in terms of community.

Reply ID 1492

The problems of the Bengeo rat run has been off the agenda at the Hertford Transport Forum for some time. I don't think you're wrong Joby. In offering five alternatives (sixth - do nothing) they ensured that nothing would get agreed. Possibly done deliberately. Now they can say 'well, we tried and its the residents fault for not coming up with a solution.' Its taken 25 years to get a parking scheme on the Island and I still won't believe it until the signs actually go up!

Reply ID 1493

I think - maybe - that there aren't enough people actually living within the prescribed boundaries. Maybe a general Hertford resident's association might encompass more people. I don't live in Fore Street but I do live in Castle ward - I still hear the sirens on Saturday night and the clock on the Shire Hall. I use the Town Centre for shopping, services and leisure, both day and night. I have no voice on the future of Hertford at the moment apart from council elections but would welcome a more direct forum. Hertford is so small that we are all closely linked to the town centre so why shouldn't it be open to all?

Reply ID 1494

They'd have had a consensous if they'd used run-off voting. Funny though, 47% is enough to get a big majority in the Commons.

Reply ID 1507

Quote: "I have no voice on the future of Hertford at the moment apart from council elections" - Newgirl East Herts District Council regularly holds it's Community Voice meetings around the district, where the public can air their views on local issues. The next in Hertford is at The Corn Exchange on Thursday 25th November at 7:30pm.

Reply ID 1510

According to the Mercury, the next one is even sooner - this coming week. It's on Thursday (23rd Sept) at East Herts Council's Hertford offices, Wallfields, in Pegs Lane from 7.30-9pm, and on the subject of open spaces, sports and recreation facilities.

Reply ID 1536

I would agree with Newgirl as the town has extended then all those now within its boundaries should have a voice. If a measure was needed why not restrict it to those who pay community charge to the Town Council? As for the EHDC CV meetings I wouldlike to know when a voice at one of these meetings changed policy - I can't attend as I get home after 8pm!! Personally, I believe EHDC has little interest outside Bishop Stortford.

Reply ID 1542

Accept all that has been said and will report back to Board meeting next week and see what the rest think is the way forward. However, HTCMB is more concerned with the town centre and not whole of Hertford which is not to say the rest of Hertford is dismissed. There are residents associations all over the town who are quite welcome to nominate a representative to the Board. On a more grander scale everyone does have a town councillor and a district councillor - and a County councillor - to represent their concerns as well. Not too sure that everyone knows who their representative is though. I always think that elected represenatives should walk around town with their name badges on prominently displayed so those that elected them can question them.

Reply ID 1802

Aplogies for the delay in replying Sloop but I thought there would be more feed-back rather than acceptance at your comments (or apathy). The board (delibrate) being only concerned with the centre immediately says to me that those who bring in the trade can be ignored.I had this discussion with a tradesman last week-end when he was telling me of his business rate for next year - he fell quiet when I advised what I am paying for a very small premise with no downstairs loo. If you want to have a centre that all will use then 1. be active and get the traders group fully involed and take on EHDC about the way it allows a narrow band of businesses to trade - we need more variety. 2. take on Herts Constabulary about their constant bleating that they cannot put more manpower on the ground - ask them why not,or even better ask them to contribute to this site. 3. try and make EHDC understand that if you have cheaper car paking you will get a greater number of PAYING customers rather than (as is coming in January 2005)have to employ a private organisation who, which I believe, is going to be targetting residential areas booking cars for bad parking whereas the police and EHDC have been quite happy to turn a blind eye on it for the past 6 months.

Reply ID 1803

Taking your comments in reverse CJ I like a few others are becoming a bit unnerved by the prospect that an outside company is going to take over the jobs of wardens. It is rumoured that the existing car park stewards are going to be retrained to join this company. Don't know who they are yet but four companies tendered for the contract. I am also very cynical of the official view that whoever gets the contract will only be able to control parking under terms agreed with EHDC. In the end it is all about revenue. Pay on Display is still unpopular but I am reliably informed that once the dust is settled on decriminalisation EHDC will revisit the concept of Pay on Exit in Hertford. Can't do much about policing but personally I feed back to the local constabulary the thoughts and concerns of local traders. I believe the local constabulary share all our concerns as well but until more money is released then I can't see much result. This is tied in with question 1. Haven't got space but the Board wants to xtend membership amongst all business sectors so that it has a wider remit and more powerful voice. We are allowed to lobby. There is a wind change going on and EHDC want more feedback in both ways so that business and council are more aware of each others problems and concerns. It makes the Town Centre Managers role in the four towns a sort of conduit for all sorts of information - economic and political - to flow. As for the Residents group. Owing to other committments I haven't done much on this but I do have a budget. Residents that form the town centre has been widened to include approach roads such as London Road and North Road. I hope to be hire Corn Exchnage in November and leaflet all residents and through press to attend and form an association. This will help put pressure on District as under points 1,2 and 3 because they take more notice of residents organisations - especially in terms of liquor licensing and transport - than a couple of lone voices shouting in the gloom, however valid their arguments may be.

Reply ID 2229

I am very interested in getting involved in a Town Centre Residents Committee. However, I'm right on the border. I'm in Gwynns Walk, at the edge of Gasgoigne Way, but we suffer from car parking problems, vandals and the subway. Until last year, I lived in Bluecoats, until the yobs and noise drove me out.

Reply ID 2240

Thanks Dude, will keep you up to date. However organising this is falling behind owing to some unforseen but not insurmountable problems with organising the new Christmas lights and Continental Market. As at todays date neither have been cancelled.