Welcome to the latest edition of Rickmansworth This Week e-news. If you would like to receive this by email, please contact me at rwstruck@gmail.com to get your own regular delivery. Feedback on this newsletter is always welcomed.

Development Control Committee meeting, Thursday 18th June, 7.30pm at Three Rivers House

The following application is on the agenda - you may view the application details and the officers’ report online on the Council website.

The Happy Man, Berry Lane, Mill End WD3 7HR
Details: 09/0537/FUL
This is Tesco’s revised plan for the Happy Man site, showing a building of one to three storeys, comprising a Class A1 (retail) unit at ground-floor level to be used as a convenience goods store with 6 x 2 bed and 1 x 1 bed residential flats at upper levels with associated access, parking and landscaping for Tesco Stores Ltd. The planning officers are recommending refusal.
A previous plan for a Tesco store and eight 2-bed flats was refused last November. Last week Tesco submitted an appeal against that refusal.

M25 Road Closure
The M25 will be closed overnight this Saturday, from 10.00pm to 7.00am Sunday, between Junctiions 17 and 18, to demolish the pedestrian footbridge just south of J18. The diversion will be via Uxbridge Road, Rectory Road and Chorleywood Road. The bridge will be replaced next spring.
New “environmental mitigation bund” proposals
Meanwhile, TRDC has received formal notice from Skanska/Balfour Beatty for the construction of two permanent environmental mitigation bunds alongside the M25 – both between Shepherd’s Lane and Junction 17 at Mill End, one on the Chorleywood side of the motorway and the other on the Rickmansworth side. These replace an earlier proposal for a permanent environmental mitigation bund on the Rickmansworth side only. Details can be viewed on the Council’s website via the following link.
http://www.threerivers.gov.uk/Default.aspx/Web/M25Widening-TwoEnvironmentalMitigationBundsoffJunction17.
The difference between the new proposals and those announced in January are as follows: On the Chorleywood side of the motorway between J17 and Shepherds Lane – nearer the Shepherds Lane side – a short bund, 3 m high, will be built, involving 1.6 acres. Access for construction work will be only from the motorway. This work will start in June/July.
On the Mill End side there will be no bund. The Statement describes it as a bund but it is a sloping area of tipping taking less than 3 acres, instead of the 13 acres in the previous plan. This site will be accessed only from the service road off the motorway at J17. This work will not start until the harvest is in. A 2.5m acoustic barrier will be erected alongside the carriageway to reduce noise.
These works will be constructed during stage 1 only, with the work finished by July 2010 and no return at a later stage. Both areas will be planted with trees in the 2010 planting season.
The replacement of top soil, and appropriate measures to detect contamination are part of the proposal. Drainage and flood prevention measures will be provided. The footpath/ bridle way will be diverted along the boundary of the land to be purchased for these works.
Please send any comments on these proposals to Peter Kerr at
TRDC Planning Dept, Three Rivers House, Northway, Rickmansworth or peter.kerr@threerivers.gov.uk by 6th July and they will be forwarded to SBB.

Herts County Council Elections
The local elections on June 4th within the Three Rivers part of the County Council were: Barbara Lamb (Conservative) re-elected in Rickmansworth. The Lib Dems held Croxley Green and Abbots Langley, the Conservatives held Chorleywood and Oxhey Park, and the BNP won South Oxhey from Labour. Details can be found at http://www.hertsdirect.org/actweb/election/dist85.htm.

Local Events

Croxley Revels on The Green, Saturday 20 June, 1.30 to 5.00pm.

Young Musician of the Year 2009 Competition Finals
Saturday 4th July 7 pm
St Mary’s Church, Rickmansworth
Tickets on the door from 6.15 pm: Adults £10, Students £5
This event is organised by the Rotary Club of Rickmansworth nad Three Rivers Music Society.

Welcome to the latest edition of Rickmansworth This Week e-news. If you would like to receive this by email, please contact me at rwstruck@gmail.com to get your own regular delivery. Feedback on this newsletter is always welcomed.

Solomons Hill
Mixed feelings about the stalls and tables in Solomons Hill, the footpath between Boots and Caffe Nero. Some people like the “continental” element, others dislike the clutter. TRDC’s Regulatory Services Committee will be discussing it at a meeting on June 17th. If you have any comments, please email them to Ted Massey. If you manage to get your comments in by June 4th, they will be recorded in the agenda. Anything received later will be verbally reported.

Christ Church School - Circus Summer Fair 2009
At Christ Church School, The Common, Chorleywood on Saturday 6 June 2009. Attractions include:
Circus Skills Tent
Jet Ride
Inflatables
Ponies
Cream Teas
BBQ
Plants
Candy Floss
Tombolas
Toys
Gifts
Crafts
Admission: Child £1 Adult £2 Family £5

Diary dates

Watersmeet Film: Thursday 18 June 2:00pm & 7:30pm Slumdog Millionaire.

Croxley Revels, Saturday 20 June.