April 2001
Many of you will have heard the news that Angela will soon be leaving Chipperfield. She has been appointed Vicar of Hempsted, a village near Gloucester, and Diocesan Missioner to the Diocese of Gloucester. She is taking three months study leave from the beginning of May and will start her new job after that. This means that she will leave us at the end of April. We will be extremely sorry to see her go, but we must be pleased for her, because her new job sounds just what she would wish for and for which she is ideally suited. All our good wishes for the future go with her and we hope that all will go well for her.
Angela has done a tremendous amount for the parish during her time here, including leading the campaign to build the church extension. She has only been part-time in the parish, as she was working for Springboard, but she has always given us far more than half her time. She will be greatly missed and we will always be very grateful for all that she has done.
Her last Sunday in the parish will be 29 April, when there will be a farewell party for her in the Parish Room after the morning service. Mary West
CHIPPERFIELD CARE
The 13th Annual General Meeting was held on 7th March with about 40 volunteers present. In her report to the meeting, the retiring organiser, Muriel Samworth, highlighted the many and varied services provided by the volunteers. She said that the basis of the service is that if one or more of the volunteers is prepared to respond to a particular request it will be met. Since the birth of Chipperfield Care in the late-eighties, Muriel Samworth has been the organiser and is now handing over to Lady Shelagh Nichols. The Chairman, Donald Main, made a presentation to Muriel on behalf of all the volunteers. He said that ‘when it comes to helping people, nothing has been too much for Muriel to undertake’ and that ‘by her attitude, willingness and energy to help others’ she had been a guiding light and inspiration, causing Chipperfield Care to grow into a very worthwhile voluntary organisation.
PEACE HOSPICE NEW IN-PATIENT UNIT
The new In-Patient Unit at the Peace Hospice is due to open with an initial 12 beds during April. The building is almost complete and staff are being employed to run it. We estimate that our annual on-going costs will be £800,000. Less than 10% of this comes from government sources all the rest has to be raised each year from the voluntary sector. Chipperfield is within the catchment area of the Peace Hospice and Chipperfield residents will be eligible to make use of its facilities.
TEENAGE CANCER TRUST
At the Jumble Sale at Sarratt Village Hall on Saturday 3 March, the magnificent sum of £1,142.82 was raised for the Trust. Very many thanks to everyone who helped on the day and beforehand. We are extremely grateful for all your support. Ann Soanes
SCHOOL REPORT
The last few months have been busy and eventful at St. Paul’s. Notably, the school was inspected by OFSTED in November, exactly 4 years after the previous inspection. The team of inspectors was with us for 4 days and they looked at every aspect of the life of the school, with the exception of Religious Eduction which was inspected separately as we are a Church school.
We were all very pleased with the outcome of both inspections, as well as being very relieved when they were finally over! Inspections are difficult periods for any school but we were delighted that so many strengths of the school were identified and valued. Of course, the process is all about school improvement and the team also identified some issues that we have been asked to address in the coming months and years in order to further build upon the success of St. Paul’s. Work is already well under way in the form of an Action Plan.
In all, over 50 lessons were observed during the inspection and it is a credit to the staff that none of these was judged to be unsatisfactory. This, we were told, is quite rare. (We feel that there are many rare and unique qualities of St. Paul’s, but then we are probably biased!) We were also pleased that the team recognised the strength of the links between the school, the Church and the community. This is a feature of the school that we value greatly and we continually seek ways to maintain and develop this.
You may remember that we said goodbye to Mrs Christine Jenkins, our Deputy Headteacher, before the summer holiday. Mrs Jenkins left to start a family and we miss her very much. However, we are now in the process of finding a new Deputy Headteacher. We recently interviewed for this position but sadly we did not appoint. We intent to interview again shortly after Easter and we all hope that we are successful then. Watch this space. In the weeks preceding the February half-term, I welcomed a large number of prospective parents to the school, all interested in applying for a nursery place for their child. It is good to know that so many families wish to send their children to St. Paul’s and to know that the school is held in such high regard by so many. We very much hope that we can offer them all places and look forward to welcoming them into the school community.
With so many events planned for the coming weeks in school, including a book week, our Mothers’ Day Assembly and an Easter Egg Hunt, I look forward to writing again soon with news of these.
Lyndon Evans, Headteacher
FOOT AND MOUTH, BEAK AND CLAW
As I write these notes (4 March) the country is gripped by Foot and Mouth Disease and, for the first time since I went back to work at the farm, I am glad there are no pigs in the old cowshed or bullocks in the farmyard. It strikes me how quiet it is as I walk through the barns and I have missed the cheerful grunting of the pigs as they hear the food buckets rattling. Pigs are wonderful timekeepers and would always wake from their afternoon sleep at around 4.15, ready to be fed at 4.30pm. If their tea hadn’t arrived by 5 o’clock, loud squeals of complaint would soon remind one. I used to like to creep through the big barn door and listen to them snoring in the middle of the day, lying in their straw bed like so many pounds of sausages. In winter time, the yards would be full of bullocks and they soon got used to the daily routine. My father would feed them and the pigs in the morning, while I collected eggs and saw to the poultry, but I would always do the tea-time feed. On a cold afternoon bullocks have a wonderful warm, almost sweet smell and often a great big bullock’s head would come over the stable door to watch the pigs being fed, breathing warm air down my neck as I bent over buckets of water by the tap. Now the yard is full of other people’s ponies and the old cowshed is empty and now I am glad it is.
My sheep and our old goat are the only susceptible animals we have and I have moved them as far away from the footpath as possible, as Foot and Mouth is so easily carried on the feet of people and dogs. I pray that, by the time you read this, the situation will be under control but please think carefully about where you walk as farm machinery can pick up contaminated mud and take it to livestock in other places. Just because there are not any animals in a field does not mean there is no risk.
My melancholic mood has just been broken by a couple of woodpeckers! The great spotted is on the peanuts on one side of the bungalow, while the green woodpecker is probing about on the lawn at the front! The spotted has been proclaiming his territory by drumming on a piece of dead wood for a few days and this always seems to make them hungry and he now visits the peanuts 4 or 5 times a day. The green is after grubs, ants are his favourite, but at this time of year he cannot be choosy. I must away and buy some more peanuts!
Wendy Bathurst
LUPUS AWARENESS WEEK 14-21 APRIL 2001
Someone you know may have LUPUS .....
Systemic lupus is a presently-incurable illness of the immune system, a condition in which the body’s defence mechanism begins to attack itself through an excess of antibodies in the blood stream causing inflammation and damage to the joints, muscles and other organs. Discoid Lupus is usually a condition of the skin alone, but in a very few patients might develop to systemic lupus. The disease may be triggered by various means and can present in a bewildering number of ways, even to the extent of mimicking other diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis. The cause of lupus is not positively known though research has provided evidence implicating heredity, hormones and infections including viruses.
Some 50,000 people may have lupus in the UK and 90% of sufferers are female, mainly between the ages of 15-55. With its many symptoms, lupus can be overlooked by the GP or consultant which may delay final diagnosis and a vital start to necessary treatment which can contain the disease and limit potential damage to the kidneys, heart, lungs or brain.
Lupus UK last year supported research by way of grants to the value of £263,000 and next year we have budgeted for £350,000. Following the successful booklet A Guide For Nurses, we have published a further book entitled LUPUS - A GP Guide to Diagnosis which was launched last November and has now been forwarded to every GP practice for their information.
There are collecting boxes in various locations throughout the village and any donation would be gratefully accepted. My thanks are conveyed to all those who have contributed to this cause over the past few years. Should you require any further information or a leaflet please contact Tony Rance on 01923 265199.
BOWLS SUCCESS
Chipperfield 50+ Bowls team have beaten teams from Dacorum 50+ Bowls League to take the winner’s cup for the 2000-2001 season. Captained by Alan Croft, the team of nine players have proved that this year they are the best -congratulations to you all.
CHIPPERFIELD PARISH COUNCIL’S ANNUAL REPORT
The past year has been an eventful one. In a period in which we celebrated the millennium, the Parish Council has also been involved in a large number of other local and regional initiatives and has also seen changes in its membership of eight councillors. Following Diane Butler’s resignation earlier in the year, John Carter was co-opted as a councillor in May and Brenda Berners-Price was similarly coopted in September, following Neville Thomas’ resignation, when he left the district for a period. We are currently waiting to see whether a by-election will be needed to replace Roelof Stammeijer, who resigned in February due to pressure of work. Fortunately there were no changes in our team of part-time employees – Parish Clerk John Pringle, Village Warden Michael Horne and Common Ranger Chris Deacon.
Finance and General Purposes. The Parish Council’s budget for 2000-2001 had been set at £14,842 equivalent of £17.75 per annum for a band D household. At present, it looks as if we will have to dip into our reserves to supplement this figure, due mainly to an agreed increase in hours of working for the Parish Clerk. The budget for the new financial year from the beginning of April has been increased to take into account the increasingly heavy burden falling on the Clerk and also into the running costs of a small pick-up truck we are providing to help the Village Warden in his work. The total precept is £17,037, the equivalent of £20.11 per band D household. In addition, we have requested a sum of £11,501 from the Borough Council’s funds for rural areas, which we will spend on grant support for amenities such as the Village Hall and for the Village Warden’s and Common Ranger’s salaries.
A great deal of hard work came to fruition when 2 major events were held to celebrate the millennium. Our Village Day on June 11 was regarded by all as a great success, when the work of a sub-committee chaired by Richard Edwards, which had met no fewer than 12 times, was blessed by one of the summer’s few brilliantly sunny days. In December, the no less acclaimed Village Millennium book, ‘Chipperfield Within Living Memory’, was launched and sales have already exceeded expectations. It is planned that the Annual Parish Meeting will provide an opportunity to see the work on the two other millennium projects sponsored by the Council – St Paul’s School’s Millennium Diary and the Parish Map being prepared by Mike Tagg and Joy Weyman-Jones. The committee has also considered the best way for the Village Chest to be administered following the resignation of the trustees and it is planned to share proposals for its future at the Annual Parish Meeting. During the course of the year, grants have been made from the Parish Council’s own ‘grants and projects’ budget to help with the internal decoration of the Village Hall, the external decoration of the Baptist Church and the maintenance of the churchyard. A small (and inexpensive) second-hand pickup van has been acquired for the Village Warden. The Parish Council’s views have also been submitted on a wide range of consultations, ranging from the re-organisation of Health services in the county to the new structure of local government and proposed new financial procedures.
Cllr. David Nobbs
Allotments. Of the 46 plots available for rent, only one is currently without a tenant. An enquiry to rent the vacant plot was received from a new resident in the village but due to the recent vandalism, they decided not to rent it. Vandalism continues to be a problem and includes damage to and theft of crops, damage to equipment, breaking into sheds and the theft of a new shed in February 2001. The police have been informed of all incidents. Following the theft of a shed, the Parish Council have arranged for a locked barrier to be installed across the main entrance path to prevent unauthorised vehicles entering the allotment gardens. Tenants will have access for their own vehicles and for deliveries of manure etc. It is proposed to repair and re-instate all boundary hedges as soon as possible to provide an additional deterrent. Three plots need to be strimmed and rotovated before cultivation can take place and this work was arranged to be done in the autumn. Unfortunately, the continual bad weather from September has made it impossible to get the machines on to the ground. This work will be undertaken as soon as possible.
The Annual Meeting of tenants will be held in the Youth Club at 8.00pm on Thursday 5 April. Rents for 2001/2002 will be collected (the fee remains unaltered at £6 per plot per annum) and committee members elected. The business meeting will be followed by refreshments. Cllr. Liz Holliday
Open Spaces and Footpaths
Open Spaces. Following the completion of the first 5-year Woodland Development Plan initiated by Dacorum's Woodland Service Unit, the Woodland Officer, Cameron Lewis, conducted a walk to show residents what had been done. The 98% success rate of the newly planted broadleaf saplings along Windmill Hill was particularly satisfying. Damage to the banks of the Apostles Pond by horses and dogs was noted and will be repaired. Cameron Lewis left Dacorum Borough Council in November for a post in south Wales and Phillip Russell has been appointed to replace him. The second 5-year Development Plan has started with selective tree felling and thinning in Compartment 4. The extent of the work and obliteration of a number of small tracks through the woods has concerned many residents, but the Parish Council has been assured that the contractors' work is being monitored and does not exceed their brief. During the summer a number of fires were lit in the woods but fortunately were spotted and little damage was done. A stolen car was driven into the woods and set alight but this damage was also contained. A number of portable and disposable barbecues were brought on to The Common by visitors during the summer, creating potential fire risks. Fires are not permitted on The Common and Dacorum Borough Council has been informed as they may have to amend the Bylaws to include barbecues. Following a site meeting with officers from Dacorum, the Borough Council agreed to pay for the installation of birdmouth fencing to delineate the boundaries of the permissive car park opposite Queen Street to prevent further encroachment into the woods. The Parish Council has arranged for the surface of the car park to be improved with roadstone. During the winter, vandals seriously damaged a number of vehicles in the car parks, including setting fire to two cars in February. The Parish Council has consulted the police and are investigating the practicality of installing some form of lighting. The area of The Common adjacent to the church used by the builders of the Parish Room has not yet been re-instated, but will be re-seeded as soon as the weather improves. The temporary barrier protecting the grass verge along the church wall preventing vehicles parking on the grass during the winter has worked and will be removed as soon as the ground dries.
During the year our Common Ranger has again cleared and removed a vast quantity of litter and fly-tipped rubbish from The Common. Dacorum Borough Council will be repairing the War Memorial which was damaged by high winds in November. Footpaths. Last year a grant from Hertfordshire County Council (Countryside Management Service) under the Parish Paths Partnership scheme enabled the surface of Footpath 10 (at the rear of Queen Street) to be improved and a further grant will be used this year to pay for improvements and additional maintenance along the full length of the Public Right of Way from Langley Road to Bulstrode Lane (Footpath 14). This path is one of the most heavily used in the village and an improved surface and more regular trimming of hedges and overhanging branches will make it easier and safer to use. Work was initially delayed by bad weather and is currently suspended as all paths in the county have been closed due to the outbreak of Foot & Mouth Disease.
Cllr. Liz Holliday
Highways, Road Safety and Public Transport. Shortage of funds for road improvement and maintenance has meant that there has been relatively little activity in this area. The Committee has pursued two main areas of concern, first the danger to both traffic and pedestrians alike posed by the parking of vehicles on the pavement outside the Two Brewers and second the problems caused by thoughtless, and at times reckless, drivers in the area of the school crossing patrol at the junction of Kings Lane and Chapel Croft. We have been pursuing these problems with the County Highway authorities, looking at the possibilities of installing bollards outside the Two Brewers and installing a pedestrian crossing nears the shops. We have also explored the possibilities of imposing vehicle width restrictions in Scatterdells Lane, but have been advised that this would not be possible.
The experimental once a week evening bus service to the Woodside Leisure Centre in Watford was terminated in November on grounds of lack of use. The Parish Council felt that the County Council would have met people’s need better had they consulted local people before setting up the service and then publicising it more widely.
Cllr. David Nobbs
Planning The routine work of the committee continues to be the consideration of each one of the 50 to 60 planning applications that are referred to us by Dacorum Borough Council each year to give us the opportunity to submit our views. The majority of the proposals for development we see are for extensions to dwellings and it is usually only when these represent what is regarded as an over-development of the site, that we express concern. Among the more significant applications to be considered
the rear of The Boot in Tower Hill, where we recommended approval, the development of the Ackwell Simmonds site for luxury dwellings, which despite our disapproval and that of the Borough Council, was agreed to on appeal, and the application of One-2-One for a communications mast at the south of Scatterdells Wood, which we have also recommended for refusal.
We made two objections in person to the inspectors conducting the Inquiry into the new draft Dacorum Local Plan, one concerning the maximum size of extensions and one to try and get the Borough to take on greater responsibility for planning rural parking.
Our other major planning task has been performed by a sub-committee of council members and others interested in the maintenance of the village’s heritage. The aim has been to produce a Village Design Statement, which can be used to guide future development along lines sympathetic to the best features that we have inherited from the past. After a successful workshop in April last year, work has progressed steadily to the stage where we were able to present a draft document to all the village and then seek views at a consultation day on February 17.
Cllr. David Nobbs