Members’ area
You are invited to attend our AGM to let us know your views regarding matters related to Rickmansworth and surrounding districts.
All residents of Ricky town, Mill End, Penn and surrounding areas are welcome, but only paid-up members can vote. Refreshments will follow the meeting. Please Park in Church Street, Moor Lane, or Tesco.
Education Centre address: Rickmansworth Waterways Trust, Batchworth Lock Canal Centre, 99 Church Street, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 1JJ.
Hope to see you there!
Message from Three Rivers District Council.
Please have your say on the proposed bays in Rickmansworth:
https://haveyoursay.threerivers.gov.uk/beryl-bikes-bays
The feedback received during this consultation will be considered when deciding how to proceed with the scheme. The deadline for responses is 29 May 2026.
Click for in-depth information regarding the five proposed locations:
You are invited to attend our AGM to let us know your views regarding matters related to Rickmansworth and surrounding districts.
All residents of Ricky town, Mill End, Penn and surrounding areas are welcome, but only paid-up members can vote. Refreshments will follow the meeting. Please Park in Church Street, Moor Lane, or Tesco.
Education Centre address: Rickmansworth Waterways Trust, Batchworth Lock Canal Centre, 99 Church Street, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 1JJ.
Susan Shanahan
Senior Trading Standards Officer
Hertfordshire County Council How to keep safe from fraudsters who knock at the door or call on the phone – advice from Hertfordshire Trading Standards as to how to find good traders, how not to find them and what the common problem traders are that we’re seeing at trading standards. Plus, telephone frauds, how to keep safe and examples of frauds that we’re seeing at the moment. Sue Shanahan is a Senior Trading Standards Officer who only works in the area of fraud – giving talks and training, supporting victims and investigating and prosecuting fraudsters. She has been with Hertfordshire Trading Standards for over 35 years which is a frightening amount but shows a true love of the job
Chen Tsui
Cyber Protect Officer, Serious Fraud and Cyber Unit
Hertfordshire Police I am one of the Cyber Protect and Prevent Officers, based in the Serious Fraud & Cyber Unit. Join us to for some practical advice and guidance on how to protect yourself against a cybercrime and (online) fraud, including:
Message from Hertfordshire Constabulary.
Location: Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth.
The aim of the OPALS event is to provide quality information, advice and help available within the local community on a wide range of services available to reduce vulnerability of our senior citizens, to provide reassurance, safe and wellbeing support and reduce loneliness.If you would like to attend, please contact Terry Morris, on 07740 670 642 or email: terry.morris@hertfordshire.gov.uk with names and contact information. Spaces are limited so if you don’t want to miss out then please reserve a space quickly.
If you know someone who would benefit from the event, then please pass this message on to them.
All event guests will be seated and served refreshments and a FREE hot meal.
Representatives from a variety of agencies will give advice and the services they offer.It is a sociable event, and a great opportunity to meet other residents in the local area. Agencies not giving talks will have stalls that you can visit, to get advice or collect some safety related information and freebies.
The event lasts up to 4 hours – please arrive on time to ensure you do not miss out on the speakers or freebies on offer. The gift bags of “Act of Kindness” will be handed out at the end of the event.The event is targeted to our older residents.
The nearest Car Park information can be found on the Watersmeet Theatre information page at Finding Us | Watersmeet with at least two car parks just a short walk from the Theatre and the parking cost is £4 for up to 4 hours. Buses go past the venue.
If you have a Facebook account, click on the following link, for a short video about OPALS https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17AV8vhiFn/
Local officers from Three Rivers Neighbourhood Policing Teams will be will be on hand to help and answer any questions, providing support and advice regarding any crime or issues in your area.
A free event in Rickmansworth for individuals and families to learn more about care and support for living and ageing well. In partnership with Radfield Home Care Watford & Borehamwood. Scan QR code for free tickets.
Tuesday 26th May 2026
10am to 2pm
Rickmansworth Golf Club WD3 1QL
We welcome Mike Sims & Michael Charnock to the RDRA Committee.
Michael advocates for the rights of small businesses in West Rickmansworth by actively campaigning and petitioning the parking scheme. He represents all shops in West Rickmansworth in this endeavour and keeps the RDRA updated on the latest developments.
This quarter we donated to the Rickmansworth Gateway Club located in The Shepherds Centre on Middleton Road. Phil Cox runs this busy social club for adults with a learning disabilities and autism – a great place for fun social interaction and activities!
Join them every Wednesday 7-9pm at The Shepherd Centre, Middleton Road, Rickmansworth WD3 8JF.
Phil Cox, who runs the charity, is presented with a cheque by RDRA Chairman Ash.
Please read this paper detailing grey belt sites: Green belt is now grey belt.
The London Metropolitan Green Belt (LMGB) as a planning policy has been hugely successful in containing the capital and preventing urban sprawl. In 1940 London and Los Angeles were of a similar area and if London had been allowed to sprawl to the extent that Los Angeles has grown, it would stretch from Brighton to Cambridge.
The LMGB has many economic, social and environmental benefits, apart from its role to restrict urban sprawl and encourage urban regeneration. It protects the capital from flooding and provides opportunities for carbon sequestration, nature regeneration and biodiversity. It provides important physical and mental health and welfare benefits for the city’s inhabitants, and opportunities for recreation and sport as well as food security and rural activities.
The introduction of grey belt has already resulted in the loss of open countryside, often of high quality, as can be seen in the photographs in this paper. It is leading to speculative and piecemeal development with ten out of the twelve planning appeals in 2025 being allowed for proposed development in the London Green Belt where the sites were identified as grey belt.
These sites are not previously developed land, such as redundant petrol stations or car parks, as originally intended. The present definition of grey belt enables the revoking of protection of Green Belt, as is recognised by developers and their legal representatives.
The Government’s grey belt policy is leading to the destruction of the Green Belt whose benefits will not be enjoyed in future. If this policy is not reversed, future generations will live to regret it.
| Richard Knox-Johnston Chair The London Green Belt Council | Peter Waine OBE Chair CPRE Hertfordshire |
Useful links
Message from Report Fraud.
Victims of investment fraud lost an average of £1,675 every minute last year, new figures from the City of London Police, the National Lead Force for Fraud, have revealed.
Criminals stole £879.8 million through investment fraud last year – an average of £2.4 million a day.
In 2025, 34,673 people reported investment fraud to Report Fraud, the national service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025. This marks a 31 per cent rise on the previous year. The rise in reporting is not only linked to an increase in investment fraud, but also due to the point at which victims realise what has happened. Reports began climbing steadily from March and spiked in July and September when many people review their investments, move money into new products or check their returns ahead of the new financial year.
As part of wider fraud‑prevention work, we are urging the public to take simple steps to protect themselves.
Any suspicious activity should be reported to Report Fraud as soon as possible at www.reportfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.
Meet at Springwell Ln, Harefield, Rickmansworth WD3 8UW. https://maps.app.goo.gl/2fqPLhCUh8vcMNpd9maps.app.goo.gl
Metal recycling urgent update: Springwell community meeting this Saturday 25th 4:30pm at Springwell Barn. Your chance to be heard. I’ve been furiously writing letters to Councillors, our MP and candidates of all parties in the forthcoming local election. This has resulted in the offer of a visit from Councillor Wayne Bridges, the current Cabinet Member for Community & Environment (Conservative) and Tommy Halaam, Conservative candidate for Harefield Ward (Jane Palmer is stepping down). It would be great so see a big turnout from as many of us as possible, as the level of support we get will be directly proportional
to the size of the crowd! They are coming to Springwell Barn at 4:30pm and we will all walk down to the metal recycling yard, stopping to point out J Byne’s yard on the way (there has been a resurgence of waste transfer and skip fires recently). Please please come along if you can make it. If you’ve not yet seen the devastation caused by Springwell Lane Metal Recycling, I urge you to take a look. It makes Byne’s antics look like a picnic.
See you on Saturday and spread the word!
https://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/news/26018022.unauthorised-scrapyard-near-beauty-spot-an-environmental-disaster/
