Thank you for braving the cold and attending the Batchworth Bridge Forum, hosted by the Rickmansworth & District Residents’ Association (RDRA) on the Wednesday 29th January.
Batchworth Community Council (BCC) has collated your comments and met County Councillor Reena Ranger to discuss them.
Cllr Ranger said, “Thank you for taking the time to talk to RDRA and Batchworth Community Council – I will be discussing the feedback with Hertfordshire County Council. These will be very helpful for improving Hertfordshire’s initial proposals sent to BCC along with the expert analysis I funded.”
Since the meeting, Batchworth Community Council and Cllr Ranger have raised the ‘small’ improvements with Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), to see if they can go ahead without a wider scheme.
In addition, a resident who attended the meeting has launched a petition for Three Rivers District Council to part-fund the works to the crossing using Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL): paid by developers to improve infrastructure locally.
The petition can be found on the Three Rivers Website https://my.threerivers.gov.uk/ please search for “Make Batchworth Bridge Crossing Safe for all users”. To sign the petition log in with your usual Three Rivers user name and password or register if you’ve not used the TRDC site before.
CIL was discussed at the forum last week. In total, £3.5 million has been paid for developments in Batchworth – about half of all the CIL paid across the district. However, 85% of it goes to Three Rivers, and other bodies have to apply for it.
BCC backed a Hertfordshire County Council bid to help fund the crossing, but this was refused by Three Rivers in December. The petition is for Three Rivers to rethink its decision.
BCC and Cllr Ranger will be in touch as soon as we have some news to give you on this project. Again, thank you for attending and your comments.
Please click the link below for an update from the Joint Residents’ Association, comprising 11 associations and other interested parties, regarding the recently revised local plan:
I am pleased to inform you that we will be commencing the replacement of the Rickmansworth Aquadrome Bridge off Riverside Drive. Planned works will begin from Monday 20 January until Easter. During this time, the bridge and Ebury Play Area will be closed to the public to allow the work to be completed safely.
Pedestrians can still access Rickmansworth Aquadrome and town centre during the works. The established diversion route will be in place with on-site signage.
We’ve been working with our contractor, Beaver Bridges, and local agencies, including the Environment Agency and Hertfordshire Highways, to ensure they are aware of the works and happy with how they will be carried out and that we comply with all necessary legislation, we are only now able to confirm the dates.
Our Communications team have a planned programme including social media posts and a recent press release on the council website to notify the public with further details.
This is an exciting part of the overall project, and we look forward to bringing you a superb new bridge and nature focused play area soon.
This controversial application has been “withdrawn with no further action taken”, according to a letter received by residents last month. Our only concern is why? Will it be re-submitted or were the objections from the various water agencies sufficient for them to call it a day.
It is noted that the company selected to replace the current drawbridge, to the island site, with a heavy lorry access bridge is the the same one selected by TRDC to build the new Red access bridge to the aquadrome (said to blend into the scenery throughout the four seasons).
Sustainable Three Rivers, the organisation behind the much-loved Community Garden in Rickmansworth, is on a mission to celebrate and highlight the importance of nature, wildlife and biodiversity especially in our area. With the generous support of Councillors Paula Hiscocks and Reena Ranger OBE, they are thrilled to announce an exciting art competition open to all Rickmansworth residents!
The winning pieces will be featured on six panels in the subway connecting the west of Rickmansworth to the town centre, creating a beautiful and inspiring space for the community to enjoy.
We’re inviting you to create a painting, drawing, or sketch, in a square format (e.g. 21cm x 21cm), inspired by the local nature that makes Rickmansworth so special. From the serene beauty of the Aquadrome and Stocker’s Lake to the charm of Woodoaks Farm, the Community Garden, and the Rose Garden, there’s no shortage of inspiration.
How to Enter: Send a high resolution photo of your artwork minimum size 3MB, by 26 January 2025 to hello@sustainablethreerivers.org.
Include your name, address, contact details (email or phone number), and age (if under 18). A panel of judges will select the winning entries, and successful artists will be contacted by 28 February 2025. Winners will need to provide original artwork.
The finished panels will be installed in the subway this spring.
Don’t miss this chance to share your talent and leave your mark on Rickmansworth. We can’t wait to see your creations!
