Saturday 18 October 2014

Infrastructure Issues


As many of you know, I am a local community activist, or thorough nuisance, depending upon which side of Harpenden Town Council table you sit. Apparently I am known in some quarters as: ''The Coldharbour Lane Witch'' - a label I wear with pride. For the past six years, I have fought the 100% Tory Town Council to preserve a small council ex-allotment site, home to several species of listed Wildlife, from being sold off so a local developer can build ''affordable housing'' - a euphemism for ''housing that only rich people moving from London can afford or investment opportunities for ourselves or our friends.''

When we moved to Harpenden 23 years ago, there were people who still referred to it as ''the village''. They'd be hard put to do so now. Development has taken place at a ferocious rate, with all the concomitant evils of a high street that becomes Carmageddon during the rush hour, the school run and any problems with the M1. Now the Green Belt is being threatened, and the usual Nimbys who have staved off development in their area for EVER are re-bleating their mantra that ''the council has plenty of land within the town for development'' - ie: push more houses into poorer areas (like mine) so WE - your core voters can continue to enjoy our pleasant views.

Stupid cycle crossing
The picture above gives you an idea of what life is like here when it rains. Thanks to tarmacking a natural path to turn it into a cycle way and the utterly stupid cycle crossing (see right) which funnels all the water down from the main road into the road at the back of my house we now have regular flooding. This is exacerbated by the ''2 for 1'' building nearby and, should the plan to build on my site, just beyond the trees in the 2 flooding pictures, go ahead it can only get worse.

Recent flood with 2CV
And then there are the regular sewage overflows - which Thames Water knows all about but says they are not going to fix as it would mean relaying the whole main sewer which would cost too much. The Tory leader of the Cabinet stated at a recent Planning Meeting that the current building plan for 500 more houses couldn't take into account any infrastructure backlogs - translation for the uninitiated: we don't give a toss about 'small' local issues like drains, potholes, crumbling sewers, overcrowding, flooding, roads, parking, school places etc because they are the concern of the County Council.

State of the art patchwork road
No joined up thinking is being done. The County Council are currently running an infrastructure deficit of millions, so are probably not  - wild guess here - going to spend it fixing our 'small' local issues either. Even if they aren't small to the people who live here and get flooded or who can't park outside their own houses or are worried about future sewage backup if even more pressure is exacted upon the system, or who feed the badgers and care about the Roman Snails.

Hopefully, we can show them exactly how we feel about things next May, when most of the Town Council is up for re-election. A perfect storm is brewing, both in the real and the murky world of local politics. Mops and buckets at the ready.





11 comments:

  1. Sounds like a sorry state of affairs, and it seems you have your hands full, Carol. My favourite personal rant is against unbridled capitalism - which seems to murder any meaning to the word democracy (aka as demon-crazy 'cos the actual practice seems to entail the biggest rats swimming hardest and fastest and gaining control over the more fair-minded altruistic types).
    Unfortunately, although my research in this area is non-existent, I'm sure Harpenden is not alone in this situation, but kudos to you for speaking out. Keep us informed, and if luck could help, I wish you bucket loads!

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    1. Thanks. Yes, the people in the poshest areas have the most influence. Twas ever thus. Though we plebs will keep on fighting our tiny corner.

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  2. I would think it's brewing up a storm in many people's homes and hearts. I'm getting all steamed up about it and I don't even live in England, let alone in Harpendon! I fail to see how these self-interested toe rags on the council can be so short-sighted that they don't even want to consider what this lack of infrastructure is going to do to the area as a whole. Ultimately, even they must see that the area will end up losing its status as a 'good address' and if nothing else, the prospect of their own properties losing value should alert them. The 'I'm alright Jack' attitude will cost even them in the end, Meanwhile, though, all you poor souls who have to live with the results of their greed are suffering. Keep storming on, that's what I say! Your title is one to be proud of!!

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    1. There is already a HUGE row over the casual placing of a new secondary school in this area, with NO proper traffic considerations. We shall see...

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  3. I do hope that at the next elections there really is going to be a storm. My experience locally is that unless you 'wade in' yourself nothing ever changes. Most of those who vote Tory will still vote Tory. Most of those who don't vote will stay at home and complain that their vote wouldn't make a difference anyway. I know I've said this before but I still think that you would make an excellent local councillor. *ducks to avoid assorted missiles*

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    1. Hahaah as I've always said, I am a strategist: better outside the tent pissing in than the other way round!

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  4. I feel your pain. We've also got a planning hoo-ha going on at the moment. Would we like an estate of 180 houses, or 220 houses and include a hotel? What do we mean, we're worried about the lack of access from the one north-south route? What do we mean, we're worried about the stress on water systems, on the schools, on the doctors ... I'm not anti the development (we've got off lightly compared with some places) but only if it comes with infrastructure. Not that they'll take any notice, of course. The 'consultation' is nothing but pretty bits of paper.

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    1. Here, the 'consultation' is nearly a thousand pages of document only intelligible to someone who is in the business. Which isn't most of us. So we can't comment. Even though we are invited to do so. Which means the council can say they invited us to comment, but nobody did.

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  5. It's never ending! How frustrating is their attitude? It's been the same for years, we're not their key demographic so why try and keep us happy. Harpenden increasingly frustrates me, but we can live in hope!

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    1. Carly, you know this situation as well as I do. We shall chain ourselves to the nearest snail!!

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  6. I really don't know how you cope, Carol. The frustration of it all would drive me insane and is one of the reasons I try not to watch the news. Everything seems to be going to hell in all manner of handcarts, and at my age I simply cannot cope. Brave of you to try, though.

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So here's your chance! Talk to me. Comments will be visible after moderation.