Friends of Great Ashby’s FoGA, Martin Morgan lead the project during the difficult COVID lockdowns, this meant it was a small team of volunteers mostly Keith Abrahams, Terry Butchart & Ian Dollimore, all ably supported by FoGA’s management team members Anne Lowe & Terry Tyler.

The Project was sponsored by the Friends of Round Diamonds, the Great Ashby Community, County Councillor Steve Jarvis, Ringway and the Adept Living Foundation.

The main purpose was to build a safe path with strong rail to allow the pupils all year round access.

Civil Engineer, Martin Morgan, ensured that the rail and path were engineered to a high standard (“It will last longer than us!” was the stock phrase!) – many of us learned new skills as we toiled on through the COVID muddle.

A big thank you to our patrons, Sandra Bar and Tim Lee, who have inspired us through this difficult year.

We also thank you for your donations of equipment; we have gained spades, shovels, rakes, brooms, cones, pins and wheel barrow! with thanks to Ann Lowe, Stuart Cripps, Terry Buchart & Ian Dollimore – and of course to all of you who donated materials.

The Health Walks, Events and Community Groups, POWERS END & Invis-Ability, have been difficlut to sustain during COVID, but we have manged, somewhat.

Thanks to HCC, SBC, NHDC & GACC, & Ringway for sponsoring our projects.

For and on behalf of the Management Committee

Friends of Great Ashby (FoGA) have been working within Covid-19 rules to keep the pathways safer. On Wednesday just passed (16th December 2020), Herts County Councillor Steve Jarvis, joined FoGA for a walk around, as part of our regular survey of GA with a disabled scooter user, thinking on behalf of parents and others who regularly walk between GA & St Nicholas for schools, shops and the community amenities both sides of St Nicholas park.

Stevenage Borough Councillor Richard Henry confirmed the importance to him and his team of general diversity and specfic commuting issues, across St Nicholas Park.

FoGA are grateful to Cllrs Jarvis & Henry for all of their ongoing support, which has resulted in the funding for the next phase of resurfacing along Bay Lane and past Round Diamond School from Herts County Council. Our thanks are extended to Martin Morgan and Heidi Hutton for their planned campaign to improve cycle routes.

This is important becasue FoGA wish to bring to the all the councils attention, the need to plan in detail, together, for the future developments planned North & East of Stevenage.

Today, 19th December 2020, as part of our we have cleared the leaves and mud that was encroaching on to the slope at the entrance to St Nicholas park from White Horse Lane.

The paths are clear of leaves and mud, and now much wider for social distancing.

We also understand from Countryside Rights of Way (CRow) that the paths will cleared every 8 weeks, which we will add to our regular audit survery.

Request to the GACC (6th July 2020):

Would the GACC consider funding the upgrading of the NHDC bridle path part of Bay Lane that runs from the St Nicholas Park entrance in the South at Whitehorse lane to the North entrance at Beacons/Great Ashby Way (see C to D) for circa £20k (about 3 COA) and the potholes on the same lane along Ryders Hill & Mount Keen (say £2k)?

Result:

Further good news SBC (& HCC) say that Highways officers agreed to look into the requirements to ensure there is a complete link between Martins Way, Canterbury Way, Iona Close, up the S278 path to the East of Canterbury Park, via Weston Road to the relatively new cycle crossing across Great Ashby Way level with the northern part of Manchester Close. 

Big thank you too, to County Cllr Steve Jarvis for taking forward the lobby:

And which has won the support of SBC:

Exciting News, SB Cllr Rob Broom (Executive Portfolio- Neighbourhoods & Cooperative: Working) has confirmed:
“A planning application will need to take place to Stevenage Borough Council, and  I understand that we would be responsible for the long term maintenance of the track once in situation. I have made other members aware of this. Broadly speaking this is an excellent project, and one in which we are keen to support and help realise”.

Arguments & Requests

Although the Prime Minster is set to announce more funding for cycle and walking plans, funding is currently short term and ad hoc, so having a good and well supported plan is essential to winning funding.

Friends of Great Ashby are please to report an update on their plan to improve the cycle and walking provision in and around North Stevenage, with a view to integrating Woodfield and St Nicholas Wards (SBC) with Great Ashby (GACC & NHDC), in line with the HCC Active Travel Strategy .

Being active supporters of Localism and Activism, FoGA have engaged with all four tiers of Government, and have prepared a plan and cycle routes proposal. This proposal was discussed at the Great Ashby Community Council (GACC), who have agreed to support the proposal, subject to funding.

In the process the following has become apparent:

• Thinking about making the shared paths in Great Ashby safer for use by pedestrians, perhaps by segregating them clearly, which appears to be the advice of Herts Police (Planning your Journey)
• The Herts Police could be asked to help users know that cycling on pedestrian footpaths is unlawful & safety awareness could be raised by all (Maybe a joint campaign?)
• Safety & cost could be improved by investigating Cllr Martin Morgan’s proposal that tarmac surface one side, for pedestrians & unbound surface the other side, for cycles
• What is important is that paths are kept clear of vegetation encroachment, broken glass and other debris, and the courtesy is introduced and enabled (if not enforced through bylaws)
• Joint NHDC/SBC Co-operation on the HCC Active Travel Strategy, without interference of party or division or ward politics. This is a good initiative that enables cultural & social change as set out in the HCC strategy
• This is particularly true for funding from as many sources as possible; all levels of Government and S106 & other grants need to be explored, as well as curtailing areas of cost that deliver less benefit
• FoGA are aware that County Councils and MP’s etc need not respond to non-constituents or residents not in their division, and FoGA are grateful to Cllr Phil Bibby for his responses and input.
• Similarly, the ward and borough councils have been patient, tolerant and supportive …..we hope to keep relying on that!
• The Community Councillors have also been supportive and we aim to encourage increasing confidence and co-operation in engaging with local residents
• GACC does need to look at gathering higher levels of intelligence and consider taking a wider view as there are still some statements by Community Councillors that need clarifying
• Some think that residents in Great Ashby do not cycle enough to warrant the investment or the paths could be any better places or it can be done more cost effectively. It is important that these claims are justified so that the plan is fair and robust
• The Greater Great Ashby Area, along Great Ashby Way could be considered to improve cycling provision from Old Bourne Way to Canterbury Way, and also around Cartwright Road and Wedgewood Way
• Cycling Plans & Maps need to be updated & communicated
• This plan will be sent to various interested stakeholders to ensure that there is no unanswered doubt

FoGA are grateful for the encouragement from HCC and NHDC, and as a result, delighted to volunteer and keep rights of way clear and safer. This month so far:

We just need the gates put in to stop the nuisance motorbikes that speed along into the fields.

Young horse riders use this lanes and they need the space to pass pedestrians and branches and brambles cleared to stop their eyes from being prickled.

A shared use (cycle and walking) is difficult enough for visually impaired residents, without vegetation encroaching across it. Once it is cleared, keeping up on it, as NHDC Chair, Councillor, and FoGA volunteer, Terry Tyler, is doing with Martin Morgan, above far right.

Bay lane North – doubled the bridle way to its full three metres after soil had enabled the vegetation to spread across it.

The pandemic meant that talks, events, support groups, litter picks and health walks were disrupted. Some activates went online, some were solitary walks, and recently some were close family supported events & updates are included on the relevant page.

Even so we stayed busy and have put forward proposals to HCC, SBC, NHDC & GACC in support of our campaigns as follows:

• Cycle paths linked to Stevenage via Bay Lane and into St Nicholas Park. Circa £65.5k funding may be needed, but FoGA have now passed the project on to the Councils.
• Speed & Safety along Great Ashby Way is under review and investigation a new Speed Indicator Device (SID) will be placed around and between Old Bourne Way and Cherwell Drive.
• Schools we are told that a new free school will come to Stevenage and be based at the old Collenswood school, which should solve the secondary school capacity.
• A campaign plan for gently and suitably addressing Anti Social Behaviour is being considered.
• The NHDC local plan needs to be fully researched to gain a deeper insight into what potential there is to be improve services to GA.
• Parking in Great Ashby has been put on hold following the initial approach to the GACC being turned down.

The first FoGA challenge of the Spring season is to clear the litter that has accumulated over the winter, particularly in those difficult to reach places that new vegetation growth will soon cover over. We have a program that will clear all the woods, paths and open spaces by the end of March. This forms part of an on-going program to keep the access to rights of way clear.

Friends will also be supporting the action the Great Ashby Woodlands & District Park Green Spaces Action Plan 2020-2025. This is an ambitious, yet well resourced plan, which aims to ensure we can all enjoy our beautiful environment, promoted and enacted by the Country Management Services (CMS), who are sponsored by Herts County Council (HCC) and the North Herts District Council (NHDC).

We have also offered our services towards improving the walking and cycle access to and from Great Ashby, with appreciation to Stevenage Borough Council for their comprehensive strategy, which takes account of Great Ashby’s needs Stevenage Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. We have a meeting planned with the NHDC equivalent in early April 2020. Please do join us.

On a social front, FoGA are supporting the efforts of invis-Ability to teach sign language through the ‘invis-Ability Community Sign Choir’; the great work of Powers, which is an all inclusive group for children and families with additional needs; the Hertfordshire Health Walks ; with the sponsorship and by the peer support offered by the Adept Living Foundation.