24MMERCURY June 13, 2008
email: mercury@hertsessexnews.co.ukHERTFORD Regional College
must stop using an area of
recreational land in Ware as a
car park, Government planners
have ruled.
The college had appealedagainst
an enforcement notice served by
East Herts Council to stop using
the site in Little Acres.
Its use as a temporary car park
while improvements to the
campus are carried out was
deemed 8220inappropriate in
principle in the Green Belt8221 and
8220would also cause harm to its
openness and to residents8217 living
conditions8221.
The Government Planning
Inspectorate report also said
that 8220whatever the basis for the
future provision on campus, the
provision ofthese spaces can
only encourage travel by private
car where the college is well
served by public transport8221 and
that 8220the very special
circumstances necessary to
justify even the temporary use
as a car park do not exist.8221.
College principal Paul Harvey
was disappointed with the
decision and said: 8220It means that
there will now be an increase in
the number ofcars parking on
the roads around the college.8221
The college was given 28 days to
stop using the Little Acres site
and two months toremove an
access ramp and reinstate
boundary fencing.College car
park appeal
thrown outA COMPETITION to design a
medieval themed garden for
Place House Hall in Ware is
being run by Hertfordshire
Building Preservation Trust.
The trust was awarded 1639,600 by
the National Lottery to create an
educational community garden
for the grade I-listed building,
and is now inviting student or
trainee garden designers to
create a space which will
enhance the building and be
educational and accessible to all.
The winning design is expected
to be completed early next year.
The trust is also organising
talks on gardening for the local
community. The first ofthese
will be at Place House Hall on
Thursday June 26 at 7pm.qFor further details ofthe
competition and talks, call the
trust on (01992) 504331 or email
enquiries@placehousehall.org
.Garden contest
for historic hallCYCLISTSusing Ware station
are to receive free kits and
advice to help prevent their
bikes being stolen.
Train operator National Express
East Anglia is working with
British Transport Police on the
8216Cycle Watch8217 initiative to cut
crime and BTP officers will be
giving out free electronic devices
or 8216tags8217 to cyclists.
The tags hold an encrypted
number which, when scanned,
can identify the owner ifthe
bike is stolen.
8216Cycle Watch8217 dates are to be
advertised at Ware station this
summer.Tags to keep tabs
on bikes at stationYoung are hope of the industrySchools get smart to
save on energy billsNew housing service for the vulnerableIT can only be encouraging that
5,000 Young Farmers held a
vibrant and optimistic annual
meeting at Blackpool, the vast
majority determined to make a
career in farming.
This in spite ofa decade of
discouragement and poor returns
for the agricultural industry, and
the virtual closure ofthe
traditional doors for new entrants,
milking, pigs and chickens.
Many a farming tycoon has
started with a few cows, a couple
ofsows or a shed ofchickens.
Today, to even scratch a living,
numbers have to be in the
hundreds or thousands.
Nevertheless, I am sure there are
dynamic young men and women
out there somehow making a start,
working all the hours God gives,
because they love the life and their
contact with the soil.
At long last, there does appear to
be a future for farming in this
country. Even our PM, not noted
for his understanding ofor
sympathy with the farming
community 8211 after all, how many
votes are involved? 8211 has jumped
on the environmental bandwagon
and called for measures to deal
with global poverty and hunger.
Belatedly, he and his like have
been forced to recognise that only
a few weeks stock ofwheat is a
potential disaster.
The media has also recently
highlighted the quite scandalous
waste offood in affluent countries,
both before and after it reaches the
plate. I am hopeful new mayor of
London Boris Johnson may
remember his campaign to
compensate swill-feeders for the
abrupt, knee-jerk loss oflivelihood
in the 2001 foot and mouth fiasco 8211
described by the Parliamentary
Ombudsman as
8220maladministration8221.
Even better, Boris might re-
introduce the collection of
leftovers from London8217s many
eateries for re-use rather than
landfill.
There has also been an
intemperate debate about the
benefits or otherwise ofgrowing
crops for fuel rather than food.
There is an insatiable demand for
fuel and a finite supply ofoil.
Coping with the quandary is
something responsible
governments have just got to
resolve, as they have with so much
influencing food supplies, such as
bovine TB, animal diseases like
bluetongue, to GM or not GM,
climate change. How, in fact, to
feed the world.
Basking in warm sunshine, it is
easy to forget that a few weeks ago
we had unseasonable snow and
farmers were struggling to plant
their spring crops. Now, crops in
general look pretty encouraging
(at least in the kindly south-east)
with vast splashes ofyellow
heralding bumper rape crops;
beans coming to flower and
exuding that wonderful scent for a
few short days; wheat dark green
from applied nitrogen; barley
swaying gloriously in the breeze;
grass, after a slow start, growing
strongly.
It is sad to read ofthe
determination ofthe Government
to ride roughshod over all local
opinion and to persevere with its
idiot plans to plaster Green Belt
near Luton and Harlow with new
houses. The last thing such
developments can possibly be is
8220sustainable8221. The infrastructure
ofour over-populated south-east
struggles to cope now.
And with growing awareness of
the importance offood-security
we most certainly cannot afford to
cover more prime agricultural
land with concrete, above the
75,000 acres already lost annually.
Nor for Government to
prevaricate, expensively, any
longer over unpopular decisions.
8220Badgers are the source ofbovine
tuberculosis,8221 the government8217s
chiefvet, Keith Meldrum,
announced this week. That was in
June 1996. At a cost of163100m a
year, we are still awaiting decisive
action.qFARMER and writer Peter
Ashley farms 200 acres near
Hertford with his family.A NEW support service has been
launched in Hertfordshire to help
vulnerable people who need help
with housing issues.
The 8216floating support8217 service 8211
in which staffvisit clients, rather
than the other way around 8211 is
aimed at reducing evictions, anti-
social behaviour and homelessness
and freeing-up hospital beds.
It will also help people falling
behind with their rent, give sup-
port with neighbour disputes and
harassment and offer advice on
claiming benefits, paying bills and
budgeting.
Other roles include general coun-
selling and advice, and helping peo-
ple settle in to new homes, move on
or contact housing providers.
Herts County Council awarded
the three-year contract to run the
service to housing and support
provider SPH Housing.
The scheme is the first ofits kind
across the county and is free for
tenants, owner-occupiers, homeless
people and those in difficult situa-
tions.
Cathy McCarthy, ofSPH
Housing, said: 8220Many worries and
problems for vulnerable people are
caused by housing issues. Often,
people may be close to losing their
home and need support keeping a
roofover their heads, so it makes
sense to have a floating service that
will get to the root ofsomeone8217s
problem quickly.8221
SPH Housing will work with pro-
bation services, social workers,
councils, housing associations, GPs
and others to help people requiring
housing support, including those
with mental health problems and
learning difficulties.
Mike Petter, strategy and devel-
opment officer for supporting peo-
ple at the county council, said:
8220With this service we are expecting
to deliver a lot ofearly successes in
helping people.
8220Ifmore money becomes avail-
able in the future, we may have the
chance to increase the funding to
more than 1631m, which would
enable us to reach many more vul-
nerable people who are at risk.8221qTo contact the service, phone
(01438) 357187.Farm
forumwith
PETER
ASHLEYFORGETTING to turn offa light
once or twice may not sound like a
big deal, but it can waste schools
thousands ofpounds each year.But Hertford8217s Simon Balle
School, in Mangrove Road, hopes to
slash its bills and cut carbon emis-
sions by being the first to install
new smart meters.
The school is among 12 in Herts
leading the way in energy saving
after signing up to the county coun-
cil8217s pilot scheme.
The meters, which can save a
school 1639,500 a year, enable staffto
monitor and reduce their buildings8217
electricity, gas and water consump-
tion.
Schools can log on to a central
web page to check their energy
usage and spot anything which has
been left on overnight or over the
weekend.
After the success ofthe pilot
scheme, the council wants to provide
the innovative monitoring system in
all schools and council premises.
Council property officer Tony
Comer said: 8220Every school we8217ve
put the system into has reported
impressive savings.
8220Schools account for 82 per cent of
the council8217s carbon emissions, and
with fuel bills rising and growing
concern over climate change, we
have to act now.8221
It is hoped the scheme will enable
the council to cut the 1639m a year
spent on energy use in
Hertfordshire schools.
A target to reduce carbon emis-
sions by a quarter within five years
has now been set.
The council8217s executive member
for education, Cllr Keith Emsall
(Con, Letchworth South), said: 8220We
are committed to reducing our car-
bon emissions and to maximising
efficiency savings. Smart metering
is proving to be fundamental in
helping to reduce our carbon foot-
print.
8220It doesn8217t matter how efficient
you think you8217re being 8211 ifyou keep
a much closer eye on your energy
use the savings add up and everyone
can cut their bills.8221By DANPETERSpetersd@hertsessexnews.co.ukCUTTING COSTS: Simon Balle School in Hertford, can monitor its energy use
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