SOUTH OXHEY AND OXHEY HALL LABOUR

Photo ID now required for voting from
this May’s local elections onwards

Councillor Stephen King with his photo ID, all ready to go at his polling station in Gosforth Lane.

FOR the first time ever, you’ll need to take photo ID to the polling station to be allowed to vote from 4 May.

The Conservative government has changed the law and made it harder to vote in person. Inevitably people, perfectly entitled to vote, will be turned away and denied their ballot.

The Tories claim the measure is to combat voter fraud, but statistics show that in 2019, there were just 33 allegations of impersonation out of over 58 million votes cast!

A solution looking for a problem

“This is a solution looking for a problem,” said Councillor Stephen Cox. “What it is really about is trying to make life difficult for Labour voters in particular who are less likely to have any of the photo ID required. It is a bad move.”

Acceptable forms of ID are: a driving licence, a UK or Commonwealth passport, seniors’ bus pass, Blue Badge but there some are others too. See the Electoral Commission website for full details, www.electoralcommission.org.uk.

Anyone without photo ID must apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC), by 5pm on 25 April. Details are on the Electoral Commission website, or by ringing 0800 328 0280

Your Labour team has established that of the 17 VACs requested across Three Rivers, that more than half came from South Oxhey. “This proves just where the impact of this Tory change is going to be felt the most. I urge everyone not to get caught out and make sure you are eligible to vote in May,” urged Councillor Stephen Cox.

Potholes tackled on patrol

Councillors Clare Leahy and Stephen King inspect the work at the top of Hayling Road.

YOUR Labour team criss-crossed the estate out on ‘pothole patrol’ in January and covered over 20 miles.

Councillor Stephen King was at the wheel as he and colleague Councillor Stephen Cox toured South Oxhey one morning and reported 35 potholes located for repair.

Their hard work was picked up by the Watford Observer.

Prestwick Road and Gosforth Lane were in a bad way and repairs have now been carried out.

The condition of the roads is the responsibility of Conservative-run Herts County Council and your Tory county councillor who you can complain to at [email protected].

DRAIN PAIN CONTINUES IN PRESTWICK

Councillor King at the blocked Prestwick Road drains.

Drains at the Watford-bound Dick Whittington bus stop in Prestwick Road are frustratingly still blocked.

In response to your local Labour team’s calls for action at the site, Herts Highways advised that the gulleys were cleared out nine days after we chased them back in October. However, that was months after our initial request for them to be cleaned because the road and bus stop flooded, with waiting passengers often getting totally drenched.

The slit drains were blocked last spring and even if they were cleaned out, are now blocked again with tar from the resurfacing which took place last month!

Councillor Stephen King, (Pictured) has pointed out that even the larger drains also contain deposits of tar and the slit drains are clogged yet again.

They’re not due to be cleared again until 2023. Your Labour team has objected to the delay.

Liphook Road barriers win

Councillor Cox gives his seal of approval at the new barriers.

After a bit of a battle, Councillor Stephen Cox won his fight to get barriers installed at the end of Liphook Road at the request of local residents.

The team met on site two years ago and has worked on it constantly since then to get Herts County Council to install them and the paths were also resurfaced as a bonus!

“It took far too long, but we got there,” said Councillor Stephen Cox.

Birstall Green bays at last

The new parking bays underway at Birstall Green

Councillor Stephen Cox is celebrating car parking bays being installed at Birstall Green.

He had been pressing for this work to be undertaken for some time and put a question forward at the last council meeting to ensure residents got what they have long waited for.

Ballater Close is also getting extra bays after our persistence and we want more elsewhere.

Vertical Divider

PIGEON POO PERIL PLAN

Councillor Cox inspects the scene

PLANS to tackle the pigeon poo menace at the new market square and nearby flats have been announced.

Residents called in Councillor Stephen Cox (right) for help and he flew into action.

Home Group, who manage the blocks, and builders Countryside are set to install more spikes, netting is also being considered and even a hawk has been deployed.

“It is unpleasant and a health hazard. Who wants poo all over their balcony?” he said.

Timetable woes but new bus shelter for Markeston Green

Old timetables at Markeston Green bus stop.

Thanks to the hard work of Councillor Stephen Cox, not only is there a new bus stop at Markeston Green, but a shelter is to go in too.

Having got the flag and hardstanding put in towards the end of last year, he responded to an invitation to suggest a site for a new shelter and that was the location he went for.

“I have also requested a timetable in the frame here and will ask for a litter bin when the shelter is in situ and we can see the best place for one,” he explained.

The councillor, who uses the buses, was also alerted to a timetable issue at Mount Vernon Hospital. An old 8 route timetable from 2017 is still displayed there!

Councillor Cox has asked TFL, as it is in the London area, to liaise with Herts County Council to get it updated and keep it that way.

Yellow lines still a promise

Assurances have been given that double yellow lines in Oxhey Drive and the limited waiting scheme near the sports centre in Gosforth Lane remain ‘top priorities’.

Concerns were raised by your councillors after a senior transport planner dealing with the work resigned from Three Rivers District Council.

“We’ve pressed on this time and time again and warned of the danger of yet further delay,” said Councillor Joan King.

Fairfield Avenue’s first aid

The last of six defibrillators provided by the Parish Council has finally been installed near Aziz barbers in Fairfield Avenue.

The life-saving equipment was originally given to Countryside Homes to be placed near the main shopping centre, but sadly it was mislaid.

A replacement then developed a fault and they had to buy another.

“Defibrillators funded by the council are at all the shopping parades in South Oxhey, Oxhey Hall Community Association and at the Co-op in Carpenders Park,” said Councillor Joan King pictured, above with the equipment alongside Councillor Stephen King.

There is also another at the old Police Station situated in Oxhey Drive.

LOCAL HOUSING UPDATE...

Garages are reprieved in Prestwick Road

Councillor Stephen Cox got a site allocated for housing removed from Three Rivers District Council’s Draft Local Plan.

Garages to the rear of the Dick Whittington on Prestwick Road were due to be demolished and six homes built there.

As two on the site had been sold off the alert councillor successfully argued that, as was the case elsewhere, this made the South Oxhey site unsuitable and unviable too.

Land at Foxgrove Path is in the process of being sold by Herts County Council to Three Rivers District Council and a mix of so-called “affordable homes” are expected to be built.

Councillors King and Leahy discussing the latest at Little Furze

The situation at the former Little Furze School, in Gosforth Lane which was shut by the Tories back in 2004 is more complex and less clear.

Three Rivers Council also held “pre-emption” rights on this site, but only until the end of March. It remains to be seen if it could agree a price and buy it from Herts County Council, but time is running out.

The site has outline planning permission for new homes.

Labour wants the council to secure the maximum amount of homes for rent.