News from Rickmansworth Liberal Democrats - Three Rivers, a Lib Dem Run Council

Welcome to this edition of 'Rickmansworth This Week e-news'.

Three Rivers District Council (TRDC)'s budget for next year was passed at the end of February. It protects front line services despite financial pressure from government cuts - the central Government Revenue Support Grant will reduce from £3m in 2013/14 years ago to £0.3m in 2017/18 and to zero by 2019/20 and the cost of providing for homeless families, a legal obligation, is forecast to increase from £0.0 in 2013/4 to £0.5 in 2917/18 and to £0.8m in 2019/20

By making further savings TRDC has managed to keep its Council Tax rise to a minimum. This means the average Band D residents will face an average increase of less than 10p per week for the TRDC part of their Council Tax bill.

The rise, coupled with efficiencies of over half-a-million pounds in the coming year will enable current services levels to continue.

TRDC has achieved millions of pounds of efficiency savings in recent years to protect council services. We are now planning more savings and new income (not from CT) to absorb the squeeze on finance and maintain the services residents expect and rely on

The Conservative Group on TRDC failed to propose any budget at all !
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Earlier this week TRDC received information that an unauthorised new internal road was under construction at Pynesfield/Denham Park Farm. HCC and TRDC investigated and the works stopped. The site is being monitored but please let TRDC know if you see/ hear any works so they can be checked. Contact KImberley Rowley , Head of Regulatory Services, 01923 776611.
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Chorleywood Bookshop has been short listed for the Regional British Book Awards 2017 Independent Bookshop of the Year. Congratulations.
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The application and allocation statistics for secondary admissions for September were released last week.13654 were received compared with 13189 last year. 79% were offered their first rank school. In SWHerts the number of applications increased by 4.6% from 2537 to 2655. The percentage of children in the area offered their first preference school remains at 66%. Children will be entitled to free transport if they are attending the nearest available school place and the distance between home and school is more than 3 miles.
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TRDC is looking for extra staff to support Leisure Services especially during Easter and the summer holidays over a wide range of play, sport, art and Inclusion services such as play schemes, play rangers, our Get Set programmes and much more. If you are interested look at the jobs page on TRDC website or call 776611 for more information.………………………………………………………

Don't forget you can now dispose of your food waste in plastic bags,The process now removes the bags at the start, whether they are plastic or corn starch, so why not use bags you already have such as fruit, salad, bread or cereal bags BUT not plastic food pots, tubs or trays, they must not be placed in the food pod and black plastic sacks are not acceptable.……………………………………………………….

Resident surveys make it clear that the state of our roads and footways is the top issue. At the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Budget setting meeting the Conservatives rejected a Liberal Democrat proposal to add another £7m to the highways budget and restore spending on roads, pavements, gulleys and culverts to just above the 2012/13 levels. In the last 4 years the Conservatives have reduced spending in this area. The Lib Dems were disappointed this proposal was turned down, the highways work needs doing urgently.
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Fantastic Woodoaks Farm holiday courses for children this Easter Break. These fun-filled, active and nature driven holiday courses cater for all types of children. From den making, drama and theatre, playing a wide variety of sports, creating all sorts of art, visiting the animals on the farm and watching the milking is all just part of a busy holiday course day at Woodoaks.Upcoming dates - Easter 3^rd,4^th,5^th,6^th and 7^th, 10^th,11^th,12 and 13^th April, 9.30-3.30pm. To book go http://www.thewoodoaksassociation.com/half-term-courses.html
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We have been asked to let you know about Chalfont Common WI Attic Sale.
11th March, 9.30-12.00, at Chalfont St Peter Community Centre, Gravel Hill. There will be 20 individual stalls together with the WI bric a brac, books, cakes etc. Free parking
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Dates for your Diary.

• Friends of Watersmeet Film Society films: Fri 10 Mar 'T2 Trainspotting' - Wed15 Mar 'Jackie' - Thursday 16 Mar 'United Kingdom' - Wed 29 Mar '50 Shades darker' all 2.00, 5.00 & 8.00pm

Ongoing

• The Batchworth Lock Canal Centre, run by volunteers from the Rickmansworth Waterways Trust is open all year round for sales of gifts, maps and ice cream. Thirty minute boat trips are available on the Pride of Batchworth and the boat can be privately chartered complete with a trained crew for longer trips. Check rwt.org.uk for further details. The Café@Lock 81 next to the Lock Centre is also open Wednesday to Sunday throughout the year.
• The new Artistmeet exhibition of paintings is at Watersmeet - artist is Gail Robins - from 1^st to 28^th March, Monday to Friday, 10am- 4.0-m. Entry Free.
• Back to Netball open to adults of all ages on Mondays 1.45pm - 2.45pm at Willliam Penn Leisure Centre £2 per session. Walking Netball on Tuesdays 12.30pm - 1.30pm for anyone regardless of age, fitness or ability £2 per session. Junior Netball (11-14years) on Wednesdays 4.30pm - 5.30pm free first 6 weeksBack to Netball
• Three Rivers Museum in Basing House next to the library, have displays featuring the Great War & Ancient Order of Foresters - Museum open Mon to Fri 2-4pm, Sat 10am to 4pm. Support your local museum. www.trmt.org.uk videos https://www.youtube.com/user/ThreeRiversMuseum/videos
• Adult oil painting class by local artist Andrew Schofield:- Monday evenings 7pm to 9pm at the Mill End Community Centre. Tuesday daytime 11am to 1pm at the Croxley Sports Guild. All abilities, beginners welcome, I will guide you thorough the oil painting process and after the first class you will have an oil painting you can be proud of. All equipment provided. In my opinion oil painting is the easiest and most forgiving medium to paint with and I hope to prove this to you. Contact me for details ArtAndrewArtist@gmail.com 07908 832834
• The Mill Photography Club has produced its programme for the second half of this year. You can find it on the website www.millphotos.com. The club meets Fridays, fortnightly at The Mill at Berry Lane Methodist Church. All welcome, any standard, no fees.
• Croxley Camera Club is known as the friendly photographic society for Three Rivers District. They have photographic advice available from specialists in many genres including nature, landscape, and studio. Meet on Thursdays in the Croxley Green Community Centre at 7:45. New members of all abilities are always warmly welcome. http://croxleycameraclub.com/
• Rickmansworth Town team are responsible for most of the events organised in our area. They organised the Queens birthday Celebrations https://youtu.be/cEs9QdKK2XE , Ricky Folk Festival and the flags in the High Street commemorating those who gave their lives in World Wars and the Winter Fayre.
• Watford Mencap hold a Coffee Morning every 3rd Tuesday in the month at their Head Office in The Town Hall, Rickmansworth High Street from 10.30am to 12.00 noon. Apart from it being a social opportunity for our clients and their carers to meet and catch up over refreshments and cakes, one of the aims is to raise local awareness of the charity and how they support people with learning disabilities. Anyone is welcome to join us if they are passing.
• Ricky Folk meet at 8.15pm in the back bar of the Conservative Club, Bury Lane on the 2nd Tuesday of every month. You can sing, play or both or simply come and listen. No entrance fee and drinks are at club prices. In exchange for the facilities they entertain members of the Club at summer events each year and participate in other local events.
• A full list of forthcoming events at Watersmeet - click link http://www.watersmeet.co.uk/whats-on/
• Ricky Green Social are a group from Rickmansworth who meet on the first Saturday every month to socialise and work on greening the area. Meetings take place at the Cafe in the Park at the Aquadrome - 11.00am to 1.00pm.
• Police Officers from the Local Neighbourhood Team would like to hear from residents if they have any information about drug use or crime. To report any information, intelligence or suspicious behaviour. Phone 101, or speak anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555111 or email Neil.CANNING@Herts.pnn.police.uk
• Highway Faults - Fault reporting https://www.hertsdirect.org/faultreporting/

The small print. This newsletter started in February 2006 and is sent to more than 550 local people - it is distributed by Mailchimp. Ann Shaw is a local Three Rivers Councillor. Les Mead is a Trustee at Rickmansworth Waterways Trust and Vice Chairman of Three Rivers Museum Trust.