.SAVE ALDENHAM RESERVOIR - https://www.facebook.com/savealdenhamreservoir
Fencing going up and Blocking off of Reservoir Footpath:
On Thursday evening 18th June, the owners of Aldenham Reservoir and its dam wall, Nitin and Mahesh Gosrani (Liberty Lake Leisure Ltd – aka ‘LLLL’), finally began to carry out their on-going threat to fence off the reservoir around the public footpath.
They cite unacceptable levels of litter and the general public getting stuck in the deep slurry areas of Aldenham Reservoir where “the beach” has formed since they began to drain water out of it since January 2020 – among their reasons.
It is believed that this move is also due to their desire to keep their land and reservoir just for the Angling Club and the Gosrani Family to enjoy. The fencing, which does not need planning permission, has already started to go up from the end of the Sailing club fence and it will extend just past the Fisheries entrance where a gate will be put up. This gate will essentially block off the footpath to the general public if turning left, from The Fisheries entrance, round to the farm. The public will only be able to use the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC)-owned footpath where it has Right of Way, from the Fisheries entrance, turning right and round to the end of the dam wall and car park area, round to the farm shop. Aside from the obvious distress this action will cause to local residents and the public, this will also mean that the Aldenham Park Run on Saturday mornings will be threatened.
EBRA have been following this footpath situation in terms of it being made an official public right of way and it would appear that although this was in the process of being resolved with HCC, the process had not been finalised. This situation left the path vulnerable and LLLL took advantage. We understand that the status of the footpath is being looked into by the Aldenham Country Park Trust (ACPT) which maintains the Country Park, and may ultimately need to go before the Secretary of State, although this could cost £’000’s due to legal costs etc. We await an update on this matter.
However, on speaking to the Contractor who was putting up the fence, he seemed to think the Gosrani’s would keep the gates open for a while. We hope this is the case. The fence has now been fully put up as 10th July and a gate with lock has closed off the South Side
The fence is the same type of fence used around the angling club area. EBRA were concerned about the fence impacting on the movement of wildlife in their habitats, but the contractors pointed out there are culverts that run underneath parts of the fence that animals etc can use. Although he added that dog-owners need to be careful not to let their dogs use these to escape into the fenced-off area, as the owner would not be access it to retrieve their pet.
Whilst we call upon the owners to consider the community’s interest and refrain from blocking off access to perhaps half the perimeter of the footpath, we also highlight that it is imperative that the public stick to the footpath only, and either take any litter and dog poo bags etc home, or dispose of them in the bins in the car park area. We must not give LLLL any excuse to close these gates.
The water level:
We are pleased to hear that the Dam Inspector has finally visited and has performed his annual inspection. He has agreed to a two-foot increase in water level. He states that any level higher than this may compromise the safety and integrity of the dam wall. This slight increase will suit the anglers better, but sadly this is insufficient for the Sailing Club to be able to continue. However, this increase will make little difference to covering up the deep slurry areas which will continue to be exposed, subject to rain etc.
This increase in water level will happen after the Angling Club have removed the concrete blocks, that line the dam wall shoreline. This removal will take place for safety reasons for the anglers to fish safely and we are told that these blocks are not actually required as any part of the dam wall wave protection. For those of you who are interested, this low shoreline was where the Old Hall Road was and had lorries running up and down when the dam wall was last re-done!
We remain concerned about the environmental impacts of the low water level, and also the structural risk that this exposes the lower side of the dam wall to.
Aldenham Sailing Club:
Unless anyone corrects us, we understand that the Sailing Club has effectively been ‘killed off’ due to the low water level, which means they cannot sail their boats. This is devastating news for this active sailing community and for a club that has been there for 80 years and for the schools that used the club and reservoir for their sailing. Members have already started to remove their boats to elsewhere. We wish the Club members all the best for the future and thank them for giving many of us observers a wonderful sight for so many years, when watching them sail, and we hope they find a suitable new home soon.
‘Podland’ Planning Applications:
We understand that LLLL will not be re-pursuing their ‘Podland’ Planning Application, which was recommended for refusal by the Hertsmere Borough Council (HBC) earlier this year and then withdrawn by LLLL. This is despite the Council subsequently asking LLLL to do a pre-app but LLLL said they would not spend another penny on this.
‘Private Land’ signs:
We are told that the red private land signs that have appeared around the Reservoir perimeter were put in place by the Angling Club and not LLLL. This is to stop the general public walking onto the slurry areas and also to keep the public away from the anglers during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, a number of these signs have been ripped off the posts. Whilst we appreciate that these might make uncomfortable viewing given that the land has been used by the public for decades we ask you not to remove the signs.
Tree Protection Order (TPO):
At Thursday evening’s Planning Committee of HBC, the Council decided to impose a Tree Protection Order on the woodland surrounding the Reservoir due to what they described as the “evident and intended threat” to over 80 trees. HBC feels that the threat is ongoing due to the owners’ recent statements in the press, draining of the Reservoir and threats to block the public footpath. Objections were raised by LLLL but these were overruled.
https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/18577690.fence-restricting-access-aldenham-reservoir-completed/
Fencing going up and Blocking off of Reservoir Footpath:
On Thursday evening 18th June, the owners of Aldenham Reservoir and its dam wall, Nitin and Mahesh Gosrani (Liberty Lake Leisure Ltd – aka ‘LLLL’), finally began to carry out their on-going threat to fence off the reservoir around the public footpath.
They cite unacceptable levels of litter and the general public getting stuck in the deep slurry areas of Aldenham Reservoir where “the beach” has formed since they began to drain water out of it since January 2020 – among their reasons.
It is believed that this move is also due to their desire to keep their land and reservoir just for the Angling Club and the Gosrani Family to enjoy. The fencing, which does not need planning permission, has already started to go up from the end of the Sailing club fence and it will extend just past the Fisheries entrance where a gate will be put up. This gate will essentially block off the footpath to the general public if turning left, from The Fisheries entrance, round to the farm. The public will only be able to use the Hertfordshire County Council (HCC)-owned footpath where it has Right of Way, from the Fisheries entrance, turning right and round to the end of the dam wall and car park area, round to the farm shop. Aside from the obvious distress this action will cause to local residents and the public, this will also mean that the Aldenham Park Run on Saturday mornings will be threatened.
EBRA have been following this footpath situation in terms of it being made an official public right of way and it would appear that although this was in the process of being resolved with HCC, the process had not been finalised. This situation left the path vulnerable and LLLL took advantage. We understand that the status of the footpath is being looked into by the Aldenham Country Park Trust (ACPT) which maintains the Country Park, and may ultimately need to go before the Secretary of State, although this could cost £’000’s due to legal costs etc. We await an update on this matter.
However, on speaking to the Contractor who was putting up the fence, he seemed to think the Gosrani’s would keep the gates open for a while. We hope this is the case. The fence has now been fully put up as 10th July and a gate with lock has closed off the South Side
The fence is the same type of fence used around the angling club area. EBRA were concerned about the fence impacting on the movement of wildlife in their habitats, but the contractors pointed out there are culverts that run underneath parts of the fence that animals etc can use. Although he added that dog-owners need to be careful not to let their dogs use these to escape into the fenced-off area, as the owner would not be access it to retrieve their pet.
Whilst we call upon the owners to consider the community’s interest and refrain from blocking off access to perhaps half the perimeter of the footpath, we also highlight that it is imperative that the public stick to the footpath only, and either take any litter and dog poo bags etc home, or dispose of them in the bins in the car park area. We must not give LLLL any excuse to close these gates.
The water level:
We are pleased to hear that the Dam Inspector has finally visited and has performed his annual inspection. He has agreed to a two-foot increase in water level. He states that any level higher than this may compromise the safety and integrity of the dam wall. This slight increase will suit the anglers better, but sadly this is insufficient for the Sailing Club to be able to continue. However, this increase will make little difference to covering up the deep slurry areas which will continue to be exposed, subject to rain etc.
This increase in water level will happen after the Angling Club have removed the concrete blocks, that line the dam wall shoreline. This removal will take place for safety reasons for the anglers to fish safely and we are told that these blocks are not actually required as any part of the dam wall wave protection. For those of you who are interested, this low shoreline was where the Old Hall Road was and had lorries running up and down when the dam wall was last re-done!
We remain concerned about the environmental impacts of the low water level, and also the structural risk that this exposes the lower side of the dam wall to.
Aldenham Sailing Club:
Unless anyone corrects us, we understand that the Sailing Club has effectively been ‘killed off’ due to the low water level, which means they cannot sail their boats. This is devastating news for this active sailing community and for a club that has been there for 80 years and for the schools that used the club and reservoir for their sailing. Members have already started to remove their boats to elsewhere. We wish the Club members all the best for the future and thank them for giving many of us observers a wonderful sight for so many years, when watching them sail, and we hope they find a suitable new home soon.
‘Podland’ Planning Applications:
We understand that LLLL will not be re-pursuing their ‘Podland’ Planning Application, which was recommended for refusal by the Hertsmere Borough Council (HBC) earlier this year and then withdrawn by LLLL. This is despite the Council subsequently asking LLLL to do a pre-app but LLLL said they would not spend another penny on this.
‘Private Land’ signs:
We are told that the red private land signs that have appeared around the Reservoir perimeter were put in place by the Angling Club and not LLLL. This is to stop the general public walking onto the slurry areas and also to keep the public away from the anglers during the Covid 19 pandemic. However, a number of these signs have been ripped off the posts. Whilst we appreciate that these might make uncomfortable viewing given that the land has been used by the public for decades we ask you not to remove the signs.
Tree Protection Order (TPO):
At Thursday evening’s Planning Committee of HBC, the Council decided to impose a Tree Protection Order on the woodland surrounding the Reservoir due to what they described as the “evident and intended threat” to over 80 trees. HBC feels that the threat is ongoing due to the owners’ recent statements in the press, draining of the Reservoir and threats to block the public footpath. Objections were raised by LLLL but these were overruled.
https://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/18577690.fence-restricting-access-aldenham-reservoir-completed/
HUG The Reservoir – Protest March at Aldenham Reservoir
Date and Time:
Sunday 19th July 2020 at 3.45pm departing at 4pm.
Where?:
Meet in The Fisheries car park, Watford Rd, Elstree WD6 3BE
Why are we having a Procession?
Since arriving five years ago, the owners of Aldenham Reservoir and dam wall, Liberty Lake Leisure Ltd (LLLL - aka Nitin and Mahesh Gosrani based in Stanmore) have been perceived to have held the reservoir as ‘hostage’ and to ‘blackmail’ the community into supporting their three unsuitable planning applications. During these five years, they have made constant threats to fence off their land and drain the reservoir if they didn’t get their own way. Now not only have they carried out these threats, giving a few spurious reasons, but they have also literally sawn up the children’s wooden play area, leaving just wooden stumps, with no explanation. We can no longer access half the woodland area which they have blocked off. They have also cut down many trees ahead of their potentially ruinous ‘Podland’ planning application. Our Reservoir is a shadow of its former self and the Sailing Club has been forced to shut down. Have the owners ever considered being heroes rather than despicable villains? The impact of the above is seriously detrimental to the future of the rest of Aldenham Country Park! In EBRA/SAR’s opinion they are not fit or responsible owners.
Parking:
As ‘The Fisheries’ car park is likely to get busy, if attendees are able to park elsewhere that would be beneficial.
Departure and Procession Route:
Leave ‘The Fisheries’ carpark at 4pm, in an orderly and safe manner, following the Government’s current Covid 19 guidelines. Please bring your own facemasks. We will walk in a social safe distance manner from ‘The Fisheries’ entrance, along the path via the Sailing Club, over the dam wall to the Country Park car park. Stewards will be on hand to offer assistance (let us know if you can help steward).
Attendance:
Please click on the attending button below. It is very important that we know the numbers of people who will be on this peaceful protest, as the police have asked for an indication of numbers attending, so they can make plans if needed. Message us if necessary if there’s more than one of you.
Children and dogs are welcome, but please keep dogs on their lead.
The Plan and Theme of the event:
Our procession vision is one of us all walking socially distanced from each other, wearing black clothing, as if we were in ‘mourning’ at the loss of our beloved reservoir, and each carrying a bright flower (real or plastic/silk is fine). We will walk around the reservoir from The Fisheries entrance, pass by the Sailing Club and say farewell to it and all its members who have now gone elsewhere. Then on the dam wall, we will stop in a long line and give the reservoir a ‘hug’. This will also be a good photo opportunity for any journalists present. We will then proceed to the ACP car park where we will place our flowers (in a format to be detailed on the day). This will provide another great photo opportunity for any journalists present. After this photo opportunity we ask that you collect your own flower and take it home with you. Then we will return back to The Fisheries in a controlled and socially safe distanced manner. Alternatively, we encourage you to explore the rest of the Aldenham Country Park and show your support for it. We aim to have a number of Stewards to support our procession. If you want to volunteer please message us. You will need to have your own yellow high vis jacket/waistcoat.
Due to this being a designated wildlife site and that the general public will be present with their families, we respectively ask attendees not to shout or chant during the procession etc
Banners etc – you are welcome to bring banners etc but please ensure they are family friendly, not political and not offensive. If you have children maybe let them design an inspiring banner or poster that demonstrates the positive benefits of sharing (e.g. sharing of the reservoir and its environs) or what benefits they got from the park before the fencing and gate went up. Also, how children have felt when learning their wooden play area got bizarrely sawn down by LLLL’s contractors, over a weekend, a few weeks ago! Or how much they loved playing in that play area and what it did for them etc.
Toilets:
Please assume there won’t be any access to toilets due to the Covid 19 guidelines.
Media:
Local and national media and an overhead camera may be present on the day. So please be aware that you may be photographed etc and that you may appear in public and press photos or on social media etc.
Litter:
Please ensure you take your litter home with you or place it in the bins in the ACP car park.
Last but not least:
Thank you in advance for your support and for coming, for what we hope will be a great afternoon, in the face of adversity. Please spread the word to friends and family!
RIP Aldenham Reservoir and its environs……
Sunday 19th July 2020 at 3.45pm departing at 4pm.
Where?:
Meet in The Fisheries car park, Watford Rd, Elstree WD6 3BE
Why are we having a Procession?
Since arriving five years ago, the owners of Aldenham Reservoir and dam wall, Liberty Lake Leisure Ltd (LLLL - aka Nitin and Mahesh Gosrani based in Stanmore) have been perceived to have held the reservoir as ‘hostage’ and to ‘blackmail’ the community into supporting their three unsuitable planning applications. During these five years, they have made constant threats to fence off their land and drain the reservoir if they didn’t get their own way. Now not only have they carried out these threats, giving a few spurious reasons, but they have also literally sawn up the children’s wooden play area, leaving just wooden stumps, with no explanation. We can no longer access half the woodland area which they have blocked off. They have also cut down many trees ahead of their potentially ruinous ‘Podland’ planning application. Our Reservoir is a shadow of its former self and the Sailing Club has been forced to shut down. Have the owners ever considered being heroes rather than despicable villains? The impact of the above is seriously detrimental to the future of the rest of Aldenham Country Park! In EBRA/SAR’s opinion they are not fit or responsible owners.
Parking:
As ‘The Fisheries’ car park is likely to get busy, if attendees are able to park elsewhere that would be beneficial.
- Aldenham Country Park car park - £4.50 charge
- Composers Estate
- 107 bus to the Elstree Hill South area (bus stop location tbc) and walk down the X Road.
Departure and Procession Route:
Leave ‘The Fisheries’ carpark at 4pm, in an orderly and safe manner, following the Government’s current Covid 19 guidelines. Please bring your own facemasks. We will walk in a social safe distance manner from ‘The Fisheries’ entrance, along the path via the Sailing Club, over the dam wall to the Country Park car park. Stewards will be on hand to offer assistance (let us know if you can help steward).
Attendance:
Please click on the attending button below. It is very important that we know the numbers of people who will be on this peaceful protest, as the police have asked for an indication of numbers attending, so they can make plans if needed. Message us if necessary if there’s more than one of you.
Children and dogs are welcome, but please keep dogs on their lead.
The Plan and Theme of the event:
Our procession vision is one of us all walking socially distanced from each other, wearing black clothing, as if we were in ‘mourning’ at the loss of our beloved reservoir, and each carrying a bright flower (real or plastic/silk is fine). We will walk around the reservoir from The Fisheries entrance, pass by the Sailing Club and say farewell to it and all its members who have now gone elsewhere. Then on the dam wall, we will stop in a long line and give the reservoir a ‘hug’. This will also be a good photo opportunity for any journalists present. We will then proceed to the ACP car park where we will place our flowers (in a format to be detailed on the day). This will provide another great photo opportunity for any journalists present. After this photo opportunity we ask that you collect your own flower and take it home with you. Then we will return back to The Fisheries in a controlled and socially safe distanced manner. Alternatively, we encourage you to explore the rest of the Aldenham Country Park and show your support for it. We aim to have a number of Stewards to support our procession. If you want to volunteer please message us. You will need to have your own yellow high vis jacket/waistcoat.
Due to this being a designated wildlife site and that the general public will be present with their families, we respectively ask attendees not to shout or chant during the procession etc
Banners etc – you are welcome to bring banners etc but please ensure they are family friendly, not political and not offensive. If you have children maybe let them design an inspiring banner or poster that demonstrates the positive benefits of sharing (e.g. sharing of the reservoir and its environs) or what benefits they got from the park before the fencing and gate went up. Also, how children have felt when learning their wooden play area got bizarrely sawn down by LLLL’s contractors, over a weekend, a few weeks ago! Or how much they loved playing in that play area and what it did for them etc.
Toilets:
Please assume there won’t be any access to toilets due to the Covid 19 guidelines.
Media:
Local and national media and an overhead camera may be present on the day. So please be aware that you may be photographed etc and that you may appear in public and press photos or on social media etc.
Litter:
Please ensure you take your litter home with you or place it in the bins in the ACP car park.
Last but not least:
Thank you in advance for your support and for coming, for what we hope will be a great afternoon, in the face of adversity. Please spread the word to friends and family!
RIP Aldenham Reservoir and its environs……
