Author Topic: Hawkshead Road Car Boot Sale Field (Read 151721 times)

Neville Hobbs · « **Reply #180 on:** October 19, 2007, 05:51:33 am »

I am not at all surprised that a sale was not effected.
Perhaps the auctioneer should have asked for bids over £100,000 to start the bids rolling. If he had done that, it would have been interesting to see what the highest bid was.

Neville

Mermaid · « **Reply #181 on:** October 19, 2007, 04:03:21 pm »

I see that the site is still 'available' on the Drivers site, but the price is now £1m!

Such greed!!

Bobb · « **Reply #182 on:** October 19, 2007, 04:10:02 pm »

FANTASTIC!

It didn't sell for £650,000 so I'll put the price up to a cool £1m - the man is a genius!

Haven’t laughed so hard for ages.

John_fraser · « **Reply #183 on:** November 07, 2007, 08:58:55 am »

Driving past today I noticed that the "Land for Auction" notice has gone. I'm not sure if it blew down or was taken down; The structure that supported it is still there, but I couldn't see the actual notice lying around anywhere and the supporting structure looked undamaged. The Driver & Norris site doesn't list anything for the December 4th auction, so I wonder if it may have moved agents.

Editor · « **Reply #184 on:** April 17, 2009, 05:49:47 pm »

Part of the 20-acre field is up for sale. Click here for more details.

Nice plot for grazing sheep, or perhaps a big house or 50 affordable homes.

hilarycarlen · « **Reply #185 on:** April 29, 2009, 10:00:06 pm »

5.8 acres at £25K an acre? that's not a load if you divided it by a hundred folk.

Would anyone be interested in forming a consortium and buying it up for the benefit of Brooky P Yoof, and doing stuff outdoors? I haven't got much but I'd contribute a few K. I dunno what for exactly - a bit of land secured in perpetuity for whatever the future needed? Somewhere where nothing special had to happen, but there wouldn't be building and kids could build a bike circuit, camp a bit, ride horses, plant spuds, play footy, set up a youthclub - whatever? If nothing else turned up it could always be used to graze horses or something.

Word on the streets is that we're down for a whole load more houses sooner or later, and that'll be a whole load more kids, and BP will be a whole lot bigger - wouldn't it be nice if in the midst of all the urbanisation we'd secured a bit of land that wouldn't get built on?

James Bentall · « **Reply #186 on:** April 29, 2009, 10:57:43 pm »

Already thought about that one, and applying for grants etc...

But I think it does all come down to Liability. if we let kids do anything - play football, plant spuds, build bike jumps, rope swings etc, and one of them falls off and breaks their arm I have this nasty feeling whoever purchased the land and gave them permission to do that could be sued by, well, probably anyone really.

Maybe getting old and cynical, but if anyone can think of a way around that I would be up for helping.

James

Greybeard · « **Reply #187 on:** April 30, 2009, 07:23:05 am »

Maybe the Parish Council can tell us how public liability insurance works and what it costs? Would / could they be involved in this?

If residents bought the land, what would the recurring costs be?

peppermint · « **Reply #188 on:** April 30, 2009, 10:54:04 am »

Sounds like a great idea, my only worry is where it is. It would probably be a pretty dangerous place to access on that bend.

awill · « **Reply #189 on:** April 30, 2009, 12:12:32 pm »

Never underestimate people power! When I lived in Crouch End a developer threatened to build houses on the small brownfield site behind our houses (being used to store damaged cars). We formed an action group, convinced the the council to refuse the application and subsequently bought the land. It is now a private garden accessed by all those who clubbed together to buy the land. You can read about the fight here:

http://www.geocities.com/splodjy/backsitefight/index.htm

This is the website for the group that then was formed to buy the land and includes some of the press coverage of the victory:

http://priorygardens.com/

The reason for mentioning this is that I can chat to the folks who run the Priory Gardens Management company and find out how we addressed liability issues etc, and also to show what can be done by a community if you want it enough.

Bob Horrocks · « **Reply #190 on:** November 24, 2009, 11:19:25 am »

Part of Friday Grove is in an auction on 9th December at St John's Wood. Estate Agents www.drivers.co.uk have included 4 of the 20 acres in their auction sale with a suggested price of £90,000+ i.e. over £20,000 per acre for arable land. You can see the details on their website.

It is described as 'A freehold site extending to approximately 4 acres with gated entrance. The site is currently used as a level pasture. Situated at the junction of Hawkshead Road and Blue Bridge Road on the outskirts of the popular residential location of Brookmans Park with mainline station (Moorgate Line) within approximately 3⁄4 of a mile.'

Mermaid · « **Reply #191 on:** November 24, 2009, 11:37:02 am »

So no mention of it being Green Belt land then?

Bob Horrocks · « **Reply #192 on:** November 25, 2009, 02:35:43 pm »

The legal details document might say it is Green Belt land, but if you sign up to see that document the auctioneer will send you emails for the next decade about future sales. Anyone wishing to bid for the land would be foolish not to find out from the council about any development potential before the sale.

On closer examination of the site there appears to be the remains of an old gate near the eastern end of the site but it has not been used for ages, and there is no cross-over onto the highway. Herts Highways might not allow an access so close to the sharp bend in the road but that is pure guesswork on my part.

Bob Horrocks · « **Reply #193 on:** December 10, 2009, 04:20:44 pm »

The auctioneer advised that this lot did not sell.

It is on offer at £90,000 if anyone would like to buy it

Mermaid · « **Reply #194 on:** December 10, 2009, 05:22:19 pm »

I would love to, but just need to win the Lottery first .........

PS · « **Reply #195 on:** December 11, 2009, 06:49:59 am »

Quote

The auctioneer advised that this lot did not sell.

Overpriced !!

stevea · « **Reply #196 on:** December 11, 2009, 09:09:05 am »

If my calculations are correct, 1220 caravans would fit in to 20 acres quite comfortably!

and
ample room for a scrap metal yard!!!!!!

PS · « **Reply #197 on:** December 14, 2009, 05:35:51 am »

Did we have another "housekeeping" error !!??

It seems that another of my posting to this topic went 'missing' after last week ?

I am truly mystified and still remain in the dark ??

Editor · « **Reply #198 on:** December 21, 2009, 07:38:08 am »

Hi PS,

Sorry for the delay in replying. I have been off line for a week. Your comment was removed for being racist. (I think you probably knew it would). I didn't message you because it is becoming tiresome and all too frequent.

David

Bob Horrocks · « **Reply #199 on:** November 16, 2011, 02:17:46 pm »

The car boot sale season has finished and caused few problems apart from slight delays as cars queued to get onto the site.

However in the last few weeks anyone driving along Hawkshead Road must be aware of the vast embankment at the bottom of the field, the huge earth diggers and the number of R J Mitchell trucks going onto the land and leaving empty.

At my request the Welwyn Hatfield Council Enforcement Officer has visited the site for the second time today and she has now involved someone at the County Council. The site owner told her, and me, that it was drainage work. We shall see!

epiphany · « **Reply #200 on:** November 16, 2011, 07:35:12 pm »

Quote from: Bob Horrocks on November 16, 2011, 02:17:46 pm

However in the last few weeks anyone driving along Hawkshead Road must be aware of the vast embankment at the bottom of the field, the huge earth diggers and the number of R J Mitchell trucks going onto the land and leaving empty.

Make sure you have a close look - It could be a teletubbie eco house!

E the T · « **Reply #201 on:** November 16, 2011, 07:48:21 pm »

Looks like they were doing a bit of digging and dumping of rubble which has been smoothed down to make a road of sorts. Fair play I suppose if it makes the car booters' lives a bit easier, though I wish they wouldn't clog up the road as they queue for it to open so as to get a good pitch.

And with my less kind hat on - after they had caked Hawkshead in mud, they seem not to have met their obligation of cleaning it up and instead stuck up a couple of skiddy car signs, (one at a gravity defying angle). Should be interesting when it rains.

peppermint · « **Reply #202 on:** March 05, 2014, 01:26:23 pm »

Does anyone know what is happening In the car boot sale field on Hawkshead Road and who is responsible for cleaning the mud from the road.

Mermaid · « **Reply #203 on:** March 05, 2014, 02:15:02 pm »

As I understand it, the owner was seeking permission from HCC to level the field, but I'm not sure if permission was granted.

Presumably if the owner is having work done, then he is responsible for clearing up any mess.

GGDT · « **Reply #204 on:** March 05, 2014, 06:38:57 pm »

Followed two tipper lorries full of hardcore down there at 07:30 this morning. They seem to be trying to turn the field into some sort of hard standing car park, presumably because it's too waterlogged for car boot sales?

Not sure whether they need permission to effectively dump tons of rubble on green belt land?

The road surface is becoming more dangerous by the day with all the mud on it.

pinchefalise · « **Reply #205 on:** March 07, 2014, 09:31:01 am »

There were two trucks waiting to go into the field yesterday afternoon - both full. There had also been several loads of clay soil/ mud dumped in there as well. So it's not entirely hard standing being done.

JMain · « **Reply #206 on:** March 07, 2014, 04:49:56 pm »

I have just looked this up and have found that two applications have been made to level the site, and both have been refused with a recommendation to take enforcement action to secure the removal of the waste materials already imported and deposited on the land in 2012 or before, with full restoration of the site, should the landowner fail to voluntarily carry out these works.
The applications were 01/12/2011 - S6/2011/2677/CD and 31/08/2012 - S6/2012/1859/CD

JMain · « **Reply #207 on:** March 10, 2014, 09:58:45 am »

It has been permitted. I couldn't find it because it was dealt with by Hertfordshire County Council as a waste operation and planning permission was granted by a Planning Inspector on appeal.

Mermaid · « **Reply #208 on:** March 10, 2014, 10:17:01 am »

Welhat has received 'a lot of phone calls and emails about this', but would like residents to be aware that 'phone calls and emails about the site should be sent to Herts CC and NOT Welhat.

The contact is Rob Egan, email rob (dot) egan (at) hertfordshire.gov.uk

James Bentall · « **Reply #209 on:** March 10, 2014, 12:19:13 pm »

Planning permission was granted on appeal at Friday Grove Farm for “import of 2900 cbm of inert soil for agricultural upgrade to level an area of depression in the field that is seasonally waterlogged”. Hertfordshire County Council is responsible for enforcement of ‘waste’ and the Principal Planning Officer, Rob Egan, is aware of the activity and visited the site last week on Friday.

Note: the Parish Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council objected to the planning application and it was refused by Hertfordshire County Council but planning permission was granted on appeal by the Planning Inspector (Appeal Reference APP/M1900/A/13/2200249).

News:

Author Topic: Hawkshead Road Car Boot Sale Field (Read 151721 times)

John_fraser