09 Feb 2024
Disgruntled residents are calling for an end to months of disruption caused by the closure of a much-used public right of way.
Neighbours living near Oaklands College’s Smallford campus are still waiting for the reopening of routes between Sandpit Lane and Hatfield Road which provide a vital link from the Alban Way to Jersey Farm.
The links are bridleways known as North and South Drive and the footpath known as East Drive, all of which traverse Oaklands College grounds.
At the moment cyclists and pedestrians wanting to travel between these points have to use the narrow and highly trafficked Oaklands Lane, with associated risk from passing traffic, or a near impassable muddy ‘alternative’.
A temporary closure notice for the route is now coming to an end, and the college must now apply to the Secretary of State for an extension.
Cyclist Mike Hartley, who was a regular user of the route before the closure, fears it will never reopen.
“This is a major blockage to a key part of St Albans’ safe off-road cycling and walking routes. I have recently been told by an ex-member of Oaklands teaching staff that the current principal wishes to close all rights of way through the college in order to create an enclosed ‘school space’. Given the utility and value of this route to sustainable transport this attitude is reprehensible.”
While the closure is in force, the college is still allowing players and supporters access to hockey events via the path, but security staff are preventing members of public from using the route, even at weekends when no construction work is underway.
Mike wants the college to provide a health and safety assessment which informs the general public of the real danger associated with using the footpath, particular if the danger is low enough for general use, as indicated by the fact that students, staff and anyone attending sporting events are allowed through.
Residents’ groups and other organisations have also condemned the ongoing situation.
Heartbeats and St Albans and District Cardiac Support Group have both historically organised health walks and cycle rides over Oaklands land until the recent closure.
Marshalswick North Residents’ Association and Jersey Farm Residents’ Association are challenging the arbitrary closure of the Oaklands College paths. As part of their submission, they aim to demonstrate the opposition within the community to the path closures, and emphasise how vital these routes are for commuting and social use. They have set up a dedicated email address at oaklandspathclosure@gmail.com to collate all comments on the existing measures and oppose future closures.
Jim Watson, on behalf of Marshalswick North Residents Association, said: “These paths were closed in August 2023 without any prior notification and very soon after their closure, Oaklands College installed full time security guards on all three access points with instructions to exclude all members of the public, but to admit college students, staff and visitors.
“The stated reason for this closure is for health and safety reasons associated with the current building work. At the time of the closure, no alternative routes were provided by the college and alternatives for all members of the public would be long diversions using public highways with no footways and trafficked by heavy vehicles in a 60mph zone.”
Jim subsequently arranged a meeting with deputy principal Claire Dolan, who assured them of the college’s commitment to keep the community informed with a community newsletter. This has not materialised, with the only communication to date being to advise that an alternative footpath was open just before Christmas.
There are still full-time security guards on all three college entrances, preventing access to the public but not students and staff.
Jim said: “When challenged on why the public cannot enter, the guards state it is health and safety connected to the construction work. One must wonder why the construction work was a safety risk to the public, but not students and staff.
“When I visited the campus, we inspected the construction site adjacent to North Drive. The existing buildings had been demolished and I was informed that the construction of new college buildings was not due to commence on that site for about two years.
“The site was fully enclosed by high metal security fencing. The sort you walk beside if the site were in our city centre.
“A secure site like this, if managed properly, would not be a risk to the general public. A similar situation was true on the site adjacent to East Drive. Here work was ongoing, but a safe route was possible around the adjacent college buildings.”
In submitting their application for a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order the college stated: “[We] could therefore attempt to allow this route to be used at certain periods during the suspension, only at times where there are no construction works planned (such as evenings and weekends) in order to mitigate the impact on the PROW [public rights of way] user groups.”
However, the routes have remained permanently closed, even during the Christmas and New Year break and at weekends when no construction activity of any kind was undertaken.
Jim added: “Many respondents have commented on the alternative path provided by the college. For half the length of this path, it winds through a grove of trees. It is marked with plastic tape which is already in very poor repair. The path is muddy in several locations. It would be dark and unwelcoming at night. The ‘new’ section has been directed around the far perimeter of the college grounds. The surface is a thick layer of wood chippings.
“From experience, I can confirm that this section is very difficult to walk upon. It would be impossible to take a buggy, wheelchair or, probably, a road cycle over this section.
“In summary, other than being substantially longer than the closed north/south route, this route is poorly surfaced, impossible to use except by enthusiastic walkers and feels unsafe in the dark. It also does not connect up with any route towards Smallford.”
When Oaklands gained approval for the Taylor Wimpey development at Oaklands Grange, the college signed an agreement with both HCC and SADC promising that East Drive would be upgraded from a footpath to a bridleway and that a new cycle path would be provided and made a Right of Way between the Oaklands Grange development and North Drive. Neither have been instigated to date and both require the original routes to be reopened to connect up with these routes.
Jim pointed out: “It is with some concern that, in addition to a permissive path constructed from the East Drive entrance to Hatfield Road, a new path appears to have been set out with fencing and boundary trees along the Hatfield Road perimeter of the college grounds.
“This suggests that the college may try and install a perimeter ring of poor quality grass tracks in an attempt to permanently close the routes through the main college campus. The additional routes, if dedicated as permanent Rights of Way would be welcomedm but as additional to the existing cross campus routes, not as a substitute.”
He added: “Historically, Oaklands College has been an integral part of our community. Within recent memory they have held open days, fairs, the charity cycle ride has started and finished from their grounds. Families have walked through to pet the animals. Together with safe walking, running and cycling routes, the college has been part of our community.
“In the last few years, this has changed and the college appears to want to exclude the public and turn its back on the local community. If the college makes it very difficult or impossible to cross their campus, they cut the communities of Colney Heath, Smallford and Marshalswick/Jersey Farm off from each other. This will increase car use for short journeys over what are already busy local roads.
“We will continue to petition Herts county council to enforce the appropriate operation of any Temporary Traffic Regulation Order necessary for any construction work and will oppose any extension to this order.”
Paul Craddock from Jersey Farm Residents Association added: “JFRA strongly endorses all the points MNRA has made and that we stand together having a unified voice expressing our concern and disappointment with the actions of Oaklands College. We are also disappointed with HCC’s lack of assertiveness in enforcing the conditions of the temporary closure viz their declaration that the bridleway is closed to ALL pedestrians.”
County councillor John Hale added: “My concern is that the college is transforming from a horticultural/building college to a entertainment industry/IT/sports college and that the type of students they attract is changing. Whilst in some ways this is very positive – the agricultural industry in Hertfordshire will not be as large an employer as the film and television industries, it does change how the college operates. They also have a very good programme supporting young people with special needs.
“As I have seen with local primary and secondary schools, governing bodies are under increasing pressure to change their sites into secure locations – I fear on occasion they start to resemble prisons, but with the aim of keeping people out (though I know one school that argued they needed the 2.4m fence to keep a child in – it was a primary school!).
“This creates a dilemma where schools have rights of way over their sites.
“However, I remain opposed to any permanent closure of these rights of way and consider that the college can secure the building on their campus without closing it to the public.
“The college would have to go through a consultation process before the routes could be closed or even diverted. I hope that they will start with some informal consultation first. If they don’t relations with local residents will deteriorate further. I am optimistic that access will be reinstated, at least when building works are not taking place, in the coming weeks. It is in the college’s best interests to do so.”
In response to a request for detailed comment on the ongoing issues, Oaklands released the following brief statement, which failed to answer a direct question over whether the principal was seeking to permanently restrict access to college grounds: “”The building works will improve the quality of education and training enjoyed by the many St Albans young people, adults and communities that the college serves through additional and improved facilities.
“The college is working with Hertfordshire County Council on a solution to the footpath situation during the temporary closure, whilst ensuring the safety of everybody during the construction work that is ongoing. We will communicate with our stakeholders about this when we have something to report.
“We have been in contact with many of our neighbours and are very grateful for their positive feedback, patience and support as we work on our facilities for the benefit of the city’s students, employers, communities and stakeholders. It is also pleasing to hear the excellent comments from users of our temporary pathways that have been put in place during the temporary closure of the footpaths. Additional work is now required due to flooding that has damaged the north-south route.”
