BerkoAstro at Ashlyns

I do like this excuse.
To protect the residents in Corum Close (remember next to school and built to house staff for the Foundling Hospital) from vehicles clogging up the road taking lazy children being taken to the facilities by their equally lazy parents, by car!. No I didn’t make it up. Not sure why anyone would expect users of a sports facility to actually drive there. Whoops, I’ve just remembered many drive to the fitness place in the town centre, park on the pavement outside, then use a walking machine. Funny old world it’s turned into, isn’t it?

@BerkoRaiders
Thanks - I have received a similar response form the school and local councillors. A pity to add more traffic onto our congested roads !

As Chairman of Berkhamsted Raiders, and a member of the BerkoAstro project team, I can provide some background on this.
BerkoAstro cost around £600,000 in total and was part funded through a £300,000 grant from the Football Foundation and Sport England. There were concerns expressed by the Football Foundation about the security of the facility/Ashlyns School, given the level of their investment. In addition, although it is a community facility, the school has suffered damage in the past due to the ease with which people can enter the grounds. For example, vehicles have entered through the rear of the school and caused damage to the pitches which are used by both School and Raiders. Hence, the need for the new fencing which was funded out of the BerkoAstro project. Despite this, the BerkoAstro project has already suffered the loss of £10,000 of tractor and maintenance equipment which was stolen from the site by thieves using a vehicle and trailer, driven over the grass.
There is also consideration which needs to be given to the residents of Coram Close. Concerns were raised related to the development of BerkoAstro and the impact on residents of Coram Close. It was decided to lock the rear entry gate during BerkoAstro opening hours to prevent Coram Close becoming a drop off point for parents delivering kids to BerkoAstro by car. I understand that the gate is open during school arrival and departure times.
With regard to the comment on light spillage, my understanding is that the venue does meet the planning requirement in this respect, and this has been confirmed by recent adjustments and tests that have been carried out to ensure that this is the case.

Don't worry, I was talking to some residents on Friday about the 'new' footpath and they were convinces everyone would use Velvet Lawn using the gap near Woodlands Ave and should be closed off. Then proceeded to take their dogs through it!! By the way, I understand Cllr Garrick Stevens is a governor, may be worth contacting him for the reason for the prison camp fencing and light spillage from the new lighting.