A focus on Making Buntingford Beautiful from me this month.

I find it sad that many of the comments I receive, and views I see on social media, are about litter, dog mess and the state of our footways and footpaths.

Littering is a nationwide issue and the government are urging communities to take responsibility for their own environments. This is something that we can all do and I know that some people are already making huge efforts in this area. Facebook recently showed two young girls who had collected 4 bin bags of litter (see photo) mostly from the Ermine Street area. I certainly thank them for their efforts and I urge all those who are able to take a more proactive stance - if you see pieces of litter on your walks in and around Buntingford just take the time to them pick up and dispose of when you get to a litter bin or get home. Every little helps.

Dog mess is one area which I really do not understand. As a dog owner myself I am appalled at some of the incidents I read about. Just 'bag it and bin it'! There are many dog bins around the town and the Town Council even provide free bags, so what is so difficult?

I often get approached by residents bemoaning the dangerous state of some footways - especially at this time of year when wet leaves have rotted down to make for treacherous surfaces. Pig's Nose along by the river was recently cleared and it looks so much better but it took weeks to get this actioned. Surely we should expect a more proactive service?

So sad to see that Radley Opticians was ram-raided once again recently. I spoke to owner James who was putting on a brave face, but it must be galling to be targeted in this way yet again. It's not just the loss of valuable stock but the damage to his property. Thanks must go to James for the service he provides to Buntingford and I am sure you will all join me in wishing him all the best for the future. I am led to believe that the perpetrators have since been detained.

The Civic Society AGM will be held this year at the Community Centre - 21st April at 7.45pm. The guest speaker will be Tim Hill, MCIEEM, who is the Conservation Manager for Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust. I look forward to seeing many of you there.

Graham Bonner, Chairman, Buntingford Civic Society

If you have any queries about Buntingford Civic Society or issues you would like to raise, you can email the Chairman direct at chairman@buntingfordcivic.org.uk.

BCS AGM on 21st April - this has been postponed due to the current health crisis

This website and all the pages herein are © Buntingford Civic Society.