The Holywell estate was started in the 1950’s and has been regularly added to since then. It has a variety of housing, from pensioners bungalows, rows of terrace houses and semi-detached to four story blocks of flats. About 50% of the council houses have been bought under the right to buy legalisation. Many of the newer homes on the old isolation hospital and the Scammell factory site were built for private sale. Others are owned by Housing Associations.

Holywell TRA was formed in 2000. In 2001 we held a competition for the children in the area to design a logo for the association. We were surprised at the amount of talent on display, and pleased to use the winning Logo.

It has taken a little time to get things moving. Our first project was a community clean up on Ebury Way. A local skip company donated a skip which was filled with rubbish on the day. Our next project was the tidying up of a cobbled area in Croxley View. We applied for money from the Mayor’s fund and now have a flower bed in place of old cobbles. Our next project to try to get the community together, is a garden competition with three classes; Best front garden. Best display in a container, and Best display in a hanging basket. All three to be judged in August 2004.

At the same time members have been working on other problems in the area, like dangerous parking on the bend in the road to Charlock Way near the shops and doctors surgery. Buses have difficulty turning from Vicarage Road into Scammell Way. Also the great number of heavy lorries using Tolpits Lane to get to the factory estates, as well as the problems at peak times for car drivers getting into and out of West Watford. Not to mention the parking problems on match days. The residents in the area voted not to join the match day parking scheme on the last survey, but they may change their minds next time.

Another project in train is the formation of a Neighbourhood Watch Scheme. Crime in general in the area is low but one burglary is one too many.

Holywell and West Watford may have attracted SRB funds to the area for regeneration as one of the poorest areas of the County, but it is a green and pleasant place to live.

Officers of Holywell TRA .

Chairman, Ann White.

Vice Chair. Mags Cassidy.

Secretary. Elizabeth Cousins.

Tenant Rep on Tenants Advisory Group, John Grainger.

E-mail john@johngee.freeserve.co.uk