The North Mymms Green Belt Society is taking legal advice on how the Grade II listed building can be saved.

Remedial work was due to begin in September 1999, a year after a large crack appeared in the arch.

Temporary supports were put in place, but according to the Green Belt Society the crack has widened over recent months.

Bob Horrocks, honorary secretary of the society, has written to English Heritage and copied the letter to Welwyn Hatfield Council to try to get some action. He says the society is also taking legal advice.

The Green Belt Society's letter to English Heritage is reproduced below...

Nick Balaam
English Heritage,
62-74 Burleigh Street
Cambridge
CB1 1DJ

Dear Mr Balaam,

Folly Arch, Hawkshead Road, Little Heath, Potters Bar, Herts.

We wrote on 4 May and were advised on 16 May that you would be dealing with this matter very shortly. Over a month has passed since that acknowledgement and we have heard nothing.

You will see from the enclosed extract from the local Chancellor's Community Newsletter that:

Folly Arch is an old and important landmark, forming part of the coat of arms of the North Mymms Parish Council, and the Parish Council is as concerned as we are at the current state of this Grade 11* Listed Building.

This Newsletter has a print run of 6,500 and is delivered to every house in the area, as well as the library, medical Centre, churches, and other public places so it gets widely read.

It is also on the Internet, as we are, so it can be read world-wide (see the heading of the Newsletter). Folly Arch is also reported on our website (address above) and www.brookmans.com - the latter getting about 70 hits a day so it is a well-read electronic newspaper.

We are so concerned that we have obtained legal advice as to what action we can take should there be no visible action taken very soon to repair this historic monument.

Although we appreciate that the action lies ultimately with the owners, or failing them the local Council, we feel sure that English Heritage must have some sway in this matter.

Our next committee meeting is on 10 July and I would like be able to give your up to date report on this situation at that meeting.

Yours sincerely
Bob Horrocks,Hon Secretary

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