Comments (0)Queen’s jubilee: temporary traffic orders
Posted May 17, 2012
Notice from the county council
NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council propose to make an Order under Section 16(A) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, the effect of which will be:-
1. To prohibit all traffic from using that length of A1081 St Peters Street, St Albans from its junction with the A1057 Hatfield Road/A4147 Catherine Street roundabout south westwards to its junction with B691 Victoria Street, a distance of approximately 316 metres, except for access.
2. The existing one way traffic system on Adelaide Street, St Albans will be temporarily suspended, to enable all vehicles to travel in both directions within this road, when the existing one way traffic signs are covered.
3. The existing prohibition of right turn from A1081 Chequer Street into B691 Victoria Street, St Albans will be temporarily suspended to enable all vehicles to make this manoeuvre, when the existing traffic signs are covered.
The traffic management measures will be in place between the hours of 4.00am on Monday 4 June 2012 and 6.00am on Tuesday 5 June 2012. An alternative signed route will be provided for traffic whilst the road closure is in place.
The purpose of the Order is to ensure public safety and prevent accidents for the duration of the ‘Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations’.
If you have any queries about the temporary traffic management measures, please contact Charles Baker tel. 01727 866100 at St Albans District Council or David Parkinson tel. 0300 123 4047 at Hertfordshire Highways.
Lib Dem Pupil Premium – A Message from Nick Clegg
Wednesday, May 16th, 2012 by aldcadmin
(Click picture to play video)
It is shameful that, despite all the promise on a four or five year old’s first day at school, or the passion of their teachers, you can all too often plot that child’s path just by asking how much their parents earn.
The £2.5billion Pupil Premium was one of the four pledges on the front page of our manifesto. And now, with Liberal Democrats in government, schools are using the money for things like breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. These are the sort of experiences many middle class children take for granted but a poorer child might rarely enjoy.
Yesterday I visited a fantastic primary school to see how they are spending their Pupil Premium, highlight our new Summer Schools to ease the transition from primary to secondary, and to set out our plans to reward teachers and hold schools to account.
The Pupil Premium shows that, in tough times, we are implementing Liberal Democrat values and prioritising help for those pupils who need it most.
Best wishes,
Nick Clegg MP
Leader of the Liberal Democrats and Deputy Prime Minister
PS Click here to find out how much money your local school will receive from the Liberal Democrats’ Pupil Premium.
Be Clear on Cancer – National Lung Cancer Awareness Campaign
Wednesday, May 9th, 2012 by aldcadmin
This week, Paul Burstow (Liberal Democrat minister at the Department of Health) has launched a national £4 million lung cancer awareness campaign. The campaign, the first of its kind, will use TV, radio and press adverts, and advertising on pharmacist bags and inside GP surgeries, to raise awareness of the disease.
One of its aims is to persuade anyone who has had a cough for more than three weeks to see their doctor.
You can find more information about coughing and lung cancer at the Department of Health website, here: http://www.dh.gov.uk/health/2012/05/coughing-could-be-a-sign-of-lung-cancer-2/
With 33,000 new cases diagnosed each year, lung cancer is a blight on the lives of far too many of our families and an early diagnosis can make all the difference. Please take the opportunity of the Be Clear on Cancer campaign to find out more about prevention and diagnosis, and to visit your local doctor if you’ve had a persistent cough – it is always better to be safe than sorry!
Chris White re-elected to district council
Posted May 4, 2012
Chris White was re-elected to the district council last night to represent Clarence Ward.
The results in Clarence Ward were as follows:
Green 310
Con 494
Chris White Liberal Democrat 880
Lab 383
The results in St Peter’s Ward were as follows:
Con 454
Liberal Democrat 412
Green 719
Labour 485
Today is polling day
Posted May 3, 2012
Today is polling day
Polls are open from 0700 to 2200.
There are no changes to the usual polling places in St Peter’s or Clarence wards.
Notes:
1. You do not need a polling card to vote.
2. Political parties place ‘tellers’ outside polling stations who may ask you for your polling number. This cannot be used to identify how you have voted. They are used to identify which supporters have already voted so if you give them your polling number you will avoid being bothered later by representatives of political parties reminding people to go out and vote. The political parties share the numbers with each other and so it does not matter who you give the number to.
3. The results will be declared on Thursday night and will be available on this website on Friday morning.
Options for traffic in the city centre
Posted May 1, 2012
The following paper has just been presented to the City Forum. Please give us your views.
City Centre Traffic
The current SADC administration have confirmed (in agreement with city District and county member White) that they will not progress with the St Peters Street Scheme as they don’t believe it provided the benefits required in terms of air quality and potential impact on local streets and business in the city.
Consideration is currently being given to other options to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion. These are:
- The closure of Victoria Street (from the Maltings car park exit to Chequers Street) to all vehicles except buses. The Maltings car park access onto Victoria Street to become exit only and the signal staging / timings at the Chequers Street / Victoria Street junction revised to have bus demand call for Victoria Street.
- Improvements at junctions on the ring road
- Potential traffic gating / queue relocation options at a signalised King Harry junction. (Note: This probably won’t work in capacity terms but could work as a queue relocation measure to restrict the number of vehicles entering the city centre)
- As an alternative to King Harry junction a potential traffic gating / queue relocation facility through signalisation of the Holywell Hill / Griffiths Way junction. As there is a short dual carriageway section just to the north of the junction consideration should be given as to whether there is any scope to shift the junction northwards or possibly consider an alternative design such as a long about, incorporating pedestrian facilities near the Abbey station to take advantage of this potential additional queuing space. There may be opportunities for bus priority in this scheme.
Modelling work has been undertaken to consider options of the above and is currently being assessed for discussion with councillors and the network St Albans.
Key points
- Consultations and any subsequent decisions taken would be engineering-lead
- Initial decisions/preferred options would evolve through initial consultation with the city centre members and key stakeholders including the QNP
- Initial decisions/preferred options would be taken to the wider public for consultation.
Temporary closing of Hatfield Road – late May
Posted April 30, 2012
Notice from the county council
TEMPORARY CLOSING OF A1057 HATFIELD ROAD, ST ALBANS
NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using the following lengths of roads, except for access:-
1. that length of A1057 Hatfield Road, St Albans from its junction with the A1081 St Peter’s Street/A4147 Catherine Street roundabout south eastwards and north eastwards to its junction with Beechwood Avenue, a distance of approximately 2220 metres.
2. that length of A1057 Hatfield Road, St Albans from its junction with Beechwood Avenue eastwards and north eastwards to its junction with the Oaklands Lane/Station Road roundabout, a distance of approximately 2620 metres.
It is anticipated that these sections of roads will each be closed between the hours of 6.30pm and 7.30am for up to 3 Sundays, sometime during the period 28 May 2012 and 30 June 2012, when signs are in place.
3. that length of A1057 Hatfield Road, St Albans from its junction with the Station Road/ Oaklands Lane roundabout north eastwards for a distance of approximately 200 metres.
It is anticipated that this section of road will be closed between the hours of 6.30pm and 7.30am (Mondays to Sundays inclusive) for up to 6 nights, sometime during the period 28 May 2012 and 30 June 2012, when signs are in place. Alternative signed routes will be provided for traffic whilst the road closures are in place.
The purpose of the Order is to enable highway maintenance works to take place.
If you have any queries about the highway maintenance works or the temporary road closures, please contact Damian Higgins tel. 0300 123 4047 at Hertfordshire Highways.
Petition launched in response to Conservative complacency on Verulamium Lake
Posted April 27, 2012
Conservative-run St Albans District Council has again been criticised for its lack of concern about cleaning up Verulamium Lake and protecting St Albans residents. The Conservatives have failed to comment or act on their own report into the Lake, commissioned at taxpayers’ expense, which raises several concerns about the condition of Lake and, by it own admission, is incomplete. In response to the continuing lack of action from the Conservatives, St Albans Liberal Democrats have launched a petition to show public support for a cleaner Lake together with local campaigner Jon Humphrey.
Cllr Geoff Churchard, the Lib Dem District Council Group’s spokesperson for the Environment, said: “As Herts Ad readers will know, a recent, independent survey of Verulamium Lake found a dearth of life in the Lake and pointed at a potential pollution and public health risk. After listening to concerned local residents on the doorstep about an issue that really matters to them, St Albans Liberal Democrats and Mr Humphrey have jointly-launched a petition for a cleaner, safer Verulamium Lake.
“It is vital for the public to show their support for cleaning up the Lake. A new report, commissioned by Conservative-run St Albans District Council at taxpayer’s expense, is incomplete but has found several issues with the Lake that need to be addressed. This adds to the evidence found by local campaigner Jon Humphrey’s brother, an expert on aquatic habit management and an advisor to the Scottish Government.
“The Conservative-commissioned report was carried out at a time of year when water quality is at its best – not in the late summer, when it is at its worst[1]. In addition, its findings are limited to non-contact recreations – it does not consider any risk to a member of the public if they accidentally fall into the Lake or ingest some water.
“Whilst incomplete, the Conservative-commissioned report still raises significant concerns about the state of the Lake. It highlights relatively high levels of suspended organic material in the water, levels for sulphide that far exceed permissible standards, and the lack of biodiversity in the Lake.
“St Albans Liberal Democrats have pushed for the District Council to get on with cleaning the Lake for over a year. We budgeted to clean up the lake in Verulamium Park in our 2011/12 District Council budget but the Conservatives cancelled this project soon after coming to power following the 2011 local elections. We tried once more to get the Conservatives to support reinstate the project in this year’s budget debate. The Conservatives rejected our fully-costed proposal and have also rejected the concerns raised by Mr Humphrey. It simply isn’t a priority for them.
“The Conservatives’ continuing lack of action suggests they do not take the local environment or the health of St Albans residents – and visitors – seriously. Whilst we want them to get on with cleaning the Lake, St Albans Liberal Democrats want the Conservatives to commit to a proper survey of the Lake in late summer, when water quality will be at its worst, and to publish a fully detailed and costed proposal as to how the District Council will addresses the various issues about the quality of the lake’s water raised in their own report in the meantime.”
Local campaigner Jon Humphrey added: “I gave my brother’s report to St Albans District Council representatives, including Cllr Chichester-Miles, in November 2011. When they refused to take the issue seriously – having even failed to resolve the issues found by the incomplete research they commissioned – I made the report public by giving a copy to the Herts Ad at the end of March this year. I’m happy to provide a copy of the report to anyone who wants to read it.
“Given the extraordinary lack of concern shown by the Conservatives for the safety of St Albans residents in recent months, I have decided that the best way to further this campaign is to work with St Albans Liberal Democrats. We are launching this petition to show the District Council that the public do want the Lake to be made clean and safe.”
The petition can be accessed online at: http://goo.gl/FdzmO
Consultation on nursery class intake policy for September 2013
Posted April 26, 2012
Note from Herts County Council
Consultation on nursery class intake policy for September 2013
Hertfordshire County Council is consulting on the proposal to end the two intake policy (September and January) for admission to nursery class and wants to hear your views.
An offer of a place at a nursery class or nursery school is made to parents in April and it is currently Hertfordshire County Council’s policy that children are admitted to nursery through 2 intakes:
* September intake – children who will become 4 years old between 1 September and 28 February of the academic year
* January intake – children who will become 4 years old between 1 March and 31 August of the academic year.
The free place entitlement is a national scheme that offers every child 570 hours a year of free early education. This is usually offered as 5 x 3 hour sessions a week in a nursery class, nursery school, day nursery or pre-school.
Parents can choose the style of delivery they prefer, or the provider who offers the hours, location and additional services that best meet their child and family’s needs.
Removing the two intake policy would allow schools to determine the intake policy that best suits the local community. It also extends the choice for parents as they can access the free place entitlement with any type of provider from the term after their child’s third birthday.
Please respond online at: www.hertsdirect.org/consultations
The consultation is open from Monday 16th April until Friday 1st June.
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