The Conservatives seem rather sensitive to criticisms of how they run their road network. Recent literature attempts to make much of the fact that Lib Dem MP Norman Baker had criticised the level of highways support to county councils.

No news there. We have always done so, almost ritually around Christmas when the Government has traditionally made its highways announcement. The problem is that the system (’Herts Highways’) run by the county council does not make good use of that money.

There is a simple test: cross the border into any neighbouring authority and see what you find. Yes: their roads and pavements are in a better state. So to claim that it’s really the Government’s fault won’t wash!

After last week’s jubilation, some sobriety. It is true that the planning committee turned down the proposals for ten different reasons - especially highways reasons.

But it is difficult to believe that they won’t be back with a revised scheme or go to appeal.

But I cannot see any major development on this site being satisfactory on access grounds. There is already a traffic jam at most times of day.

A mystery

One of the most puzzling aspects of last week’s proceedings was the claim from Tesco that there was so little supermarket space in St Albans that local residents were forced to go to neighbouring towns like Watford and Hemel for their groceries.

I know someone who participated in a phone retail survey in the last couple of years who was badgered to admit by the researcher that she shopped outside the town. She responded that she mainly shopped on-line. When asked for where she had last bought clothes, she responded ‘New York’. Presumably this means that some in St Albans are so desperate about the lack of retail provision that they are forced to fly across the Atlantic.

The truth is that people do shop for all sorts of things outside St Albans - but normally because the shop is near their place of work, be it Watford, Hemel or, in one case, New York!