New website offers help through the recession

Residents affected by the recession now have a new website to turn to for help if they have been made redundant, fear their home may be repossessed or their business is experiencing cash flow problems.

The site has been built by St Albans City and District Council working with local partners, such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Centre for Voluntary Service for St Albans District. It operates as a portal, pointing residents in the direction of council services and other organisations, that can offer advice on a range of issues such as employment law, managing debt, availability of state benefits, dealing with stress and courses to help improve their employment skills.

The website is divided into seven key subject areas: employment and skills, housing, finances, benefits, business support, saving money and care, health and wellbeing.

Although St Albans City and District is relatively prosperous, it has still been affected by the recession. Unemployment for the year ending April 2009 increased by 150%, although from a low base. There has also been a 15% increase in the number of enquiries about debt that the Citizens Advice Bureau has received locally across the same period.

Cllr Melvyn Teare, portfolio holder for culture and heritage at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This website should prove to be an invaluable resource for residents and local businesses by providing them with links to organisations offering help and advice in this difficult time.”

The website can be accessed either via this quick link www.stalbans.gov.uk/recession or the home page of St Albans City and District Council’s own website www.stalbans.gov.uk where ‘Recession Advice’ is one of the ‘In Focus’ topics.

The website is just one of a number of projects that the council’s Recession Response Board is working on. It is transferring additional resource to the Citizens Advice Bureau and has launched a campaign reminding residents of their rights to benefits, such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. It is also working to ensure that creating a sustainable local economy is a key theme running through the council’s long-term planning strategy for the district which is being launched this month.

Letter from County Council to the Government over schools issues

Diana Johnson MP
Department for Children Schools & Families
7th Floor, Sanctuary Buildings
Great Smith Street
London
SW1P 3BT
Tel:
01992 555704
Fax:
01992 555719
E Mail: john.harris@hertscc.gov.uk

My ref:
JH/rd
Your ref:
Date:
8 July 2009

Dear Minister

St Albans Hertfordshire: School Admissions

I am writing on behalf of Hertfordshire County Council following the meeting with you on 24th June 2009 to consider local concerns regarding school admissions in St Albans. As you know, the meeting was requested by Anne Main MP following an Early Day Motion debate in Parliament on May 20th. The County Council was pleased to take part in the round table discussion that you facilitated with your officials, and to listen to the perspectives of the local MPs, St Albans District Council and, most importantly, the representative of the parent group that has been set up to press for local improvements in fair access to schools. The County Council takes their views and concerns seriously, and we always seek to work in partnership to achieve local solutions. This letter outlines our policy approach to school admissions and the next steps that we will be taking to respond to the issues raised at our meeting.

Our Overall Approach
Through its school planning policies the County Council seeks to promote diversity and choice in the schools available to parents in Hertfordshire. Our support and challenge to schools ensures that they are of high quality. A large proportion of our 528 schools are good or outstanding and the one school currently in an OfSTED category will become an Academy in September. Through our school admission arrangements we seek to promote fair access and to maximise parental preference in a diverse county with twenty seven major communities and extended rural areas. We recognise the importance of ensuring that parents have swift and easy access to information and services. Working in partnership with DCSF, Hertfordshire led the very successful national scheme to develop on-line admissions. We are currently working with the Department in leading the Gateway to Education Services (GES) programme to develop on-line access for parents to a wider range of services.

Local Solutions for St Albans

Regarding school admissions in St Albans, the County Council provided a full briefing to DCSF officials in advance of the parliamentary debate on May 20th. I have provided with this letter the latest information about the proportion of children that have been allocated one of their ranked schools. For the St Albans District, 94.57 % of children have been allocated a place at one of their preferred primary schools (as at 8th May) and 98.34 % have secured a ranked school place at secondary school (as at 1st July).

In responding to the local concerns raised at our meeting last week, the County Council will be focusing on four key issues:

Identifying and securing a suitable site in central St Albans for a new primary school
The County Council is working closely with the District Council to ensure that the need for a new primary school is built into local town planning assumptions for future development. Two sites are currently under consideration.

Improving the parental esteem for Francis Bacon School
Francis Bacon School was removed from special measures following an inspection on June 17th. In the past few years it has been identified by the local authority as a school causing concern, with relatively low pupil attainment and falling pupil numbers. Working closely with the local authority over the past twelve months, a strengthened governing body has driven forward major improvements. The parental and community perception, however, is that this continues to be an under performing school. The County Council will be supporting a major initiative with the governing body and community leaders to promote a more positive view of the school, backed by strong support and challenge to the school to continue to improve. We will also be working with those secondary schools that are currently assessed by OfSTED as satisfactory to help them achieve a good rating, in line with the County Council’s priority to “secure a good education for all”.

Reviewing the impact of current admissions arrangements on villages in the St Albans area as part of the County Council annual review programme
The County Council undertakes a formal programme to review its admissions arrangements in the autumn each year, prior to formal consultation on its determined admissions arrangements. We will look specifically at the issues for villages in the St Albans area and model options for change, consulting as necessary if there is evidence that any changes to the current arrangements would be beneficial in promoting fair access for children from the villages, whilst not resulting in arrangements that could compromise the fair access for other localities or social groups.

Reviewing the effectiveness of information for parents to assist them in expressing appropriate school preferences and understanding the admissions procedures as a whole
We will review the information that we provide for parents in our school admissions booklets and other published materials.
As we take forward this work we will continue to work closely with the District Council. We will draw on the views of local parents and fully involve local elected Members and the two Members of Parliament to ensure that there is a strong foundation of local support for the way ahead.

Yours sincerely

John Harris
Director of Children, Schools & Families

Sweet smell of success for Sensory Garden

St Albans City and District Council’s Clarence Park Sensory Garden has been listed as a runner up in the Diversity Achievement of the Year category in the MJ Achievement Awards 2009, local government’s version of the Oscars.

The garden, which was created in 2008 with the aim of catering to the varied needs of people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and the young and disabled, has been a huge success having also come runner up in the East of England Equality Awards 2008.

The concept of a sensory garden was developed following a consultation of the diverse local community that had identified the need for a quiet, reflective space.

The council appointed Groundwork Hertfordshire to lead the project and £18,000 in funding was provided by Lafarge Aggregates.

Work started on the Sensory Garden in April 2008 and once the groundwork was completed in June, those residents who had participated in the design process were invited along to help with the planting of herbs, banana plants and other flora and fauna specially selected for their scent and feel.

Cllr Sheila Burton, portfolio holder for sport and healthy living at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This was a real community effort. The garden was planted in raised beds that are easily accessible to wheelchair users. Local children helped choose plants that are easily identified by either the shape of their leaf or their smell to help visually impaired visitors. Local ethnic groups helped design a quiet sitting area for young mums.

Swine flu update: note from District Council

The swine flu epidemic in the UK has now moved to the Treatment Phase. This means that there will no longer be laboratory testing to confirm whether a person has swine flu or another influenza-like infection.

The Government is broadly following the approach that is taken to monitor seasonal flu. The consequence is that the statistics by geographical area are no longer available for the UK, East of England region, Hertfordshire or St Albans City and District. This effectively means the whole country is now a ‘hot spot’.

By national agreement, the PCTs (both west and east) lead on media liaison and media communications locally on the subject of swine flu and preventative measures. We get all our information via the Hertfordshire NHS Primary Care Trusts resilience team who cover the whole county. We keep in touch with the PCTs on a regular basis and will continue to encourage them to promote clear messages to local residents.

Antiviruals for people diagnosed with swine flu by a medical practitioner are being distributed through cooperating pharmacists. Multi-agency planning for the setting up of Antiviral Collection Points across the county continues but there is no indication of when or where these may be required.

Station Way: signalisation of junction with Hatfield Road on its way at last

Temporary traffic management measures on various roads in 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, the effect of which will be:-

1. To prohibit all vehicles from proceeding along that length of Station Way, St Albans from its junction with A1057 Hatfield Road southwards to its junction with B691 Grimston Road other than in a northerly direction only.

The alternative route for southbound traffic will be via:-
A1057 Hatfield Road, B691 (Stanhope Road and Grimston Road)

or alternatively via:-
A1057 Hatfield Road, Beaconsfield Road and B691 Victoria Street

2. To prohibit all vehicles from making a right turn manoeuvre from A1057 Hatfield Road, into Station Way, St Albans whilst works are in progress.

The alternative route for traffic will be via:-
A1057 Hatfield Road, B691 (Stanhope Road and Grimston Road)

3. To prohibit all vehicles from making a left turn manoeuvre from A1057 Hatfield Road, into Station Way, St Albans whilst works are in progress.

The alternative route for traffic will be via:-
A1057 Hatfield Road, Beaconsfield Road and B691 Victoria Street

The purpose of the Order is to enable the installation of a new signalised junction to take place.

It is anticipated that the temporary traffic management measures will each be in place for up to 26 weeks, sometime during the period 10 August 2009 and 13 August 2010, when signs are in place.

If you have any queries about the installation of a new signalised junction or the temporary traffic management measures, please contact the Project Engineer concerned Adrian Wilson tel. 01707 356329 at Hertfordshire Highways.

County Hall
Hertford 23 July 2009
Herts John Wood
SG13 8DN Director of Environment