Unsure about when your rubbish will be collected over the forthcoming public holidays? Then follow this link:
Easter collections
If you are not sure which collection is due next, contact the district council on 01727 819285 or visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling
Options for congestion management in St Albans were outlined at an informal meeting with city centre retailers on 28 February. Measures being proposed include:
· Restricting private vehicle access in St Peter’s Street at certain times of the day
· Improved bus transport
· Innovations to bus fare payment options including by mobile phone
· Metro-style bus routes on arterial city routes
· Mini park and ride sites
· Walking and cycling schemes including a green ring around the city
· An Abbey Flyer tram route
· Car sharing and car clubs
· Measures to encourage electric vehicles (16 charging points around the District are planned in 2011)
· Fresh Way To Work – transport initiatives with local employers
City centre retailers heard of plans to help manage city centre congestion, reduce the District’s carbon footprint, improve air quality and enhance the retailing experience in St Albans City centre.
The Council wanted to meet with retailers informally before any further work takes place to make sure their views are considered as proposals – to be put forward for public consultation in the summer – are developed. Retail deliveries, customer collections and suitable arrangements for market stall holders are all important elements to local retailers. The Council will be working to ensure flexibility in any scheme, to address these areas.
Stephen Joseph, chair of local transport group Network St Albans and Executive Director of the national campaign group Campaign for Better Transport, outlined the national context for local proposals. Other speakers included the Council’s Leader Cllr Robert Donald and Hertfordshire County Council’s Programme and Strategy Manager, Rupert Thacker.
The current proposals include restricting private vehicle access in St Peter’s Street during the day, Monday to Saturday, allowing only taxis, public transport and bicycles to use the road during these times. Proposals are based on the outcome of modelling work which demonstrated positive projected real time effects for buses if St Peter’s Street is closed to private vehicles. Closing St Peter’s Street to general traffic during the day would be just one of a possible package of measures that would contribute to an overall congestion, pollution and emissions solution.
Although potential costs have not yet been fully determined, it is envisaged that the proposed scheme would involve limited changes to signage and enforcement measures, which would not be costly to implement.
Cllr Robert Donald, Leader of St Albans City & District Council, said “The public have consistently told us in surveys that we need to tackle traffic congestion in St Albans city centre. On top of this, we now have air quality problems around the Peahen junction which have reached levels exceeding Government limits. We also need to take some radical steps locally if we are to meet our carbon footprint reduction targets. The great advantage of these proposals is that they will not only achieve improvements to all three of these problems but they will also create a more inviting environment for shoppers, residents and visitors to enjoy and benefit the District’s future prosperity and local economy.
“The bus companies and others have told us that during previous periods when St Peter’s Street closed for Hertfordshire Highway’s improvement works, city centre circulation improved. Our research shows that footfall in the city centre at these times was not adversely affected; in fact some of the larger stores have told us business was better. This is the experience of retailers in a number of other cities where traffic is restricted for part of the day in favour of pedestrians.
“While many people welcome these proposals, not everyone will agree. This is why this meeting was important, so we could listen to the views of retailers and build in flexibility to the proposals where we can. A public consultation on final proposals will be held over the summer and, if introduced, any scheme would be the subject of a pilot project. We have to start tackling the major congestion and pollution problems in our city centre and that is what these various measures will help us achieve.”
The timetable for the intended project includes further analysis of modelling by Hertfordshire Highways, improvements to key junctions this spring, and a public consultation on proposals in the summer. Should plans come to fruition, it is envisaged that a pilot scheme of up to eighteen months duration would be introduced in early 2012. Changes could be made during this pilot scheme period at minimal cost.
New waste collection measures are being put in place to help residents in St Albans City and District increase their recycling rate to 60% of all household waste by 2015.
The measures form part of an action plan agreed by St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet on March 8 that is designed to help the District achieve the Council’s new recycling target for household waste.
They build on the success of the Council’s “twin bin” service under which householders have been provided with a black wheeled bin for refuse, a green wheeled bin for green waste, including food, garden waste and cardboard, and boxes for the recycling of dry waste such as tins, glass, newspapers and plastic bottles. Special arrangements are in place for some roads, for example within conservation areas.
This system resulted in an increase in the recycling rate for household waste from 36.35% in 2007/8 to 50.32% in 2009/10, beating the Council’s then target of 50% by 2010/11 ahead of schedule. The Council has since introduced a new target for the recycling of household waste of 60% by 2015.
The new measures include:
· the completion of the roll out of recycling facilities for glass, newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, cans and aerosols to all flats and maisonettes in the District by the end of 2011/12;
· the introduction of recycling facilities at schools, where practicable, by the end of 2011/12;
· participation in European Week of Waste Reduction in November with the aim of promoting ways that residents can reduce their waste and consumption levels;
· looking at a campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags;
· door-to-door visits in 2012/13 to encourage residents to make better use of the current recycling facilities available to them,
· and a waste audit in 2012/13 to identify what is going to landfill which could recycled, composted or reused.
The Council is also looking at whether it can make changes to its current system of waste collection, either under its existing refuse and recycling contract with Enterprise which comes to an end in 2015 or under any new contract after this date. It is considering the possibility of:
· collecting clothes, mixed plastics and tetra pak cartons from the kerbside,
· collecting green waste, including food, cardboard and garden waste weekly during the summer months,
· providing a second green wheeled bin for garden waste with option of charging for the service.
By taking steps to save energy during Energy Saving Week (25-31 October) you can cut your carbon footprint and also save money.
Grants and discounts are available for homeowners and those who privately rent in St Albans City and District to insulate their loft or even install a renewable energy technology in their home to generate their own energy.
The grants and discounts are available for a variety of energy-saving projects through St Albans City and District Council’s approved energy efficiency scheme, Herts Essex Energy Partnership (HEEP), until the end of March 2011.
HEEP can help you insulate your home by installing loft and cavity wall insulation for just £49 each, or for free if someone in your household is in receipt of a qualifying means tested benefit or over 70.
You may even be able to swap your old boiler for a new one free of charge, if it is over 15 years old, still working and you are in receipt of a qualifying means tested benefit.
HEEP also offers 100% grants to residents on qualifying benefits in St Albans City and District to install renewable energy technologies or high cost measures such as solid wall insulation.
Cllr Melvyn Teare, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The Council is pleased to be able to offer a range of measures to help residents to reduce their carbon emissions and energy bills through the HEEP scheme. However, funding is limited and residents wishing to take advantage of the discounts and grants offered through HEEP need to get their applications in soon as these offers are only available until the end of March 2011.”
The offers through HEEP are only available to homeowners or tenants privately renting. Each offer listed above is subject to individual qualifying criteria and a technical survey. Leaflets letting residents know about the offers will be sent to households in selected areas in the District. These will then be followed up by visits from representatives of HEEP who will be able to explain the offers first hand.
Funding is limited, so if you would like to find out more about the offers available from the Council’s HEEP scheme call free today on 0800 980 6026.
Gardening that won’t cost the earth
Each year households throw away waste that could be used to help give their gardens a makeover or to provide fruit and vegetables with protection from pests or much–needed nourishment.
St Albans City and District Council and Hertfordshire Waste Partnership are appealing to residents to reuse items of household waste to help make their gardens evener greener.
Wellington boots, broken teapots, parts of scaffolding and old bathtubs are hardly the first things that spring to mind when planning a garden renovation but they can all be used to good effect in your garden whilst also drastically reducing your household’s contribution to landfill.
Here are some ways of reusing your non-recyclable materials, and best of all, they wont cost you a penny!
Clam shell type plastic containers such as muffin trays can be used as instant mini greenhouses to grow seedlings year after year.
Use old Wellington boots or chipped/cracked crockery such as teapots to plant herbs and flowers in.
Old scaffolding planks can make attractive edging to flower beds.
Old bath tubs and sinks make excellent ponds when sunk into the ground or they can even be used as planters.
Old net curtains can keep pests such as insects off your fruit and vegetables.
Empty plastic bottles can be used to water plants while you are on holiday. Fill a bottle with water and then seal it, before poking a hole in the bottom and burying it in the soil, the water will seep out slowly keeping your plants hydrated until you return.
Empty pistachio shells, crushed with a rolling pin or coffee grounds sprinkled around plants are great for keeping slugs away.
Encourage wildlife into your garden with a bird box made from scrap wood or even old signs.
Transform your garden and kitchen waste into soil improver by composting. Hertfordshire residents can get a cut price compost bin delivered to your door through Hertfordshire Waste Partnership. To order visit www.herts.getcomposting.com or call 0845 130 6090.
As Councillor Melvyn Teare, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability at St Albans City & District Council explains: “Reusing household products can be beneficial for the environment and in many ways it is better than recycling. It’s not just about keeping waste out of landfill. By finding new uses for household items, you also avoid transportation emissions and costs. In St Albans, we are aiming to recycle 60% of household waste by 2015. We are already one of the top recycling District’s in Hertfordshire, and with a few more green measures like this one, we can really start to make a long term difference to our local environment.”
Hertfordshire ‘electrical lovers’ are urged to let their unwanted technology and gadgets go.
Many of us already recycle everyday items such as newspapers, glass, cans and plastic bottles, but small electrical items can be reused or recycled. This means anything with a battery or plug; from broken toasters and kettles gathering dust in the loft, to old mobile phones in drawers, and disused power tools cluttering up the garage. Old and unused electrical items can become useful again!
On average each of us accumulates three new electrical items each year, or 173 million nationally, but we seem to find it harder to let them go as only one in five of our small electricals gets recycled. Much-loved items that become disused after an upgrade can often be put to good use by someone else or can be broken down into components and recycling the valuable materials, which helps to preserve our natural resources.
Cllr Melvyn Teare, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability said: “It is easy to recycle, reduce or reuse the waste we generate. This year, why not give your old electricals a new lease of life by allowing them to be recycled into something new, or donating them to charity so they can find a new home?”
The ’Love your electricals: set them free’ campaign will show people how they can part with their once-loved possessions and realise their value once again.
Visit the WasteAware website at www.wasteaware.org.uk or the Recycle Now website at www.recyclenow.com to find out where to take your electrical items to be recycled and let’s waste less together.
St Albans City and District Council is installing dual purpose recycling and litter bins on streets across the District in a bid to increase the amount of refuse that is being recycled locally.
These will enable people who have consumed the contents of cans and plastic bottles on the move to dispose of their waste in a way that means it can be recycled.
So far 12 bins have been installed in various locations across the District as part of a two-month trial. Sites have been selected with a view to increasing the amount the waste that is being recycled. Two types of bins are being trialled – one made of steel and the other of heavy duty plastic. If the trial is a success, a decision will then be taken on the type of bins that will be used in the future.
The Council already recycles more than 49.7% of refuse collected from houses, large recycling banks at supermarkets and car parks, and smaller on-street recycling containers at shopping precincts.
Libraries across St Albans City and District are to loan out electricity monitors so that residents can find out how much electricity their household is using, the cost of that energy and the amount of CO2 emissions they are producing.
In a trial initiative organised by St Albans City and District Council, St Albans Central Library and Harpenden Library have been offering residents a free three-week loan of the devices. This trial has been so successful that the Council has now arranged for electricity monitors to be available on loan from all the libraries in the District.
Studies have shown that by using an electricity monitor households become more aware of how energy is being wasted and, by changing their behaviour, can reduce the amount of their energy bills.
The electricity monitors are simple to use. All residents have to do is clip a transmitter onto their electricity meter so that the wireless device can display real-time information about their usage. As they wander around the house throughout the day, switching appliances on and off, they can then see which appliances use the most energy. The more appliances that are switched on, the higher the values displayed on the monitor. Each of the electricity monitors come with instructions, a battery recharger and rechargeable batteries, where required.
Councillor Geoff Churchard, portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability, at St Albans City and District Council said: “These electricity monitors will help residents understand their energy consumption, and offer them the opportunity make savings on the amount of their energy bills.”
Solar photovoltaic panels installed on the roof of St Albans City and District Council’s offices in St Peter’s Street last year have produced 9.416MWh of electricity, saving the Council more than £560 in fuel costs.
Since their installation in March last year, the 75 polycrystalline panels have produced energy equating to a saving of 5.348 tonnes in CO2 emissions.
The Council is also expecting to receive an annual payment of around £1,000 through the government’s Renewable Obligation Certificates incentive scheme, which rewards microgeneration schemes with cash.
Real-time information about the amount of electricity being produced by the panels and the carbon dioxide savings that are being made is displayed on a unit in the reception area of the council offices and is accessible to residents.
Cllr Geoff Churchard, portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability for St Albans City and District Council, said: “The solar panels are proving to be a real benefit, helping the Council reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions by producing electricity. They are just one example of the many steps that the Council is taking to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions and is one that residents and local businesses can also follow. There are more than 70 actions in the Council’s Nottingham Declaration on Climate Change Action Plan.”
The Council is committed to minimising the impact of its activities on the environment across all service areas and is introducing a range of measures to reduce energy use, transport emissions, consumption of resources and waste production. The Council’s Carbon Management Plan sets out a range of actions that it will implement to achieve its target of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 25% in 2013 from a baseline year of 2006/7.
The move follows a meeting between officers from Herts Highways and the Environmental Health department of the District Council, local councillors and a representative of the Holywell Hill Action Group on 22 December.
The Council has already extended the area covered by the Air Quality Management Area Order for the Peahen crossroads, a traffic hotspot in the city. It has also drawn up an action plan setting out various short and long-term steps to help reduce air pollution in
Councillor Robert Donald, Leader of the Council, said: “As an immediate interim action, I have asked council officers following this meeting to urgently investigate the emissions benefits of asking drivers to switch off car engines while waiting at the Peahen Junction lights, as environmental technical advice on this action currently appears divided. If it can be shown to be self-evidently beneficial we have agreed with Hertfordshire Highways that they will provide signage requesting drivers to take this preventative action. I am not aware that this particular measure has been trialled anywhere else in the
The meeting also considered the possible pedestrianisation of St
Councillor Robert Donald, added: ”This plan sets out clearly what actions we can take to improve air quality in the vicinity of the Peahen junction. Reducing congestion and improving air quality in the city centre is a major challenge for the City and District.
“Through the City Vision project, we have been looking at the future planning and development of
“We are also working hard with our partners to address traffic congestion and CO2 emissions particularly in the city centre. Earlier, this year we set up a new transport partnership called Network St Albans which brings together the District Council, Hertfordshire County Council, the University of Hertfordshire and local bus and rail companies to consider how best to cut traffic related road congestion and air and noise pollution. It is already looking at creating a better bus network with integrated ticketing and new bus maps; providing more real time travel information, improved junction traffic flows and a better network of pedestrian and cycle routes; and investigating the feasibility of other vehicle congestion reduction measures.
Councillor Geoff Churchard, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability at