Details of county council waste facilities

After much political pressure we now have some information which is of use to the public rather than mere party political propaganda.

Please see the following factual bullet points relating to the St Albans HWRC  :

  • Improved site layout providing more parking spaces, reducing  both queuing and unloading times.
  • During 2012 – St Albans HWRC received in the region of 150,000 visitors
  • During 2012 – Over 5,000 tonnes of varied ‘household waste’ was brought to the site.
  • Opening Times are: Summer time, Seven days a week from 08:00 until 18:00;  Winter time, Seven days a week from08:00 until 16:00 (Summer times run from April 1st to September 30th and Winter times run from October 1st to March 31st).The Household Waste Recycling Centres are open all year except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years Day. They are open on all other Bank Holidays.
  • St Albans HWRC achieved a total recycling rate of 80% for the Financial Year 2012/13.
  • Soil Conditioner is sold on site at a cost of £4.00  for a 60 litre bag. (Produced from garden waste brought to the HWRCs).
  • Hertfordshire Waste Partnership associates at St. Albans City and District Council provided HCC with the opportunity to expand the site into land previously forming part of their depot, now operated by the waste and recycling contractors Amey.
  • A new ‘ReUse Centre’ completes the improvements on site, which will be run in partnership with HCC’s contractor Domestic Waste Services Ltd who currently oversee the site on a daily basis.
  • The ReUse Centre will be collecting unwanted, quality items to help further reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.
  • As part of their salvage rights, Domestic Waste Services Ltd will generate a small income from items sold at the ReUse Centre. HCC have in turn, a profit sharing arrangement with them,  and any income generated will be invested back into Hertfordshire’s HWRC network.

PLEASE NOTE: (HCC’s first ReUse Centre at the Harpenden HWRC which is in Dark Lane, off Grove Road is run by another of Hertfordshire County Council’s current contractors FCC Environment,  and operates in a  slightly differently way. Here the income generated goes largely to the social care charity Sue Ryder,  but similarly a profit sharing arrangement is  in place and HCC’s proportion of this income once more is invested back into Hertfordshire’s HWRC network).

  • Both of these ‘ReUse Centre’ schemes help off set the cost of running the facilities to Hertfordshire taxpayers.
  • In HCC’s current tender for the future management of the HWRCs when the existing contracts expires, the County Council has invited contractors to push the boundaries further on options for reuse.
  • This refurbished  St Albans HWRC represents the latest upgrade to Hertfordshire’s network of Household Waste Recycling Centres which has been ongoing for the last twenty years.

 

HCC Spinning out of Control – Again

Yet again Hertfordshire County Council is spinning out of Control, with press releases promoting Conservative politicians being the order of the day.

Chris White (St Albans Central), has been trying to promote the new look Household Waste Recycling Centre in St Albans to the residents he represents at County Hall.

He said “This looks like an excellent facility for the people of St Albans: what I don’t understand is why HCC and St Albans District Council only want to feature the quotations of Conservative politicians, not the site and how it will help my local residents.

“I have asked, and asked again for information on the site to give to local people, and again and I again I get given quotes from Conservative politicians praising themselves, not information about facilities available and opening times.

“This is not good enough.  This should be a service for local people, not an ego booster for County Hall politicians.”

Changes to recycling – note from district council

St Albans City & District Council is distributing food caddies to 50,000 homes in the district as part of its campaign to boost recycling.

Around 30% of household waste going to landfill is food waste.  Therefore we want to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle their food waste, rather than send it to landfill via their black bins.  We aim to get recycling up to 60% from our current 50% level.  If we can recycle more food waste, this will go a long way to meeting this target.

Tabletop-sized food caddies and a starter pack of 50 paper liners will be delivered to homes in the district by the end of August. Flats are not currently included, however the Council hopes to be able to extend the caddies to flats in the future. 

An explanatory information leaflet is also being distributed.  The caddies are designed to hold food waste, both cooked and raw, which can then be transferred to the green wheeled waste bins or bags for recycling.

Food waste will be treated with other green waste and turned into compost.

The Council is also collecting a range of additional plastics (yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, meat trays, fruit punnets, etc.,) as part of its recycling drive.  Not all areas have additional plastics collections yet but they will do by the end of September.  Residents are being informed as the new style collections reach their street.

 

Lib Dems demand better maintenance of cycle routes and paths

Following pressure from Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst, the county council has agreed to bring forward a  report reviewing the maintenance of cycle paths, pavements, footways and
footpaths.

“Having recently taken up cycling I was shocked to find so many cycle paths put in by the county council had overhanging branches and encroaching vegetation narrowing the paths and endangering cyclists.
Narrowed pavements are making children walk close to the edge of kerbs and blocked drains are causing splashing. Both are deterring children from walking to school and increasing the school run problems.

“Local cycling groups have offered a lot of good quality input to the county council but it is clear from the many faults I have reported that the county’s contractors and their programme of works are not up to it.

“It’s all well and good to have safe off-road green cycle routes laid bit it’s a waste if they are never repaired, the potholes are never fixed and the vegetation is only trimmed at knee height not head height if you are on a bike.

“My fault reporting found serious flaws in the county council’s processes where faults were not being fixed in the agreed time frame and, Ringway (the County Council Contractor) having to go out three times or more to the same site, firstly cutting the road side grass, then clearing the debris and then going back a third time because they had not cleared the overhanging bushes.

“We need a joined up approach to clearing debris and vegetation from paths and cycle ways.

“I have also requested a formal review as part of the winter service plan as to the gritting of cycle routes.

Finally, Cllr Stephen Giles-Medhurst said , “The County Council needs to take on board that with increased CO2 in the atmosphere and higher temperatures the growth of arboreal vegetation is greater than it has been in the past ,and this change must  be reflected in greater effort being put in to keeping paths, pavements, cycleways and footpaths free from encroachment and overhang.”

Street lighting – letter to Hertfordshire papers from Lib Dems

It’s now two years since the Conservative-run county council starting
turning off most residential roads street lights at midnight. Readers
will know that Liberal Democrat councillors fought against this ill
thought out policy that allowed for no local decision making or variation
of policy despite the Conservatives pledge to believe in “localism”.

At the last two years  budget meetings we have proposed funding to turn
lights back on and also pressed for an early review. The Conservatives
promised one this summer having voted down our budget plans.

Now the long awaited review will take place, first at the Highways and
Waste Panel on the 12th September to be followed by a formal scrutiny
review in early October. This scrutiny review will allow members of the
public and organisations to put their views on this part night lighting
policy.

Liberal Democrats urge residents to not only let their local county
councillor know their views but to put any formal submissions to Tom
Hawkyard, the Head of Scrutiny, Herts County Council, Pegs Lane, Hertford,
SG13 8DE (tom.hawkyard@hertfordshire.gov.uk). Residents and groups can
also ask to speak in person as part of this process and if you want to do
so should request this.

What is clear, especially in many urban areas, is that residents are very
concerned about this night time blackout that starts at midnight and
turns every light off in many residential side roads. The poor state of
most footpaths and roads makes trying to walk or cycle in the dark very
dangerous.

Now it’s your chance to have your say and we hope the ruling
Conservatives at last listen.

Council refused permission to apply for Judicial Review on rail freight planning inquiry issue

A High Court judge has refused St Albans City and District Council permission to apply for Judicial Review in the proposed Radlett (Park Street) Strategic Rail Freight Interchange (SRFI) matter.  The Judge considered the application on the documentation submitted by the Council, the defendant, and interested parties.

In February 2013, the Council had sought a Judicial Review of a decision by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The challenge related to the Secretary of State’s decision not to re-open the planning inquiry into the proposed Radlett SRFI and conjoin it with an inquiry into an alternative site near Slough.

The High Court order, issued on 14 June 2013, detailing reasons for refusal of permission, is available on the Council’s website (click here). The Council will need to pay costs of £2,000 to the Secretary of State.

The Council can apply for reconsideration of its application at an oral hearing before a High Court Judge.  The Council will consult its legal advisors on the matter before deciding on a course of action.

A final decision on whether the development will go ahead has yet to be taken.  In a letter of 20 December 2012 the Secretary of State said that he was “minded to approve” planning permission subject to various conditions.  Helioslough, the company behind the scheme, is currently applying for Judicial Review against the Secretary of State.  The company is seeking an immediate final decision on the appeal.

Clarence Park ramp

Note from district council officers

As you are probably aware the ramp into Clarence Park from Hatfield Road is currently closed. The supporting timbers along large areas of the ramp are rotten and no longer provide any support to the timber slats. This is a serious health and safety risk which needs to be rectified before we can open it again.

Cost estimates are due back today and we are anticipating works starting on site during the week commencing 24 June. The works should last 2-3 weeks.

We have placed signs at the entrance advising members of the public of the expected length of the closure and I have requested that we add a ‘dangerous structure’ sign as it appears people are climbing over barriers and trying to use the ramp.

For your information, we have received suggestions that we allow the adjoining steps to be used but the only way we could do this would be to erect a barrier between the steps and the ramp. This would increase costs considerably and would not guarantee that people do not try to use the ramp. In the circumstances we believe the safest and most cost efficient option is to keep the ramp closed until the works have been completed.

Update on the trees in Ridgmont Road

Note from district council

Further to my email below, First Capital Connect have confirmed their acceptance to the amended form of tree work in the station car park whereby the majority of the trees are to be retained. Please see details below. The tree removals will be limited to a dead Pine, a suppressed Ash with a trunk defect and clearance of Sycamore saplings either side of a Holly to allow it more space to grow. I have shown the location of these on the attached map and I have visited the car park to mark their trunks with a small spot of green paint to aid identification. The application’s original work schedule & photographs is also attached to illustrate tree locations. I understand First Capital Connect will be posting letters to residents to inform them of the amended tree works.

AMENDED WORK DETAILS

Starting with the Sycamore at the bridge end:

Sycamore 1                               Retain. Clean out deadwood & Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.

Cedar 2                                     Remove most of lowest main limb over west side by cutting back to lateral growth.

                                                Remove low southward growing limb over verge with limited live growth at end.

                                                Remove major deadwood & hung limbs.

                                                Clean out Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.

Scrub trees 3                             Retain Yew, Box, Holly & Sycamore. Fell dead Pine.

                                                Clean out Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.

Sycamores and Ash 4 & 5          Retain Sycamores. Fell suppressed Ash with trunk defect. Prune to clear phone wires & clean out deadwood & Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.

Pine 6                                       Retain. Clean out deadwood & Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.

Sycamores & Holly 7                 Retain all except small saplings growing in front of & competing with Holly.

Ash & Yew trees 8 & 9               Reduce extended limbs from Ash trees over car park by 20% & formative prune Yew to encourage lower level screening growth.

                                                Clean out Ivy growth end of bird nesting season approx mid August onwards.                                 

                                   

All trees                        Carry out any essential clearance work required to clear pedestrian and vehicle access to all trees before mid August if required avoiding parts of trees if occupied by nesting birds.

                                    Consider closure of existing gaps between trees by laying appropriate adjacent sapling growth and securing to ground with stake or peg.

 

First Capital Connect condemned over plans to chop down trees in the St Albans Conservation area

Lib Dem councillors are strongly opposing FCC's plans

Lib Dem councillors are strongly opposing FCC’s plans

Councillors and residents have been horrified to learn that First Capital Connect intends to fell many of the trees alongside the car park on Ridgmont Road.

A letter was dropped to a small number of residents – but by no means all those who would be affected. Councillors were not consulted or informed.

Lib Dem District Councillor for St Peter’s Ward Michael Green said:

“These trees provide essential screening of the train station for nearby residents and add biodiversity to a heavily built up area.  Remedial work is fine but this simply appears to be vandalism.  FCC need to think again while the district council should place a Tree Preservation Order on these trees to protect them in the future.”