District council proposes to deliver £2.2m savings with no increase to Council Tax in 2011/12

St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet agreed, at its meeting on 1 February, proposals for a budget for 2011/12 that ensures that nobody in the District will have to pay more District Council related Council Tax than last year, and delivers £2.2m of savings whilst protecting residents’ essential services and support for organisations helping vulnerable people locally. The Cabinet has recommended the budget to full Council who will consider the details at its meeting on 23 February.

The main features of the proposed budget are:
– No increase in the District Council’s element of Council Tax, or, in some parts of the District, an actual reduction on tax
– Savings of £2.2m
– Changes to the Council’s structure that will prepare it to meet both long term and immediate operational challenges
– Protection of essential services for residents
– Support for the vulnerable locally
– Capital financing to maintain the Council’s priorities

The Council recognises that the country is emerging from a recession and residents are faced with rising inflation and the possibility of an increase in interest rates later in the year. Assuming full Council approves the budget, this will be the third year in a row that the District Council’s element of Council Tax will not increase.

However, the Government has now reduced the Council’s grant by 16.2% for 2011-12 and 14.2% for 2012-2013 which together will result in a cumulative 28% reduction in revenue support grant funding over the next two years. This means that the Council needs to make savings of £2.2m for 2011-12 to help bridge the budget gap.

A significant portion of the savings are to be achieved through a reorganisation of the Council that will reduce the number of departments from 10 to seven. The reorganisation has been designed to protect frontline services.

The reorganisation will result in a reduction of 25-30 posts in 2011. These will mostly be met through the deletion of posts that are currently vacant and voluntary redundancies, which will save £250,000 in 2011/12, and £700,000 p.a. thereafter. It is likely that there may also need to be some compulsory redundancies. In the longer term, the Council’s structure is likely to reduce from its current 408 posts to under 350.

Average rent increases on Council housing properties are also to rise by 7.4%, as determined by central government.

The proposed budget ensures that the Council will be able to meet its statutory obligations as well as ten priorities which are set out in the Council’s Corporate Plan 2011-16. The Plan, which has been revised and was approved by Cabinet at this week’s meeting, will now be considered by full Council at a meeting on 23 February.

Residents views on the budget and the ten priorities were sought through the Council’s Community Panel, a representative selection of people from across the District. Feedback was broadly supportive and specific ideas and views have been fed into the Corporate Plan and the budget development process.

New plans result in improvements to refuse collection service in the snow

New winter weather plans implemented by St Albans City and District Council have led to an improvement to its refuse collection service and path clearance following heavy snowfalls.

A year ago the Council was forced to suspend its refuse collection and recycling service due to severe winter weather. However, following snow in December 2010, the Council this winter maintained refuse collection schedules for green and black wheelie bins throughout the disruptions and by Christmas Eve only a few rural roads were left outstanding.

Although the period of severe weather experienced this winter was shorter than last year, schedules for collection of waste from black and green wheelie bins were maintained in part due to the implementation of new measures which enabled collection crews to clear any back log quickly. These included:

– Refuse collection crews re-visiting roads that had not been accessible on the scheduled collection day on the following day, after salt and grit had been laid down to allow access of heavy waste collection vehicles.

– The use of studded snowshoes by collection crews.

– The deployment of additional waste collection resources from 21st December onwards. The collection of recycling boxes was suspended from 20th December because of concerns about the safety of waste collection crews carrying heavy boxes across the snow and ice and these crews were redeployed to help with the collection of green and black wheelie bins. The collection of recycling boxes resumed on 29th December.

– A collect-all policy, where the contents of both green and black wheelie bins were collected together between 24 December and 5th January and sent to landfill.

New measures were also put in place to clear snow-laden and icy footpaths. These included:

– The gritting of footpaths according to a pre-agreed schedule with Hertfordshire Highways which prioritised key pathways. The gritting was carried out by street cleansing and re-deployed recycling collection crews.

– The use of hand operated grit spreaders.

These measures helped to ensure that key areas right across the District, including Council-owned elderly people’s accommodation were cleared effectively.

The crews, along with the market workforce, also worked hard to keep the pathways along St Peter’s Street in St Albans clear so that the market could stay open for business throughout the week prior to Christmas Day.

Digital and 3D cinema to be included in Maltings Arts Theatre makeover

The Maltings Arts Theatre in St Albans is to be transformed into a high tech cinema with digital and 3D capability as part of a makeover that will see it retain the ability to include live performance in the new programme.

The aim of the refurbishment and new programming mix is to bring the Maltings Arts Theatre up to date and to extend the arts base that will help turn it into a self-financing venue.

St Albans City and District Council currently subsidises the venue at the rate of £100,000 to £150,000 per annum, with each live theatre performance costing the Council on average a £9 per seat subsidy.

Present budgetary pressures mean that the Council cannot afford to continue to subsidise the theatre as it is indefinitely. The Council has explored a number of options to help ensure the venue’s continued survival as an important part of the District’s arts provision.

Having considered a report on options for the venue, Cabinet agreed to proceed with a range of improvements to turn the Maltings Arts Theatre into a digital cinema with capability for live performance at its meeting on 4 January.

The option of a digital cinema is the most likely to generate enough revenue for the venue to eventually become self-financing.

Installation of Digital 3D cinema projection, live feed satellite equipment and new acoustic walls, electrical and mechanical upgrades and improved seating and café and lounge facilities, and will be supported by improved signage, promotion and ticketing to create a modern digital arts cinema in the centre of the city. Live performance will also be an important part of the mix for the arts venue.

A capital outlay of £380-405,000 (dependant on grants) will be required to develop the new arts venue, and the Council will be maintaining the existing funding of £100,000 in year 1. The level of funding will be reduced in stages over a four year period.

Recycling success in St Albans

The new recycling system has been a great success and has achieved the following:

· The Council recycling rate for is now 57% (up from 21%). This is a great result which sets the Council performance in line with what it requires from the residents.
· This recycling rate means the Council now diverts an extra 10 tonnes of waste away from Landfill.
· The removal of the individual bins has been a key element of this success with 96% of paper now being recycled.
· This increase in recycling means that the Council will save £5,318 annually from quarter 3 of this financial year onwards.

Giant outdoor gym comes to Verulamium Park

St Albans has been given its very own taste of London 2012 with the installation of an adiZone – a giant multi-sport outdoor gym which aims to inspire the local community to get involved with sports and physical activities that feature in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The adiZone, which has been designed and developed by adidas, Official Sportswear Partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and co-funded by St Albans City and District Council, has been erected in Verulamium Park and is now open for business.

It is a permanent installation measuring 625sq metres and boasts sporting facilities inspired by Olympic and Paralympic sports that include a basketball, football and tennis area, a climbing wall, an outdoor gym and a freestyle area to encourage dance, aerobics and gymnastics.

Free to use, and open 365 days a year, the adiZone will serve local communities across the District as a space where people can meet socially and engage in sport and physical activity. The plan is for local sports coaches and fitness instructors to host a range of formal and informal activities at key times throughout the year to encourage residents to get active for free.

adiZones have been installed by adidas in four of the London 2012 host boroughs, and are now being introduced to towns and cities across the UK as the Olympic and Paralympic Games preparation increases. The Council successfully submitted an application to adidas for an adiZone last year, as part of a programme of improvements for Verulamium Park. The adiZone has been approved by English Heritage and the Friends of Verulamium Park, a local interest group.

New look Museum of St Albans opening its doors tomorrow

A new-look Museum of St Albans is opening its doors to visitors again from 6 October following the refurbishment of its exhibition space.

The museum has been closed for a month, while it has been remodelled and redecorated to accommodate the University of Hertfordshire’s Margaret Harvey Gallery, currently housed in a neighbouring building on Hatfield Road. It will move into the ground floor of the museum in December.

The Margaret Harvey Gallery is one of the only dedicated modern art galleries in the region and its exhibitions will enable the museum to cater for a wider audience.

The two organisations working together under one roof will help create a vibrant cultural destination for local residents and visitors to St Albans that will ensure their long-term viability. To celebrate the partnership, UH Galleries’ Open Exhibition, showcasing the work of Hertfordshire-based artists, will be held at the Margaret Harvey Gallery and the Museum of St Albans from 8th December- 23 December 2010.

Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This is an exciting time for the Museum of St Albans. Not only has it had a facelift, but the partnership with The Margaret Harvey Gallery will mean that exhibitions are held at the venue that will appeal to a broader range of people in the District. The museum’s new look will reinforce its position as a key destination for arts and culture in St Albans. Along with the Alban Arena and the Maltings Arts Theatre and the Old Town Hall, the museum will help promote St Albans as a regional cultural hub.”

When the museum re-opens in October, it will play host to two new exhibitions: ‘Out of Sight, Out of Mind’ which opens on 6 October and focuses on those who lived and worked at the former asylum, Hill End Hospital in St Albans and ‘Lost Rails’, which opens on 15 October and looks at how the railways changed the way that people lived and worked in Hertfordshire, and how the invention of the car gradually led to their closure.

Gardening that won’t cost the earth

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.”

Landfill waste for St Albans City and District is the lowest in the County

Residents in St Albans City and District are recycling more than ever and are now sending the least amount of waste per household in the County to landfill, according to new figures.

On average, each household in the District produced 444.27 kg of residual household waste during 2009/10 – the lowest in the County, according to provisional figures based on National Indicator reports for waste. Last year, St Albans City and District Council sent 25,628 tonnes of waste to landfill, compared to 33,850 tonnes back in 2007/08, when the recycling rate for household waste was 36.35%.

Residents are now recycling more than half of their household waste (50.32% for 2009/10) and have just beaten the Council’s target of 50% by 2010/11 – one year ahead of schedule.

To help encourage residents to continue to recycle as much household waste as possible, the Council has now set a new target of 60% by 2015.

District Council says: ‘Let us know how the Maltings Arts Theatre can be improved’

The stage is set for a refurbishment of the Maltings Arts Theatre and St Albans City and District Council is asking residents to give their views on how the venue and its programme of drama, music, film and other arts can be improved.

The Council is planning to refurbish the arts venue and to provide access to film, live theatre and other events and an upgraded café/bar and a digital lounge to be used for film club events, arts workshops, specialist arts training sessions and business meetings.

It would like to hear from residents and users about what they like and dislike about the venue currently and their views on the type of programming it should provide before drawing up final plans.

Anyone interested in expressing an opinion on the Maltings Arts Theatre can do so by completing a short online questionnaire and/or joining in an online discussion forum on the Council’s website at www.stalbans.gov.uk/maltings-consultation.

The questionnaire will be available from 23 August to 10 September 2010. Anyone who completes the questionnaire online will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four Marks and Spencer vouchers worth £25.

As part of this consultation, the Council has asked 700 members of its Community Panel to complete the questionnaire. The Maltings Arts Theatre has also written to the 3,000 subscribers of its Autumn brochure inviting them to take part in the consultation process.

Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The Council is firmly committed to the Maltings Arts Theatre and is planning to refurbish the venue so that it can be used to host a variety of arts events, workshops and shows. I would urge anyone interested in the future of the arts venue to support it by contributing to this consultation and giving their view on how it can be improved. The results of the survey and the opinions expressed on the online forum will help the Council to develop a venue that appeals to a broad section of the local community.”

The results of the consultation will be included in a report on the Maltings Arts Theatre that will be presented to the Cabinet meeting on 5 October.

Westminster Lodge plans confirmed

St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet has reaffirmed its decision to proceed with the existing plans for the re-development of the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre.

At a meeting on 10 August 2010, it confirmed its approval of the facility mix for the scheme which will provide a total of 647m² of water space and an overall capacity for 223 swimmers. This means a 30.5% increase in water space and a 35% increase on the current capacity for 165 swimmers.

The proposed swimming pool provision is made up of:
· 25m x 17m eight lane main pool (425m²) with a 50% movable floor
· 17m x 10m training/learner pool (170m²) with a 100% movable floor
· confidence water area for toddlers (52m²).

The facility mix for the new leisure centre which was originally approved by Cabinet on 6 October 2009, also includes a four court sports hall, climbing wall, youth gym, spa, 200 station fitness gym, exercise studios, poolside health suite, crèche, children’s soft play area and a café/bistro.

The meeting on 10 August was called following a recommendation by the Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee on 19 July to Cabinet that the designs for the main pool should include a further two lanes. In coming to its decision, the Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered arguments from the Pool Too Small Group in favour of a larger pool and a presentation in response by the Council’s Project Manager.

At the Cabinet meeting on 10 August, the Pool Too Small Group and the Council’s Project Manager made further presentations. However, having taken these into account, along with the estimated additional capital expenditure, future revenue costs and funding needs entailed with increasing the size of the pool, Cabinet decided that there was no compelling reason to change its previous decision of 6 October 2009 or to delay the project any further. Cabinet noted that the decision of 6 October 2009 was made following extensive public consultation which had shown clear support for its current plans.

However, Cabinet recognised that even with the re-development of the Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre there would be a predicted shortfall of water space in the District of 376.48 m² and has asked for the Head of Culture and Community Development and the Project Manager to produce a report in March 2011 setting out ways of providing additional space, including:
a new pool site within the District
opening up existing pool facilities further for community use, for example schools
the funding of these proposals at a minimum capital/revenue cost to the Council.

Cabinet also requested that a draft operational plan be drawn up setting out how demand for the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre can be managed once it is opened, as it is anticipated that the pool will be popular.

Cllr Anthony Rowlands, Portfolio Holder for Sport and Leisure at St Albans City and District Council, said: “Cabinet unanimously endorsed the existing Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre scheme which will provide an array of modern sporting and leisure facilities, including a 25m x 17m eight lane main pool, learner pool and confidence water. We listened carefully to the Pool Too Small campaigners but their idea of a 25m long, ten lane pool would fly in the face of all the advice from experts that has been received by the Council. There is, after all, only one such pool currently in development in the rest of the country.

“Equally seriously, changing the plans would have landed residents with a bill of well in excess of a million pounds. Such a move would have also meant lengthy delays and running the risk of missing out on a highly competitive period for the construction industry which could reduce the bill for the Council. It would have been irresponsible to have altered direction in the way the campaign wanted. Now we must move ahead with a project which has strong public support and will deliver a vitally needed flag-ship leisure centre for the City and District.”