Improving the museum service in St Albans

Friday 9th October saw an important development in plans to improve the District’s Museum Service when senior officers of the St Albans City and District Council and the New Museum for St Albans Action Group met. Discussions focused on how best to reflect and make accessible the history of the City and District and to start to provide a 21st century service.

Dr Jill Singer, speaking for the New Museum for St Albans Action Group said: “The City and District has been described as a microcosm of England with almost every aspect of life and times throughout the centuries found in one place. From its post Roman beginnings circa 410 and to the present day the City has been a cradle for change and progress, reaching into all corners of life: academia, science, religion, industry, architecture, transportation and there should be a centre where all that is made accessible. The Group was pleased that this need is recognised and there is going to be a reference group set up in which the New Museum for St Albans campaign group will be included.”

She also welcomed, as a first step, the intention for the Museum Service within the next few months to enhance the display areas of the present Museum of St Albans by reviewing the use of space and using it more effectively.

Cllr Melvyn Teare, Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage said “I am really pleased that the meeting went well. I think we all want to see a museum service that the District’s communities can be proud of and contribute to, and which reflects its rich heritage. We had already started to move the service forward and this campaign could not have come at a better time.”

Specific points covered at the meeting included the intention of the Council and Museum Service to:

– Set out a clear vision and plan for improvement
– Secure the long term future of the museums service
– Include the whole community in developing plans for improvement
– Find a way to reflect the history of the City and District more fully in the displays and work of the museums
– Work with the New Museum for St Albans campaign group, the existing Verulamium Museum Trust and other concerned groups on the long term plan

Active St Albans

2 major programmes coming up that will help local residents get, and keep, active:

Play in the Parks: Play is integral to children’s enjoyment where they can develop their abilities and explore their creativity. This is an open-access play scheme that will operate over 10 sessions in 10 parks around the St Albans District during the October half-term. Daily sessions operate between 10am-12pm and 1.30-3.30pm. http://www.activestalbans.com/download/play+in+the+parks+2009+flyer

St Albans District 50+ Sessions: It only takes 30 minutes of physical activity a day to become fitter, healthier and happier. These 50+ activity sessions, on the 20th and 22nd October, are packed full of ‘come and try’ activities for all abilities who may be looking to take up a new or additional sport or recreational activity.
http://www.activestalbans.com/download/50+plus+games+flyer

Please let all friends and family know about these programmes and contact us on 01727 827667 for any futher information.

Grants for insulation and solar panels are available to homeowners

Grants for loft and cavity wall insulation and solar panels are among the energy efficiency measures that are being offered to homeowners and tenants living in the St Albans and City District, as part of an initiative to cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce fuel poverty.

St Albans City and District Council is one of 15 local authorities across Hertfordshire and Essex that have together obtained £6.6million worth of government funding to help install a range of energy efficiency and renewable energy measures for private homeowners, leaseholders and tenants over a two-year period. Together they have formed Herts Essex Energy Partnership (HEEP) which has appointed Climate Energy to manage the initiative, oversee the works, appoint contractors, grant payments and market the scheme.

Homeowners in receipt of qualifying benefits or who are aged 70 years or more will be eligible to receive free energy-saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, heating system upgrades, and renewable technologies such as solar panels, subject to the availability of funding, qualifying criteria and a technical survey.

Those who are not in receipt of benefits are entitled to loft or cavity wall insulation at subsidised prices that start at £99. In addition, they may be eligible to receive grants and interest free loans to cover the cost of installing renewable technologies and heating upgrades, again subject to the availability of funding, qualifying criteria and a technical survey.

Cllr Mike Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Sustainability at St Albans City and District Council, said: “I would commend this scheme to residents. It will help homeowners improve the energy efficiency of their homes and reduce their fuel bills. It will also help reduce the number of households that suffer from fuel poverty and bring down the carbon emissions of the district.”

It is estimated that 13,500 households across Hertfordshire and Essex will benefit from this package of measures. The aim is to increase the energy ratings of these homes, as measured by the government’s Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP), to more than 65, which would help reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 25% on average. This would result in the scheme producing a combined reduction of approximately 10,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum.

Residents who are interested in the scheme should call 0800 980 6026, quoting STA1009, or go to www.heepgrant.org.

New Westminster Lodge gets go-ahead

Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre is to be replaced with an exciting new leisure centre that will also offer a full-scale Spa experience and a standalone café/bistro following feedback from residents.

Cabinet for St Albans City and District Council last night gave the green light to the new leisure centre to be built adjacent to the existing leisure centre after respondents to a public consultation exercise overwhelmingly backed this option.

The new development will include a 25m pool, a 17m learner pool, a fitness suite with 200 stations (including a cycle spinning studio), two exercise studios, a climbing wall, a four court sports hall, a crèche and soft play area and a dedicated youth facility.

In addition, it will offer visitors access to a Spa equipped with facilities over and above those found in a standard health suite, such as a sauna, steam room and spa pool. The enhanced Spa facilities could include hot rooms, aroma steam rooms, a scented sauna, rasul mud treatments and a hammam offering different water based treatments, similar to those in Roman baths.

Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Sport and Healthy Living at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This option will not only improve the leisure facilities available to local residents, but will also attract visitors from further afield, helping to contribute to the economic regeneration and sustainability of the City’s tourism market”

Since the public consultation, the design for the new leisure centre has been amended to take account of additional feedback from residents, stakeholder groups, such as St Albans Disability Access Group, and the community panel. It can be viewed on the Council’s website at www.stalbans.gov.uk.

The design will form the basis of a planning application which is due to be submitted to the Council in January 2010. Construction work is expected to begin in November 2010 and the new leisure centre is due to open in Spring 2012. It is anticipated that the existing Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre will remain open for business until then when it will be closed and later demolished

St Albans Council begins new household energy efficiency scheme

Herts and Essex Energy Partnership (HEEP)

St Albans Council have begun a new household energy efficiency scheme which we want to publicise and promote to residents.

Until now, you have been referring residents interested in energy efficiency to the Energy Saving Trust (0800 512 012), Warm Front or Cocoon but from now on please divert any callers interested in:

– energy efficiency
– insulation (i.e. loft, cavity, solid wall)
– renewable technologies (i.e. solar panels)
– reducing fuel bills

to the following scheme:

Tel: 0800 980 6027
Web: www.heepgrant.org

Customers on benefits or over 70 – will be entitled to a wide range of measures, from insulation, to renewable technologies ABSOLUTELY FREE. There will be no contribution necessary from the customer.

Other customers – will have all of the above offered at a highly subsidized price (£99+) as well as full advice and support. In addition, they will be able to take advantage of an interest-free loan towards the price of renewable technologies such as solar panels.

This £6.6M project has been funded through the East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) and will be managed by Climate Energy.

If you require further information please contact
Candice Luper (Sustainability Officer) on 2466

Updated list of ENERGY-RELATED projects and offers

FREE Insulating Radiator Panels

SADC will provide six insulating radiator panels and a roll of tape to any householders that requests them for FREE (while stocks last).

Though there are no criteria to meet in order to obtain these panels, we would specifically like to target those who live in inefficient housing, the elderly, vulnerable or those struggling to pay their fuel bills so please publicise appropriately. (Social housing tenants should contact the Housing Department/housing association if they have questions about insulation).

This scheme is strictly DIY and they will need to fit the panels themselves behind radiators on external walls.

Panels, Tape and fitting instructions will be given out on request at the reception desks of the District Offices and Harpenden Town Hall. Staff giving these out should continue to record who has been given panels and pass this list to the Sustainability Team.

FREE Handheld Electricity Monitors

Handheld electricity monitors are available from St Albans Central Library for FREE 3 week loan to all SADC residents holding a library card.

These monitors enable householders to find out how much electricity their household is using, the cost of that energy and the amount of CO2 emissions they are producing.

Studies have shown that by using an electricity monitor households become more aware of where energy is being wasted and, as a consequence, they can save up to 20% on their energy bills.

Contact for all the above schemes:
Candice Luper (Sustainability Officer) ext 2466

Free sport and play activities for summer holidays

Children and young people are being given the chance to try their hand at a variety of sport and play activities during free sessions being held at 17 parks and open spaces across St Albans and City District this summer.

They will be able to take part in sport and physical activities at Sports in the Parks sessions and explore their creativity at Play in the Parks, previously known as Play Rangers.

Both schemes are aimed at young people aged 5 to 12 years and are provided by St Albans City and District Council and managed in partnership with Leisure Connection.

The activities will run over the six-week holiday period and will vary depending on the location and the number of children in attendance.

Cllr Sheila Burton, portfolio holder for sport and healthy living at St Albans City and District Council, said: “These sport and play schemes provide a fantastic opportunity for young people to develop skills in an enjoyable environment where they can also make new friends. They also help parents to keep their children entertained during the long summer holidays.”

For more information about both programmes visit www.stalbans.gov.uk

or telephone the Sports Development team on 01727 827667.

Wagamama seek to vary licence conditions

An application for increased hours and also increased restaurant space is available through the link below: let us know your views.

http://licensing.stalbans.gov.uk/MVM/Online/EGov/License_Registers/StdDetails.aspx?PT=&TYPE=LicenceRegistersFullDetailsPK&PARAM0=’WK/200918577’&PARAM1=0&XSLT=/mvm/SiteFiles/Skins/M3PP_Licensing_embed/xslt/Licensing/LicenceRegistersDetails.xsl&FT=Licence%20Details&LAYOUT=UE&DAURI=EGov

A boards: are they bugging you?

Many local residents have complained about advertising boards outside shops. These are known as A boards and are often positioned in ways that obstruct the pavement.

The county and district councils are drawing up a policy on their use. Once this has been agreed enforcement will be carried out by the district council. There is a pilot running in Bishops Stortford which is about to be extended and the councils are working closely with them on drafting a policy for St Albans.

Weeds: Chris takes action!

Chris has taken action over weeds in the alleyways between Breakspear Avenue and Dellfield. Council officials have confirmed that the area is due to be done and that residents’ complaints have been logged.

Many thanks to the resident who reported this. If there are any more please let me know.