I have been asked whether council staff or contractors who clear up litter should also be collecting bottles: some residents have found that these are not being picked up and find these items of rubbish some of the most worrying.
I can confirm that it IS council policy to collect these items. If you find that these are not being collected then let me know.
St Albans City and District Council is celebrating its high court victory preventing thousands of new homes being built on the green belt in and bordering the District and creating a continuous urban sprawl between neighbouring communities.
Cllr Robert Donald, Leader of St Albans City and District Council, said: “This is a great victory for our council but above all for our residents. It is a real David and Goliath moment. This shows we were right to take legal action despite being originally advised there were high risks and that success was not guaranteed. This result illustrates our unequivocal commitment to defend the green belt and to safeguard the unique character of the natural landscape and the mix of historic city, towns and villages around our District. These proposals would have ruined this unique character for ever. We recognise this is only one battle won and not the whole campaign. I will go on challenging increased housing development proposals in the green belt as long as and as far as I possibly can to save our District from becoming just another Greater London suburb.”
In a landmark legal case the council has successfully challenged the proposals in the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy (the Plan) that related to the development of potentially 5,000 plus homes to the East of Hemel Hempstead, within St Albans District, and more than 1,000 to the west of Hatfield/Welwyn Garden City, actually bordering the District.
This is the first time that any council has successfully brought a legal action in England asking for parts of a Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) like the East of England Regional Plan, to be quashed.
The government will now be forced to re-examine these particular site proposals in the regional plan. The council will also have to review its current draft Local Development Framework Issues and Options planning document, in the light of this legal decision, and this may mean a small delay in publication and the start of the consultation period.
The council issued legal proceedings, along with Hertfordshire County Council, against the government in June last year seeking to quash those parts of the Plan that relate to proposed housing growth east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield.
Following a three-day hearing in the High Court that ended on 20 May 2009, Mr Justice Mitting found that the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government had not conducted a proper environmental assessment in preparing the Plan. He also ruled that the parts of the Plan that relate to the housing growth to the east of Hemel Hempstead and the west of Welwyn/Hatfield be quashed.
He ordered that the Secretary of State pays the council £15,000 towards over half its legal costs.
Cllr Chris Brazier, deputy leader and portfolio holder for Planning and Conservation, at St Albans City and District Council, said: “The council challenged the East of England Plan in the interests of our residents. I am pleased that the High Court have accepted our arguments that the proposals in the Plan for additional housing were not properly assessed as to their environmental impact.”
I will be chairing the District Council’s City Forum, the body which concentrates on issues affecting the ‘parish’ of St Albans ie the part of the district not covered by a parish council.
This is going to be an interesting challenge. There are some key issues coming through: the City Vision project, the Local Development Framework and the nature of the street scene. And we can’t get away from the fact that there is a crisis in some of the services provided by other institutions – not least the lack of primary school places in central St Albans and the effective failure of the secondary admissions system.
St Albans City and District Council is to consult right to buy
leaseholders on how best to manage their leasehold properties.
Following a meeting of the cabinet on 5th May 2009, the council has
decided to draw up an action plan to implement best practice on the
management of its leasehold properties. Leaseholders will be consulted
on the action plan which is due to be presented back to cabinet in
October.
Across the district there are around 1,012 right to buy leasehold flats.
The council owns the freeholds of these properties and subject to the
terms of the various leases is responsible for maintaining the exterior
and communal parts of the buildings. In turn, the leaseholders pay for
the cost of these services via an annual service charge. In addition,
leaseholders are also responsible for paying for the necessary capital
works carried out to the building, subject to the terms of their lease.
In order to help leaseholders better manage these costs, the council has
agreed to review its practice, including repayment options, and to
clarify its position on leasehold management by drawing up an action
plan.
It has also agreed to inform leaseholders on their right to manage or
purchase the freehold to their building.
Leaseholders are to be kept informed of their rights and
responsibilities through the leaseholders’ handbook, the welcome pack,
leaflets and the council’s website.
Cllr Joyce Lusby, portfolio holder for Housing Services, said: “I am
pleased that a review of the leasehold management service of the council
is taking place and I know that the views of our leaseholders will be
taken seriously.”
More information about the rights of leaseholders is available at
http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/housing/housing-advice/Leaseholding/
I have been asked a number of times about City Vision, St Peter’s Street traffic and the future of Aboyne Lodge School.
Just to emphasise, the City Vision is only in initial stages and further public consultation will follow; there are no proposals to close St Peter’s Street to traffic (but this is anyway up to the public); and there are no proposals to close Aboyne Lodge School. On the contrary the school could be expanded in size – although I will continue to press for a new primary school in the city centre anyway.
The following press release was issued yesterday by the District Council
New transport measures to tackle congestion win public support
A city for cyclists, pedestrians and buses has won public support following an exhibition that looks at how St Albans can thrive in the future.
Over 1,500 residents viewed the draft City Vision and explored new ideas and proposals for integrated living for 2030. The aim of the vision is to cover the social, cultural and economic development of the city over the coming decades along with a spatial framework which can support positive development.
Cllr Melvyn Teare, Cabinet portfolio holder responsible for the City Vision project said, “I am impressed with the enthusiasm and wide range of comments the City Vision has prompted so far. ”
More consultation will follow in September to investigate detailed proposals for various ways to reduce congestion in St Peter’s Street.
There will also be more detailed master planning of key sites, including the Aboyne Lodge/ Drovers Way area. This will investigate either retaining or relocating the primary school as part of a wider redevelopment proposal to include specialist shops and could include new food and department stores.
A small scale cinema development won backing from the public as a potential jewel in the heart of a new Civic Centre area, which is marked for substantial redevelopment as a central cultural hub. The area could also include a hotel, some retailing and a civic square.
Consultees rejected the need for any more new flats in the city centre and backed the need for more affordable family homes. Masterplanning will set out residential requirements for each new development with clear guidelines to manage scale and community infrastructure requirements, such as new school places required.
A meeting of the St Albans District Council Cabinet (May 5) endorsed the direction of the vision which will now move to the next stage to incorporate master planning of key sites; development of detailed strategies and preparation of a delivery and implementation plan.
A further report will be presented to Cabinet in October 09 after detailing the final version of the proposed Master Plan.
Integrated living for 2030: a creative, sustainable and pioneering city for all which values the past and embraces the future.
Notes for editors
Funding of £150,000 was successfully secured under the Government’s Department for Communities and Local Government Growth Area Fund.
St Albans City and District is designated a growth area with 7, 200 new homes to accommodate by 2012.
The City and Rural Visions are contributing to the evolving Local Development Framework (LDF) on which we will be working with residents from June 2009. The Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS) sets out the vision and ambitions for the area regarding attractiveness; good health and an active community. It also sets the directions for plans to guide development over the next 20 years contained in the LDF.
All consultation results and background papers are available online at: http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2008/pr-2008-october/pr-city-vision.aspx
St Albans City & District Council has installed solar photovoltaic panels on the roof of its civic offices in St Peter’s Street as part of a range of measures that demonstrate it is leading the way on reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the community.
It is hoped that the move will encourage local businesses and residents to assess their own carbon footprints and to take steps to reduce them.
The 75 polycrystalline panels have been fitted by South Facing – Solar Electricity to the south elevation of the roof in order to maximise solar capture. They are expected to produce around 10,000 kWh of electricity per year which equates to a carbon dioxide abatement of some 5.52 tonnes per year.
In addition to carbon savings, the panels are expected to save the Council around £1,000 per year in fuel costs. The Council is also expected to receive an annual payment of around £1,000 through the government’s Renewable Obligation Certificates incentive scheme, which rewards microgeneration schemes with cash.
Information about the amount of electricity produced by the panels and carbon dioxide savings made will be displayed on a unit in the reception area of the civic offices which will be accessible to residents. This information will also be published annually on the Council’s website.
Councillor Mike Ellis, portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability for St Albans City and District Council, said: “I am delighted that the solar panels are up and running at the Civic Centre. They demonstrate how these panels can be installed in a sensitive way, on a major building, within the conservation area. I hope that others will feel encouraged to follow suit both within and outside the conservation area to help reduce carbon emissions.”
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 to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 25% of 2006 levels by 2013.
Further information about the Council’s Carbon Management Plan and the steps it is taking to reduce its carbon emissions is provided online at http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/energy/renewable-energy/
Businesses and local residents interested in reducing carbon dioxide emissions and installing solar panels can obtain further information from the Energy Saving Trust at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/
If you missed the City Vision exhibition, then have a look on the St Albans District Council website. Please let me know your views as to how you want St Albans to develop over the next few years. It’s a fine city but could be a lot better provided we think ahead and don’t let our lives be dominated by the whims of developers.