Local councillors have been working with the council to try and get an upgrade of the Rec. Nearly £50,000 has been found from section 106 monies – developer contributions agreed as a result of local planning applications.
You can fill in the questionnaire on-line by clicking here. The closing date for responses is 10 April.
To sign go to:
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/10262
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Swimming is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy, but a large proportion of adults cannot swim or feel nervous in the water. To help them take the plunge to learn to swim or simply improve their technique, a new range of swimming lessons aimed specifically at adults are being launched by St Albans City and District Council, in partnership with its leisure centre manager, Leisure Connection.
Available at Harpenden Swimming Pool and Westminster Lodge, the eight week course costs £24 for new customers and is open to all those over the age of 16.
Swimming as a non weight bearing activity is perfect for helping older people and those recovering from injuries to improve their fitness levels.
Lessons available include:
· Learn to swim / water confidence for adults. These lessons have been put together for adults who want to learn to swim.
· Stroke improvement lessons for adults. If you want to learn a different stroke or learn how to breathe properly while swimming these are the lessons for you.
· Advanced lessons for adults. These are perfect for someone who’s training for a triathlon, open water swimming event, swimming competitions or just wants to get stronger and fitter.
Scott Machen, Contract Manager for Leisure Connection in St Albans District said: “These courses are not just for complete novices and beginners. They are also perfect for people who are self taught or just want to improve their stroke, ability and effectiveness in the pool. To encourage more adults to come and try our lessons, we have introduced a special introductory offer for new customers.”
He adds: “If the correct swimming technique is taught then swimming becomes a more pleasurable experience and enables the participant to enjoy a more productive session in the pool. Becoming more confident in the water will also open up further opportunities for customers to enjoy other aquatic activities we hold at Westminster Lodge and Harpenden Swimming Pool, such as Aquafit.”
Anyone signed up to the adult swimming lessons will only have to pay £1 each time they go swimming independently of their lessons while they are on the course.
On completion of the first eight week course participants will also receive a £5 voucher off their next course and a discount voucher for all Zoggs pool equipment.
For more information about the courses on offer contact Harpenden Swimming Pool at Leyton Road, Rothamsted Park, Harpenden on 01582 460683 or Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre at Holywell Hill, St Albans on 01727 846031.
St Albans City and District Council’s refuse and recycling service has been affected by the snow and ice.
Every effort has been made to collect as much refuse and green waste as possible during the snow and the vast majority of collections have been made. Any remaining roads which have not been accessible are listed at http://www.recyclingforapremier.com/
The Council has now made temporary arrangements to collect all waste that is put out in green or black wheelie bins. This means that as of today residents can put out both their black and green wheelie bins for waste to be collected on their scheduled collection day. These arrangements will last for one week only from 24 December to 5 January 2012 (inclusive) and after that there will be a return to normal collection procedure, weather permitting.
However, the time-table for collection over the festive season will continue to operate until 22 January. The time-table is available at: http://www.recyclingforapremier.com/Bank-Holiday
The Council has temporarily suspended the collection of recycling boxes, but, weather permitting this service will resume from Wednesday, 29 December.
Daniel Goodwin, Chief Executive at St Albans City and District Council, said:
“These collect all arrangements have been put place in a bid to ensure that as much refuse and green waste is collected during these severe weather conditions. So far, there have been a very small number of roads which have been inaccessible due to the snow and ice. This is due to the fantastic effort of the waste collection crews who have been operating in what are very difficult and dangerous conditions.”
St Albans City and District Council’s Scrutiny Committee has set up a special “Task and Finish Group” to act as the focal point for ideas on how best to use the land currently occupied by Council-owned garages for the benefit of the whole community, while balancing the interests of the local residents.
Their first meeting on 3 November at 7.30pm in the Council Offices will aim to establish terms of reference, provide a briefing to the group, elect a Chair and decide on the dates for future meetings. A preliminary report will be made back to the Scrutiny Committee in December 2010.
The ideas the Group are seeking from residents can be wide ranging and can cover anything from social housing; other housing; new garages; open land for car parking; play areas; green space; space for youths to “hang out”; long or short term storage; light industrial or office space etc.
A final deadline for receiving feedback has not yet been set, but the meetings will be over a period of several months, so if you have a view on specific garage sites, please let us know as soon as possible. Once the deadline is agreed it will be publicised. You can e-mail your suggestions to: scrutiny@stalbans.gov.uk.
The Group will also conduct a review of all current garage sites; the rents charged; how many are empty and how many are fully utilised and how Town and Parish Councils might be involved in future, perhaps as managing agents. Solutions will also be sought for ways to reduce the risk of vandalism and anti-social behaviour at some garage sites.
Recommendations of the Group will be reported to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee in due course and if supported, will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet for consideration next year.
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.
A £500,000 bid to Sport England to help fund the new Westminster Lodge development has progressed to the next stage.
St Albans City and District Council has been invited to submit further information in support of its application to the Government’s Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Programme for grant funding to provide improved swimming facilities and equipment in the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre.
The Council has been asked to provide a more detailed plan to Sport England to secure the £500,000 grant which will be used to provide facilities to encourage more residents to get active and take up swimming.
Its bid is one of only 45 nationally that have successfully progressed to stage two, out of 173 applications initially made to Sport England.
Councillor Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Healthy Living at St Albans City and District Council, said: “It’s good news that we have advanced to stage two. The new Westminster Lodge pool has been planned to optimise its use as a community pool that will encourage more and more people into swimming and activity.”
The Council has been able to bid for a slice of the £10m available nationwide because it has been successfully participating in the Government’s free swimming initiatives for under 16s and the over 60s. The Free Swimming Capital Modernisation Scheme promotes creative approaches to improving swimming facilities to encourage more people in these two target groups to take part in physical activity.
The new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre development will include a regional competition sized 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. It will also offer a full-scale Spa experience and a standalone Café/Bistro.
A planning application for the new leisure centre is due to be submitted to the Council by the end of January 2010 and the new leisure centre is on course to open by the end of 2012.
St Albans is one of the most historic places in Britain; with its medieval Abbey and important Roman ruins. However, there is much more to St Albans than these historical and archaeologically important landmarks that are located in the City centre.
A new book, published by the Museum of St Albans, aims to shed some light on the history behind the less high profile area of Fleetville which can trace its roots as a settlement back to the 18th century with the building of the road to Hatfield.
Fleetville: A community in St Albans, explains how the area experienced rapid change in the post-war years, but has still managed to retain its sense of community.
The book is the product of a two-year community-based project that has been supported by St Albans City and District Council. It follows a similar initiative focused around Marshalswick that last year resulted in the publication of the history of that area.
Councillor Melvyn Teare, the Portfolio Holder for Culture and Heritage at St Albans City and District Council said: “Fleetville: A community in St Albans is a compelling read that sets out the history behind what is an interesting area of St Albans.”
The book has been put together by three researchers from the Museum of St Albans with the help of input from other staff members and the reminiscences of a number of Fleetville’s inhabitants, both past and present.
Fleetville: A community in St Albans is available from the Museum of St Albans, Verulamium Museum and the Tourist Information Centre, St Albans and is priced at £6.
The Liberal Democrats have expressed amazement at a proposal which came before the City and District Council full council meeting on Wednesday. The proposal to give two hours’ free parking in all on and off street controlled areas throughout the district would cost the council £1 million and thus lead to a 10% increase in council tax.
Anthony Rowlands, portfolio holder for Community Engagement and Support, said: ‘It is difficult to believe that they are serious. It is significant that this is the first time they have mentioned such a proposal and have brought it straight to Full Council rather than the Car Parking Working Party where it could have had proper consideration.
‘Not only would such a proposal cost a small fortune, but it would also increase pressure on retailers. Many local shops depend upon a rapid turnaround and this would encourage longer stays and thus fewer shoppers. It is a nonsese.’
Cllr Michael Green, who represents St Peter’s Ward, added: ‘I am sure those who have paid good money for a parking permit will not be too impressed to find others using their residents’ parking spaces for free.’
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