I am investigating the apparent leap in nursery school demand this year. A largely fruitless meeting at county hall did reveal clearly that there is a huge ‘write in’ at some nursery schools outside the city centre. This confirms anecdotal evidence that I am picking up from residents that supply is now being greatly exceeded by demand. Officials have said they will get back to me with explanations towards the end of the week.
Leaseholders to be consulted on leasehold management
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/
Fix 2 – Verdict on Jubilee Centre on Monday
I wrote last week seeking absolute clarity from the county council as to whether it was prepared to use the Jubilee Centre as additional educational accommodation while the search for a permanent site for a new primary school continued.
The District Council controls the building but would appear prepared in principle to make it available to the county council.
I understand that the decision will be published on Monday. I will let residents know as soon as I have any concrete information.
Highways vehicles lying idle in Lemsford Road
I have no idea what these are doing either. They were there on Thursday and Friday with no sign of life.
Chris White and Sandy Walkington were surprised to find signs that Lemsford Road was about to be repaired at last – but of course it was just vehicles lying idle.
Meanwhile Lemsford Road has been voted in as one of the four roads of shame in St Albans Central Division by local residents who responded to our highways survey. The full list is:
Lemsford Road
Hatfield Road at the railway bridge
Victoria Street at the railway bridge
Woodstock Road South
Clearly there are many, many others which give cause for concern – but these struck you as the worst.
Yet more highways matters
Cavendish Road and and Albion Road faded signs: these are still not replaced despite promises two years ago. I am told that they have been ordered (I was told this two years ago too).
St John’s Court: the pavements should have been repaired by now but the National Grid got in and dug everything up. They are planning to go back at some point. Herts Highways are awaiting confirmation that the National Grid works are over and anticipate that the pavements will be done in the summer.
Ridgmont Road: both carriageway and footway are disintegrating. I understand that footway repairs are due to take place on the east side which is clearly worse. No date has been given.
What’s happening with ‘City Vision’
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
Further problem areas notified to Herts Highways
Woodstock Road North footways: the local highways team has applied for footway resurfacing funding from county hall. I have also pointed out the deteriorating state of the carriageway.
Woodstock Road South: I have again pressed for major repairs and have yet to get a positive answer. The temporary repairs which have just appeared are woefully inadequate.
Worley Road: accelerating deterioration (I have reported two potholes in the last week alone). I have been promised that it will be totally resurfaced ‘this year’ but have not been given a definite date
Fix 1 – EXPOSED: 7% CUT IN COUNTY HIGHWAYS EXPENDITURE IN ST ALBANS
Chris White and Sandy Walkington – campaigning on roads
This week Liberal Democrat Group Leader Chris White (St Albans Central) has exposed a hidden 7% cut in highways expenditure planned for St Albans.
In documents not normally made public the Liberal Democrats have found that the County Council has cut its non urgent highways repairs budget, known as Category
2, by over half a million pounds (£568,749) – some 5% against what it
spent last year.
This money is spent on major resurfacing schemes costing less than
£30,000, drainage, road marking renewals, signage, tree maintenance
and kerbing repairs.
Hidden within the figures is a 7% cut for St Albans which will lose £89,000 – on an overall budget now of £1.1 million.
Further examination of the figures has shown that each of the three Liberal
Democrat run district councils (Watford, Three Rivers and St Albans) and the sole Labour authority (Stevenage) in Hertfordshire have all had budget cuts while a number of the Conservative run areas get increases, such as Dacorum
with an extra 10%, taking its spend to £1.3million.
Chris White said: “The Tories claim they are spending extra on highways. If that is the case why are they cutting the amount spent on the works that residents want to see delivered by local highways teams?
“No wonder they are pretending it is the Lib Dems who have planned cuts – they are clearly deeply afraid of residents’ anger.”
Some answers from Herts Highways
1. Holywell Hill – Anti-skid on approaches to pedestrian crossing.
This work has been ordered and is expected to be carried out imminently.
The type of treatment is weather-dependant but it is due to be laid by the
end of this month. On a technical note, it will be shorter in length on the
northbound approach due to the nature of the slower moving traffic in this
lane plus the better visibility that the uphill orientation provides.
2. Sopwell Lane – Speed hump lining.
Sopwell Lane is on this year’s Streetscene programme. As part of these
works, all the roads are re-lined as a matter of course. The ‘visual
widening’ of the humps with a 200mm line instead of a 100mm line, as has
been successfully trialled on Albert Street, will be carried during these
works. The Streetscene programme is currently being scheduled. Therefore,
at this time, we do not have a date but work in Sopwell Lane is likely
during July, though it could be August.
3. Lemsford Road – IWP CWY08526 Thin Surfacing
According to the systems that we have available to us in this office, this
work is scheduled to take place this Summer. We are awaiting confirmation
of this from the Senior Project Manager at Highways House along with
provisional dates. We expect to have this information by the end of this
week which we will in turn pass on to you.
On a separate note, Sopwell Lane will be closed to through traffic (but
remain open at all times for residents’ access and emergency vehicles) this
Thursday 14th May under an Emergency Temporary Traffic Regulation Order.
This is because a section of a retaining wall belonging to Abbey Court on
Holywell Hill has been deemed to be unsafe and therefore needs to be taken
down at the earliest opportunity. The contractors expect the work to take
one day, however it may run into Friday. They will start on Thursday at
09.30, after the morning peak.
I am chasing Herts Highways for firm dates on the following schemes
Holywell Hill: work on crossing to make it more visible. The works oder has been raised.
Sopwell Lane: due to have a sign saying unsuitable for HGVs’ plus extra white paint on the speed humps to slow traffic
Lemsford Road: this is due this year (it should have been last year but Herts Highways changed their mind after telling me and residents). No date available yet despite frequent requests.
This of course is only a selection of the road and pavements schemes which need doing.