Community News

PREMIER
Community
Communi
Co
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uni
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NEWS
DECEMBER 03 2009
NEW
View from meadow area (North West) towards the new leisure centre.
Westminster Lodge gets go-ahead
Westminster Lodge,
in St Albans, is to be
replaced with an
exciting new leisure
development.
Cabinet for St Albans City and
District Council gave the
green light to the new leisure
centre, to be built adjacent to
the existing Westminster
Lodge, following a public
consultation held during the
summer.
The new development will
include a 25m pool, a 17m
learner pool, a fitness suite
with 200 stations (including
a spinning studio), two
exercise studios, a climbing
wall, a four court sports hall,
a crèche and soft play area, a
dedicated youth facility and a
cafe/bistro.
In addition to a sauna, steam
room and spa pool, the full
scale Spa facilities could
include hot rooms, aroma
steam rooms, a scented
sauna, mud treatments and
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
development 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.”
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
Snow stopper
Council Laptop Theft
We hope it won’t happen but just in case…
In the event of adverse weather conditions
affecting the collection of refuse and recycling,
please see updates posted on the Council
website at www.stalbans.gov.uk and at
www.recyclingforapremier.com. There will also
be a pre-recorded message on the Council’s
Contact Centre number 01727 819285.
Some residents have been
affected by the theft of a
laptop from Council offices
containing information
about postal voters. The
Council understands that
residents will be concerned
about this matter and is
seeking to be as open and
responsive as possible. We
have written to everyone
affected, and set up a helpline
to call on 01727 819291 or
819294 during office hours.
Answers to frequently asked
questions can be found at
www.stalbans.gov.uk. See
the ‘In Focus’ box on the
homepage. A police
investigation continues.
Historic St Albans District: a premier community
in Spring 2012. It is
anticipated that the existing
Westminster Lodge Leisure
Centre will remain open until
then when it will be closed
and later demolished.
Free parking
this Christmas
The Council owned
St Albans city centre car
parks (run by NCP) are
FREE after 6.30pm and all
day Sunday throughout
the year. In addition, on
Thursdays in December,
the following car parks
are also free after 4pm:
• London Rd
• Civic Centre Basement
• Gombards
• Bricket Rd North
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Strong consultation response
on crucial issues affecting District
Residents have
responded in their
thousands to
St Albans City & District
Council’s Shaping Our
Community planning
consultation which ran
during the summer and
early autumn. More than
3,000 written responses
have been received.
The consultation sought
views on crucial issues
affecting the District such as
protection of the Green Belt
and the potential location of
future development. Interim
findings will be published in
January on the Council’s
website.
Cllr Chris Brazier, Portfolio
Holder for Planning and
Conservation at St Albans
City and District Council,
said: “We would like to thank
all those residents who have
responded to the
consultation and voiced their
opinions on what the District
should look like in the future.
The consultation was broad
and asked residents to give
their views on where they
think housing development,
schools, healthcare
provision, transport services
and retailing should be
located in the future.”
The consultation will feed
into work to produce the
Local Development
Framework – a set
of planning documents
which set the direction
of planning policy until
2026. More information
is available at
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Recycle your low
energy light bulbs
Leader of the Council, Cllr Robert
Donald using the new facility.
Green grants on offer
Grants for loft and
cavity wall insulation
and solar panels are
among the energy
efficiency measures on
offer 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 in Hertfordshire
and Essex that have together
obtained £6.6million worth of
Railfreight
Latest
government funding.
If you are not in receipt of
benefits you are entitled to
loft or cavity wall insulation
at subsidised prices starting
at £99. In addition, you may
be eligible to receive grants
and interest free loans to
cover the cost of installing
renewable technologies and
heating upgrades.
Sainsbury’s in
London Colney is
one of the first
Sainsbury’s stores across
the country to offer
energy-saving light bulb
and portable battery
recycling facilities.
If you are a homeowner in
receipt of qualifying benefits
or are aged 70 years or
more, you 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.
For more informationn
please call 0800 980 6026,
quoting STA1009, or go to
www.heepgrant.org.
The Council’s 24
hour secure
internet payments
service is available at
www.stalbans.gov.uk
The Railfrieght planning
inquiry began on 24 Nov
and runs until 18 Dec. The
Inquiry is being held at the
Civic Centre in St Albans.
For further information,
see In Focus at
www.stalbans.co.uk.
Just click on ‘Ways to Pay’
on the homepage. You can
pay you council tax, housing
or garage rent, business
rates or Council invoices
In partnership with recycling
specialists Recolight, the
store now has a specially
designed collection
container where shoppers
can take their old energysaving light bulbs and
batteries for recycling at
approved treatment facilities.
Why not pay your
Council Tax online?
Historic St Albans District: a premier community
here. The council accepts
most major credit or debit
cards (not Diners Card or
American Express).
www.stalbans.gov.uk
£700K fund to target
change locally
Ready and
prepared?
Thankfully, St Albans
is a safe city and
district in which to
live and work and lots of
work goes on behind the
scenes to keep it that way.
St Albans City and District
Council is an active
member of Hertfordshire
Resilience, the county’s
emergency planning forum
which works to prepare for
large-scale emergencies.
Are you ready for anything?
Here are a few simple
things to think about.
disruption to utility supplies
is low, such an incident can
be inconvenient for most and
dangerous for others. The
water, electricity and gas
suppliers have special
schemes in place for low
income households, for
customers who rely on a
constant supply of water and
for people with disabilities or
who are chronically ill.
Contact your provider for
details of their vulnerable
customer schemes.
Flooding
If you are unfortunate enough
to suffer from the effects of
seasonal flu or swine flu this
winter, you will most likely
suffer only a mild illness.
Some people, however, will
require more extensive
medical support. If you do not
have family or friends nearby,
you may want to give some
thought to identifying a FluFriend who would be able to
collect your medication on
your behalf, if necessary. Or
why not offer your services as
a Flu Friend to someone you
know. More information
about coping with swine
flu can be found at
www.wherts-pct.nhs.uk and
www.enherts-pct.nhs.uk.
Even if your home is not
directly at risk from flooding,
the 2007 summer floods
showed us how we can all be
affected by the consequences
of an unexpected event. To
see the risk of river flooding
to your property, visit
www.environmentagency.gov.uk where you
can do a postcode check and
sign up for free flood alerts.
Alternatively, call the
Environment Agency Flood
Line on 0845 988 1188. You
may want to check the details
of your insurance policies and
add cover if necessary.
Disruption to utility supplies
Swine flu
“Aiming high – caring
for our future” was
the topic for a recent
community conference
organised by the Local
Strategic Partnership, a
group of key local agencies
(police, councils, health
organisations, etc.,) and
voluntary and community
groups, working in the
District.
The conference focused on
how to make ambitions, set
out in the District’s
Sustainable Community
Strategy, a reality.
The involvement of young
people was a key theme.
Andrew Cawthorpe, Regional
Partnership Manager for the
East of England Prince’s
Trust’s, gave the keynote
speech and Youth Council
members (pictured) ran one of
the afternoon workshops.
Students from Oaklands
College produced a short film
for the conference as part of
their Media Production course
work experience.
Tarkan Ahmet, a Young
Ambassador for the Prince’s
Trust gave an inspirational
account to delegates of his
own experience of juggling
full time caring responsibilities
with achieving his ambition to
set up his own internet
business.
The bidding process for a
share of a special £700K
Targeting Change Fund was
announced at the Conference.
Cllr Robert Donald, Leader of
St Albans City and District
Councillor and Chair of the
Local Strategic Partnership,
commented: “I look forward to
seeing money going to
community based projects
that will make a real difference
to local residents.”
Further details are available
through the Local Strategic
Partnership website:
www.stalbanslsp.org.uk
or by email from
[email protected].
The deadline for bids is
Wednesday 23 Dec 2009.
Your Council –
a developing centre of
excellence for customer service
St Albans City and
District Council
has been awarded
over £80,000 by the
Department of
Communities and Local
Government to pilot a new
Toolkit designed to help
local authorities deliver
better customer service.
In a 2008 survey, 99% of
customers said they were
either satisfied or very
satisfied with
the service they received.
As a developing centre of
excellence for customer
service, the Council is
committed to sharing its
findings with other councils.
While the likelihood of
Tiffin Club wins Equalities Award
Do you need an NHS dentist?
To find an NHS dentist in Hertfordshire phone 01707 369645 or email
The Council has
once again come up
trumps in the East
of England Equality
Awards, this year as joint
winners with its Tiffin Club
project. Last year the
Council earned 2nd place
with the Clarence Park
Sensory Garden project.
[email protected]
For details on refuse collection over Christmas and New Year,
please see Recycling News or www.recyclingforapremier.com
The Tiffin Club is held once a
week and offers English
literacy and numeracy
classes, fitness sessions and
advice on healthy eating and
preventative healthcare for
women from black and
minority ethnic communities
in particular.
Historic St Albans District: a premier community
Cllr Robert Donald, leader of
the St Albans City and
District Council and the
portfolio holder for equalities,
said: “I am delighted that this
special luncheon club has
been recognised in this way.
Practical help to enable
greater integration in the
community and development
of English language skills,
especially for people who
may feel isolated at home, is
really important.”
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Fit & healthy
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Your pathway to a
LOCAL DEMOCRACY
permanently healthier lifestyle Interested in becoming
Improve your level
of physical activity
through a
programme of exercise
being offered by St Albans
City and District Council.
The St Albans District
Exercise Referral Scheme
(ERS) is a 24 week
programme designed for
people with health concerns
who are unsure about what
physical activity they can
safely do. Professional
advice and support is on
offer to help you become
more active. Referral to the
scheme is through a health
professional. Health issues
might include mental health
problems, hypertension,
diabetes, joint or muscular
flexibility and strength
problems, back pain,
osteoarthritis, weight related
problems, asthma and lung
problems, coronary heart
disease or just being unfit
through prolonged inactivity.
The scheme is run by the
Sport and Health
Development Team, managed
by the Council’s contractor
Leisure Connection. Contact
01727 827667, or email
steve.howard@leisureconne
ction.co.uk for more details.
Being more physically active
has lots of benefits. It can
help relieve stress and
reduce depression and
anxiety. It can alleviate high
blood pressure and aid
sleep. It can help you lose
weight and improve body
shape, posture and flexibility.
It gives you more energy and
it can be fun.
Herts Youth Games will take
place on Sat 26 June 2010 at
the University of Hertfordshire
Sports Village. Training
sessions start in February and
March and will be led by top
Is it time to lead
a more active
lifestyle?
Want to try a new
activity?
Want to exercise in a
fun, relaxed and
sociable environment
with like-minded
people?
All the training sessions will
be FREE to participate, so put
a date in your diary and visit
The programme, entitled Get
Back Into, offers the chance
www.stalbans.gov.uk
and see the ‘Engage With
Us’ box on the homepage,
or call 01727 819519.
Sat: 5th, 12th, 19th
Christmas Markets – 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th
St Albans Farmers Market – Sun: 13th
Wheathampstead Farmers Market – Sun: 20th
Continental Market – 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th
www.stalbans.gov.uk for
details from January 2010.
If you would like information
on the programme and
how to get involved sent
to you directly please call
01727 827667.
OR TRY SOMETHING NEW!
If you answered YES
to any of these questions
then you may be interested
in a new programme being
organised by Active
St Albans, a community
sports and physical activity
network working to
encourage local adults to
lead more active lifestyles.
Councillors play a crucial
role in providing local
leadership. They represent
the views of local residents
and make decisions about
how the District is
managed. A new guide has
been produced by the
Council describing what is
involved in becoming a
Councillor. To download a
copy, please visit
St Albans Market – Wed: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
coaches from clubs across
the District. Sessions offer
children and young people
aged 5-16 a great chance to
try out new activities or sports
and possibly represent the
City and District of St Albans
at the games in June.
The Games are run by the
St Albans Arts, Sport &
Health Development Team
and managed by the
Council’s contractor Leisure
Connection.
Local democracy
depends on people
getting involved.
December Market Days
Herts Youth Games 2010
The 2009 Herts
Youth Games were a
great success, but
St Albans City and District
Council thinks it can do
even better next year. It
aims to offer a greater
number of free sports
sessions and link more
young people to regular
physical activity in 2010.
a councillor?
to take part in regular
physical activity within a fun
and sociable environment.
From badminton to bowls
and netball to nordic walking
there’s an activity to suit
everyone and the first
session is FREE! Visit
www.activestalbans.com
for more information or call
01727 827667.
Have your say...
We welcome anything you have
to say about our services.
Please send your comments to:
St Albans City &
District Council
District Council Offices,
St Peter’s Street, St Albans,
Herts AL1 3JE
Switchboard: 01727 866100
Opening hours:
Mon - Thurs 8.45am-5.15pm,
Fri 8.45am-4.45pm
Textphone: 01727 819570
Fax: 01727 856745
Website:
www.stalbans.gov.uk
E-mail:
[email protected]
Customer Service Centre
Opening hours:
Mon - Thurs 8.45am-5pm,
Fri 8.45am-4.30pm
Harpenden Town Council
Information Point, Town Hall,
Leyton Road, Harpenden
Telephone: 01582 768278
Opening hours:
Mon - Fri 10am-4pm
Alternative formats
If you would like to receive
this newsletter in an
alternative format, such as
Braille, or in another
language, please call
01727 814605
EMERGENCY SERVICE
(outside office hours)
01727 811155
Historic St Albans District: a premier community
www.stalbans.gov.uk