Recycle your Christmas tree and cards

St Albans City and District Council is running a recycling service to help residents dispose of their Christmas cards in a way that will reduce the amount of festive waste that goes to landfill. Collection bins for the recycling of Christmas cards have been installed at the council offices, council-owned sports centres and community centres across the District until the end of January. The locations are as follows:

• St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans
• Alban Arena, St Peter’s Street, St Albans
• Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, Holywell Hill, St Albans
• Greenwood Park Community Centre, Tippendell Lane, Chiswell Green
• St Stephens Parish Centre, Station Road, Bricket Wood, St Albans
• Redbourn Recreation Centre, Dunstable Road, Redbourn
• Marshalswick Community Centre, The Ridgeway, St Albans
• Jersey Farm Community Centre, St Brelades Place, Jersey Farm, St Albans
• Harpenden Swimming Pool, Leyton Road, Rothamsted Park, Harpenden
• Harpenden Sports Centre, Leyton Road, Rothamsted Park, Harpenden
• Harpenden Public Halls, Southdown Road, Harpenden
• Memorial Hall, Marford Road, Wheathampstead.

Details of the Christmas card recycling points are on the Council’s website at: http://bit.ly/vXa7r6.


You can also recycle your real Christmas tree if it is small enough to go in your green bin. Please ensure that the trunk and branches are no wider than a broom handle and the lid to the green bin can be closed. Trees can also be taken to your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre (HWRC) for composting. You can find your nearest HWRC at http://www.wasteaware.org.uk/hwrc.cfm.


For more information about recycling, visit the Council’s website http://www.recyclingforapremier.com/

New Westminster Lodge visitor cabin now open

A visitors’ information cabin, showing plans, layouts, materials and models of the new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre, is now open.  The new leisure centre is being built off Holywell Hill in St Albans to replace the current leisure facility. The visitors’ information cabin, which is open seven days a week 7am – 10pm, is located right next to the entrance of the current leisure centre, alongside the building site.  Visitors can also see the building works in progress on the construction site from the cabin, which was previously the site of a car park serving the existing Westminster Lodge and Abbey Theatre.  


The visitor cabin gives detailed information about the facilities in the new centre. The first floor gym and exercise studios, accommodating up to 180 pieces of equipment including cardio vascular and resistance apparatus, will have spectacular views of the Abbey and Verulamium Park. There will also be a youth gym and chill out space. There are to be two exercise studios with sprung floors for dance, aerobics or for community based activities. The studios have a central folding partition and can be opened up into a single large space for functions and special events.  There will also be a small spinning studio for around 20 spinning bikes. For younger residents the new centre will have a crèche and soft play area which can also be used for children’s parties, Yoga, Pilates, and community use.  


In the split level spa there will be a walk in hydro spa pool, an aroma steam room, Kelo (scented) sauna, hot rooms and monsoon and bucket showers. The spa will have under floor heating and will be fully accessible for people with disabilities.  Also featured are pedicure and nail bars, treatment rooms and a relaxation lounge opening onto an external sun terrace with views of the Abbey and Verulamium Park to the west. The new 4-court sports hall with a semi-sprung floor will accommodate a range of sports including badminton, basketball, volleyball, 5-a-side football, netball, gymnastics, trampolining, short tennis, handball, table tennis, martial arts, community events and much more.  A 12m high climbing wall and standalone pinnacle will offer a variety of climbing routes from beginner to expert levels. 


There are three pools in the new Westminster Lodge; a 25m x 21m ten lane main pool with 50% moveable floor, a 17m x 10m teaching pool with a 100% moveable floor, and a confidence water area for young children providing shallow water and fun play elements including water spouts, slides, showers and interactive wet play equipment. A spectator balcony for 250 people is being built above the main pool. The swimming pool flexibility will allow the Council to provide a diverse range of water sports for all the community from recreational, training and short course competition swimming, to water polo, synchronised swimming, sub-aqua, canoe training and under water hockey.   The main pool includes a platform lift for people with disabilities. The new Westminster lodge Leisure Centre Café / Bistro will also be accessible directly from Verulamium Park for use by park visitors and theatre goers.  It will have an external terrace overlooking the Park’s Meadow Area and with views to the Abbey in the distance.

Cllr Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports Leisure and Heritage a St Albans City & District Council commented:  "We are inviting residents to view and comment on the finishes that have been chosen.  You can let us know what you think by emailing leisure@stalbans.gov.uk.  Having listened to the suggestions of the Willmott Dixon construction team, in my view it could be argued that the finishes are better than before we undertook the value engineering exercise in order to deliver the improved 10 lane pool. This decisive and effective exercise was taken by the Council's new leadership team and will result in a main pool that is 25% bigger within the original budget."  The new Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre is due to open in Autumn 2012.  

Council hears from Network Rail and FCC following November rail disruptions

Network Rail and First Capital Connect responded to District Councillors’ questions following major disruption to the Thameslink service in early November. Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director from Network Rail and Jerome Pacatte, Area Business Manager from First Capital Connect were speaking at St Albans City & District Council’s Full Council meeting on Wednesday 23 November.


The Council had invited the two companies to answer questions about how they are proposing to deal with the issues highlighted by the recent disruptions and how they intend to minimise any further disruption to commuters. In particular, unreliability and consequent diminishing confidence in service and a lack of communication from FCC were high on the councillors’ list of concerns.


The companies’ representatives apologised for the delays, described what had led to the latest disruptions and what they were doing to improve the service.  They also invited councillors to see for themselves various upgrades that they said had been put in place as part of a major improvement programme. A webcast of the Council meeting is available online. Both FCC and Network rail are also due to attend the Council’s Overview & Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee on 26 January 2012. This meeting is open to the public to observe and can be also be viewed via webcast, both live and after the event.


Councillor Julian Daly, Executive Leader of the Council said: “I am glad that FCC and Network Rail both agreed to come and hear our concerns.  It is a credit to both organisations that they were willing to engage with us in this way.  Sadly this is not the first time we have felt the need to invite them to account for the poor service experienced by local commuters.  As a regular commuter myself, I know the impact of long delays and the negative effect they can have on business and the lives of local people.” 

Applications open for primary, junior and middle schools in 2012

The under-11s application process in Hertfordshire opens on 14 November 2011 so if your child is due to start school in 2012, or move on to junior or middle school next September, Hertfordshire County Council needs to hear from you. During November, leaflets explaining the process will be posted to families of reception age children and distributed to families of junior and middle applicants through their child’s current infant or first school.


Information about the application process and timescales is also available in the interactive version of the 'Applying for a School Place' booklet. The online directory of schools contains details of every infant, first, primary, junior and middle school in Hertfordshire. Alternatively, copies of the booklet, local school directories and paper application forms can be obtained from the Customer Service Centre by calling 0300 123 4043.


The easiest way to make an application is via HCC's website. You will be able to amend your application at any time up to the closing date and receive immediate confirmation that your application has been received. Online applicants can access their school offer before allocation letters are received and parents are also able to accept the school allocated online. Last year 97 per cent of parents applied this way and found the system quick, easy and secure. Parents that do not wish to apply online can request a paper application form that must be returned direct to the admission and transport team.  Application forms cannot be returned to schools.


The closing date for applications is 15 January 2012. Before making an application, parents and carers are strongly advised to visit schools to help them make their preferences. Parents should contact schools directly to find out more about visiting a school.


Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Understandably, parents and carers want their children to attend the school they most prefer. Hertfordshire has a good track record and last year over 94 per cent of families were allocated places at one of their three ranked primary schools. I urge parents to consider carefully the preferences they make and to visit local schools before applying. It is also vitally important that parents and carers get their applications in on time as late applications are much less likely to secure one of the parents' or carers' preferred schools."


Parents are advised to check the county council's website for any updates to the application process or timescales. Details about new schools and additional places will also be published on the website. To apply online and for more info on school admissions log on to www.hertsdirect.org/admissions. Parents with younger children will be able to apply for nursery schools and classes in mid February 2012 when a leaflet about the nursery admissions will be sent directly to parents. If your child is due to start secondary or upper school next year and you haven’t yet made an application you need to make a late application for a secondary school place. This can still be done online or on a paper application form.

Alban City School Announces Open Days for Prospective Parents

Plans for a new Free School in St Albans city centre received government approval on 10 October 2011. The Department for Education has approved the opening of a free school in St Albans in September 2012, providing 60 reception places only in 2012, and then 60 reception places each year thereafter.  

The proposals were put forward by the free school group which is made up of a number of educationalists and local parents and fully supported by Hertfordshire County Council, who purchased the former School of Law site on Hatfield Road to accommodate this new school at a city centre location. The free school group has announced a number of open days as they are keen to encourage prospective parents and their children to visit the site and meet the free school group. 

Tuesday 1st November - 9.30am, 11.30am, 2pm
Monday 7th November - 8pm
Sunday 20th November - 10am, 12pm, 3pm
Monday 28th November - 11am, 1.30pm
Thursday 8th December - 8pm

The school will welcome children of all abilities, faiths, social and cultural backgrounds. Any parent can apply for a place at the school and admissions will be managed by Hertfordshire County Council following the same admissions rules as all other community primary schools in St. Albans. The application process for reception places for September 2012 will open on 14 November 2011 and close on 15 January 2012 and can be made through the county council web site at www.hertsdirect.org (paper application forms can be obtained by contacting the customer service centre).


Frances Button, Executive Member for Education at Hertfordshire County Council, said “This is excellent news for many young children and their families in St Albans.  This school will provide 60 additional primary school places for 2012 in the city centre, an area where we have been working with local parents to address the consistent pressure for additional places. We recognise that there have been concerns locally particularly regarding traffic and parking and I know that these are being considered in the plans. We fully support this group of professionals who are giving their time for free to support the development of this new school.”


The free school group is being lead by Linda Crawley, the former head teacher of Aboyne Lodge, an outstanding and oversubscribed community primary school in central St. Albans.  She said, “We are delighted that this project has been given the go-ahead by the Department for Education.  We are truly committed to establishing a wonderful new school which will provide a supportive environment within which our children can learn and thrive.  I would urge all parents of young children living in St Albans to come along to one of our prospective parent open evenings.”

For further information about the open days visit the school’s website 

NOTES
Free Schools are all-ability state-funded schools set up in response to what local people say they want and need in order to improve education for children in their community.  For further information please visit the Department for Education’s Website.
The post of head teacher will be advertised through Hertfordshire County Council’s website www.hertsdirect.org and the Times Educational Supplement website.  Prospective applicants can also contact Alban City School directly for further information.

allaboutstalbans.com

2011/12 Community Grants Fund launched

The Community Grants Fund aims to provide voluntary and community groups with a chance to apply for flexible funding of £500 - £5,000 to support projects and activities within local communities which can be delivered between November 2011 and June 2012.

Similar projects funded through the Targeting Change Fund in 2010 included activities promoting community action, empowering young people with learning disabilities, engaging older people in devising a piece of theatre and involving neighbourhoods in transforming their local environment.

Applicants for Community Grants will be asked to demonstrate how their project meets at least 3 of the following criteria:-

• Benefit the local community.
• Increase local peoples’ interest in local democracy.
• Promote involvement in community life.
• Bring together people form different backgrounds.
• Reduce inequality.
• Support individuals with disabilities.
• Engage young people in positive activities.
• Support the needs of older people

Projects and activities will also need to have clear links to the priorities detailed in the 2011-15 St Albans City and District Inclusion Strategy. www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/.

Application forms and further guidance notes for the Community Grants Fund are available from the Centre for Voluntary Service who are administering the fund on the Council’s behalf:-

CVS St Albans District, 31 Catherine Street, St Albans, Herts. AL3 5BJ. Tel: 01727 852657. E-mail: kate@cvsstalbans.org.uk 
Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-and-living/community-grants/.
The closing date for receipt of applications is 5pm on Monday 31 October 2011. Successful applicants will be notified in early November 2011.

A New Future for Trestle Arts Base

For over thirty years, Trestle has developed masked storytelling theatre, unmasked physical theatre, education and training programmes and community arts projects and in the last year alone, engaged over 30,000 people in the Arts.

Earlier this year, when the government made its cuts in culture, Trestle lost its future funding, had to hone to its strengths and decide how to cut back public output for the time being. One of the major downsides to the funding cut by the Arts Council is that sadly Trestle will be unable to run Trestle Arts Base in St Albans at its current capacity, which over the past decade has inspired all ages at local and international levels. 

From September 2011 Trestle Arts Base will be open to the public on the following days;
Mondays 4pm – 9pm
Tuesdays & Wednesdays 9.30am – 5.30pm
Saturdays 10am – 3.30pm

The Gallery Café will be open, but scaled down to a minimal service of hot and cold drinks and cold snacks. We are looking forward to welcoming back many of our community classes on the days that we are open.

StoryTent and Youth Theatre programmes
Determined to not let down our 70 strong dedicated StoryTent and Youth Theatre members and to keep supporting young people’s creativity across the District, we have joined forces with our professional storyteller Kathryn Holt and local professional theatre company Tip of the Iceberg. Through these partnerships, Trestle will re-launch StoryTent and the Youth Theatre to provide sessions that bring together theatre and performance skills in a fun and nurturing environment, available to all children and young people of any ability.

StoryTent will re-launch on Wednesday 14 September

The youth theatre will re-launch on Monday 12 September with a free taster session for each age group.

4-5pm 5-7yrs
5-6.30pm 8-12yrs
6.30-9pm 13-18yrs

Tip of the Iceberg has a wealth of experience delivering creative performance, workshops and training. Their work has taken them from performing in local schools to thousands of students, including Verulam, Beaumont, St Albans Boys and the High school, to Prince Charles’ Garden at Clarence House with High Speed Theatre for Eurostar. Tip of the Iceberg and Trestle share the ethos to Involve, Inform and Inspire. We will continue to develop new ways of working with professionals and emerging artists to produce and show performance work. We are delighted to be working in partnership with the St Albans City and District Council to develop an exciting programme of professional work at Trestle Arts Base.

Emily Gray, Artistic Director said, “We are determined to keep Trestle Arts Base alive as it is such a well loved venue. We need people in the District to come and take part in our activities and see the performances and in return we will give all we can to make this a culturally alive and exciting place to live.”

We ask you to visit Trestle’s website and social networking pages and use them as a place to explore ideas, experiences, new ways of making and watching work.
- Trestle Facebook: www.facebook.com/TrestleTheatre
- Trestle Twitter: www.twitter.com/trestletheatre

The Company’s new touring show, The Man with the Luggage, previews at Trestle Arts Base on the 21 and 22 of September before it heads out on National Tour; beyond that, we will not have the resources to make and tour two new productions a year, but will instead concentrate on collaborations across cultures and art forms. Forth coming projects include Unicorn’s Indian Snow Queen, www.unicorntheatre.com/snowqueen (winter 2011) and Increpación Danza’s www.increpacion.com version of The Birthday of the Infanta (in Spain, spring 2012) – of course our efforts to make new work will never disappear.

A new Heritage Lottery funded Odeon Journey project

Do you remember your first cinema kiss? Or the first film your child ever saw on the big screen? A new Heritage Lottery funded project will soon be bringing these magical moments to life and everyone in St Albans will have the chance to contribute to this fantastic community project, awarded £32,200.

Recreating our most precious cinematic memories from the Art Deco splendour of St Albans Odeon cinema, Odeon Journey will begin this September by inviting contributions from across the area. The project will celebrate the building’s history by collecting stories from cinema-goers of all ages, culminating in a multimedia exhibition at St Albans Museum and the Odyssey cinema (building works permitting) in 2012.

“Our partners the St Albans Museum and the Odyssey are brilliant venues for Odeon Journey,” said Project Manager Anna Reynolds. “Thanks to them and to our other partners – St Albans Arts Sports and Health, and the two local primary schools, Camp and Mandeville – we know this project will be able to engage with the whole community.”

There has been a cinema on the site since 1908 until the Odeon closed in 1995. After a long campaign by the St Albans Civic Society, the Odeon has been bought and is about to be restored as the Odyssey, by entrepreneur James Hannaway. After renovating the Rex in Berkhamsted, Mr Hannaway can be credited with creating England’s most beautiful cinema to date.

Odeon Journey will begin in September 2011 by inviting people to share their own – and their parents’ and grandparents’ – memories of the cinema. And by visiting St Albans Market on the 10th September, you can make sure your own memories are part of the exhibition. The Odeon Journey stall will be open throughout the day, gathering and sharing recollections.

Up to 60 schoolchildren from local schools will also take part in the project by recreating famous film footage in a performance installation during 2012, bringing this cinematic heritage to life. Among other opportunities created by the project, there will be the chance for up to 15 volunteers to receive oral history training too.

“Cinema gives us some of our most magical experiences”,  says Anna Reynolds. “We’re thrilled to get the grant, and the opportunity to celebrate this building’s heritage.” Marion Hammant of St Albans Civic Society adds, “We're delighted. The Civic Society campaigned long and hard to save the Odeon from demolition, and we're glad people's memories of this iconic St Albans building can now have the permanence they deserve.” Roy Swanston, Heritage Lottery Fund East of England Committee member, says, “Most people of my generation will remember going to the cinema every Saturday morning for the Children’s Cinema Club; it was wonderful to watch Roy Rogers and Laurel and Hardy on the big screen and thrill to the adventures in which they were involved.  So it is great that the Odeon Journey being created in the old Odeon Cinema at St Albans will begin to usher in a new host of memories of the cinema as it was and lead people to see how cinema has developed over the years since then.”

So come along to the Odeon Journey stall at St Albans Market on September 10th to share your cinema memories, find out more, or even become a project volunteer.

More information about the project is available at www.odeonjourney.org.uk, or contact Anna Reynolds, Project Manager, St Albans Civic Society, on 07789 078348, or info@odeonjourney.org.uk

Westminster Lodge plans to be called-in by Scrutiny

A news update from St Albans Council

On Tuesday 26 July, the Council’s Scrutiny Committee* (O&S), called-in* the Cabinet decision on the Westminster Lodge leisure centre which was agreed on 7 June.

Following Cabinet on 7 June** the Chair of Scrutiny, Councillor Robert Donald called-in this Cabinet decision for the following reasons:-

• No cross party or external public consultation has been conducted or independent professional verification of Capita Symonds consultants’ report carried out.
• The decision does not openly state Cabinet’s agreement to change the contract to provide a 10 lane swimming pool when it is clearly one of the mitigating actions that Cabinet members regarded as necessary to continue with the existing contract.
• Section 4.8 of the report refers to an alleged “….current shortfall in public water space in the district….” without evidencing this precisely or the options for resolving this if actually accurate, which would meet Sport England’s advisory standards.
• An explanation has not been given for what options were considered in arriving at a decision and the reason for that decision. There is no evidence of why the contract should be changed or the options considered to provide ten lanes instead of eight, or whether other numbers of lanes were considered.

Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of Overview & Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee commented: “In my view, the need to alter the size of the main 25 metre swimming pool in the new Westminster Lodge redevelopment has never been conclusively proven or substantiated. I called this in, as Chair Of Overview and Scrutiny, because in my view Cabinet changed the contract to increase the pool to ten lanes without proper prior due diligence being given to the revenue impact of these changes on the future maintenance costs and loss of income from the proposed facilities that will not now be provided, potentially risking tax payers money. Furthermore, I consider replacing the existing irregular sized pool with another one does not indicate financial efficiency. I am also concerned about the loss of energy saving reductions that would have resulted from the environmentally sustainable measure of using solar panels on the roof, and I would expect the committee to be asking questions about these issues. In my opinion, this change was rushed.  Closer scrutiny of this change to a multi-million pound Council contract is not only therefore desirable but essential. This is a valuable development contract and the committee members will need to satisfy themselves that the revised scheme will deliver value for money to the District’s residents.  Otherwise, in my view, residents could be paying more for decades to come for a flagship leisure centre that was designed not to cost them any more than now and to provide an income for the Council through the widest possible range of sports and recreational facilities.”

Notes:

*Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee

See the Council’s website for more information about Overview and Scrutiny, how topics are chosen, what powers the committee has and details of meetings:-

http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/Overview-and-Scrutiny/

Details of the next meeting can be found at:

http://stalbans.moderngov.co.uk/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=134&Year=2011

A call-in

A call-in is where members of the appropriate Overview & Scrutiny Committee have evidence which suggests that the Cabinet did not take the decision in accordance with the principles set out in Article 13.02 of the Council’s Constitution on Decision Making.  See Article 13 on the Council’s website:  http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/Images/02%20Articles%20of%20the%20Constitution%20-%20May%202011_tcm15-16832.pdf.

The appropriate O&S Committee considers the decision and if it is still concerned about it, then it may refer it back to the decision making person or body for reconsideration, setting out the nature of its concerns or may refer the matter to full Council.  

The O&S Committee cannot substitute its own decision for the decision made by Cabinet.

**Cabinet decision 7 June re Westminster Lodge:

“..That Cabinet confirms its acceptance of the independent due diligence review by Capita Symonds, agrees that its membership assumptions now form the basis of the business plan for Westminster Lodge, notes the estimated costs to cease the entire project and agrees to proceed with the project provided the mitigating action set out in the reports is taken forward….” More

Related press release:-New Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre to get two extra swimming lanes 15 June 2011. Read it here.

Webcast of this meeting.

The Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee meeting on Tuesday 26 July will be webcast live, and can be accessed via the Council’s website: http://www.stalbans.ukcouncil.net/site/ by selecting “Recent Webcasts Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee, District Council Offices, St Peter's Street, St Albans AL1 3JE Thur, 26 July 2011 @ 19:00.”

First Capital Connect questioned by Scrutiny Committee

News update from St Albans City and District Council


First Capital Connect (FCC) and Network Rail (NR) attended St Albans City and District Council’s Scrutiny Committee* meeting at 7pm on 13 July to respond to questions sent in by members of the public to the Committee over the last month. These were put to the rail operator’s Managing Director Neal Lawson (FCC), Integration and Partnership Manager Larry Heyman (FCC) and Martin Frobisher, the Route Director for East Midlands (NR).


The majority of the questions* were on the quality of communication with passengers when delays occur, the nature and transparency of the compensation policy and why 1^st class carriages are not declassified to reduce overcrowding. Other topics included what plans are in place to cope with future train failures and how longer trains will reduce problems in future. A full list of questions and answers can be seen on the Council’s website in the agenda for this meeting. Hard copies are also available on request by telephoning 01727 819526 or emailing: jo.grimes@stalbans.gov.uk. 

Councillor Robert Donald, Chair of Scrutiny commented: “As our local commuters would expect, we robustly questioned the senior managers of First Capital Connect and Network Rail attending our meeting on their recent performance and particularly the incident on 26 May 2011, when passengers were stranded for three hours on a packed train without adequate information and support. I was particularly concerned that lessons should be learnt for the future around better communication with commuters and far greater clarity and consistency on their compensation and repayments policy.

“Their response on the mistakes made and the need for marked improvement was both honest and encouraging. However to ensure these reassurances were translated into real action for rail travellers in the event that a similar event happens again in the future, councillors agreed that I should write as Scrutiny Chair to the Chair of First Capital Connect and Network Rail, requesting their Boards discuss and approve an improvement plan focusing on two matters: firstly improving communication with passengers particularly at times of rail disruption, overcrowding and distress; secondly providing greater transparency and clarity on their companies’ policies relating to refunds and compensation and the criteria for universal eligibility. Their agreed action plan on both these issues should be notified to us as soon as possible.

“My letter is also being copied to the Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP Secretary of State for Transport and the Transport Minister Norman Baker, our local MPs and Association of Public Transport Users, (APTU), amongst others. We also agreed to invite First Capital Connect and Network Rail to another Scrutiny Committee in six months time to monitor progress on the implementation of their improvements.

“I would like to thank all the members of the public who sent in questions for the meeting. First Capital Connect’s responses to these are available on the Council’s website, or in a hard copy by request via email: scrutiny@stalbans.gov.uk or telephone: 01727 819529.”

A guest blog posting from Claire Scammell

My name is Claire Scammell and I live and work in St Albans. I am a project manager at The Language Factory, a translation agency based in the city. My colleague Donaji and I are taking part in a trek in Malawi in October to raise funds for the MicroLoan Foundation, a small charity which is making a massive difference to the lives of women in Africa. The charity provides small loans and mentoring to help women start businesses and work their way out of poverty.

The Language Factory is paying all the costs of the trek so anything we raise goes directly to MicroLoan and will also match anything we raise. Donaji & I have been working hard to raise funds and awareness; when we get to Malawi and meet the women MicroLoan are supporting, we really want to feel that we did as much as we could with this opportunity to help.

I took part in the St Albans Half Marathon back in June and have been catering home-cooked lunches for my colleagues to raise funds. Donaji & I have also set up a tuck shop in the office and have been doing odd jobs in exchange for a donation to MicroLoan.

Our biggest challenge so far has definitely been entering the JustTextGiving video competition and we really need your help with this! The idea is to make a video showing how you are fundraising using the new JustTextGiving service, upload it to YouTube and get as many views as you can. The video with the most views by the 23rd August will win the £500 for their charity.

We are currently in 3rd place so really stand a chance of winning! Please watch our video and share it however you can, it is only 1 minute long and features our very beautiful Verulamium park: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrSrYkpuIXE

If you’d like to find out more about what we’re up to or pledge your support, please visit www.justgiving.com/claire-donaji

Deciphering Recycling

If you need to have a clear-out, then here are some different ways to recycle your things:


1) Our new marketplace is a great place to buy and sell good quality second-hand items locally. We've designed it to be a quicker, easier and cheaper version of ebay. You just create an account, list your item (with the asking price and a photo), and then wait for local buyers to contact you. 


2) If you'd like to donate something to a good home, then try St Albans Reuse, a free local recycling group. If your items are education-related (school uniforms, books, toys & games), then Education Recycle would appreciate your contributions.


3) Lastly, if you're looking for a bargain then Harpenden's Household Waste Recycling Centre is opening a new, second-hand shop where you can buy good quality things that other people have thrown away. A list of items for sale will be posted on their website.


For more information about recycling, see the environment section of our website or St Albans Council's 'why waste a good thing' website.

New Conservative Cabinet to lead St Albans City & District Council

A new Executive Leader, Cllr Julian Daly, has been elected by St Albans City and District Council at its annual meeting on May 18, 2011. The move follows the district council elections on May 5. These resulted in the Council being made up of 58 councillors, comprised as follows: Conservative 29, Liberal Democrat 24, Labour 3, Green 1, Independent 1


Council also noted that the Executive Leader, Cllr Julian Daly, has appointed five councillors to serve in the Council’s Cabinet alongside him with the following responsibilities:

• Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles – Portfolio Holder for Environment 
• Cllr Brian Ellis – Portfolio Holder for Housing 
• Cllr Teresa Heritage – Portfolio Holder for Planning and Conservation 
• Cllr Beric Read – Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism 
• Cllr Mike Wakely – Portfolio Holder for Sport, Leisure and Heritage 

Cllr Daly will chair Cabinet and also take on the role of Portfolio Holder for Resources. He said: “I am honoured to take up the role of Executive Leader of the Council. We will run a Council which listens to and engages with councillors of all parties and makes good use of the skills of residents.” Council also approved the composition, membership, Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Council’s committees.


Source: St Albans City & District Council Press Release 19 May 2011

Winners of the St Albans Mayor's Pride Awards

Inspirational people and groups from across St Albans City and District have been honoured in the inaugural Mayor’s Pride Awards for their contribution to the community. Ten awards were presented in a special ceremony at the Alban Arena on Thursday, 28 April, including the award for Community Champion of the Year which was received by Helen Maher, the caretaker of Fleetville Junior School, and the Award for Bravery, which went to Maureen Poupard, the founder of the A-T Society, that supports families of children affected by the Ataxia-Telangiectasia condition.


Other winners included:


Cultural Innovation Award – Zoe Jackson, Living the Dream Performing Arts
Child or Young Person of Courage – Lewis Browning and Freddie Rowe-Crowder  
Community Project of the Year – Redbourn 900
Community Oriented Business of the Year – Levy Associates
Outstanding Dedication to the Emergency Services & Armed Forces – Sergeant Lewis Ducket
Environmental Champion of the Year – Earthworks
Voluntary Sector Award – Reach Out Plus
Mayor’s Recognition Award – Redbourn Care Group


Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.

Bank Holiday bin collections - so you know when to put yours out!

Normal collection day	Revised collection day
Friday 22nd April (Good Friday)	Saturday 23rd April
Monday 25th April (Easter Monday)	Tuesday 26th April
Tuesday 26th April	Wednesday 27th April
Wednesday 27th April	Thursday 28th April
Thursday 28th April	Saturday 30th April
Friday 29th April  (Royal wedding)	Tuesday 3rd May
Monday 2nd May (May Day)	Wednesday 4th May
Tuesday 3rd May	Thursday 5th May
Wednesday 4th May	Friday 6th May
Thursday 5th May	Saturday 7th May
Friday 6th May	Monday 9th May
Monday 9th May	Tuesday 10th May
Tuesday 10th May	Wednesday 11th May
Wednesday 11th May	Thursday 12th May
Thursday 12th May	Friday 13th May
Friday 13th May	Saturday 14th May

This schedule can also be found at http://www.recyclingforapremier.com/Bank-Holiday

St Albans Clock Tower reopens to visitors after a facelit

The medieval Clock Tower in St Albans reopens its doors this weekend following the completion of conservation work. The wooden louvre slats covering some of the windows have been replaced and the brickwork has been repointed during the ten-week restoration project.


Volunteers from St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society and from St Albans Civic Society will open the tower to the public this weekend, from Fri 22 April to Mon 25 April, and then during the rest of the summer on Saturdays and Sundays from 10.30am to 4.45pm. An admission fee of £1 for adults applies. Unaccompanied children may be admitted at the clock watcher's discretion. 


Built between 1403 and 1412, the Clock Tower is the only medieval example in the country. It served as a look out, sounding the alarm in case of fire or fray, and rang out for the first Battle of St Albans during the Wars of the Roses in 1455. It was also used as a curfew to the townspeople until 1863. Visitors can climb the tower's steep, narrow and winding 93 steps and enjoy the view from the top.


English Heritage, custodians of the Grade 1 listed building have permission for the conservation work, which was carried out by a local architect and expert builders. 

Possible locations for future housing and business developments in St Albans

An update from St Albans City & District Council


To help meet the forecasted shortfall in employment sites in St Albans City and District and to address the need for additional housing, SADCC's Council Cabinet decided that:

• the Building Research Establishment’s Bricket Wood site is to be included in the Core Strategy as a potential site for a sustainable Eco Park for BRE’s own use and other green businesses to provide employment in the District.
• Head of Planning should investigate the possibility of designating Roehyde Farm, Colney Heath as a possible high tech business park in the Core Strategy.
• Beaumont School playing fields and land, north of Winches Farm, St Albans should be included in the Core Strategy as a potential location for 130 homes, new school playing fields, some new school buildings and a new road access to the school.
• Nicholas Breakspear School, Coney Heath Lane, St Albans should be included in the Core Strategy as a potential location for approximately 200 homes and new buildings and playing fields for the school. However, further investigations as to access arrangements are being undertaken, including the suitability of Hixberry Lane as an access road.
• the Ridgeview site in Barnet Road, London Colney be considered in the Core Strategy for either A1 retailing use or housing development for which planning permission has already been obtained.

Cabinet was not satisfied that Oaklands College had provided sufficient evidence in support of its proposals to build 350 houses on the site to the south of Sandpit Lane, in St Albans as part of development plans for the college. It requested that the Council’s Head of Planning meet with the College to discuss reducing this number and to report back to Cabinet in June.


Proposals for housing development on the Building Research Establishment’s Bricket Wood site to help fund the Eco Park were rejected, but Cabinet asked the Head of Planning to consider increasing the amount of housing already designated for Harperbury Hospital Site to make up the shortfall. 


The Core Strategy is being drafted around some key themes to ensure that most development is located in the main urban areas; the Green Belt is protected (although land previously built on in the Green Belt will be able to be redeveloped) and provision is made for 250 new homes a year of which 100 will be affordable housing. A further progress report on the Core Strategy will now be made to Cabinet on 7 June and the final version of the pre-submission document will be put to Cabinet on 5 July and full Council on 20 July. A six week public consultation will then be held in September. The aim is to submit the proposed Core Strategy in January 2012 for a formal public examination to be presided over by a planning inspector.

Under 11s' school places for 2011

Nearly 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their three preferred primary, junior or middle schools. More than 17,000 applications for primary, junior and middle school places have been dealt with and nearly 16,500 Hertfordshire families will be informed of their offer of a school place today or tomorrow. The vast majority of parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their allocation information this evening.  Allocation emails will be sent, from 6pm, to over 90 per cent of parents who have confirmed their email address.  The online allocation system will be available for other online applicants only after all emails have been despatched.


This year, Hertfordshire County Council will only be sending allocation letters to parents and carers who applied on paper or who were not successful in obtaining a place at their first ranked school.  In addition, for the first time, parents and carers who applied online will be able to accept the school place offered online. The number of children applying for a place in a Hertfordshire primary school has risen by nearly 900 this year - a total of 14,124 applications for reception places were received.  Despite this significant increase, 94 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a ranked primary school, almost exactly the same rate as in 2010.  In Hertfordshire, 84 percent of children were offered their most preferred primary school, a total of 13,832 children in all. 


John Harris, Director of Children Schools and Families, said: "Starting primary school or moving on to a junior or middle school is an important step and we are pleased that so many children have been allocated a ranked school. We have been working closely with schools over the last year to create over 500 additional reception places across Hertfordshire to help to alleviate pressure from September 2011.  The percentage of primary children offered a non ranked school has actually decreased this year which is a remarkable achievement given the increase in pupil numbers across the county. I know that this can be a difficult time for parents and carers whose child did not get a preferred school place but I would urge families to visit the school they have been offered before deciding whether to accept or decline the place. Parents and carers must respond to the school place offered by 26 April 2011.  If they do not respond they may lose the offered place."


All applicants who have not been offered their first preference school will automatically be placed on the continuing interest list for any schools named higher on the application form than the school offered.  However, in a significant change from previous years, parents should note that all new applications for continuing interest must be made to their home local authority, i.e.  to Hertfordshire County Council for all families living in Hertfordshire.


Further detailed information can be found in the 'Under 11s - What Can You Do Now?' leaflet, which is included with the allocation letters for all children who have not been offered their first preference school. This leaflet, which explains the continuing interest process and how to appeal, is also available on the website www.hertsdirect.org/admissions.  Parents can also access other useful information, such as school allocation summary reports, through the website.


School places must be accepted by April 26. This is also the last date to 'opt out' of the continuing interest process. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on May 13, 2011.


Hertfordshire County Council news release - 4 April 2011

Radical plans for Francis Bacon School revealed

Herts County Council has announced that Francis Bacon School will be supported by Sir John Lawes School, Harpenden, to eventually become a brand new 'all through' school for four to 19 year old pupils on the same site. Sir John Lawes will lead the development of the new school, in the process sponsoring it to become an academy which is scheduled to open in September 2012 with a new name.

All current pupils will automatically become part of the new academy and there will continue to be continuity of education for them. There will be some building work and changes to the existing site to accommodate the wider age range.

Sir John Lawes head Claire Robins said: “We want to work together with the staff at Francis Bacon to build on the excellent work they have already done in raising standards.  We hope to use the skills and experience of staff in both organisations to develop Francis Bacon into the kind of school that the parents of St Albans can have confidence will provide their children with the very highest standards of education."

Read the full press release.

Is St Albans city centre too congested?

St Albans City and District Council has outlined possible plans for city centre 'congestion management' to local retailers. Proposed measures to reduce traffic and improve air quality include:

·        Restricting private vehicle access in St Peter’s Street at certain times of the day

·        Improved bus transport & new bus fare payment options including by mobile phone

·        Metro-style bus routes on arterial city routes

·        Mini park and ride sites

·        Walking and cycling schemes including a green ring around the city

·        An Abbey Flyer tram route

·        Car sharing and car clubs

·        Measures to encourage electric vehicles (16 charging points around the District are planned in 2011)

·        Fresh Way To Work – transport initiatives with local employers

There will be a formal public consultation on proposals this summer. Retailers are concerned that these measures will adversely affect deliveries, collections and trade in St Albans.  Read the full SADC news release.
Do we need to reduce traffic into and through St Albans city centre? What do you think?

St Albans residents beat recycling target

We residents in St Albans are so good at recycling that we've already beaten the council's target of 50% of household waste by 2010/11 (up from 36.35% in 2007/8). To help reach a new target of 60% by 2015, the council is introducing new waste collection measures including

• the completion of the roll out of recycling facilities for glass, newspapers, magazines, plastic bottles, cans and aerosols to all flats and maisonettes in the District by the end of 2011/12;
•  the introduction of recycling facilities at schools, where practicable, by the end of 2011/12;
•  looking at a campaign to reduce the use of plastic bags;
• door-to-door visits in 2012/13 to encourage residents to make better use of the current recycling facilities available to them, and 
• a waste audit in 2012/13 to identify what is going to landfill which could recycled, composted or reused.

The Council is also looking at whether it can make changes to its current system of waste collection, either under its existing refuse and recycling contract with Enterprise which comes to an end in 2015 or under any new contract after this date. It is considering the possibility of

• collecting clothes, mixed plastics and tetra pak cartons from the kerbside,
• collecting green waste, including food, cardboard and garden waste weekly during the summer months
• providing a second green wheeled bin for garden waste with option of charging for the service.

More information about recycling in St Albans City and District is available on the Council’s recycling website at: http://www.recyclingforapremier.com