News release from Hertfordshire County Council on 18/04/2012
Despite a large increase in the number of applications, this year 400 more Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their three preferred primary, junior or middle schools when compared to last year - equivalent to almost 93 per cent of applications.
Nearly 18,000 applications have been dealt with and over 17,500 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. After 6pm, allocation emails will be sent to all 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.
The number of children applying for a place in a Hertfordshire primary school has risen by 835 this year - a total of 14,436 applications for reception places were received. Despite this significant increase, 13,254 Hertfordshire children have been allocated a ranked primary school. Similarly, more children were allocated their first ranked school compared to last year - 11,682 in all, an increase of 279 since last year.
Over the last few years the number of applications for reception places has been steadily increasing and 17 additional forms of entry have already been made available for September 2012, as published in the “Applying for a School Place” booklet. However, more places are needed because applications are even higher than anticipated: over 6 per cent up on last year, which is equivalent to over 800 children or a form of entry at 28 schools.
In order to ensure that additional places provided matches local demand as closely as possible, some potential expansions were identified but were not finalised until after primary applications for 2012 had been received and analysed. On the basis of this work the following schools will also be admitting an additional form of entry in September 2012:
Baldock: Hartsfield Primary
Harpenden: Wood End Primary; Manland Primary
Hatfield: DeHavilland Primary
Hertford: Bengeo Primary
Hoddesdon: Cranbourne Primary
Redbourn: Redbourn Infants
Watford: Central Primary; Orchard Primary; Watford Field Infants; Kingsway Infants
Welwyn Garden City: Springmead Primary
Wheathampstead: Beech Hyde
These additional places will be added at the continuing interest stage, in the week commencing 14 May 2012.
Justin Donovan, Director of Education and Early Intervention, said: "Starting primary school or moving on to a junior or middle school is an important step and we are pleased that even more children have been allocated a ranked school this year, despite the increase in the number of applications.
“We have been working closely with schools over the last two years to create additional reception places and, although across the county as a whole there are enough reception places for all children, schools with vacancies are not in the right locations to cater for the increasing demand for reception places in other towns and communities. This year, if in one area it has not been possible to offer a significant number of children a place at one of their ranked schools, and the distance to the nearest school with an available place is over five miles, places have not been offered at this stage in the process but will be offered next month. This strategy means that, for the first time in Hertfordshire, some applicants in Watford, Harpenden and Wheathampstead will not be offered a reception place on allocation day.
“I recognise this is always a difficult time for these parents. However, although allocations for these families will be delayed for a month, I am confident that every child not currently offered a reception place will be offered one at the first run of continuing interest in the week commencing 14 May 2012.”
The decision to add places at the continuing interest stage was taken because confirmation of these new places became available after the application process closed, and we want to make sure that all families have equal access to them. It is vitally important that all families are treated within a clear and transparent process.
All Hertfordshire applicants for reception places will receive a letter and/or email on allocation day outlining the process for applying for the additional places available in the first continuing interest run. 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 their application form than the school offered. Parents can also consider making a new application to any of the schools offering additional places. Full information on how to make a continuing interest application, and the timescales involved, is available in the “Under 11s - What Can You Now?” leaflet, which is included with the allocation letter for all children not offered their first preference school and also available at www.hertsdirect.org/primaryoptions (this site goes live after 4pm today).
All parents and carers offered a school place must respond by 2 May 2012. Parents who applied online must also accept the school place offered online. Families are advised to visit the school they have been offered before deciding whether to accept or decline the place. If a response is not received the offered place may be withdrawn.
The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on 18 May 2012. All information concerning post allocation processes is available in the “What Can You Do Know leaflet”. Additional information, including school summary reports, is available at www.hertsdirect.org/primaryoptions (this site goes live after 4pm today).
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Monday, 26 March 2012
New Focus for Trestle: Expansion of mask work and launch of new website
Press Release from Trestle Theatre on 26 March 2012
Trestle, the St Albans based mask and physical theatre company, is to expand its highly acclaimed mask making business, backed by a programme of workshops and performances. Participatory and performance work for 11 - 25 year-olds will be Trestle's priority. A year of consultation, reflection and restructuring followed Arts Council England's decision not to award National Portfolio funding to Trestle.
The Company has reviewed its mask making business and will be taking the creative stimulus of Trestle’s work with young people and physical storytelling theatre into its mask resources and workshops. Driven by the last five years of international influences and cross-cultural collaboration, Trestle aims to take the masks in a new direction, with the offer of digital and live resources to support training, participation, and performance.
Emily Gray says: ‘It was tough losing Arts Council subsidy, of course, but being forced to focus on what we do well, and what our stakeholders would like us to offer, has driven a creative process which has been liberating and fruitful. In the past year, with a reduced, but highly effective staff team, we toured three productions, developed arts programmes for young people at Trestle Arts Base and Platform and continued our workshops and training across the UK and abroad. Looking forward, we will launch a new website, deliver work with and for young people which responds to masked and unmasked performance and continue collaborating with our partners and supporters.’
In the next year, Trestle will enjoy working with its new partners, looking for innovative ways to fund new performances and inviting young people to experience and shape the Company’s work. Trestle continues to have a good relationship with the Arts Council, who have a vested interest in the lottery funded Trestle Arts Base.
In the past year, Trestle has consolidated a number of strong international and local partnerships and been nominated for two awards; the Peter Brook Empty Space/Equity Ensemble Award and a prestigious local award, the details of which will be released shortly. Trestle has also been successful in securing funding from two Local Councils; St Albans District and Islington, where Trestle is in a partnership developing Platform, the new youth arts hub at Hornsey Road Baths.
Trestle will launch its new website on Thursday 29th of March at 12 noon. We hope that you will be able to join our Artistic Director Emily Gray, live on Twitter and Facebook to share your feedback on the new site and Trestle’s new focus, one year on from the Arts Council Cuts.
To be involved, please follow us on Twitter at the handles below
@TrestleTheatre
@emilyzgray
Or post/message us on our Facebook
Trestle, the St Albans based mask and physical theatre company, is to expand its highly acclaimed mask making business, backed by a programme of workshops and performances. Participatory and performance work for 11 - 25 year-olds will be Trestle's priority. A year of consultation, reflection and restructuring followed Arts Council England's decision not to award National Portfolio funding to Trestle.
The Company has reviewed its mask making business and will be taking the creative stimulus of Trestle’s work with young people and physical storytelling theatre into its mask resources and workshops. Driven by the last five years of international influences and cross-cultural collaboration, Trestle aims to take the masks in a new direction, with the offer of digital and live resources to support training, participation, and performance.
Emily Gray says: ‘It was tough losing Arts Council subsidy, of course, but being forced to focus on what we do well, and what our stakeholders would like us to offer, has driven a creative process which has been liberating and fruitful. In the past year, with a reduced, but highly effective staff team, we toured three productions, developed arts programmes for young people at Trestle Arts Base and Platform and continued our workshops and training across the UK and abroad. Looking forward, we will launch a new website, deliver work with and for young people which responds to masked and unmasked performance and continue collaborating with our partners and supporters.’
In the next year, Trestle will enjoy working with its new partners, looking for innovative ways to fund new performances and inviting young people to experience and shape the Company’s work. Trestle continues to have a good relationship with the Arts Council, who have a vested interest in the lottery funded Trestle Arts Base.
In the past year, Trestle has consolidated a number of strong international and local partnerships and been nominated for two awards; the Peter Brook Empty Space/Equity Ensemble Award and a prestigious local award, the details of which will be released shortly. Trestle has also been successful in securing funding from two Local Councils; St Albans District and Islington, where Trestle is in a partnership developing Platform, the new youth arts hub at Hornsey Road Baths.
Trestle will launch its new website on Thursday 29th of March at 12 noon. We hope that you will be able to join our Artistic Director Emily Gray, live on Twitter and Facebook to share your feedback on the new site and Trestle’s new focus, one year on from the Arts Council Cuts.
To be involved, please follow us on Twitter at the handles below
@TrestleTheatre
@emilyzgray
Or post/message us on our Facebook
Friday, 16 March 2012
New vision to improve St Albans’ museums agreed
Press Release from St Albans Council - 16 March 2012
The Museum of St Albans will be relocated to the Town Hall as part of a new 10-year vision to improve the City’s museums agreed by St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet on 15 March.
The vision is to create two state-of-the-art museums; one to showcase the City’s Roman history and the other to tell St Albans’ story from the post-Roman and medieval period through to the present day.
The plans include:
· the development of the Town Hall in Market Place as a new city centre museum over the next five years, and
· the expansion and improvement of Verulamium Museum to provide more exhibition space and educational facilities over a 10 year time frame.
The existing Museum of St Albans in Hatfield Road suffers from being located away from city centre and an inflexible layout. In contrast, the Town Hall is located close to historical attractions, such as the Abbey, the Clock Tower and French Row, which will help the museum attract more visitors. It also has the potential to be extended to provide additional exhibition space. Any changes made to the Old Town Hall will be sympathetic to its grade II* status. The Council will draw on the expertise of specialist architects to deliver an exciting iconic building.
The vision also makes provision for Verulamium Museum to be turned into a centre of excellence for the understanding of St Albans’ pre-Roman and Roman period and the archaeological and natural heritage of the local area. To help develop these plans, a partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is being considered.
Verulamium Museum already benefits from a good reputation and location close to the Roman Theatre, the Hypocaust and the city walls. However, the existing building needs additional exhibition space and educational facilities to accommodate school visits.
Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: “Cabinet has agreed a new vision for St Albans’ museums that will help them both attract more visitors and contribute to the local economy. The exciting plans for the Museum of St Albans will breathe fresh life into the Town Hall and mean that more space can be devoted to explaining the post-Roman history of the City in its entirety. The existing museum fails to pay full regard to this history and is located in an inflexible building that is out of the way. The vision also provides for the extension and updating of Verulamium Museum to help it become even an even more popular destination for school visits.”
Cabinet also agreed that officers should look into the merits of disposing of the building currently housing the Museum of St Albans to help raise funds to facilitate the new vision for St Albans’s museums.
The meeting can be viewed online via the Council’s website.
The agenda and reports for the meeting are available on the Council’s website at:
Notes:
1. The proposed new location for the Museum of St Albans will:
· help it attract more visitors, due to its city centre location and close proximity to other historical attractions.
· provide an opportunity to work alongside the Abbey on its ‘Alban Project’ and to develop a medieval heritage quarter that will attract more visitors to the City and benefit the local economy.
· bring to life the iconic grade II* listed Town Hall, a valued heritage asset in the city.
· offer a new visitor attraction in the form of the law courts and cells, all currently located in the Town Hall.
· involve the creation of more exhibition space by means of a new basement area and mezzanine galleries so that the City’s post Roman history can be fully displayed.
· have modern facilities, dependent on the availability of external funding and relevant planning and listed buildings consents.
2. The proposals for Verulamium Museum include:
· an extension to the existing building to provide an extra 625 square metres of public space.
· a working partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to promote the natural heritage of the area.
· increasing education facilities.
· adding exhibition space.
3. More information about St Albans’ museums is available at: http://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/
The Museum of St Albans will be relocated to the Town Hall as part of a new 10-year vision to improve the City’s museums agreed by St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet on 15 March.
The vision is to create two state-of-the-art museums; one to showcase the City’s Roman history and the other to tell St Albans’ story from the post-Roman and medieval period through to the present day.
The plans include:
· the development of the Town Hall in Market Place as a new city centre museum over the next five years, and
· the expansion and improvement of Verulamium Museum to provide more exhibition space and educational facilities over a 10 year time frame.
The existing Museum of St Albans in Hatfield Road suffers from being located away from city centre and an inflexible layout. In contrast, the Town Hall is located close to historical attractions, such as the Abbey, the Clock Tower and French Row, which will help the museum attract more visitors. It also has the potential to be extended to provide additional exhibition space. Any changes made to the Old Town Hall will be sympathetic to its grade II* status. The Council will draw on the expertise of specialist architects to deliver an exciting iconic building.
The vision also makes provision for Verulamium Museum to be turned into a centre of excellence for the understanding of St Albans’ pre-Roman and Roman period and the archaeological and natural heritage of the local area. To help develop these plans, a partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is being considered.
Verulamium Museum already benefits from a good reputation and location close to the Roman Theatre, the Hypocaust and the city walls. However, the existing building needs additional exhibition space and educational facilities to accommodate school visits.
Councillor Mike Wakely, Portfolio Holder for Sports, Leisure and Heritage for St Albans City and District Council, said: “Cabinet has agreed a new vision for St Albans’ museums that will help them both attract more visitors and contribute to the local economy. The exciting plans for the Museum of St Albans will breathe fresh life into the Town Hall and mean that more space can be devoted to explaining the post-Roman history of the City in its entirety. The existing museum fails to pay full regard to this history and is located in an inflexible building that is out of the way. The vision also provides for the extension and updating of Verulamium Museum to help it become even an even more popular destination for school visits.”
Cabinet also agreed that officers should look into the merits of disposing of the building currently housing the Museum of St Albans to help raise funds to facilitate the new vision for St Albans’s museums.
The meeting can be viewed online via the Council’s website.
The agenda and reports for the meeting are available on the Council’s website at:
Notes:
1. The proposed new location for the Museum of St Albans will:
· help it attract more visitors, due to its city centre location and close proximity to other historical attractions.
· provide an opportunity to work alongside the Abbey on its ‘Alban Project’ and to develop a medieval heritage quarter that will attract more visitors to the City and benefit the local economy.
· bring to life the iconic grade II* listed Town Hall, a valued heritage asset in the city.
· offer a new visitor attraction in the form of the law courts and cells, all currently located in the Town Hall.
· involve the creation of more exhibition space by means of a new basement area and mezzanine galleries so that the City’s post Roman history can be fully displayed.
· have modern facilities, dependent on the availability of external funding and relevant planning and listed buildings consents.
2. The proposals for Verulamium Museum include:
· an extension to the existing building to provide an extra 625 square metres of public space.
· a working partnership with the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to promote the natural heritage of the area.
· increasing education facilities.
· adding exhibition space.
3. More information about St Albans’ museums is available at: http://www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk/
Monday, 12 March 2012
St Albans MusicCity 2012 - 17 to 25 March
St Albans MusicCity week will once again celebrate the wealth of amazing music venues and promoters in the St Albans district.
St Albans MusicCity runs from Saturday March 17 to Sunday March 25. As well as gigs at key venues all over the district, there will be special events including live music in St Albans town centre on the opening Saturday and a ‘60’s special at The Museum of St Albans featuring some of the best acts from the local acoustic scene. The opening night will feature the unsigned gig of the year, MCU1 at The Alban Arena. You can also join in with workshops in blues guitar and drumming,
The celebrations on the opening Saturday will kick off in town with live music from Sambuka, Scarlette Fever and King Alfred’s Cakes prior to the evening’s events.
St Albans has a rich musical history and continues to foster a vibrant scene. St Albans MusicCity is a celebration of that scene which encompasses everything from traditional folk, blues and jazz through to indie, metal and pop! MusicCity will remind you of the variety and quality of local music venues and promoters who make St Albans such an amazing city all year round!
Full listings can be found at www.lemonrock.com/musiccity and a programme is available to download at www.stalbans.gov.uk/musiccity. Programmes can also be picked up from all participating venues as well as other public agencies such as The Tourist Information Centre, St Albans Library and St Albans City and District Council Offices. You can join in too learning DADGAD guitar, joining in a drumming session or by stepping on stage at an open mic or jam night!
The St Albans public has voted in their hundreds for the acts they wanted to see at the inaugural MCU1. The top three bands had very little between them and they will all play the first MCU1 showcase at The Alban Arena on Saturday 17th March 2012. The bands are: Waiting For Katherine, Rae Kelly and Tranquil Fury. The Horn will keep the music flowing between sets with their resident DJ Hansi. Runners-up, Swanvesta Social Club will be appearing at The Horn MCU1 After Show Party and tickets for both The Arena & The Horn will be available individually from each venue, or a combined ticket can be obtained from The Alban Arena Box Office. There will also be an "Acoustic Guerilla" gig outside the Arena in the afternoon, making this one of the biggest celebrations of the local music scene ever - a perfect way to kick off St Albans MusicCity Week!
St Albans MusicCity runs from Saturday March 17 to Sunday March 25. As well as gigs at key venues all over the district, there will be special events including live music in St Albans town centre on the opening Saturday and a ‘60’s special at The Museum of St Albans featuring some of the best acts from the local acoustic scene. The opening night will feature the unsigned gig of the year, MCU1 at The Alban Arena. You can also join in with workshops in blues guitar and drumming,
The celebrations on the opening Saturday will kick off in town with live music from Sambuka, Scarlette Fever and King Alfred’s Cakes prior to the evening’s events.
St Albans has a rich musical history and continues to foster a vibrant scene. St Albans MusicCity is a celebration of that scene which encompasses everything from traditional folk, blues and jazz through to indie, metal and pop! MusicCity will remind you of the variety and quality of local music venues and promoters who make St Albans such an amazing city all year round!
Full listings can be found at www.lemonrock.com/musiccity and a programme is available to download at www.stalbans.gov.uk/musiccity. Programmes can also be picked up from all participating venues as well as other public agencies such as The Tourist Information Centre, St Albans Library and St Albans City and District Council Offices. You can join in too learning DADGAD guitar, joining in a drumming session or by stepping on stage at an open mic or jam night!
The St Albans public has voted in their hundreds for the acts they wanted to see at the inaugural MCU1. The top three bands had very little between them and they will all play the first MCU1 showcase at The Alban Arena on Saturday 17th March 2012. The bands are: Waiting For Katherine, Rae Kelly and Tranquil Fury. The Horn will keep the music flowing between sets with their resident DJ Hansi. Runners-up, Swanvesta Social Club will be appearing at The Horn MCU1 After Show Party and tickets for both The Arena & The Horn will be available individually from each venue, or a combined ticket can be obtained from The Alban Arena Box Office. There will also be an "Acoustic Guerilla" gig outside the Arena in the afternoon, making this one of the biggest celebrations of the local music scene ever - a perfect way to kick off St Albans MusicCity Week!
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Work set to start on new cycle way in Verulamium Park
Press release from St Albans City & District Council (7 Mar 12)
Plans to put in place new cycle routes in Verulamium Park in St Albans are set to come to fruition, with works due to begin later this month.
Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles, Portfolio Holder for Environment at St Albans City & District Council, met with members of the Verulamium Park Consultative Forum on 5 March to discuss the project for delivery of cycling in the park. Cllr Chichester-Miles presented plans and answered questions from the Consultative Forum. The feedback from the meeting was positive and provided some clear areas for further investigation prior to implementation of the new cycle way. The slides presented as part of the project discussion can be seen on the Council’s website.
This new cycle path initiative follows a decision by Full Council last July to work in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to provide east/west and north/south cycle routes in the park. Consultation with residents and the need to take into account the safety of all park users were seen as important criteria. Council’s decision came after a petition was presented at the July Council meeting by the St Albans Cycle Campaign.
The design work for the new cycle way incorporates ideas put forward by residents, elected members, Hertfordshire County Council, District Council officers, external experts and other groups. The safety of all park users is fundamental to the design. Speed bumps and different coloured surfaces are both featured. Signage is being kept to a minimum and will be as unobtrusive as possible, in keeping with the park setting. The ongoing involvement of key stakeholders, including access groups and others, will be vital in successful delivery of the project. It is currently envisaged that works will begin later in March.
Plans to put in place new cycle routes in Verulamium Park in St Albans are set to come to fruition, with works due to begin later this month.
Cllr Daniel Chichester-Miles, Portfolio Holder for Environment at St Albans City & District Council, met with members of the Verulamium Park Consultative Forum on 5 March to discuss the project for delivery of cycling in the park. Cllr Chichester-Miles presented plans and answered questions from the Consultative Forum. The feedback from the meeting was positive and provided some clear areas for further investigation prior to implementation of the new cycle way. The slides presented as part of the project discussion can be seen on the Council’s website.
This new cycle path initiative follows a decision by Full Council last July to work in partnership with Hertfordshire County Council to provide east/west and north/south cycle routes in the park. Consultation with residents and the need to take into account the safety of all park users were seen as important criteria. Council’s decision came after a petition was presented at the July Council meeting by the St Albans Cycle Campaign.
The design work for the new cycle way incorporates ideas put forward by residents, elected members, Hertfordshire County Council, District Council officers, external experts and other groups. The safety of all park users is fundamental to the design. Speed bumps and different coloured surfaces are both featured. Signage is being kept to a minimum and will be as unobtrusive as possible, in keeping with the park setting. The ongoing involvement of key stakeholders, including access groups and others, will be vital in successful delivery of the project. It is currently envisaged that works will begin later in March.
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Secondary allocations announced for 2012
Press release from Hertfordshire County Council
Nearly 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their three preferred secondary schools.
Most parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their secondary transfer allocation information this evening. Allocation emails will be sent, after 6pm, to parents who have who have confirmed their email address (over 90 per cent of parents). Over 97 per cent of parents applied online and the online allocation system will be available for all online applicants later this evening after allocation emails have been despatched. The website is: www.hertsdirect.org/admissions
The 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. Parents and carers who applied online will be able to accept the school place offered online, as well as pursuing a continuing interest place and lodge an appeal. This year 11,901 children in the county have been allocated one of their ranked schools, a success rate of 94.7 per cent, despite an increase in the number of applicants. 79.13 per cent of children gained a place at their first ranked school.
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, as was the case last year, 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 families living in Hertfordshire.
Further detailed information can be found in the 'Secondary - 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 16 March. This is also the last date to 'opt out' of continuing interest for community and voluntary controlled schools. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on 29 March, 2012.
Secondary Schools in St Albans
Nearly 95 per cent of Hertfordshire children have been allocated a place at one of their three preferred secondary schools.
Most parents and carers in Hertfordshire will be able to access their secondary transfer allocation information this evening. Allocation emails will be sent, after 6pm, to parents who have who have confirmed their email address (over 90 per cent of parents). Over 97 per cent of parents applied online and the online allocation system will be available for all online applicants later this evening after allocation emails have been despatched. The website is: www.hertsdirect.org/admissions
The 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. Parents and carers who applied online will be able to accept the school place offered online, as well as pursuing a continuing interest place and lodge an appeal. This year 11,901 children in the county have been allocated one of their ranked schools, a success rate of 94.7 per cent, despite an increase in the number of applicants. 79.13 per cent of children gained a place at their first ranked school.
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, as was the case last year, 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 families living in Hertfordshire.
Further detailed information can be found in the 'Secondary - 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 16 March. This is also the last date to 'opt out' of continuing interest for community and voluntary controlled schools. The deadline to submit an appeal is 4pm on 29 March, 2012.
Secondary Schools in St Albans
Sunday, 19 February 2012
First Capital Connect’s performance comes under scrutiny
- an update from St Albans District Council on 15 Feb 2012.
Senior management from First Capital Connect and Network Rail have been questioned about the performance of the Thameslink service by St Albans City and District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee at its last meeting. This was a follow-up meeting from an earlier one in June last year to monitor the progress of the rail companies implementation of their action plans to improve rail services. The Committee was particularly concerned about clear communications with the public when there are rail delays and the compensation policy as well as other issues that they raised at the previous meeting.
At this latest meeting, the Committee heard a presentation from Neal Lawson, Managing Director, and Larry Heyman, Integration and Partnership manager, at First Capital Connect and Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director, East Midlands from Network Rail, outlining a number of improvements the companies have made since last June. These include improvements to customer information; a change in approach to managing disruption, and upgrades to the electrification plant, track and signalling. At St Albans and Harpenden stations more ticket vending machines and new information screens have also been installed, platform lengths extended ahead of the 12-car trains that were introduced in December 2011 and there are also plans to introduce free cash point machines by the end of March. Planned future changes include an extra 20 parking spaces at Harpenden station, mobile phone texts to update customers on the service and a new style of customer service training for all staff.
However, while the Committee noted the progress that had been made, including improvements to First Capital Connect’s communications with passengers during times of disruption, members expressed concerns about other issues such as parking charges and the clarity of the compensation policy for commuters when delays occur. The Committee agreed to ask First Capital Connect to reconsider the parking charges at St Albans City and Harpenden Stations and to consider the terms of its compensation policy for passengers affected by severe disruption lasting over 60 minutes.
First Capital Connect and Network Rail will be invited to return to give a further update to the Committee in September. Written questions and comments received recently by the Council from the public about the service have been collated, with all the personal details removed, and passed to First Capital Connect for consideration. In due course, responses to these will be included with the Minutes of the meeting on the Council’s website having now been received from First Capital Connect.
A webcast of the meeting on Thursday, 26 January can be viewed on the Council’s website at: http://www.stalbans.ukcouncil.net/site/ . People with access to an appropriate computer with broadband internet access and Microsoft Windows media player will be able to view the meeting.
Senior management from First Capital Connect and Network Rail have been questioned about the performance of the Thameslink service by St Albans City and District Council’s Overview and Scrutiny (Public Services) Committee at its last meeting. This was a follow-up meeting from an earlier one in June last year to monitor the progress of the rail companies implementation of their action plans to improve rail services. The Committee was particularly concerned about clear communications with the public when there are rail delays and the compensation policy as well as other issues that they raised at the previous meeting.
At this latest meeting, the Committee heard a presentation from Neal Lawson, Managing Director, and Larry Heyman, Integration and Partnership manager, at First Capital Connect and Martin Frobisher, Route Managing Director, East Midlands from Network Rail, outlining a number of improvements the companies have made since last June. These include improvements to customer information; a change in approach to managing disruption, and upgrades to the electrification plant, track and signalling. At St Albans and Harpenden stations more ticket vending machines and new information screens have also been installed, platform lengths extended ahead of the 12-car trains that were introduced in December 2011 and there are also plans to introduce free cash point machines by the end of March. Planned future changes include an extra 20 parking spaces at Harpenden station, mobile phone texts to update customers on the service and a new style of customer service training for all staff.
However, while the Committee noted the progress that had been made, including improvements to First Capital Connect’s communications with passengers during times of disruption, members expressed concerns about other issues such as parking charges and the clarity of the compensation policy for commuters when delays occur. The Committee agreed to ask First Capital Connect to reconsider the parking charges at St Albans City and Harpenden Stations and to consider the terms of its compensation policy for passengers affected by severe disruption lasting over 60 minutes.
First Capital Connect and Network Rail will be invited to return to give a further update to the Committee in September. Written questions and comments received recently by the Council from the public about the service have been collated, with all the personal details removed, and passed to First Capital Connect for consideration. In due course, responses to these will be included with the Minutes of the meeting on the Council’s website having now been received from First Capital Connect.
A webcast of the meeting on Thursday, 26 January can be viewed on the Council’s website at: http://www.stalbans.ukcouncil.net/site/ . People with access to an appropriate computer with broadband internet access and Microsoft Windows media player will be able to view the meeting.
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