Community News

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SUMMER 2012

Spectacular St Albans Festival

The Olympic Flame is coming The Olympic Flame will enter the District at 4.06pm on Sunday 8th July.

Torchbearers will carry the flame along Hatfield Road (from the junction with Charlotte Close), into Catherine Street, Folly Lane and Verulam Road. There will be lots of activities and entertainments too. See www.stalbans.gov.uk/ olympic-torch-relay.

Stop Press: Paralympic Torch comes to the District Saturday 25 August. Join in the fun and games in Verulamium Park, noon – 5pm.

16 June - 1 July

This year’s Festival is packed with thrilling performances and events with theatre, dance, street artists and family activities plus lots more. Most are free-of-charge.

St Albans Festival gets off to a rip-roaring start with a spectacular pyrotechnical show in St Albans city centre on Saturday 16 June at 8.30pm. ‘The Emperor and the Tiger’ is an exciting performance featuring drummers and carnival dancers in stunning costumes, created by international company Walk the Plank.

It’s free of charge – just come along and join in the fun.

16th June-1s t July

St Albans Festival 2012 Exciting perfo rmances and events acros s the city an d district

Festival Informa tion

Hotline 01727 819563 www.stalbans festival.com 1

For the full Festival Programme visit: www.stalbansfestival.com, or call 01727 819563.

Bank Holiday Waste Collections

Community News is published by St Albans City & District Council

Your refuse and recycling will be collected later than usual. For collection dates see: www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling.

www.stalbans.gov.uk

Take Part

Spotlight on Leisure

Consultations

New Westminster Lodge opens late 2012

For the latest council consultations see www. stalbans.gov.uk/consulatations or call 01727 819501.

Do it online Save time by paying council tax, business rates, rent and other charges online, or pay by direct debit. Follow ‘Way to Pay’ at www.stalbans.gov.uk

Contacting the council See the back page for Council telephone numbers and email addresses. To avoid waiting, it is often quicker to contact the department you want directly.

Planning advice service extended A drop in service for residents is available on Mondays (1-4pm) and Wednesdays (9am-12.30pm).

A telephone service is available on Wednesdays (1pm-4.45pm) and Thursdays (9am-12.30pm).

There is a new geographical map based information website which provides lots of local information including current planning applications and planning permissions granted.

See gis.stalbans.gov.uk/ wmlcustomerservice.

2 Summer 2012

Throughout the development works, the existing Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre and adjacent Abbey Theatre, Athletics Track and Abbey View Golf Course remain open for business as usual.

Get a preview of the new leisure centre at the visitor information cabin located near the current Westminster Lodge in Verulamium Park. It is open every day from 7am to 10pm.

Design team selected for Batchwood sports facilities A design team has now been selected for the construction of a new tennis centre and bowls and golf clubhouses at Batchwood Golf and Tennis Centre following last summer’s fire.

Meanwhile, indoor tennis is being played in a temporary bubble structure over the three outdoor tennis courts at Batchwood with

the rest of the tennis programme relocated to other leisure facilities and parks across the District.

The bowls green has been returfed and the golf course is operating as normal, with a temporary reception area, meeting room and toilets.

For more information see www. stalbans.gov.uk/leisure-and-culture or call 01727 827667.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

Elections News District elections results plus register now for Police & Crime Commissioner elections

Tackling rough sleeping

Following the district elections on 3 May, the Council is now comprised of 29 Conservative ward councillors, 19 Liberal Democrats, 8 Labour, 1 Green and 1 independent.

No group has an overall majority.

To find out who you local councillors are, plus lots of other interesting information tailored to your address, visit: www.gis.stalbans.gov. uk/wmlcustomerservice.

The Police and Crime Commissioner elections take place on 15 November. Make sure you are

A project team based at the Open Door night shelter in Bricket Road, St Albans is working to tackle rough sleeping in the District.

Karen Smith, the District’s Street Outreach and Resettlement Worker works closely with the police, community mental health teams and other agencies to support rough sleepers, providing advice, counselling, housing, benefits and health advice. Open Door can be contacted on 01727 859113.

registered to vote by completing and returning your voter registration form to be delivered to homes in June.

Plans to move Museum of St Albans to Old Town Hall Plans to relocate the Museum of St Albans to the Town Hall are part of a new 10-year vision to improve the City’s museums.

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

E M I R C N W O D www.stalbans.gov.uk

as a new city centre museum over the next five years. In addition, Verulamium Museum in St Albans will be extended to provide more exhibition space and educational facilities. More information about St Albans’ museums is available at www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk or on 01727 751814.

Crime in the District fell by 8% in 2011 with 583 fewer crimes than in the previous year.

The police have been targeting action on burglary and robbery.

The Council’s Community

Youth Shelter A new youth shelter has been installed in Rothamsted Park, Harpenden, adding to those in St Albans at Fleetville, Longacres and Temple View.

The new youth shelter is portable and has been installed for a 6-month trial period.

Protection Team works closely with Herts Constabulary to keep anti social behaviour to a minimum.

You can contact the St Albans Community Protection Team on 01727 819538.

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Higher housing priority for ex-armed forces Mayor’s Pride Awards honour community heroes Local people and groups who have gone the extra mile for others have been honoured in this year’s Mayor’s Pride Awards.

Charlotte Wilmer-Barbrook won the Local Hero Award for setting up Hertfordshire Post Natal Illness Support. The Voluntary Sector Award went to Wacky Wheels, an activity group set up and run by young physically disabled people. Bradley Glover, a student at Sandringham School, was presented with the Young Person of Distinction Award for his

work helping to promote and communicate the student voice across the school.

Details of all the winners can be found at www.stalbans. gov.uk/mayors prideawards.

Jobs at the Council – be part of our team We offer a wide range of job opportunities, from apprenticeships and general clerical posts to technical, professional and managerial positions.

We also offer casual work to fill short-term administrative vacancies.

Working for your local community can be very rewarding. We offer a dynamic working environment and lots of flexibility. Jobs are posted on our website at www.stalbans.gov.uk/jobs-and-careers.

www.stalbans.gov.uk/foodanddrinkfestival2012 4 Summer 2012

Ex-armed services personnel will get greater priority in the allocation of Council housing.

Previously, applicants who left the armed forces and applied for housing were not given any additional priority.

See housing information at www.stalbans.gov.uk/ exarmedforceshousing, or call 01727 819277.

Are your window blinds safe?

Families of two Hertfordshire toddlers who tragically died in separate incidents after becoming entangled in blind cords are urging people to take action.

Two year olds Arthur Winfield and Emily Warner died following accidents with blind cords.

Parents and carers are being urged to ensure that blind cords and chains are safely tied up out of reach.

A free ’Make it Safe’ pack, including a small plastic fixing that can be attached to the wall is available from tradingstandards@ hertscc.gov.uk or on 01707 292439.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

Maltings Arts Theatre Central St Albans New Shorts: Evening of New Writing Thur 21st June & Fri 22nd June

The Fish’s Wishes Sat 23rd – Tues 26th June

Theatre company OVO is now programming the Maltings Arts Theatre live performance venue, located upstairs at the Maltings Shopping Centre in St Albans.

The programme over the next few months includes modern drama, new plays, cabaret, dance and live music. For the latest information and tickets see www.maltingsartstheatre. co.uk or call 07807 521436.

Across The Pond: OVOcalists Thur 28th – Sat 30th June

Local services at the Civic Centre The following organisations are working together at the Civic Centre in St Albans. They offer a range of information and advice services. You can visit us at the following times:

Need help with disability benefits?

The Citizens Advice Bureau in Hatfield offers a service on behalf of all Herts CAB including St Albans to help with applications for Disability Living Allowance or Attendance Allowance.

They offer a free and confidential service. Further details on 07875 675152, dbp.hatfieldcab@cabnet.org.uk. www.stalbans.gov.uk

Monday, Wednesday – 10am to 2pm Tuesday, Thursday – Appointments only

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 10am to 1pm

Monday – Thursday – 8.45am to 5pm Friday – 8.45am to 4.30pm

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 9am to 1pm Opening times for all organisations may vary during school holidays.

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GREEN ISSUES Become a tree warden Voluntary tree wardens are the eyes and ears of our neighbourhoods where trees are concerned. They plant and care for trees and get together for training and activities.

We are looking for more tree wardens. For more details call 01727 819363, or visit www. stalbans.gov.uk/treewardens.

Sponsor a tree scheme To sponsor the planting of a tree, perhaps in honour of a loved one, or to mark a special occasion such as the birth of a child, pick up a leaflet at the Council’s usual outlets, visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/sponsoratree or call 01727 819363.

Low emission buses Two new hybrid buses are being used on the S4 and S5 routes running up Holywell Hill in St Albans. The new Uno buses emit 30% fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Other improvements to the district’s Monday to Saturday bus 6 Summer 2012

services include increased frequency on the S1, S2 and S3 UNO routes and improved reliability on the 300 and 301 Arriva routes during rush hours. The evening 301 service is now running from Hemel Hempstead through to Welwyn Garden City bus station via the QEII Hospital.

Sky Ride Local comes to St Albans this summer British Cycling is leading 25 cycle rides across the district this summer.

There are four levels rising from ‘easy’ to ‘strong’. They are lots of fun and free to join. To see the rides and book your place visit www.stalbans. gov.uk/goskyride.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

60% recycling target

The Council is working to get the District’s recycling rates up above the 60% mark from our current 50% rate.

Later in the year we hope to launch a weekly food waste collection, and introduce mixed recycling.

A new type of collection vehicle will mean that food waste can be collected at the same time as other recyclable waste. The Council is seeking government funding to help implement the changes.

New electric car recharging points Drivers of electric vehicles will shortly be able to charge their electric or plug-in hybrid cars at five new charging points in the District.

The posts are at London Road, Charter Close, Upper Dagnall Street, and Hall Place Gardens in St Albans, and at Bowers Way car park in Harpenden.

Any vehicle licensed with the DVLA as a pure electric or a plugin hybrid electric vehicle can join a scheme run by Source East for an annual fee of £10. More information at www.sourceeast.net. www.stalbans.gov.uk

District in Bloom 2012 Green-fingered gardeners are invited to enter the District in Bloom 2012 competition.

The categories this year are best sustainable garden, best front garden, best retail or commercial frontage, best public house

frontage, best allotment, best parish, best school, and best community project. Entry forms are available from Council offices or online at www.stalbans.gov.uk/ districtinbloom2012. The closing date for entries is 15 June.

FREE compost give away

and electrical goods recycling event The Council will be giving away garden compost on Sunday 17th June at the Enterprise Depot in Ronsons Way, St Albans.

Gates open at 7.30 am and we are offering up to 4 bags of free compost per car.

This is a DIY event. Please bring your own bags and a spade. Available while stocks last.

On the same day, you can also bring your unwanted or broken small electrical items for recycling between 1.00pm and 4.30pm.

Sunday 17th June From 7.30am (until sto cks run out) Enterprise Depot Ronsons Way, St Alba ns (near Household Waste Re cycling Centre)

Keeping St Albans City & District Clean and Green If you spot a problem with...

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Abandoned vehicles Illegal or litter Dog fouling or stray dogs Dumped rubbish Illegal Overgrown hedgerows Spills from refuse collection Accumulation of leaves Pest control Damaged street furniture Street cleaning required Drugs paraphernalia Trees (overgrown/obstructing highway) Empty/derelict property Air pollution (bonfires/fumes)

...please contact

✆ The Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000

✉ a.cleanerdistrict@stalbans.gov.uk

Together, for a Cleaner Dis 7

RECYCLING REMINDERS During Bank Holiday weeks, your waste and recycling will be collected later than usual. Where there are two bank holidays in the same week, collections the following week may also be affected.

No plastic bags whatsoever in your green waste please (including biodegradable plastic bags) to avoid rejection at the recycling plant. Instead use paper bags or cereal boxes. For a £1 discount on paper liners contact Alina on 01392 346307, www.paperliners.co.uk (quote ref 48234).

Please place your bins on the boundary of your property with the pavement, by 7am (careful not to obstruct pushchair and wheelchair access).

Our new map based information website includes waste collection dates and local information tailored to your address. See gis.stalbans. gov.uk/wmlcustomerservice.

If we inadvertently miss a collection, please call quickly to report it and we will try and return the same day. 01727 819285.

Market Dates St Albans Market every Wednesday and Saturday St Albans Farmers’ Market 2nd Sunday of the month Wheathampstead Farmers’ Market 3rd Sunday of the month

I n areas without wheeled bins, purple sacks are delivered to homes in June and December. You have sufficient for 4 per two week period.

Harpenden Farmers’ Market 4th Sunday of the month

Now on Twitter @StAlbansCouncil Have your say... We welcome anything you have to say about our services.

St Albans City & District Council Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3JE Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk Email: contactus@stalbans.gov.uk 8 Summer 2012

Opening hours: Mon-Thurs 8.45am-5.15pm, Fri 8.45am-4.45pm Customer Service Centre opening hours: Mon-Thurs 8.45am-5pm, Fri 8.45am-4.30pm Housing Repairs: 01727 819256 Refuse & Recycling: 01727 819285 Council Tax: 01727 819204 Benefits: 01727 819476 Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000 Textphone: 01727 819570 All other enquiries: 01727 866100

Harpenden Town Council Information Point Town Hall, Leyton Road, Harpenden Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm Telephone: 01582 768278 Alternative formats: If you want to receive this newsletter in an alternative format, such as Braille, or in another language, please call 01727 819572. See www.disabledgo.com for information about access to local facilities.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

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We hope you enjoy reading Community News.

If you can spare a moment, please email communications@stalbans.gov.uk or call 01727 819572 and let us know your views and what else you want us to include.