Community News Autumn 2013

Community INCORPORATING

Recycling News

AUTUMN 2013

? n m u t u A s i h t n What’s o

the fabulous St Albans For this autumn’s events, including ly and the great Christmas po no Mo nt Gia l, va sti Fe ink Dr & Food d 3.

Lights’ Switch-On, see pages 2 an

ST ALBANS

GIANT Sunday 15 Se ptember 11a m5

Plus, see details of a new, magical, German-style Christmas Market coming to the grounds of St Albans Cathedral and the Vintry Gardens (page 2).

New guide for older residents The Council has produced a new guide for older residents.

It’ss a helpful A to Z It guide of information gu an er and services for older pe people. You can pick up a copy at p tthe usual Council iinformation outlets, download it at d www.stalbans.gov. v. uk/olderpeople, or call 01727 819518.

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What can I recycle?

For the latest recycling information, see pages 7 and 8.

By the end of September all streets will have moved over to the new recycling scheme. You can recycle lots more plastic and there is a new caddy to help you recycle food waste more easily.

Also see changes to cardboard recycling.

Community News is published p

by St Albans City C & District Council www.stalbans.gov.uk w

Christmas market magic St Albans Food and Drink Festival comes to Wednesday 25 September - Sunday 6 October St Albans A new magical German-style Christmas Market, set in the grounds of St Albans Cathedral and the Vintry Gardens, is coming to the City this November.

The market, similar in style to well-known Christmas markets in other English Cathedral cities, is being organised jointly by the Cathedral and the Council.

The Market will open on Thursday 28 November and run through to Saturday 21 December.

There will be up to 55 chalet style stalls, twinkling lights, music, merriment and olde worlde magic around the Cathedral and the Vintry Gardens. Full details are available at www.stalbanschristmasmarket. co.uk, or on 01727 819469.

Christmas lights’ switch-on Come on down to St Peter’s Street, St Albans on Sunday 17 November for the St Albans Christmas lights’ switch-on.

The annual switch-on is a big family affair with music, entertainment, food stalls, and lots of fun! For the latest information see www.enjoystalbans.com from early November, or call 01727 819369. Towns and villages across the District also have special Christmas lights events, so watch out for those too.

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The fun starts with the CAMRA Beer Festival and ends with the grand Food and Drink Festival Market in the City centre, with loads of great events in between.

St Albans Food and Drink Festival celebrates the warmth and hospitality of our fantastic local restaurants, hostelries, markets,

eateries and food producers. Many local outlets have special offers and there are some splendid events laid on including cooking demonstrations, wine tasting and masterclasses.

See www.enjoystalbans.com/ foodanddrink for details, pick up a brochure at the Tourist Information Centre or call 01727 819311.

ST ALBANS

GIANT Sunday 15 September, 11am-5pm Come on down to St Albans City centre for a fabulous game of life-size monopoly.

Choose from two routes through the City. Start Point 1 is in the City centre outside the Town Hall in Market Place. Start Point 2 is in Verulamium Park near the beach volley ball courts. Experience the

unique Monopoly Sculpture Trail, listen to live music and meet Mr Monopoly! There is free car parking in St Albans on Sundays at many Council City centre car parks.

Details of the event are available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/monopoly and www.enjoystalbans.com/ whats-on, or call 01727 819531.

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St Albans City & District Council Community News

What’s on at the

museums September

At the Museum of St Albans, we have our Family Welcome Wardrobe, with lots of activities for young visitors. We also have traditional games available to play in our display of a historical inn. Sunday Stories for children under 7 is on the last Sunday of the month. On Wonder Wednesdays, special family activities are on offer at both the Museum of St Albans and Verulamium Museum.

Heritage Open Days – Thu 12 – Sat 14. Tours of museum collections held in storage at Sandridge Gate, St Albans Social History Collection Thu 12, 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Archaeology Collection Fri 13, 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

Social History Collection Sat 14, 11am, 1pm, 3pm.

Archaeology Collection Sat 14, 11.30am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm Talk with Kitty Moxon, Holocaust Survivor Sun 29, 2:30pm. Verulamium Museum. £8.

October Thursday Night Lecture - Who was Caratacus?

Thu 3, 7:30pm. Verulamium Museum. £8. With Anthony Nixon, Letchworth historian.

Exhibition: St Albans Markets From Fri 25. Museum of St Albans. FREE. Sunday Stories Sun 27, 3pm - 4pm. Museum eum of St Albans, £1.

Storytelling for children underr 7.

Pumpkin Carving Wed 30, 1pm - 5pm. The Clockk Tower, St Albans.

Free (£3 if you wish to take your our pumpkin home). hom Join us for spooky pumpkin carving. rving. The best bes will be displayed at Halloween.

Thursday 12 – Sunday 15 September

www.stalbans.gov.uk

November Exhibition: St Albans Markets Museum of St Albans Until 12 January. FREE. Thursday Night Lecture - The Inns and Pubs of St Albans Thu 7, 7:30pm. Verulamium Museum, £8.

Sunday Stories Sun 24, 3 - 4pm. Museum of St Albans. £1.

Storytelling for children under 7.

Christmas tree decorating Sat 30, 1 - 4pm. Museum of St Albans. FREE. For information visit www.stalbansmuseums. org.uk. Here, you can also find out about our Holiday Clubs for children aged 8-13.

New museum: update

Heritage Open Days

Many local attractions will be open to residents and visitors free of charge over the weekend.

The District also flings wide open the doors of many buildings normally closed to the public. This is a great chance to discover our

Halloween – Thu 31 October Ghost Walk See website for details. lts Ghoulish Stories for Adults 8pm. Museum of St Albans. £8. on Carved Pumpkins Exhibition 6 – 11pm. The Clock Tower. £3.

architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of special tours, events and activities on offer across the District. More information at www. enjoystalbans.com/heritagedays, or via the Tourist Information Centre on 01727 864511.

We have submitted a further bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop a new museum and gallery in St Albans City centre in the iconic Town Hall.

We are working with St Albans Museums and Galleries Trust and other partners to raise the necessary funds. We are keen to encourage and recognise local benefactors who value and appreciate the importance of our local heritage. For more information, please contact: 01727 819558, stalbansmgtrust@hotmail.co.uk.

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Computer skills for older people Staying in touch by email is one of the skills acquired by local people thanks to a number of community projects supported by the Council over the last year.

Help for people to develop their IT skills, for example, came in the form of funding for community group, Computer Friendly to provide basic computer training for older people from

London Colney, Park Street and Colney Heath. The training gives people the skills to communicate by email with their friends and family and to find information on the internet.

Batford Community Action Group’s IT project gives local people the skills to shop online and use email.

Funding also went to Wheathampstead Community Group

to help run an internet café in the local library.

These are some of the 18 voluntary and community groups that together received over £59,000 in funding from the Community Grants Fund last year. More information at www.stalbans.gov.uk/ communitygrants, 01727 819518.

Fireworks be safe New youth café in Redbourn Young people in Redbourn now have a place to listen to music, chat and make smoothies on Friday evenings following the opening of a new youth café.

The idea for a shake and smoothie bar came from members of Redbourn Youth Council. The café is funded by St Albans District Strategic Partnership with the close involvement of local councillors.

The youth café is open every Friday evening at Redbourn Recreation Centre from 7.30pm to 10pm.

For more information on this project and our wider youth work contact Nicky Flynn at nickyflynn@ stalbans.gov.uk, 01727 814602.

4 Autumn 2013

Civic i C Centre t – a hub for info and advice At the Civic Centre in St Albans, you’ll find a host of independent, confidential and impartial advice, information and guidance on offer from the local organisations above.

Check it out for yourself.

See www.stalbans.gov.uk/ civiccentre for details of each organisation’s opening times or call 01727 866100.

Have fun and be safe with your fireworks this November. Use only BS 7114 Fireworks. Reputable dealers will only sell fireworks to this standard and if you are ever offered any others leave them alone!

Keep fireworks in a closed box and follow the instructions carefully.

Light all fireworks at arms length and stand well back. Never go back to a lit firework and never throw them or put them in your pocket.

Remember, sparklers are not for the under 5s. Always supervise your children and teach them to hold the sparkler at arms length, but not near anyone else. Have a container of water handy, big enough for the hot spent sparklers. Always keep pets indoors and please be respectful to the needs of your neighbours.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

Preparing for the cost of care

War memorial restoration The Grade II listed war memorial in St Peter’s Street has been cleaned and stonework re-pointed. The names of members of the armed forces who died in World War II were also re-engraved on the stone panels around the base.

Some further work may be needed to restore the names engraved

on the stone cross where they have become weather worn. Such works require listed building consent.

Restoration work will also take place later this year on the war memorials at 52 Holywell Hill, the entrance to Ridgemont Plaza car park in Ridgemont Road, 15 High Street and 40 Verulam Road.

Anyone with assets over £23,250 is responsible for the full cost of their social care. Many people today face huge bills and sell their homes to fund their care.

This may not always be necessary.

Hertfordshire County Council is working with a not-for-profit organisation, PayingForCare, to help people access independent specialist information and advice on all aspects of long-term care.

You can call PayingForCare for free on 0808 208 9994. There is also a handy care cost calculator at www.stalbans.gov.uk/ payingforcare.

Look out for your right to vote The annual election canvass begins on 1 October and the revised Register of Electors will be published on 17 February next year. You will receive a voter registration form in early October.

If you have no changes to make to any of the details on the form, you can register through the internet, by freephone or text. It is quick and easy to do. If there are changes to be made, make sure you complete and return your form straight away. An early response from householders will help reduce

Easier ways to pay You can save yourself a wait by making your Council payments by direct debit, or online at www.stalbans.gov.uk.

You can also pay via your bank, at the post office or at any shop showing the Pay Zone sign. There is also an automated telephone payment line – call 0161 7853880. the number of reminders sent out and help the Council to save money to spend on other priorities. For more information call 01727 819294.

New bowls and golf club houses for Batchwood Brand new bowls and golf pavilions have been installed at Batchwood following the devastating fire in August 2011.

Work continues on the new Batchwood sports centre. When it is completed in May 2014, it will be an East of England regional www.stalbans.gov.uk

centre of excellence of a quality to attract top athletes. There will be six indoor tennis courts on site, up from four in the original building, and a special judo dojo facility. There will also be multi-purpose facilities suitable for a wide range of other sports activities.

HomeSwapper Open en Day An invitation for local Council and housing association tenants to find out about the HomeSwapper service, including website tips and advice.

Wed 16 October, 10am-3pm, Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3JE. For more information call 01727 819293.

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GREEN ISSUES

Verulamium Park: one of the best parks in the country Verulamium Park has received a Green Flag Award for the first time. This top national award recognises the park as one of the country’s best.

Bricket Wood Common, Clarence Park, Rothamsted Park and Sopwell Nunnery Green Space have also retained their Green Flag status.

Green Flag awards are handed out by environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy annually. The award recognises and rewards the best parks and green spaces across the country. Winners must apply each

year to renew their Green Flag status.

A Green Flag flying overhead is a sign to visitors that the space boasts high standards, is beautifully maintained and provides excellent facilities.

We work in partnership with our contractors John O’Conner to maintain our award-winning parks and green spaces.

Keep Britain Tidy runs the Green Flag Award scheme in the UK on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Home energy efficiency A new plan has been agreed setting out practical measures that the Council will take over the next 15 years to help improve energy efficiency.

Nearly half of St Albans’ greenhouse gas emissions come from household energy use, so improving home energy efficiency is a top priority.

Under the plan, the Council will continue to provide advice and information to residents about reducing energy consumption and 6 Autumn 2013

installing renewable technology. We will also direct people to information about sources of funding such as the Government’s Green Deal and Feed-in Tariff.

We are already improving the energy efficiency of council homes by installing energy efficient boilers, double glazing and insulation.

We are also working with charities to ensure that vulnerable people receive the support they need to keep their homes warm in winter. Schemes

like ‘Keep Warm, Stay Well’ help people in need to get this extra support.

There is lots of information on the Council’s website to help everyone do their bit to reduce emissions and save energy www.stalbans.gov. uk/greenerliving. You can contact the Council’s Sustainability Officer at: sustainability@stalbans.gov.uk, 01727 819466.

St Albans City & District Council Community News

The more you recycle the less waste goes to landfill. Separate your recycling materials as sh own below.

If you need more boxes, contact: wastemanage mentservices @stalbans.gov. uk, 01727 819391

Changes to your recycling collection We are rolling out new recycling arrangements. By the end of September they will be in place across the District.

Leaflets are being delivered to households about the scheme as it comes to each street.

What will I be able to recycle?

Paper and folded or torn cardboard

Plastics, cans and foil.

No plastic bags

Put your cardboard db d in i with ith paper recycling li

Recycle more of your plastics

Please put your cardboard in your paper recycling box.

Flatten and tear all cardboard so it fits into your recycling box/ boxes with your paper. You can also put cardboard out neatly weighed down under your recycling box. Please ensure sheets are no larger than your recycling box to avoid clogging up the collection vehicle crushing mechanism.

We are now able to collect lots more plastics. You can recycle clean margarine and ice cream tubs, yoghurt pots, plastic food trays and fruit punnets. Please squash cans and plastics to get as much in your box as possible and to avoid large containers clogging up the collection vehicle machinery.

Glass

Green waste, food waste and shredded paper

Put glass in its own box as usual

Please put food waste in your green bin.

Use caddy liners or wrap in newspaper to keep your bin clean.

(No broken glass please.)

What’s in it for me?

How are caddies funded?

The more you recycle the less waste has to go to landfill. Landfill is environmentally unfriendly and costs taxpayers money. If we save money on landfill, there will be more to spend on front-line services. Landfill also creates methane gas which contributes to global warming. We need your help to reduce landfill waste. Thanks for doing your bit.

We have received a grant of ÂŁ234,450 from Hertfordshire County Council to fund the caddies and other recycling changes. This is from a funding programme to increase recycling in the county.

Why the change for cardboard?

National standards for compost have become tighter to ensure that it is of the highest quality. This means that cardboard will no longer be accepted with garden and food waste. So that we can continue to recycle cardboard, we want you to collect it with your paper waste instead.

To find out more about the new scheme visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling t lb www.stalbans.gov.uk

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READY FOR ?

Keeping the District Clean and Green

ANYTHING

If you spot a problem with... t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t t

Flood alerts You can sign up for free flood alerts and get lots of information about the risk of flooding in your local area at www.environmentagency.gov.uk. Alternatively, call the Environment Agency Flood Line on 0845 988 1188.

Disruption to utility supplies Water, electricity and gas suppliers have special schemes in place for low income households, and for others including people with disabilities or who are chronically ill.

Contact your provider for details of their vulnerable customer schemes.

Market dates St Albans Market every Wednesday and Saturday

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 Drugs paraphernalia Trees (overgrown/obstructing highway)

Empty/derelict property Air pollution

...please contact The Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000 Email: a.cleanerdistrict@stalbans.gov.uk Together, for a Cleaner District

St Albans Farmers’ Market 2nd Sunday of the month Harpenden Farmers’ Market 4th Sunday of the month

Now on twitter:: @StAlbansCouncill

New food caddy Over the last few weeks we have been delivering new food caddies to homes in the District.

The aim is to make it easier for you to recycle food via your green bin. Each caddy comes with a starter pack of compostable paper liners. Full details are included with your caddy. Once the paper liner is full, just roll over the top of the bag and put it out with your green waste. Paper liners are available at most large supermarkets and online.

My Council Services App

Now on Twitter @StAlbansCouncil

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.

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 Autumn 2013

Customer Service Centre opening hours: Mon-Thurs 8.45am-5pm, Fri 8.45am-4.30pm

Harpenden Town Council Information Point Town Hall, Leyton Road, Harpenden

Housing Repairs: 01727 819256 Refuse & Recycling: 01727 819285 Council Tax: 01727 819204/819205 Benefits: 01727 819476 Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000 Textphone: 01727 819570

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm

All Other Enquiries: 01727 866100

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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