St Albans Times issue 23

ST ALBANS TIMES

'30 PIECES OF SILVER'

COUNTY COUNCIL'S GREAT BETRAYAL OVER RAIL FREIGHT DEVELOPMENT

Editor's Note

During my previous incarnation in local media, I ran two particular front pages about the ongoing rail freight saga which have stuck in my memory. The first showed someone holding a hidden knife warning that HCC could stab us in the back over the sale of the former Radlett airfield, the second was a photo showing the councillors who would make the final decision on the site and in doing so shape the long-term future of our district.

Now I am sadly following on from those two splashes with a third reflecting the betrayal of St Albans by County Hall. It speaks volumes that nobody from HCC had the courage to put their name to the quote about the recent sale of the landwere they too frightened of the inevitable repercussions?

Rather than err on the side of caution and consider whether the sale was legally required, county councillors led by Cllr Richard Roberts decided to take the cash and run. Their actions will live long in the hearts and memories of all residents of this district.

Editor MATT ADAMS

contributors: Karen Snook, Jon Wilson Cooper, Emma Kosh, Eris, Laura Bill, Darren McCabe, Elena Hogg, Peter Crumpler

M Festival went ahead on Saturday following an evacuation of the site due to a fire

Photo: Michael Lyons

Mayoralty launches new social inclusion campaign

A vision of an age-friendly district which cherishes social inclusion and accessibility while connecting and enriching lives is at the heart of the Mayoralty team this year.

Mayor Cllr Anthony Rowlands, his partner and Mayoress, Annie Stevenson, and Deputy Mayor Josie Madoc and her husband Rhys are determined to do something different during their tenure

They want to bring people across the generations together in order to tackle the unprecedented levels of loneliness and social isolation brought about by both the pandemic and the cost of living crisis

"It fulfils an obvious need in the community," Anthony told the St Albans Times. "It doesn't duplicate the services currently being provided, but will hopefully be a longrunning community initiative We sow the seeds now and these germinate later

"So we are reaching out to organisations which bring people together to find out what they are doing and use them to provide an inspiration to others

"Since the pandemic more people of all ages have become isolated.

"Whether it's working people in their 20s who are sitting in the bedrooms working on their laptops, students who lost out on social development, new mums who never took their children to baby groups, people who stopped

working during Covid and never started up again - these are cross-generational experiences No one should feel they are forgotten, alone and invisible Everyone needs to feel that they matter and belong."

The Mayoralty team are not policy makers so this is more of a broad theme seeking new ways to strengthen our community to ensure the marginalised are included Community organisations are key to making it work, drawing on their knowledge and lived experience of what intergenerational activities work well They also know where the gaps are and can help create a vehicle to make things happen

Anthony added: "We're exploring all sorts of ideas at the moment and using our imagination to think beyond what is already being done

"St Albans is not alone in pursuing this goal: we will be joining in something that is bigger and becoming a recognised social movement for change

"Our theme is borne out of adversity and a necessity which is indeed the mother of invention!"

The next step will be the publication of a booklet including various signposting information, following a call-out to interested parties ahead of an event for local organisations from 5-6.30pm on July 20 at the district council offices

For further details email equalities@stalbans gov uk

Who owns London Road's eyesore properties?

Anyone driving into St Albans city centre after taking Junction 22 off the M25 will probably proceed down London Road, using what should essentially be a showcase for the heritage and culture they will later experience.

Unfortunately this major route is littered with various derelict homes and rundown businesses which only serve to cast a pall over the entire road

One of the biggest sites was caught up in legal wrangles for years, but might finally see improvements should the sale of the land go through successfully

It includes the detached house at 270 London Road, which is a ruin, having not been lived in since around 2009, and 272, which is also vacant and derelict

They once formed part of a larger estate belonging to Henry Gotto, a partner in high class stationers Parkins and Gotto of Oxford Street, who died in January 1892

When the trustees of his will came to sell his land in 1910, they sold it in rectangular parcels intended for the building of high-class residences, with covenants imposed in a number of conveyances restricting the use and density of any development

This came to light when both of these properties, and neighbouring 274, were originally proposed for a private residential care home for 81 people.

The plan, by a Guernsey-based company called Signature Senior Lifestyle, attracted objections from both nearby residents and councillors - who feared London Road becoming a ghetto for the elderly with more and more care homes being built - but planning permission was eventually obtained in May 2016 following a public inquiry

But Signature then faced problems relating to the previously mentioned 1910 covenants The company took the case to the High Court in September 2017, arguing the restricted covenants were unenforceable, but the proceedings failed

It then failed in an attempt to modify the covenants sufficiently to enable it to implement planning permission and build the proposed care home.

The land has recently been marketed by a London-based company called Daniel Watney Ltd, who said it is currently under offer and nearing exchange, which will hopefully mean some progress in restoring this massive site to a state better befitting its prestigious location.

Moving towards the city centre, adjacent to the railway bridge is a large patch of wasteland taped off with blue plastic netting. It appears to be used as nothing more than a dumping ground, but with just a little amount of work could be neatly redeveloped as a community green space.

272 London Road has been empty for years.

Close to the prestigious Gabriel Square development, on the corner of Alma Road, are two abandoned business premises which are slowly falling into wrack and ruin The former Mumtaj Tandoori at 115 London Road was one of St Albans' original and most highly-regarded Indian restaurants in its day, but closed for good three years before the pandemic devastated the city's hospitality industry

Chez Mumtaj owner Chad Rahman told the St Albans Times that the building was sold at the time to an independent third party and has new owners

Now the windows are boarded up, the signage has been removed, paint is peeling and tiles have come loose, with the once proud restaurant building a shadow of its former self

Meanwhile, 115A London Road, which was once office

270 London Road is a ruin once mooted to be replaced with a care home.

space occupied by Verulam Insurance Bureau, is in a similar state of disrepair. Faded circus posters have been flyposted over masked-out windows, there is overgrown vegetation on the path, and the shabby paintwork is in stark contrast to the beautiful avant garde cinema that is The Odyssey opposite.

Why have these building been left empty for so long? What are the current owners ' plans for the site? We discovered that planning permission was given for a change of use from restaurant to residential at 115, with plans for six one bedroom flats, back in April

But an appeal has also been lodged after a failed bid to demolish 113 115 & 115A and replace them with a part three-storey, part four-storey and part fivestorey building comprising of ten apartments including basement and roof terrace

The former London Road Business Park, which was destroyed by fire in July 2022, now has planning permission for housing and is currently being cleared.

Further down the road towards the city centre are two more eyesores - boarded-up and dilapidatedpresenting an unwelcome vista which blights the surrounding area But contractors have been seen working on renovating 50 London Road, suggesting it could finally be marketed and reopened

SADC leader Cllr Chris White responded to the latest developments: "London Road has made massive strides over the past several years with the replacement of a lot of derelict buildings or unused sites. But there is still a way to go. "I'm glad to say that the former Mumtaj restaurant site has received planning permission. The area by the bridge damaged by fire may well become housing: while this will see an improvement in appearance there remains the worry about the loss of commercial land in this area, which current planning rules struggle to prevent "

The former London Road Business Park could now be used for housing

EYES ON 5

Time flies when you ’ re doing what you love

Jez Levy and the team at EYES on St Albans celebrated the fifth anniversary of the Marshalswick shop opening this week

Five years of “Eyecare of Excellence – Eyewear that Rocks!” mixed with active community involvement across the city and more years of experience in the optical industry that Jez cares to mention has brought people from across the country to the shop

For those of you who’ve managed to miss the now instantly recognisable yellow and black branding (there’s a reason for that – more in a later edition), EYES on St Albans can be found at 63 The Quadrant – next door to Fade to Black – where (for those of you that remember) Barclays Bank used to be

Jez’s mission to stock the frames that you won’t find anywhere else locally has been at the forefront of his offer – mixing that with a range that he’s designed himself theres now a large community of St Albans people who without knowing each other will start a conversation with “Did you get your glasses at EYES on St Albans” The answer is invariably yes

Despite the closures over the pandemic the trend in buying specs online and the current economic challenges Jez and the team remain true to their initial values; providing the highest quality eye examinations for a single price using the most up to date equipment (so all your scans, tests and retinal photography are included), offering the best possible customer service to everyone and being an active part of St Albans life

Essentially, going to EYES on St Albans is an experience, not just an optical appointment Jez’s ability to choose the perfect frames removes the stress of trying on loads of pairs and his commitment to stocking the best contact lenses sunglasses and other accessories makes sure that whatever your eyecare needs hes got something for you

Five years in, EYES on St Albans remains the premier UK retailer for EnChroma glasses for colour blindness People have travelled from across the UK (and stopped off on world travels) to try and purchase these glasses that allow them to see a far wider range of colours than theyve been able to before

So what plans for the next five years?

More of the same Care, quality and community Continuing to work with ethical brands so we know exactly where our frames lenses and contact lenses come from Designing more EYES on St Albans own brand frames (oh yes theres a dozen in the range already – pop in and have a look!), keeping abreast of the latest findings and technology in eye care, especially when it comes to dry eyes and continuing to support the amazing organisations within St Albans that do so much for our community – including Ask For Clive Youth Talk St Albans Action for Homeless, St Albans Community Pantry, St Albans City FC, – amongst many others

Ask Jez what makes EYES on St Albans a success and he’ll tell you hard work dedication to customer service loving the industry and our community Oh – and a healthy amount of rock music and fun!

Jez Levy is celebrating five years of EYES on St Albans Photo by Jo Hailey, Striking Places Photography

Betrayed by County Hall: campaigners condemn rail freight depot sale

The actions of county councillors have been compared to Christ's betrayal by Judas Iscariot after they rushed through the sale of the former Radlett airfield site for a controversial rail freight terminal.

Weeks after ignoring a petition of more than 8,500 signatories calling for HCC to think again about the sale, it was announced without warning on Friday afternoon that negotiations had completed

Developer Segro is now free to build the 1,000 acre terminal on Green Belt land in Park Street, just south of St Albans

Tellingly, no county councillor - not even leader Cllr Richard Roberts - put their name to a statement confirming the sale, which also passed the buck to SADC to ensure the scheme was implemented.

The anonymous HCC spokesperson said: “This sale will pave the way for a new strategic freight rail interchange, new country park and a bypass to alleviate traffic pressures on Park Street Not only should this development bring forward employment opportunities for the people of Hertfordshire, the use of rail for cross country freight will help the nation collectively reduce our carbon footprint

“There are numerous planning conditions attached to the permission granted by the Secretary of State designed to ensure that local interests are protected, one being that the infrastructure is delivered

"It will now fall to St Albans District Council as the planning authority to ensure that these conditions are complied with, and we will help them as much as we can to achieve this ”

But campaigners have accused HCC of betraying the people of St Albans

Lib Dem county councillor Sandy Walkington, who has fought against the scheme for years, said: "Well the Conservatives have got what they voted for and the words ‘thirty pieces of silver’ come to mind. This is terrible news for St Albans and Hertfordshire Council tax payers will rue the day as the overall impact becomes apparent Massive traffic congestion, noise and air pollution during construction, destruction of the historic setting off St Albans Cathedral, disruption of commuter rail services, the list is endless A bad, bad day for Hertfordshire "

Cllr Nuala Webb, one of the leaders of the Save St Albans: Fight the Freight campaign said: “This is a sad day for local democracy and a sad day for the entire St Albans area.

"Herts CC have continued to ignore legal advice that they were under no compulsion to sell, they have blocked petitions against the sale from local residents and ignored mounting evidence that this valuable piece of Green Belt land will not be viable as a rail freight terminal and will instead end up as a lorry to lorry distribution centre, increasing the carbon footprint rather than reducing it

The site of the proposed rail freight depot on Green Belt land south of St Albans.

“Indeed, it is ironic that Herts pushed through the sale in the same week that traffic on the A414 and around St Albans has been gridlocked day after day. This new terminal will only add to congestion and blight the lives of all those who live here And the council continues to talk hogwash about the supposed benefits The so called Park Street by-pass will be a service and perimeter road that won’t keep traffic out of the village and the new country park they say will be created already exists.

“ The whole sale process has been seriously flawed Save St Albans: Fight the Freight continue to talk to our lawyers and, now the sale has been announced, will consider steps towards a possible judicial review Despite the announcement, the fight is not over. ”

What are the next steps in fight against rail freight?

It ain't over 'til it's over. The county council may have finalised the sale of the former Radlett airfield to rail freight developers Segro, but there is still hope the final scheme can be thwarted.

Campaign group Save St Albans: Fight the Freight is still intending to push for a Judicial Review, but there are other options going forwards.

One argument is around the county council’s role as custodians of the land on behalf of local residents and whether or not they are only entitled to sell if the land is not required for the purpose for which it was bought

In 1979 Herts county council started negotiations to buy the former airfield to protect its Green Belt status LaFarge subsequently bought the land from the receivers in 1980s and were granted a 15-year lease to extract minerals plus a further six years to re-instate and restore for Green Belt use – before selling to HCC for £1. In 1983 a meeting of the planning development control and urgency sub committee recorded: "The restoration of this site to agriculture represents the current stance of county and district council policy and that securing the protection of this site for Green Belt purposes in the future has been a long standing priority for both authorities "

As the deeds say the land should be held as Green Belt there could be strong argument about statutory rights overriding any sale – and whether HCC looked deeply enough into this

A landmark judgment in Shropshire last March saw the Supreme Court ruling in favour of a resident who

claimed a statutory trust created in 1926 gives residents rights of recreation over a piece of land even after Shrewsbury Town Council sold it to a developer

As a result, planning permission for a housing development quashed The ruling is considered to be of major importance to local authorities and their approach to selling off land that has been protected by means of a statutory trust

Does this ruling mean the same applies to the Radlett airfield site - that it should be maintained as open space for the benefit of the community?

There also remains a lack of transparency over the price agreed for the land and whether HCC has failed in its fiduciary duty, not only over the value of the land vs the price paid, but also by entering into agreements which will place unnecessary financial burdens on taxpayers, such as unfunded infrastructure improvements like the A414, Park Street and London Colney roundabouts

But while there remains a degree of optimism moving forwards, although HCC has shown itself to be incompetent and inert, ignoring legal advice, ignoring evidence, ignoring residents and blocking petitions, being incompetent is not same as acting illegally

One of the leaders of Fight the Freight, Terrie Smith, said this week: "The more we look into this, the more we discover what we believe to be serious governance weaknesses around Herts CC’s decision to sell. There are precedents of judges overturning the sale of land by local authorities We continue to fight and continue to campaign.”

St Albans MP makes blistering attack on county Conservatives over Radlett airfield sale

LIBERAL DEMOCRAT DAISY COOPER WRITES EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE ST ALBANS TIMES ON THE DECISION TO SELL THE FORMER RADLETT AIRFIELD FOR A RAIL FREIGHT DEPOT.

Residents and campaigners have fought against these plans for a monstrous terminal on their doorstep from start to finish for more than 20 years so this move by the Conservative-run County Council to enable it, will be seen as nothing less than a huge betrayal

I have always maintained that whilst we need to reduce national carbon emissions from transport, it’s completely absurd to build a freight terminal where the lorries won’t have any direct access to a motorway, and the huge storage warehouses will sit cheek by jowl with peoples back gardens, clogging up our air and our roads Longtime campaigners will remember that one Secretary of State agreed with this analysis; sadly a later one (the Conservatives' Eric Pickles) did not

Since the Conservative leadership at the county council contacted me in late 2022, to advise they were minded to sell this land, I have fought hard to get them to think again Months of painstaking research and parliamentary questions revealed that their claim, that they were reluctant sellers, simply didn’t stand up to scrutiny

What has shocked me most over the last eight months, was the lengths the Conservative administration would go to in trying to conceal the legal advice they received

It took weeks of battling with their legal team to get them to disclose the legal advice notes – which had been paid for with public funds.

They turned down Freedom of Information requests, and point blank refused to disclose it when I wrote to them

Only when it was revealed they had accidentally uploaded some of the notes to their own website, did they eventually back down!

Those documents, some dating back almost ten years, proved that they didn’t have to sell Their own barrister told them that they could instead have reviewed whether circumstances had changed since the Conservative Secretary of State gave the scheme the go-ahead in 2014 We all know that much has changed in that time Our roads are more congested, several large rail freight terminals have been built, and are operational, in the region And the Thameslink route is busier with passenger services

But when I challenged the County to publish their assessment of those changes? The answer was they hadn’t even bothered to look at it.

Ultimately, I’m now convinced that they never intended to oppose this freight depot Campaign groups over the years have provided ample evidence that its unlikely this site would be suitable for a rail link STRIFE had argued this as far back as 2006, when the first scheme was rejected by the district council

More recently, Save St Albans: Fight The Freight has produced even more analysis which shows this will most likely end up being nothing more than a massive lorry park We’ve seen similar moves by the same developer in Northamptonshire. Once the warehousing was built, the countryside scarred, and grass paved over for lorry access

they applied to waive the planning condition that ensures the site has a rail link Hertfordshire County Council has done nothing more than pocket the cash, and wash their hands of the misery their decision will cause For a local authority to so blatantly ignore the best interests their own residents is astounding.

When the history of this whole sorry saga is examined, it’s clear that the Conservatives – for whatever reason – were always determined this freight terminal would be built

The district council here in St Albans have refused permission twice – once in the early 2000s, and again in 2012 Instead of allowing an independent Planning Inspector to hear an appeal from the developers, it was Eric Pickles, the Tory Secretary of State, who waded in to overrule them and grant permission in 2014

It was the Conservative administration in County Hall that sat on legal advice for almost a decade, instead of taking action to investigate whether they could take a different path

It was this Conservative government that forced the district council to withdraw their Local Plan, which identified the land for affordable housing

Fight The Freight say that it’s likely the planning permission would have lapsed entirely, and the whole plan would have disappeared, if his estate hadn’t cooperated And at every stage of the decision making process at the county council, the Tories used their majority to vote the scheme through, in the face of unprecedented local opposition

Even when the Liberal Democrats proposed calling in the sale decision for proper scrutiny just six weeks ago, every single Conservative voted to stop new oversight of the sale - including the Conservative county representative for London Colney, one of the areas that will be blighted by traffic and pollution for decades to come.

Now the Conservative county administration have –literally – sold out, it’ll be the local district council left to pick up the pieces

Up against a multi-million pound company, Liberal Democrats in St Albans will be working to hold the developers to account, and make sure they stick to the planning conditions The county have even indicated it’ll be up to St Albans district to make sure the developers don’t try to wriggle out of their financial commitments for highways improvements too.

Since St Albans district council didn’t receive a single penny from the sale, I’ve already asked the government for funding to make sure our local planning teams are well resourced to do this work Otherwise it’ll be St Albans council tax-payers footing the bill for that as well.

It was the Earl of Verulam

who had sat in the House of Lords as a Conservative – who gave permission to the developer to start work, before they’d sold the land

Frankly, this sale is a huge setback But I’m determined to keep up the fight, and will continue to work with residents and campaigners to discuss the next steps in our opposition to the terminal "

Unable to find the ice cream flavour she craved, Darlish founder and owner Laura Dawson took the plunge and started making it in her kitchen Laura, 36, who is half-Iranian and halfIndian, loved an occasional saffron, rose and pistachio but found it was not available anywhere locally

Realising she was quite good at crafting ice cream, she experimented with other quirky flavours and before she knew it she was pushing around an exquisitelooking Italian wooden cart at markets and fairs and doing quite well out of it “I initially dabbled with desserts like panna cotta and cheesecakes, which I sold to Selfridges, but I soon realise I couldn’t scale them up sufficiently to meet demand, and ice cream was much easier ”

That was in 2017, and before too long she had opened her first premises in French Row at the site of the former Ye

Olde Sweet Shoppe

“It was a massive gamble at the time, but as queues formed down the street I kept asking myself, ‘Surely there aren’t still more customers?’” she recalled Now Laura owns four Darlish parlours, employing loyal staff who come back year-after-year before, through and after university.

“They are the backbone of our business,” she explained “The training is quite intensive, with two weeks on scooping practice alone ”

Another part of the Darlish induction is trying every flavour (if they can) and being able to describe the tastes and textures. I can think of worse jobs! Away from the shops, Laura can frequently be found in her wellies at the dairy farm in North London where the magic happens

“It’s a frantic production process We produce 900 litres of ice cream at a very quick rate, and then it takes a further two days per flavour

“Taste and texture are all important,” she explained “Companies like Unilever spend years working on the consistency of their products We have to let the flavours seep into our ice cream ” We visited the St Albans branch in Christopher Place to learn more about the production process and try a selection of flavours because to not do so would quite frankly have been ridiculous!

The menu has a core range of options plus a specials section which changes sporadically. Exciting cones such as rainbow and chocolate-dipped ones grab my attention far more than the only cones in existence when I was growing up – the coral orange, tasteless wafer ones which aren’t really robust enough to deal with any drippage or dysfunctional child incidents.

You can of course also opt for a small tub and a plastic thingy to eat with To be honest I have long been a fan of the tub as it feels a bit more grown-up (You know for when you turn up with an icecream at a job interview or court or something ;-p)

I like a nice, safe know-what-I’m-getting flavour, preferring such choices like salted caramel or sour cream and cherry, rather than risking the more outthere lemon and poppyseed, but I'm urged to take a risk and try something different

We tried sticky taffini – a sticky toffee pudding caramel sauce and sesameorange blossom (very Jo Malone) and rhubarb, pomegranate and rose I was genuinely a bit nervous because I really am not usually a fan of flowers in my mouth and associate the taste of rose or violet with soap. But it was SO refreshing and moreish,

and Laura said it is carefully balanced for a Western palate The sticky toffee pudding one was stunning, offering the texture of the cake in the ice cream with a subtly changing flavour The orange blossom one with candied orange and orange blossom flower was a joy Well worth experimenting then!

A younger crowd of customers has recently popped up at the shop, visiting after school and at weekends, meaning Saturdays are now staffed by at least eight people with queues often out of the door, proving a great draw for Christopher Place!

I briefly spoke to Molly, 25, who has worked at the St Albans pop-ups for years Molly, whose current favourite flavour is peanut butter choc chip, said she loves working there and described Laura as “lovely but strict on good things like making sure no one with allergies has any incidents”.

You can takeaway a variety of pots from the Christopher Place store.

Carrot milk ice-cream is the soon-to-belaunched flavour currently being perfected A lot of peeling apparently I probe a little to try and understand the science (Who knew ice cream was a science? I wish we had had that at school!) It seems to be a lot of milk from an actual dairy, a long amount of perfecting texture, fabulous flavourcrafting and then a move from cow to store via a few different temperatures containers from -25 to -12 when it is served

I asked what her secret to success is: “I never plan anything I try not to look at the queues and focus on what I am doing in the moment Sometimes I can’t believe it really ”

What I sense she is saying is that she doesn’t get lost in the dream or freaked out by the onslaught of customers

Laura obviously does plan things and is clearly a phenomenal business woman who is admired by her staff, but the steely determination in her eyes juxtaposes with her humility

As a woman myself I find it a refreshing change from the ego and chest-banging

that sometimes accompany the alpha business model. (Did I just say that out loud? Yes, I think I did )

There is just something powerful when action is coming from the top down –when the backstory is fascinating, the drive is evident and the proof of the pudding is literally in the eating.

Laura visits ice cream venues all over the world to keep her eye on what’s going on, and recently came back from eight parlours in New York Her take-away was that if the ice-cream is amazing but there is no customer engagement then it isn’t such a great experience Laura had an egg yolk flavoured ice cream and said she had really wanted to know a bit of the story behind it "Give me a story and tell me the provenance!" she urges “It sort of sells itself if it is nicely decorated and so on, but the ice cream itself will be what brings people back and I suppose that is a true mark of a brilliant product, perhaps? That you can spring it up suddenly and it does well ” Of course, Darlish has its regulars, as she explained: “Couples come to us for a

date and then hit it off and decide to get married, invite us to serve at their wedding and in a year or two we see them craving a specific flavour during pregnancy and then they are in with their baby and their mum friends enjoying us ”

(Disappointment disclaimer: I cannot confirm this will happen if you take your date to Darlish but I strongly suggest the ice cream will not disappoint!)

They can also claim a host of celebrity customers

Captain Marvel Brie Larsson visited St Albans when filming at Hatfield House recently, with other big names including fashion designer Donnatella Versace, British boxer Anthony Joshua, actor Rosamund Pike and even the Princess of Brunei

Over the past eight years Darlish has become intrinsically linked to St Albans, something the former Nicholas Breakspear pupil is proud she has achieved, and hopefully we will continue enjoying its remarkable flavour combinations from Christopher Place for many more years to come

You can takeaway a variety of pots from the Christopher Place store

St Albans security firm kits out Youth Talk's new premises

Youth counselling service Youth Talk reached out to St Albansbased security specialist Amthal to install a bespoke integrated system and its new home in London Road. Amthal designed and installed a comprehensive security solution that included intruder alarms, fire safety measures, and access control technologies.

The system is designed to provide around-the-clock protection to the premises and ensure that any security breaches or incidents can be remotely detected and responded to accordingly.

Chief executive David Barker said: “Since 1997 thousands of young people have trusted us to provide a safe, non-judgmental and confidential space to talk. Demand for the service has never been greater and our recent move to new, larger premises is part of our five-year strategy for growth.

“Working with Amthal as a local specialist has been great and we are looking forward to a productive relationship going forwards. They worked closely with us to design the system and ensure installation worked sensitively around our dedicated counselling services. We now have peace of mind that our staff, volunteers and those who attend our services are safe and secure and that our premises are protected around the clock.”

Sales director Paul Rosenthal added: “Amthal is proactive in supporting our local community and we’re proud to have partnered with Youth Talk to design and install a security system that meets their unique and growing needs.

"Our team of experts worked closely with the charity to ensure that the overall solution provides the necessary protection, while also being user-friendly and easy to operate. We are confident that the new systems will provide long-term security for Youth Talk and the young people it so closely supports."

Summer scourge of the city's reckless bikers

The sun is shining, mums pushing fancy buggies are clutching their Starbucks skinny iced lattes and there is a topless teenage boy doing a wheelie on his BMX through the pedestrianised walkway

Or maybe it’s the sound of revving engines waiting at the Lattimore Road junction on the London Road, an anonymous figure on a dirt-bike preparing to tear up the Tarmac as they accelerate in the Hatfield direction, treating the long, straight road like they’re competing in the Isle of Man TT

Yes, that’s right, you are in St Albans in the summertime, when bikers of the petrol- and pedal-driven variety treat the city like some sort of arena for speed and stunts

We’ve seen it ourselves just outside the Courtside Café near Alban City School – when a skinny dirt-biker riding without licence plates decided to spring his wheels up into the air before powering off down the Hatfield Road

Not only did it look dangerous - if we showed his mum our video of it I don’t think she’d be super impressed –but think of the damage or injury it could have caused to other people, cars and buildings in the ensuing carnage when it – and it inevitably will – goes “ wrong ”

Then there is the Holywell Hill manoeuvre Wait at the Peahen junction, engine revving to deafening levels, before letting rip when the lights change and blasting down the hill

These are not streets designed for this sort of reckless behaviour, the idling traffic you usually see waiting is only likely to reach speeds of 20mph before encountering another set of lights or queue of cars, and the pedestrians crossing are often mums with buggies, elderly shoppers and excitable children.

St Peter’s Street is largely pedestrianised, so parents are comfortable letting their toddlers run free –that is until they see a cyclist bearing down on them with absolute abandon

Because of the nature of these incidents, the police rely on the public’s help to identify hotspots and report any offenders

The days of numerous bobbies pounding the beat urging little Tommy to get off his Chopper and walk have sadly long since passed us by.

Acting Chief Inspector Ady Lysak, based in St Albans, explained: "Every day we review anti-social behaviourbecause that's what this falls under - and will identify key locations Because we review it every day we can see where the hotspots are. We often get reports of racing on the dual carriageway near the Noke Hotel in Chiswell Green for example

"Us being aware means we can provide a visible presence as a preventative strategy, but it's a case of identifying those areas through people talking to us ”

A masked dirt bike rider performs a wheelie in Hatfield Road

For example, one of the policing priorities in east St Albans, including Colney Heath, London Colney and Park Street, is to reduce the anti-social use of motorbikes across the area, focusing on Colney Heath, Napsbury Park, Colney Street and Lye Lane.

Social media is often filled with posts about reckless dirt bikers in places like Highfield Park, but in isolation this will do nothing to tackle the issue, and the police need to be informed St Albans Neighbourhood Inspector Paul Caro said: "It's obviously a difficult problem to eradicate so it's all about having a presence, getting intelligence from the public as well, if there's any footage captured, so we can take robust action " Ch Insp Lysak added: "Just by us being there means people are less likely to do it We do issue Section 59 warnings for anti-social behaviour, we can seize people's cars and motorcycles. We had a recent conviction for dangerous driving for someone doing wheelspins We can act from recordings as long as we can identify the driver, but sometimes we can target the owner " If you have witnessed anti-social riding and have information which can help police catch the offenders, please email the safer neighbourhood team on stalbans@herts.police.uk

Public notice

Notice of an application for a Premise Licence under the Licensing Act 2003

Notice is hereby given that Mr Sidney Barasa in respect to the Premise Situal Cave, 12B Chequer Street, St Albans, AL1 3XZ has applied to the St Albans City and District Council for a grant of a premise licence.

The proposed Licensable activities and their hours are:

The standard hours applied for are:

Opening and closing hours:

Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 23:00

Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year’s 11:00 – 01:00

Selling of Alcohol:

Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 23:00

Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year’s 11:00 – 01:00

Recorded Music:

Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 23:00

Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve, and New Year's 11:00 - 01:00

Capacity 30 people

Any objections must be submitted in writing to the Licencing section, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3DG by 15th August 2023, stating the grounds for the objection.

Mondays through Thursdays, 8:45 to 17:00, and Fridays, 8:45 to 16:30, the register and application record of the St Albans City and District Council may be inspected at the above address. Alternately, it is available online at www stalbans gov uk

It is unlawful to submit an application containing a fraudulent statement knowingly or recklessly. The maximum finethat may be imposed upon summary conviction for this offence is £5,000.

HOME

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE IT... DEBORAH HEATH EXPLORES A POIGNANT MASTERPIECE AT THE ABBEY THEATRE

The final play in the Company of Ten’s 2022-23 season, 'Home' by David Storey, is a mesmerising exploration of the relationships between five fascinating characters in an initially unestablished setting They could be in a park, a hospital or a care home for the elderly

However, as we gradually realise the inner sadness of each person it becomes apparent that we are in fact at a 1970s mental asylum This is a relevant play for the St Albans area with our history of similar institutions such as Napsbury Park and Highfield This play is gentle and funny yet incredibly poignant – in my view it is in fact a masterpiece

'Home' at the Abbey Theatre

Staging 'Home' in the Abbey Theatre studio was entirely appropriate – it is an intimate space for some personal stories and with the audience seated on two sides of a square at a 90 degree angle we felt extremely involved in the action

There were no issues with sightlines at all which was both refreshing and a sign of meticulous direction

The set was intentionally minimalistic as is suggested in the script; an outside wall, table and two chairs and a scattering of autumn leaves beneath. It said everything it needed to say and left more to the audience’s imagination I really liked this approach because when the audience need to fill in the gaps themselves it makes the story more personal and hard hitting.

Having said this, I would have liked some outdoor sound effects in the opening minute of each act just to reinforce the setting.

It takes a very talented group of performers and an experienced director to pull off a successful performance of this play because with a lack of traditional story structure, the play could in the wrong hands be an extremely boring series of personal ramblings.

However, director Rosemary Goodwin treated the text with great care and cast the roles with skill Harry and Jack open the play as they meet for what we assume is a regular morning chat in the courtyard Dewi Williamson’s performance of raconteur Jack demonstrated a wealth of experience in character portrayal. It was distracting that he played it script in hand but I am sure there were good reasons for this decision and it certainly didn’t prevent him from giving an authentic performance.

Tim Hoyle’s Harry provided a beautifully gentle counterpart to Dewi William’s confident Jack They were later joined by female residents Kathleen (Jacqui Golding) and Marjorie (Cassandra Fothergill)

who, like their male co-stars worked together extremely well I could sense that they had all invested in a great deal of character development work

I liked the tiny touches of brilliance that gave each character authenticity such as the way Tim Hoyle arranged his belongings symmetrically, Dewi Williams’s upward glances as he recalled anecdotes about probably invented distant relatives, Jacqui Golding’s infectious laugh and Cassandra Fothergill’s disapproving pursed lips The impression of other distant characters, observed by our main foursome was very well executed Again, giving the responsibility of visualising them to the audience, it relied on the actors’ superb reactions to guide us. The verbal meanderings of four people can only take you so far so Danny Smith’s entrance as ex-wrestler Alfred provided a welcome change of energy. He was funny and strangely charming despite the insane glint in his eyes – some great character realisation here

The play hints at the author’s own mental illness and his view on how such issues should be treated

It causes the audience to question whether our current care in the community approach is in the best interests of those with mental health conditions This is a sad play yet I felt strangely uplifted because even though these relationships are friendships of convenience it shows the British way of making the best of a bad situation and the human need for interaction

I would like to commend Company of Ten for an excellent 2022-23 season They chose such a wonderfully diverse mix of plays, demonstrating that they can handle anything from farce to psychological drama 'Home' is a wonderful script which has been extremely well-realised by Company of Ten and I would recommend you catch it before the end of the run

Blue plaque honouring Pre-Raphaelite artist

The latest blue plaque to be installed in St Albans will celebrate the life of Pre-Raphaelite painter ER "Ted"

Hughes

The ceremony will take place on Saturday July 22 at his last home at 3 Romeland

The plaque will be officially installed by Professor Geraint John, a well-known architect, who is the holder of the Pierre de Coubertin Medal for outstanding services to the Olympic movement.

In 2014, the centenary of Hughes' death, Professor John organised an exhibition to honour the artist's memory

This is the ninth plaque to be installed by Blue Plaques St Albans (BPSA) commemorating famous men and women who have lived and worked in St Albans.

Chairman Professor Tim Boatswain said: "Blue Plaques St Albans are very grateful to Mr and Mrs Morris, the owners of 3 Romeland. for sponsoring this plaque to ER Hughes

"Hughes is not as well-known as he should be. He grew up under the influence of both his uncle, Arthur Hughes, and William Holman Hunt, who were members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

"Hughes moved to St Albans in 1913 and wrote about how he loved the historical atmosphere of the city I hope this blue plaque will encourage more people to get to know the works of this talented artist "

Born in London, Edward Robert Hughes received his first training from his uncle Arthur, and spent much of his childhood surrounded by his uncle’s artistic and literary friends, including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Ford Madox Brown, John Ruskin and Lewis Carroll

Hughes took lessons at an art school in London, before entering the Royal Academy schools at the age of 16 where he was an outstanding student, winning a silver medal.

His striking good looks led to his modelling for Rossetti and other artists

After graduating from the Royal Academy, he established a career as a portrait painter and his sensitive portraits of children were particularly popular. He later produced large, ambitious watercolours, inspired by poetry and literature, exhibiting twice a year at the Royal Watercolour Society

From the late 1880s Hughes worked as a studio assistant to William Holman Hunt, who was suffering from glaucoma in the last years of his life, progressively losing his sight Hughes helped him to complete the painting 'The Lady of Shalott'.

He is also credited with largely painting the third and final version of the 'Light of the World', a hugely popular painting now in St Paul’s Cathedral

From 1905, Hughes made a series of large watercolours, exploring the themes of twilight, night and dawn, with fairy-like figures

It is perhaps these masterpieces on which the fame and reputation of ER Hughes is based

In 1913 he moved with his wife, Emily, to St Albans

He loved the city but, sadly, he was stricken with appendicitis and died after surgery on St George's Day, 23 April 1914 His funeral at the Cathedral drew a huge attendance, reflecting how much his art had been admired He is buried in Hatfield Road Cemetery

ER Hughes, 1903 ©Watts Gallery Compton, Surrey, and 3 Romeland where he once lived

Emma Kosh is an Interior Designer and award winning Designer on CBBC's The Dengineers Emma has a passion for creating one of a kind Interiors and Empowering people to celebrate their Uniqueness through design. She joins us to share her thoughts on Home and Interior Style

OWN IT LIKE EK INTERIORS AND HOME

DO I NEED A LIGHTING DESIGNER?

I am in the process of finishing up a complete basement renovation which includes a cinema room, playroom, store room and linking corridors. Each space has a unique function and I have used a lighting designer to get the right look. Light is another layer of magic in the space and as all the different areas get installed and switched on I can fully appreciate what a difference it makes to the success of my overall design. Residential lighting used to be an electrician calculating how many downlights you need plus how many plug sockets for lamps. With the last few projects I have worked on Lighting has been another tool in my palette to create the most stunning designs possible. This week I discuss he benefits of paying a specialist Lighting Designer?

MAKE A FEATURE OF THE SPACE

Lighting designers have the expertise and knowledge to create scheme that complements the architecture and interior design of the space. They know about colour temperature, intensity, and direction, and combine these to create interesting effects. By carefully selecting and positioning light fixtures, a lighting designer can highlight architectural features, create focal points, and set the desired mood or ambience.

With the cinema job I wanted to make a feature of the original brick arches so sent over some images I liked to my Lighting Designer and he worked on how to achieve it in the space.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Being efficient with energy has been at the forefront of our minds recently and it should be a consideration when planning new spaces

They can recommend energy-efficient fixtures and control systems that can significantly reduce energy consumption By using techniques such as zoning, dimming, and daylight harvesting, a lighting designer can optimise the use of natural light and artificial lighting- resulting in lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint- bonus!

SMOOTH COMMUNICATION

A lighting designer can create Lighting layout plans that show the placement and arrangement of light fixtures in the space. These plans include symbols representing different types of fixtures, along with measurements for exact locations. Lighting layout plans help ensure that the fixtures are strategically positioned to achieve the desired lighting effects and coverage.

They can also provide wiring schematics to help with the installation process that illustrate how the light fixtures are connected to the electrical system. These diagrams show the routing of electrical cables, the location of switches and dimmers, and the distribution of power to different lighting zones or circuits. They help electricians understand the wiring requirements and ensure proper installation.

DIFFERENT ROOMS, DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS

Working with a lighting designer ensures that the lighting in your space is functional and practical. They can assess the lighting needs of each area. The consider things such as task requirements, safety regulations, and user needs. Whether it's a workspace, a bathroom or bedroom they can create a lighting plan that provides adequate illumination for various activities.

By considering how you use each room you can tailor the lighting to how you specifically live within the space.

MAKE IT SMART

With the use of smart home lighting control systems, designers can program different lighting scenes and effects that can be easily adjusted to suit different occasions or activities. This flexibility allows you to transform the atmosphere of your space with just a few clicks, whether it's for a cozy dinner, a lively party, or a productive work environment.

LOCAL LIGHTING DESIGNERS

I have personally worked with Richard at Lightivity www.lightivity.co.uk on several projects, he is based in St Albans, has created beautiful spaces with me and is lovely to work with.

I would also recommend Claudia of Focal Glow www.focalglow.com who is also based in St Albans and does amazing work, literally the most detailed plans I have ever seen!

Wine Times

DARREN MCCABE WRITES AS THE WINE ENTHUSIAST (@MCCABE THEWINEENTHUSIAST)

Welcome to this week’s Wine Times!

As you know each week, I’ve been bringing you my top wine recommendations (including a monthly cheese and wine pairing from Fleetville Larder) from local independent wine merchants I’ve really enjoyed getting to know our local teams, promoting their wines, some of which have become a regular feature and there are still one or two I’ve yet to introduce you too. In addition to these recommendations, I’ll occasionally recommend something you can’t buy locally - just to broaden your palette and wine experience – but only if I think it's special and really worth it

During the last two months I’ve been lucky enough to attend a number of launch events, private wine tastings, masterclasses and had the opportunity to meet and interview a wide range of wine producers So, with this in mind, I wanted to share with you one of the best rosé wines I’ve come across this year

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to an intimate lunch on the Dalloway Terrace at the Bloomsbury Hotel in London.

Olivier Fayard, CEO of Saine Marguerite En Provence, treated us to lunch with each course beautifully paired with one of his amazing wines Now I don’t know about you but when I think of Provence wine, I immediately think of refreshing rosé, but we were in for a surprise, in addition to his two outstanding rosés, he brought over some wines that rarely leave France, a red –Fantastique Rouge and a white –Fantastique Blanc Like many great wines there’s a wonderful story behind every one of his labels Sainte Marguerite is a renowned wine estate in Provence, with a rich history that is deeply rooted in a passion for winemaking. Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard, the visionary founders of the estate, recognised the potential of

Provence wines over four decades ago when they acquired seven hectares of vineyards

Their endeavour was further elevated by the fact that the property had already earned the esteemed title of Cru Classé des Côtes-de-Provence back in 1955, a distinction held by only 18 domains to this day.

From the very beginning, Brigitte and Jean-Pierre Fayard were committed to pursuing excellence and consistently raising the bar for quality They played a vital role in establishing the prestigious reputation of Provence rosé wines, a mission that was embraced by their entire family

Once their four children were old enough to take part in the family adventure, each found their own part to play: Olivier and Enzo blend the wines, Sigolène is in charge of management and legal affairs, while Lionel designs the bottles and labels They all maintain the vision of excellence and are driven by boundless energy, motivating them to go one step further and innovate In 2022, based on shared values and convictions, the Fayard family and the Pernod Ricard Group came together to create a long-term project and continue the development of Sainte

Marguerite en Provence, both in France and internationally

Together, their goal was to promote the name of Sainte Marguerite in Provence by crafting exceptional rosé, white, and red wines of unparalleled quality Their journey has been one of unwavering dedication and uncompromising standards What started as a seven-hectare vineyard has now grown to encompass nearly 200 hectares, spanning some of the most breathtaking terroirs within the Côtes-deProvence appellation. In 2003, the estate obtained Ecocert certification, a testament to their commitment to environmentally friendly practices Notably, the vineyard is free from the use of fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides Sainte Marguerite takes pride in its 100% plant-based production, which has earned the estate registration with the Vegan Society for its Fantastique range “We practise organic agriculture over the whole vineyard out of respect for the environment, our customers and our staff This echoes the standards that guide us in everything we do ”

One distinguishing aspect of Sainte Marguerite is the diversity of its

vineyard, with 11 plots spread over 22 kilometres an uncommon characteristic in the AOP Côtes-deProvence. Each plot boasts a unique combination of exposure, climate, and soil composition, providing winemakers Olivier and Enzo Fayard with an exquisite array of flavours and aromas to work with This diversity allows them to craft wines with a singular signature, capturing the essence of the terroir.

Oliver is very down to earth, humble, passionate winemaker He explained the Sainte Marguerite Fantastique Rosé Cru Classe 2022, is “a special new blend of 80% grenache and 20% vermentino, the grenache adding the peachy aromas, whilst the vermentino introduces the pear characteristics” It’s a very fine and extremely well balance wine, great as an aperitif or as I did, beautifully paired with roasted fillet of organic salmon and poached rhubarb dessert. If you are celebrating a special occasion then pairing this with a creamy lobster risotto or oysters in ginger is a must.

When I asked Olivier what made him decide on the name ‘Fantastique’ he smiled and said: “Because when I ask people what they think, they say these wines are simply fantastique ”

His philosophy is all about creating modern wines at the highest quality “We could have created traditional rosé wines, but we decided to go against the grain This is all part of the heritage and positioning of Sainte Marguerite The hallmark of a great wine producer is to know how to think outside the box and continually evolve ”

My wine of the week and rosé of the year is available online from Vinatis at £26 90 a bottle Chateau Sainte Marguerite Fantastique Rose 2022 Cru Classe – believe me it’s worth it! And once you’ve tried this one, you may be tempted to try his CHATEAU SAINTE MARGUERITEFANTASTIQUE ROUGE 2021 - CRU CLASSE and the MAISON SAINTE MARGUERITE - SYMPHONIE ROSE 2022 - CRU CLASSE, popular for its finesse, fresh notes and generous aromas

Whatever the context, Sainte Marguerite will enrich your enjoyment of Provence rosé wine

If you are a wine retailer or an events company who would like me to feature your of range wines, then please contact me via mccabetwe@gmail.com or @mccabe thewineenthusiast

(Left) Olivier Fayard, and (right) The Wine Enthusiast Darren McCabe

Family | Community | St Albans

Where is the summer sunshine! Lot's of outdoor events on as expected, I really hope it perks up in time for the weekend!

TOTFest 2023 - Hertfordshire County Showground - Saturday 8th July

The TOTFest® programme caters entirely for children under 5! What's more, every activity is part of our ALL INCLUSIVE ticket. Fairground, Pirate Land, Hartbeeps Hub, Little City UK, Monkey Music and much more.

Wildfest - Cassiobury Park - Saturday 8th July

Enjoy a wild day out exploring nature in Cassiobury Park, taking part in fun activities and finding out more about the local organisations working for wildlife. Enjoy bird walks, nature crafts, discovering river creatures, and more, whilst finding out how you can help support the amazing species that call this area home.

Highland Gathering - Rothamsted Park, Harpenden - Sunday 9th July from 10.30am

A charity fundraiser with a Scottish theme! Live music, food vans and activities including haggis hurling, highland games and displays.

Wheathampstead Village Weekend - Meads - Saturday & Sunday 9th July

This year's theme is 'A Day at the Beach'. Including Wheathampstead’s Got Talent, Picnic on the Meads and Village Day. Local organisations, charities, performers, food vendors and entertainers come together to create the perfect family day out.

LIV Golf - Centurion Club - Friday 7th July - Sunday 9th July

Watch supercharged, world-class golf, also live music on the main stage with DJ SNAKE on July 7th and ALESSO on July 8th. Enjoy great food, drink and interactive fun at the festival style Fan Village.

St Albans Farmers Market - St Peter's Street - Sunday 9th July

Enjoy stalls selling local produce, including cheeses, meat, cakes and much more. Also street food stalls to try along the way.

St Michael's Manor - Fishpool Street, St Albans

We recently celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary at St Michael's Manor Hotel. You do not need to be a hotel guest to dine there or visit the bar area. The cocktails are delicious as was the food and on a sunny day there is plenty of space in the lush garden with an outdoor bar area.

Haveyoueverwonderedwhyyourrivalssucceedin securingmediacoverageandyourcompanynever getsalook-in?

Doyoustruggletounderstandhowtoengagewith yourfollowersonsocialmedia?Oreventoattract followersinthefirstplace?

Whatmakesaninterestingstory?Howdoyoumanage badnews?Canyouwriteapressreleaseorpublicity material?

It’simpossibleforanybusinesstoignoretheneedfora strongmediapresence,butactuallyachievingthis goalisbestlefttotheexperts,qualified-professionals whounderstandhowtobeattheforefrontofthenews agendaandreachthewidestaudiencepossible.

WorkingalongsidetheStAlbansTimes,StAlbans MediaPartnershipoffersbespokemediatrainingby qualifiedjournalistswhoknowthelocalmarketplace andhowtoattractreaders.

Weareexperiencedindamagecontrolandmanaging badnews,andwecanshowyouhowtoturneventhe driestannouncementintoapressreleasewhichsings.

ENVIRONMENT>

CITY DIARY

COUNCIL>

WILLNEWBINSPOLICYCURBBLIGHT OFFLYTIPPEDRUBBISH?

Recent summer storms have once again highlighted problems with drainage at the junction of London Road and Mile House Lane

The footpath floods all the way into the road preventing pedestrians from using this stretch of the road

Following HCC's recent work to improve flooding in nearby Drakes Drive, let's hope something happens soon to rectify this issue before the onset of winter

It seems as though SADC might finally be listening when it comes to tackling overflowing rubbish bins across the district

A new strategy announced last week will prioritise litter hotspots responding to public concerns and ensuring bins are of the right design and in the right places

Litter bins may actually be removed as a trial at spots where there has been significant and consistent littering and fly-tipping, after research showed the removal of bins in such areas can actually reduce or eliminate littering

As reported extensively in the St Albans Times and evidenced in this week's photo flytipped rubbish adjacent to council bins remains a major issue in the Fleetville area

BESTBATHROOMSHOPNAMEEVER? BUSINESS>

And the prize goes to TinkleTorium in George Street!

We love the quirky nature of this name and what it says about the business

A good sense of humour has definitely never been more important in today's dog-eat-dog society

THE FEELINGS FORUM

WEEKLY THOUGHTS ON FEELINGS AND RELATIONSHIPS

BY JON WILSON COOPER, DIRECTOR OF COUNSELLING TRAINING, THE ALBANY CENTRE, ST ALBANS

BOUNDARIES: BECOMING OUR OWN GATEKEEPER

Everything has an edge. A beginning and an end. This is part of what defines a thing. People also have edges. The line between what is me and what is not me. My edge is the point at which I touch the world and the world touches me. This is both physically and figuratively. I need to reach out and connect to the world as well as allow the world in so that I can be fed. It is ideal if we can be in charge of our boundaries choosing what to connect with and what to allow in. We are best placed to know what we need and how much.

Sometimes others decide for us either because they think they know best what is right for us, or they are focusing on what they want and either don’t notice or don’t care if it is right for us. We can see this in the workplace where the people in power (managers, company owners, politicians etc.) decide what is reasonable to demand from their employees and what is fair compensation for that work.

Even family and friends can dictate how much we do and for how long with a lack of awareness of our limits. In every aspect of life, we have limits and a time when we have reached our capacity. Going beyond that can and often does cause physical and emotional damage. We must know what is enough. We need boundaries.

An example is the school / work / home boundary which has slowly been blurred with the increase in communication possibilities due to the rise of tech; then we had lock-down where it was necessary to work and study from home. It therefore became the norm that we could be dealing with the boss in our lounge/dining room/ kitchen, and we might deal with an aggressive email at 10pm or 7am. Where do we then retreat to recover and to feel who we are apart from the role we fulfil in the outside world?

Of course, we might also be fulfilling roles within the family which can be equally demanding and exhausting. Looking after other family member’s physical and emotional needs. When have we done enough? If we don’t know the answer to that question, we are in danger of developing compassion fatigue where we don’t have the energy to care and if we ignore that we are heading for burnout where our mind and body effectively go on strike.

We need to develop a compassionate and realistic selfawareness. It takes a lot of work to find out what our limits are, what is right for us, and what is not, then to learn to say no to that which does not serve us well and especially to that which hurts. It takes courage to set limits with those around us especially if our self esteem is based on our perceived usefulness or ability to appear selfless. To say no risks disappointing others and is an admission that we are not all capable and all powerful.

However, if we are to achieve a balance in our lives between work, play and rest, if we are to have equilibrium in our relationships so that we might receive as much care, support, and love as we give and if we are to stop people that are hurtful to us from continuing their behaviour, we must put in place a

gatekeeper of sorts. I often talk about developing one’s inner bouncer.

A professional skilful bouncer is good at working out who to let in and when to say “not tonight lads” so that the inner world is safe; if they misjudge it, they are on hand to stop any harm being done and to remove the ones doing the damage. If our inner bouncer is too cautious then they might not let anyone in (this can happen for people that have been hurt in the past and understandably want to avoid a repeat experience).

If our inner bouncer is too lax or is drawn to the drama of the troublemakers, then the venue becomes unsafe and so not the sanctuary we need it to be to recover from the world. There needs to be time away from work and from other people who demand from us. There needs to be a door we close to keep out school, work, and the world when the day is finished.

It is vital that we are in charge of who gets to enter into our personal and emotional space. Who gets to touch us and who doesn’t. Once we feel safe in our skin and in our inner world it is then a joy to invite the right people in.

10 FROM 50 LIAM JUDGE

We ask a different figure from the local community to choose 10 questions to answer from a list of 50. This week: Liam Judge, owner of Toast in Waddington Road.

Where do you walk when you want to think?

Verulamium down by the lakes. I think we're so incredibly lucky to have such a beautiful green space on our doorstep - and it looks beautiful year round. It was so much fun there when we had the snow a couple of years back.

What's the first thing you do after you've woken up in the morning?

Make breakfast... and coffee - I eat breakfast religiously every day. I think it harps back to my childhood - we were never allowed to leave the house until we'd had a "good" breakfast. These days it's porridge and fresh fruit with a pot of coffee... except on Sunday when I go mad and have a bacon bagel.

What TV did you watch as a child?

I absolutely loved Button Moon - I managed to find a DVD of it a few years ago and it brought back the most wonderful memories,

Were you well behaved at school?

No - I was an absolute horror! Not naughty as such, but cheeky and mischievous. I was very good at impersonating my school teachers and even performed my impressions of them, for them once and they found it hilarious (luckily!)

Have you ever asked for an autograph?

Oh yes - I've no shame when it comes to getting excited around celebrities. The wonderful Rosie Marcel gave me the most fantastic signed photo of the Holby cast as a gift for my (now ex) husband who was a big fan. I also was very lucky to meet some big names when I was a flight attendant for Virgin Atlantic.

What's your favourite meal?

Sunday roast without a single doubt - we had them every week without fail as kids and it almost felt like a chore. Now, I can't go a week without one. I often go to The Cock pub or Dylans The Kings Arms for a roast. I've even been known to cook one in a microwave in a very basic villa on the side of a Spanish mountain.

What are your preferred pizza toppings?

I love a meaty pizza - I absolutely love the Calabrese at Bellaccinos on French Row - it's the most interesting combination of spicy and creamy with N’duja sausage, salami, mushroom, chilli, rocket with mozzarella cheese and mascarpone. I have it at least once a month and the staff there are just wonderful.

What’s your favourite place to have breakfast in St Albans?

Street Café on Catherine Street. It's a minute's walk from my front door and Rita and the team are the loveliest people. And it has to be a full English.

How many pairs of shoes do you own?

Four - I hate buying footwear. So I have work trainers, gym trainers, flip flops for around the house and smart shoes for formal occasions and that's it. They wear out, they get replaced. Begrudgingly.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A pilot. I ended up being an air steward for around nine years instead - which was far more fun.

Do you speak any foreign languages?

Yes - colloquial French. We lived in Paris for a few years and I learnt French very informally with the most wonderfully bonkers French teacher. We used to spend 'lessons' in cafés, bars and shops, and it was almost always with a few winesand whilst I can just about get by with day to day French, needless to say it's the less formal kind.

The wonderful Rosie Marcel gave me the most fantastic signed photo of the Holby cast

ERIS: OPINION WITH BITE

Newton’s Third Law states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is particularly true in politics.

Over the last few days, there has been a furore about Nigel Farage having his private and business banking accounts withdrawn. He claims Coutts told him it was because he was a ‘politically exposed person’ and disputes their claim that it was because he did not have £3M in his private banking account.

Seven other banks refused his custom. The bank’s parent Nat West initially refused him banking facilities but has now bowed to pressure and offered them to him.

Toby Young, who campaigns for free speech, insists this is not a one-off, saying that all over the country, people are having their banking facilities withdrawn because of their political or religious views.

Two ex-Brexiteer MEPs. A minister who told his Building Society he disagreed with them flying a Pride flag when they asked him for his views.

Triggernometry, a free speech news podcast run by two comedians.

Of course, for some time, having the wrong opinions on trans issues can get you into trouble. J.K Rowling found this as did the feminist philosopher Professor Kathleen Stock bullied out of her job at Sussex University. Locally, will the district council have their banking facilities withdrawn for disrespecting trans people by flying a Pride flag without the trans circle?

Free speech enables people to feel heard and reduces social unrest. If people are afraid to say what they think and feel, what is their reaction likely to be?

Other news this week might give us a clue. Nearly one in five Germans now support far right political parties.

They join most of Europe, including France, Italy, Spain and even ultra-liberal Sweden in seeing rapid growth in support for antiimmigration, socially conservative politicians. There is currently no significant party in the UK who campaigns on these issues, partly because Brexit succeeded, partly because the British tend to be centrist in their politics.

Maybe Britain is ripe for the rise of a populist, anti-elite right-wing party with charismatic leaders and a simple manifesto built around concerns like immigration, housing, cost of living and health inequality. However, it will need a spark to light the fire. The unfairness and bigotry of a ruling liberal elite punishing people who dissent from their political and social views could provide that spark. Significant number of voters could be attracted to this agenda. People on low wages, who suffer the most from the cost-of-living crisis. Young, working-class men who have little to lose. People of faith concerned about progressive social change. People in communities with high immigration, who have problems accessing housing and healthcare. Young people who cannot afford to buy or rent a home. They all know that the ballot box is private. You cannot be cancelled off social media or be kicked out by your bank or lose your job for wrong think or thoughtcrime. However, you can make change happen. Look at Brexit.

ELEVATING THE HUMBLE SARNY TO NEWFOUND HEIGHTS

Does anyone remember the episode of Friends where Ross makes the sandwich with the ‘moist maker’ in it? And then takes it to work to find someone else has eaten it for their lunch, resulting in a minor breakdown for poor Ross? Well I relate to this entirely. A good sandwich –a really good sandwich – is the stuff of dreams: satisfying, tasty, nutritious and budgetfriendly.

Especially these days, with such a global offering of ingredients at our disposal, sandwiches can take all forms, but even plainest can still be transporting. Think of the simple egg sandwich. My food business gets many orders for these and I find even basic adornments like cress can detract from the soft, comforting egginess.

According to data collected from ‘British Sandwich Week’, we buy over three billion sandwiches a year in the UK. We’re clearly a nation of devotees who believe that, somehow, putting food between bits of bread makes it even more enticing. My dad’s constantly converting his dinner into sandwich form, whether it’s omelette, a piece of fish or salad.

His French step-mum used to give him a chocolate bar between bread slices after school (worth running home for, I’d say), and he also remembers the odd chip butty, a delicacy still very much alive today, much to the horror of my carbophobic husband. Probably most important in the creation of an excellent sandwich is the choice of bread. Unless you’re jonesing for that rubbery, white, over-yeasted bread of Mighty White ilk, which hits an ignominious gastronomic cord with many of us because it’s actually really good toasted with lashings of butter, you really need to opt for something a bit more grown up, like a good crusty sourdough or a granary farmhouse loaf. These will stand up to almost any filling, although there’s a balance to be struck. For example, I still remember the unadulterated sandwiches they prefer in Italy: no toppings or spreads, no accoutrements at all, often.

In a café flanking the Fontana di Trevi in Rome many moons ago, friends and I munched on the freshest ciabatta bread filled with nothing but finocchiona (a salami flavoured with fennel). It almost outranked the famous fountain itself in terms of holiday highlights.

Those same slices of salami between soft bread, however, would slide completely out between your teeth as you bite, the meat lolling

uselessly down your chin, making you look something like a gormless dog with its tongue out. Poor. Bread. Choice. You can’t grip soft bread securely enough to fight your teeth. You need your fingers to hold back some of the salami while you tear with your teeth, but soft bread just disintegrates under your fingers. Conversely, strong, crusty breads need a hardy companion.

If you mistakenly fill crusty bread with something soft like hummus or cream cheese, the filling will simply ooze out the sides, because the grip level required to tear off a bite is too great. Salami doesn’t squidge. So bread choice is key. It’s the difference between eating your sandwich filling and wearing it.

Clearly, the filling is also paramount. I was scarred as a teenager when I bought a cheese and tomato sandwich from a petrol station.

The tomato comprised a single, measly, wrinkled slice, halved between the two triangles and thus visible to the buyer through the front of the packaging, but the buyer would later discover that there were no further slices anywhere to be found. Only someone determined to ruin another’s day would produce such a sandwich.

ELENA HOGG, FOUNDER OF LOCAL CULINARY COMPANY FOOD BY ELENA.

I like generous fillings. If it’s a ham sandwich, let it be thick, free-range ham unacquainted with the word ‘reconstituted’. A pedestrian cheese and pickle sandwich can still be glorious if the cheddar is in slabs rather than slivers.

Or how about swapping out the cheddar for some vintage gouda, sweet relish and watercress?

A brie and grape sandwich is a thing of joy when the fruit’s skin bursts as you bite and the freshness combines with the mustiness of the cheese.

Sandwiches don’t have to be mundane.

One of the most adventurous sandwiches I ever ate was in Sydney, where they love to throw the cookbooks out the window and make it up themselves – and thanks be to the food gods that they do.

This masterpiece wasn’t so much a sandwich as a threecourse meal between bread: successive layers of crayfish with grapefruit segments, crunchy leaves dressed in something peppery with seeds and pine nuts thrown in and, finally, succulent chicken with a mango salsa all vied for stardom in a huge, yielding bap.

I mean, there was no moist-maker, but I think Ross would have loved it. Not quite as successful when I tried to recreate it back in Blighty, although it did give rise to my trusty chicken and mango salad, which I will save for another time.

Even if your busy schedule doesn’t afford you the brain space or time to aisle-browsing time needed to go off piste with your sandwich fillings, simply sprucing up your spread or mayonnaise can do wonders for your lunchtime bite.

Grate in the zest from any citrus fruit you have to hand, or add some paprika for an extra dimension. Use tamarind sauce instead of chutney, or add miso to your margarine. The enjoyment-to-effort ratio is in your favour, trust me. My seven-year-old asked me why she has to eat her sandwiches before the yummy yoghurt in her packed lunch. “Just because,” was my inventive reply. In that case, she said, head tilted in supplication, could her sandwich please have the yoghurt in it as a filling so she doesn’t have to wait? Mild nausea aside, this got me thinking about sandwiches as desserts. I don’t mean chocolate spread or peanut butter and jam, which are, of course, two of life’s great mercies. I mean something more sophisticated: a lightly toasted brioche with a filling of rum- soaked raisins in whipped cream served with honey-glazed figs, or else perhaps soft, malted bread with a pistachio and white chocolate cremeux, festooned with cacao nibs and perhaps some redcurrants for sharpness.

From savoury to sweet, pedestrian to posh, the sandwich has something for everyone. It is the food that unites us all, can please all tastes and fit all budgets. Whether it’s the munchies after a night out, or a quiet lunch for one, we all need sandwiches in our lives. Daily, if you’re me. Long live the sandwich.

The St Albans Times is now arguably the go-to media to find out what is happening in the district, providing content which harks back to the core principles of journalism: accuracy, balance and accountability.

Readers can access either the weekly online current affairs magazine or stories on a dedicated website and it is promoted extensively through social media.

The Times is produced with a sense of positivity and passion for the Cathedral city and the surrounding district. It offers an editorial oversight calling on years of accumulated local knowledge and understanding of both the marketplace and the local news agenda.

It has already cemented a reputation for quality and expertise which cannot be found elsewhere, and is widely referenced across local Facebook groups

Colour Dash boost for hospice

'Paint bandits' showered participants in Keech Hospice's Colour Dash with a rainbow of powder

The event, at Rothamsted Research in Harpenden, raised over £17,000 for the charity, which provides specialist care for children in Herts living with a life-limiting illness

Anya Walker from Harpenden took part in the Colour Dash with her family: “Our whole family had such a great time taking part in the Colour Dash The kids particularly enjoyed throwing the colours at each other (and us!) How often are they allowed to get that mucky! It was such a fun atmosphere as we ran round the course together and all of us were on a high for the rest of the day We will definitely sign up for next year and hopefully can help raise some more money for Keech ”

Daniel Sayers, headteacher at St Hilda’s School in the town, added: “ St Hilda’s have been fundraising for Keech Children’s Hospice all year so we were thrilled to sponsor the red station at the Colour Dash in Harpenden Many St Hilda’s families joined in the action, raising over £1,700. We were delighted to be a part of this fantastic local event for such a wonderful cause.”

CHALLENGING POWER AND SPEAKING OUT

“Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely” – so wrote Lord Acton, a 19th century historian and politician.

It’s one of those wise statements that tends to get quoted whenever a senior person is found guilty of abusing their power. It’s as true in today’s St Albans and Hertfordshire, as it was in Victorian England.

What’s less widely known is that Lord Acton made that statement in a letter to a senior Church of England cleric. He wrote it in 1887 to Mandell Creighton, who would later become Bishop of London.

Creighton had objected to what he saw as a modern tendency to be unnecessarily critical of authority figures. Acton disagreed, and felt that all people – past or present, leaders or not –should be held to universal moral standards. In his time on Earth, Jesus tended to be found with the poor and marginalised. He had his strongest words for people who had power and were using it to exploit others. He spoke out for people ignored or rejected by others. And this made enemies of powerful people.

Christian theologian Richard Foster put power’s threat like this: “Power can destroy or create. The power that destroys demands ascendancy. It demands total control. It destroys relationships. It destroys trust. It destroys dialogue. It destroys integrity.”

We see this in today’s fractured politics. We see it in big business and in charities. We see it in so many areas of our public lives. The Church, at times is, sadly, no exception.

When church leaders cannot be challenged, or leaders of Christian organisations are perceived as beyond criticism, then alarm bells should be ringing.

When people are frightened of speaking out because they could be isolated in their communities, discriminated against or passed over for promotion in their workplaces, then power is being abused.

A wise person told me that whenever someone says to you, “This conversation never took place,” then that’s a red flag that something is not right. “Better not mention this to anyone,” is another cause for caution.

It’s advice that’s resonated with me, through roles in journalism, local government, corporate communications, the energy industry and the Church. Often, it takes a brave whistle-blower to sound the alarm, maybe at risk to their livelihood or reputation.

In the UK and around the world, journalists have spoken out against powerful interests –and paid the price. In some countries with their lives.

One of the aims of the St Albans Times is to hold those with power to account, and I see this as vital in any community.

But while I salute the whistle-blowers and investigative journalists, often the solution can be a whole lot less headline-grabbing.

It’s about having good checks and balances in place, about having governance structures that work, and regulators with powers that really bite.

About making sure that accountability really exists and can be seen to work.

The devil, they say, may be in the detail. But often angels can dwell within the small print of laws and regulations designed to hold powerful people to account.

Free Entry | Tours | Café | Shop

Immerse yourself in 1700 years of history.

From Britain’s longest nave and a stunning collection of medieval wall paintings, to an interactive exhibition and two beautifully restored medieval shrines, all in the heart of St Albans.

Open daily 8.30am to 5.30pm

www.stalbanscathedral.org

REV PETER CRUMPLER, ASSOCIATE MINISTER AT ST PAUL’S CHURCH IN FLEETVILLE

Festival fire fails to prevent fundraising success story

Popular community music event the M Festival went ahead successfully despite a fire causing an evacuation of the site for more than two and a half hours.

More than 500 people were already on the field at Marlborough Science Academy when a blaze broke out in the Real Belgium Fries van at 1.23pm, forcing the swift evacuation of the site.

A fire engine from St Albans was on the scene within five minutes to deal with the growing inferno, including dousing the nearby school and ensuring three gas cylinders inside the van did not overheat and explode. These were cooled in recycling bins full of water and moved off site. The van owner was shocked by what happened but nobody was hurt in the incident and the organisers and volunteers were praised for managing the incident successfully

Despite concerns the festival might not be able to go ahead, less than an hour after the fire started it was agreed that the event could carry on following final health and safety checks, preventing losses of around £50,000 if it had been cancelled

The updated line-up was confirmed by 2:25pm online with everyone still getting to play on the main stage including school acts albeit with a slightly reduced set The gates reopened at 3 45pm and by 4pm the field was busy with around 2,300 people enjoying live music starting just two hours behind schedule!

The M Festival has been held at Marlborough School since 2009 and over the years has seen over 20,000 people attend and raised more than £120,000 for the school

This year was the final festival for the original team who devised and set it up nearly 15 years ago Oliver Warrack, Carol Bush, Richard and Jane Sullivan were presented with Champagne and flowers as a thank you for all the hard work and time they have dedicated to organising the festival over the years

While they move on, others are ready to step into their shoes and are already planning next year's M Festival on July 6 2024 - hopefully with less dramatic events next time!

All photos by Michael Lyons Photography

IN OTHER NEWS...

St Albans community set to bid farewell to ‘Mick The Milk’

A milkman at the heart of the St Albans community he serves is to be presented with a staggering £15k raised by grateful customers on the occasion of his retirement.

Michael Tutton MBE, also known as ‘Mick the Milk’, will receive the donation at a special event hosted by the Portland Arms on Saturday afternoon.

Mick delivered milk, eggs and other groceries to 28 streets in St Albans for more than 40 years until his electric milk float broke down and proved beyond repair

During this time he was also seen as the community’s unofficial security guard, social worker, football pundit and cheerleader, and in 1999 was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for his service to the community, having run in the St Albans Half Marathon for many years, raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Remarkably, Mick never learned to drive a car – which meant he had to set out, often on foot, from his home in Welwyn Garden City in the early hours every morning to pick up his electric float and deliver his round in St Albans on time.

He worked mainly in St Albans Conservation Area, including Spicer Street to the north, St Michael’s Village and Camlet Way to the south, and Verulam Road and Fishpool Street to the east and west. Mick is known to have gone out of his way to deliver to customers moving elsewhere in St Albans, as far afield as Sandpit Lane and the Verulam Estate. Event organiser Kate Crick, who lives in Gonnerston, said: “Mick has been an integral part of our community, working through the night in all weathers to deliver day in, day out to our doorsteps.

“But he was so much more than our milkman. He looked out for people, especially the elderly, and became a family friend to many of us. Our children have grown up knowing and loving him, and our dogs too. Mick always carried some doggie treats –they got so excited when they saw his float coming down the road.

“When we started this collection, we couldn’t have dreamed we would raise more than £15,000 for our dear friend Mick.

“The huge size of the collection is testament to the love and regard in which Mick was held by the residents of the streets he served.”

As well as a giant-size cheque for £15,282, Mick will be presented on the day with an electronic card signed by more than 100 residents.

(Above) A home-made banner outside 2 Abbey View Road, St Albans, celebrating the award to Mick Tutton of an MBE in 1999 Photographer Peter Limebear, courtesy St Albans Museums, and (below) Mick on his float pictured by Charlotte Cooke

South Africa in St Albans for summer wine tasting

South Africa came to Hatfield Park last Saturday as Cellar Door Wines enjoyed an unforgettable afternoon at their Wines of South Africa summer tasting event. Owner Penny Edwards said: "It was fantastic to see so many people enjoying all the different wines on offer from every region and style in the Cape Winelands, all served in beautiful Riedel wine glasses. "As well as the wine, we also enjoyed some fabulous entertainment from the brilliant Zulu performers from Uzambezi Arts, music from a South African jazz quartet and delicious food from Now Now Chow."

by

Photos

We Are St Albans and Cellar Door Wines.

Local Plan moves towards public consultation, but opponents still outspoken

Residents fighting proposals for 1 146 homes in north St Albans have asked district councillors to answer key questions ahead of a decisive meeting on the Local Plan Plans have been announced for a scheme including two 50+ extra-care schemes, a two-form entry primary school, walking and cycling links, and a new neighbourhood centre on a 46.75 acre site near Woollams Playing Fields

Monday's meeting of SADC planning policy and climate committee will see officers provide additional information on the Local Plan so far Councillors will consider proposals to go forward for the Local Plan Regulation 18 consultation, and subject to the committee’s approval, the public consultation on the draft Local Plan will run from July 12 to September 25.

But Gee Smedley on behalf of Team CLASH (Campaigning Locals Against Sewell Housing), which is fighting the North St Albans scheme, said: "There is a lot of frustration at the approach being taken by the council "They have suggested the reason is due to SADC failing at the last Local Plan, but we disagree and are planning a public meeting on the issues

"We understand that there should be no reason to exclude the council from making reasoned arguments and justifications for not meeting 100 per cent of the flawed Standard Method housing target (which is in itself advisory)

"If the Local Plan has a strong vision and well-argued strategy, which makes the Local Plan more than simply a ‘housing plan’ and a reasoned case made for constraints (such as Green Belt and infrastructure), then it should be examined as any other council's Local Plan would, without any bias from the Planning Inspectors "

Council leader Cllr Chris White responded to criticism of the process to date: "“I have noticed that there are a few myths starting to circulate about the Local Plan, and I would like to ensure people understand the facts.

“The first myth is that some people are saying we can simply ignore Government policy requiring us to allow for 15,000 houses to be built in the district over the next 17 years That is not the case

“I challenged this requirement in a letter to the Secretary of State, arguing the figure should be much lower However, the Ministerial response made it clear that the Government’s policy stands Specifically, the Government sets out the requirement to calculate local housing need using 2014 national household growth projections. We will, of course, keep the situation under review

“The second myth circulating is the suggestion that sustainability and efforts to tackle climate change are not at the heart of our Local Plan This is simply wrong

“The draft Local Plan states its first objective is to address climate change and this is a thread running throughout the Plan because of its importance ”

Land proposed for development as part of the North St Albans scheme

Team CLASH want councillors to answer certain questions ahead of any decision moving forwards

These include:

"Why is SADC so determined to meet the Government’s housing target when it is not mandatory and uses outof-date data that over-estimates the need?

"Many other councils such as Elmbridge in Surrey are delivering Local Plans and not meeting the targets, many have paused their Local Plans until after the clarity from the NPPF, which is due in six months Government is not stepping in there to take over, so why is Cllr White claiming they will do that in St Albans? What St Albans needs is an objective assessment of new housing need, using the most recent data available Why aren’t the council leadership insisting on this?"

"Why is SADC rushing to consult on a plan that many of its own councillors have serious concerns about?

"At the planning policy and climate committee meeting on June 26, several councillors expressed concern about the plan and that the next meeting was scheduled for only two days before the public consultation was due to start

"Are we being presented with a “done deal”?, they asked Chris White said that they weren’t, but it is obvious that significant changes would not be made at the such a late stage in the process.

Why is the process being rushed? Will the committee pause the Local Plan to avoid delivering the wrong Plan

and taking onboard huge costs "

"In the proposed new Local Plan, SADC is pressing ahead with meeting the Government’s target of 15,000 new homes for St Albans notwithstanding it uses out-of-date data from 2014 and is not mandatory. A significant area of Green Belt land will be built on and the ecological and wellbeing benefits of those areas lost, permanently. Why?

"In a statement to Parliament last December, Michael Gove made clear that the targets are not mandatory (this was reiterated by the Housing Minister to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Select Committee in February) Council leader Chris White claims that the Government will step in and take control if SADC doesn’t meet the target This is simply not true Chris White has made many statements about protecting the Green Belt, but this plan does exactly the opposite

Campaigners were also keen to know why the North St Albans site - being entirely Green Belt - was considered a priority for the Plan, what traffic assessment was performed and what sustainable transport plan existed for the site, and what analysis had been done of the fact that the land feeds into the local water supply, chalk streams and Heartwood Forest?

The planning policy and climate committee meeting takes place at the Civic Centre at 7pm on Monday and can be watched online