More than 10,000 people enjoyed a City Centre street party to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
The St Albans Platinum Party, on Thursday 2 June, was held to mark Her Majesty’s 70 years of service as Monarch.
Attractions included a diverse and inclusive entertainment programme. There were also dozens of market stalls selling takeaway food and drink with plenty of outdoor seating to ensure a vibrant atmosphere.
The finale was the lighting of a beacon on the balcony of the Museum + Gallery to coincide with some 1,500 other beacons being lit up across the UK.
|
 Councillor Chris White has been re-elected as Leader of St Albans City and District Council for the coming year.
Seven other Lead Councillors, who have prime responsibility for a number of Council services and activities, were also appointed.
Each Lead Councillor will sit as a chair or vice-chair of one of the four main committees.
Cllr White said: “We will seek to make further progress with our main priorities including tackling the climate emergency and improving the local environment, providing more social housing and developing a new Local Plan for the District.”
A £2.7 million community centre provided by the Council has opened in St Albans.
Cottonmill Community and Cycle Centre includes a main building with a central hall of 100 square metres, a café and a kitchen suitable for event catering.
It will be used by community groups for different activities such as scout meetings, yoga and dance classes as well as one-off events.
There are also pump and cyclocross tracks and a cycle hub offering maintenance and repair workshops.
We worked with local groups on the project including Cottonmill and Sopwell Hub (CaSH), Sopwell Residents Association, the Sopwell Community Trust and the Verulam Cycling Club.
The Centre was runner-up in the prestigious and highly-competitive Project of the Year category in the Herts and Beds Constructing Excellence Awards.
 A wealth of information about wellbeing services is available at the Healthy Hub at our Civic Centre.
You can drop in to speak to advisers from organisations such as Citizens Advice, Communities 1st, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Trust, HertsHelp and Oaklands College. The opening times are Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5pm.
More information is available here or by calling 01727 866100.
Councillor Geoff Harrison has been elected the new Mayor of the City and District of St Albans – and has chosen St Albans for Refugees as his charity for the year.
He has been a District Councillor for 22 years and becomes the City’s 478th Mayor with the first having been appointed in 1553.
His deputy for his year in office is Cllr Syed Abidi.
|
 The St Albans Food and Drink Festival will take place throughout September with the awards returning for the first time since 2019 following the COVID pandemic.
A link to a nomination form will appear on the festival’s Facebook page later this month.
You will be able to nominate restaurants, bars and cafes from around the District in as many categories as you like.
Thirteen bird boxes have been installed at our Civic Centre to provide alternative nests for swifts.
The initiative is designed to help improve the UK’s swift population which has plummeted in recent years because of a lack of places to nest.
Swift Action is an initiative by Wilderhood Watch in partnership with St Albans BID and Wilder St Albans, a Council project run with Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust.
The boxes were paid for by St Albans BID and a total of 30 will be put up at City Centre locations.
|
New eco-friendly street cleaning equipment is being trialled in St Albans District
Among the machines being tested is an all-electric Tenax Hydro street washer. It is battery-powered and designed to give kerbs, pavements and walls a facelift.
Councillor Chris White, the Council Leader, saw waste contractor Veolia’s staff put the equipment into action.
Also on trial was a litter bin containing an internal compactor that sends an alert to staff when it is full.
Cllr White said: “These trials show our determination to both enhance our City Centre and tackle the climate emergency by using the most environmentally-friendly equipment whenever possible.”
|
Landlords in St Albans District who can provide accommodation for Afghan refugees are urged to come forward.
We are looking for suitable properties within the private-rented sector - ideally, three bedrooms or more with tenancy agreements for at least a year, although smaller properties will be considered.
Interested landlords are asked to email privatesectorhousing@stalbans.gov.uk or telephone 01727 819355.
The Council is working on resettlement with the Government and other agencies including Hertfordshire County Council and the Refugee Council.
The families will be given long-term assistance with language skills, education, employment and other issues.
Work to provide new social-rent homes in St Albans will be underway soon.
One development is at the site of the former King Offa pub, Sopwell, and the other is at The Hedges, Batchwood.
They will provide a total of 26 new properties including two, three and four bed homes and flats.
Eco-friendly features will include air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points. Construction is due to be completed in the summer of next year.
|
The Art Of Grieving, Keeper’s Galleries, Museum + Gallery, 27 May – 4 September.
Loss, bereavement and death are the themes of this exhibition at our Museum + Gallery.
It includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, poetry, textiles, music and film. It aims to encourage openness and conversation about these issues.
|
|
