 A record number of stalls will be in operation at the annual St Albans 'Feastival' on Sunday 25 September – one of the most exciting City Centre events of the year.
Around 100 traders will be selling a vast variety of food and drink products from local suppliers and hospitality businesses.
Other attractions include a cookery theatre, live music, a children’s zone and free arts and crafts activities.
More than 12,000 people are expected at the event which runs from noon until 6pm with the City Centre closed to traffic.
The Feastival is the highlight of the Enjoy St Albans Food and Drink Festival, now in its 15th year. We organise it with the help of a steering group and the sponsors are SA Law and St Albans BID.
An historic Proclamation ceremony was held in St Albans to announce the new King’s reign.
Mayor of St Albans City and District, Councillor Geoff Harrison, read out the Proclamation on the accession of the new sovereign, King Charles III, from the balcony of the Museum + Gallery.
A crowd of around 500 people gathered on the pavement below to watch the ceremony. The Local Proclamation of a new Monarch is a tradition that dates back centuries.
The Mayor (right) laid a floral tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at the Cathedral and spoke on behalf of all Councillors and staff of his sadness at her passing.
He said: "Our sadness will be shared by people right across the District as we remember with affection and gratitude her life and long service."
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 A new service to help you improve the energy efficiency of your home and reduce bills has been launched.
We have joined forces with the National Energy Foundation to provide the St Albans Home Energy Support Service.
This provides households with information, advice and possible financial support on energy issues.
You can call a free helpline and speak to experts from the Foundation’s Better Housing, Better Health team.
They will offer free, confidential and tailored solutions to issues such as how to save energy at home. They will also assess whether callers are eligible for funding.
The service is available to all households, regardless of income, by calling 0800 107 0044 on weekdays, 9am to 5pm, by emailing bhbh@nef.org.uk or by going online at www.bhbh.org.uk.
 If you are more than ten weeks pregnant or have a child under four, you may be entitled to get help to buy healthy food and milk.
Those eligible will be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some shops. Benefits will be added every four weeks.
You can use the card to buy milk, formula milk, vegetables, fruit, pulses and some vitamins. You can apply for the card here.
 We are encouraging people to think of others during Bonfire Night – and consider using quiet fireworks.
Research shows that the bangs and cracks of fireworks can be a terrifying experience for dogs as they have highly sensitive hearing.
Cats, horses, farm animals and wildlife can also be distressed by the noise. You can find out more about the RSPCA’s #BangOutOfOrder campaign that seeks to spread awareness of the issue here.
Loud fireworks can also upset older and more vulnerable people. The National Autistic Society has warned the sudden noises can cause anxiety among some autistic people as explained here.
Quiet fireworks are widely available with many retailers stocking them.
We are also encouraging people and businesses to limit the use of fireworks to specific dates such as November 5, Divali on Monday 24 October or New Year’s Eve rather than throughout the festive season, so people who are adversely impacted are not taken by surprise.
Would your community group or business like to learn more about Climate Change, how to reduce emissions and help the District become carbon net zero by 2030?
Climate Champion volunteers have been recruited from across the community to inform and encourage organisations throughout the District.
They are available to help raise awareness about the climate emergency and highlight actions that can make a difference to carbon footprints.
This could involve an informal lunchtime discussion to engage employees or an evening presentation to your club or society.
You can find out more about booking a Climate Champion for an event here.
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St Albans Solar Together - you still have time to register an interest in this scheme which can help you to install energy-efficient solar panels at your home.
The scheme aims to find the best suppliers and manage the installation. The more homes that take part, the cheaper the prices will be as a result of bulk purchase savings.
The sun provides a clean and unlimited source of energy. When harnessed by solar panels, it will reduce your bills and your carbon footprint.
You can register for the group buying initiative here until Tuesday 27 September.
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 Views on the future of South West Hertfordshire are being sought as a draft vision for the area has opened for public consultation.
We have teamed up with four other Councils – Dacorum, Hertsmere, Three Rivers and Watford - to produce a Joint Strategic Plan to 2050 for the area.
This will help guide future plans for tackling issues such as climate change, infrastructure, environmental protection, employment and housing.
You can see the draft vision document, South West Hertfordshire 2050 - Realising Our Potential, and give your views here. The consultation runs until Friday 4 November.
A timetable for producing a Local Plan for the District has been approved by our Councillors.
The Local Plan will identify land for future housing, commercial and infrastructure developments for 15 years.
It will also provide safeguards for the environment, enable adaptation to climate change and secure high-quality and accessible design.
We have now set out a schedule that gives a provisional date of December 2025 for the adoption of a new Local Plan.
Residents, community groups and businesses will be consulted during the process and their feedback will help shape the final proposals.
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Verulamium Museum has won a prestigious national award for the quality of its educational work.
The Museum, which showcases the City’s Roman history, has gained the Sandford Award for Heritage Education.
This recognises museums and other attractions which actively involve the community in learning programmes of an exceptionally high standard.
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St Albans Museum + Gallery has been awarded VisitEngland’s quality accreditation after being examined by an expert assessor.
All of the attraction’s facilities – including its exhibitions, shop and café – were evaluated as was the overall visitor experience.
The Museum + Gallery achieved an excellent 89% score and will now be able to display VisitEngland’s famous rosette– an assurance to potential visitors of exceptional services.
You can find out what is on at the museums and details of future events here.
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 Councillors Josie Madoc (left) and Lynn Cunningham have been appointed mental health champions for St Albans District.
This is a scheme supported by seven charities led by the Centre for Mental Health.
As champions, the two Councillors will raise awareness, challenge stigma, encourage good practice and help foster links between organisations in the District.
They will also work to ensure we set a good example in the services we provide for local people affected by mental health issues.
We will shortly be consulting on a new car parking strategy for the District that is designed to be more eco-friendly and improve accessibility.
Residents, businesses and community groups are urged to give their views to help shape the final document.
The strategy will provide a plan for managing our public car parks and on-street parking over the next five years.
The main goals are tackling the climate emergency, improving accessibility, making the best use of digital technology and ensuring more efficient enforcement.
The consultation will start shortly and you will be able to access it here.
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 Canvassers are visiting households in St Albans District to encourage residents to secure their vote.
They will approach around 5,000 households that have yet to respond to a canvass form that was sent to them.
Every year, we conduct the annual canvass to keep the electoral register up to date.
If your name is not on the register, you will not be entitled to vote at elections, including next May’s District Council and Parish Council elections.
If you are not already registered to vote, you can do so online here.
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