 Don’t forget to bring photo ID when you vote at a polling station at the local elections on Thursday 4 May.
Under new legislation, voters must present approved photo ID or they will be turned away.
The Local Government Association has produced a short animation to explain the new rules.
Approved ID includes a UK passport or driver’s licence, current or expired; Government-funded bus passes for older or disabled people; and a PASS card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply online for free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, by 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Details of how to apply are available on the Electoral Commission’s website along with further details of approved photo ID.
This May’s elections are for 18 of our 56 seats as well as the area’s Parish and Town Councils. You can find more information about the elections on our website.
We have been awarded an £8.45 million Government grant to make homes more energy efficient and reduce bills.
The money will improve more than 900 of our social housing properties, about a fifth of the total.
Enhancements will include loft, cavity wall and external wall insulation, solar panels and low-energy lighting.
These measures will both reduce harmful carbon emissions and help householders with the cost of living crisis by cutting energy bills.
The grant comes from the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund run by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.
Photo: a Council property in St Albans with solar panels.
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 The Government’s new Emergency Alerts system will enable people to be contacted via their mobile phone when lives are in danger.
On Sunday 23 April at 3pm, there will be a national test of the service. You will hear a loud, siren-like sound on your phone and a message will appear on your screen.
Emergency Alerts are sent to mobile phones within an area at risk from an event such as a flood. They don’t track your location or collect personal data and only the emergency services can send them.
 We are to create an improved recreational green space in St Albans with woodland, a lake, footpaths and a bike track.
An 80,000m2 site to the north-east of the City Centre, known as Jersey Farm Open Space, has been identified for the project.
The green space will be ideal for dog walkers, cyclists, child play and for people who simply want to take a stroll.
It will also improve the area’s biodiversity and provide a natural habitat for many species of wildlife including birds, bats and butterflies.
We will develop the area over the next 20 years with funding provided by payments from property developers.
The aim is to meet a Natural England request to draw people away from visiting the threatened Chiltern Beechwoods at the Ashridge Estate, near Berkhamsted, by providing an alternative beauty spot.
 A new minor illness and injuries service at St Albans City Hospital has increased access to same day care.
Known as the Integrated Urgent Care Hub, it is available to treat a range of urgent but not life-threatening health conditions.
It is open between 9am and 6pm, seven days a week and provides access to diagnostic services including X-rays.
Patients are treated by nurses who have experience working in urgent care and emergency departments.
The service is also supported by GPs who the nurses can call on for further medical support or treatment.
Patients need to make an appointment after an assessment by NHS 111 or their GP practice. It is not a walk-in service.
We are holding our annual compost giveaway on Saturday 22 April at the Veolia Depot, Ronsons Way, St Albans AL4 9XR.
This is a do-it-yourself event, so you will need to bring bags and a shovel to collect the free compost. No more than five bags allowed per car.
The ten tonnes of compost will be available on a first come, first served basis with the gates opening at 7.30am.
Photo by Gabriel Jimenez on Unsplash.
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 Ninety-three homes for social rent and shared ownership in St Albans are to become available shortly.
We have built the flats along with commercial space as part of a £64 million regeneration project.
We're now in the final stages of negotiating the sale of all the residential properties at the Jubilee Square development to Watford Community Housing.
Watford Community Housing plans to make 33 available for social rent and sell 60 of the 93 apartments on a shared-ownership basis with support from Homes England.
Our initial plan was to sell 60 of these properties at market rate, but this deal will give local people, including young people and key workers in the District, the chance to obtain a home of their own at an affordable price in an iconic, City Centre location.
We are supporting a number of exciting events around the District during the Coronation Weekend.
Our historic market will be decked out in red, white and blue on Saturday 6 May, the day of the Coronation of King Charles III and The Queen Consort.
And our Museum + Gallery will have souvenirs for sale in its shop while its café will have Coronation-themed food on offer.
There will also be street parties, community picnics, live music and many other events.
The Big Lunch is taking place on Sunday 7 May and the Big Help Out, a celebration of our voluntary groups and charities, is on Monday 8 May.
More information about what is happening around the District is available on the Enjoy St Albans website.
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 Make a note for your diary – this year’s Alban Festival takes place on the last weekend of June.
The spectacular giant puppet procession through the City Centre, telling the story of England’s first saint, will be on Saturday 24 June.
On the following day, Sunday 25 June, St Peter’s Street will be closed to traffic for a free street party featuring around 100 stalls selling a great variety of food and drink. There will be a focus on the rich heritage of the City and many free activities for people of all ages to get involved in.
 We have been supporting the Let’s Clear The Air campaign which aims to promote action to reduce air pollution.
Air pollution is recognised as one of the UK’s biggest health risks as it can cause a number of illnesses including respiratory infections and heart disease.
The campaign has been funded by Hertfordshire County Council and a grant from the Government’s clean air fund.
It is designed to raise awareness of the issue and encourage changes in behaviour to cut harmful emissions.
Are you passionate about Equality and Diversity? Can you reach out to communities and help make sure everyone in the District is treated fairly?
To find out more about becoming a Community Diversity Champion, which includes the opportunity to undertake a Level 2 course in Equality and Diversity, contact Peggy Sharp at equality@stalbans.gov.uk or telephone 01727 819340. You should be 18-years-old or over.
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Our exciting exhibition about this historic event runs until Sunday 25 June at the Keeper’s Galleries at the Museum + Gallery and admission is free.
It brings to life the Second Battle of St Albans fought on 17 February 1461 during the War of the Roses, exploring the site, tactics and aftermath of the battle including the looting of the City.
The exhibition is brought to you by our Museums team in partnership with SAHAAS, St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society.
Image: The Second Battle by Graham Turner.
A Roman Palace at Verulamium and Other Stories, Museum + Gallery, Tuesday 16 May, 7pm, £10 in person, £7 zoom.
Archaeologist Kris Lockyear will detail the digs and recent finds in and around the ancient Roman site of Verulamium, including a large colonnaded building discovered in 2022.
Kris will introduce us to a variety of survey methods that the Community Archaeology Geophysics Group have been using to map Verulamium.
Make a Roman Oil Lamp at the Verulamium Museum, Monday 8 May, sessions at 10am, 11:30am and 12.30pm, £5.
Wealthy Romans lit their homes with small pottery lamps, fuelled by olive oil. Join us for a clay workshop where you can build your own to take home and try out for yourself.
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 Tickets are now on sale for the St Albans International Organ Festival and Competitions which will take place this year between Saturday 3 and Thursday 15 July.
This biennial festival of performances by internationally-renowned musicians was founded in 1963 by the St Albans musician Peter Hurford.
This year’s programme will include the organ, of course, and much else to attract a wide range of music lovers.
The full programme will be available on the festival website, on social media @organ_festival, or you can send an email to communications@organfestival.com to sign up for updates.
Photo by Stephen Boffey: Violinist Nicola Benedetti performs at St Albans Cathedral at the 2021 Festival.
 If you are over 75 or have a weakened immune system, you can now book an appointment to have your COVID-19 booster.
Book your booster online at the NHS website or call 119 for an appointment.
Many local pharmacies are offering the spring booster along with most GP practices while there will some pop-up vaccination clinics.
Please spread the word and encourage parents, grandparents or friends who are eligible to top up their protection against new strains of the virus.
You can find the latest COVID vaccination information in Hertfordshire here.
 St Albans Healthy Hub is your free one-stop-shop for health and wellbeing information, advice and support.
You can get advice on a wide range of issues including how to manage your money, quit smoking or lose weight.
The organisations involved include Citizens Advice, Communities 1st, Mind in Mid Herts and many more. You can find more information here.
If you or someone you know has diabetes or are at risk, did you know every year a review is needed?
Join a webinar to find out why this is necessary and what are the risks if we ignore the check.
The webinar takes place on Wednesday 26 April, 7pm to 8pm, with Dr Asif Faizy, a partner at a Watford Practice and the diabetes lead for Primary Care in South and West Herts.
If you would like to send a question to Dr Faizy to answer during the webinar, please send them to Alan Bellinger. You can sign up for this event via Eventbrite. .
More information is available here.
 The Sandbox is a new online mental health advice service for 10 to 25-year-olds in Hertfordshire.
Funded by the NHS, it offers games, worksheets, group chats and online events for children, young people and their parents or carers.
This service can also provide access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or one-to-one support from professional therapists by text, phone, online chat or video call.
Signing up to Sandbox is easy and doesn’t need a professional referral.
Did you know that you can often get free over the counter medicines for your child?
If you already get free prescriptions, you can often get other free non-prescription medicines for minor ailments too.
This is known as the NHS minor ailments scheme. It can save you money for treating common conditions such as coughs, diarrhoea, eczema, ear and eye infections, nappy rash, cradle cap and head lice.
If you don’t get free prescriptions, remember that many generic medicines cost less than the £9.65 price of a prescription.
The minor ailments scheme isn’t available everywhere. You'll find it in selected Boots and Lloyds pharmacies as well as other chains and independents.
Ask your local pharmacy for details and remember to take proof that you're eligible for free prescriptions.
Photo by Christine Sandu on Unsplash.
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You can support local charities and good causes by taking part in the St Albans City and District Community Lottery.
Tickets cost just £1 with 50p going to a good cause of your choosing. There is a weekly draw with a top prize of £25,000.
Among the people being helped are children and older people while good causes which are supported include mental health, sports, heritage, arts and disability charities and community groups.
You can play the community lottery or sign up to it as a local group to raise funds here.
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We are holding a Landlord Forum on Tuesday 23 May at the Civic Centre for landlords and letting agents.
This will be an opportunity to learn about new legislation, receive advice from guest speakers and discuss housing matters with Council officers.
You can book your place here, by email landlordforum@stalbans.gov.uk or by phone 01727 814674.
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