26 Sep 2025
A lack of clear communication over major changes to local government which affect every resident living in the city and district of St Albans was at the forefront of a debate over the proposals.
The recent meeting of SADC’s city neighbourhoods committee – made up of councillors and representatives of local residents associations – was examining the process behind the current community governance review (CGR).
This is looking at whether there is an appetite among residents for the creation of a St Albans City Parish Council in the wake of the local government reorganisation initiative, which will replace HCC and SADC with two or more unitary authorities.
Much of St Albans district has a parish or town council which organises community events and looks after assets such as open spaces, play areas and allotments, but a large section of the city is unparished including around 28,000 households in Batchwood, Bernards Heath, Clarence, Cunningham, Hill End, Marshalswick West, Sopwell, St Peter’s and Verulam wards.
Committee chair Cllr Robert Donald told the meeting: “The community governance review has been initiated by the council to consider parish council arrangements across the whole of the district.
“The process was given the go-ahead at the full council meeting on July 16… so we are now in the initial consultation period, which runs until Monday October 6, when the responses received will be analysed and draft recommendations drawn up and presented to the strategy and resources committee on November 20.”
Detailed proposals of what any city parish council would look like would then go out for further public consultation after this point.
“Final recommendations will be presented to full council in July, and if the review results in any proposed changes then we anticipate the legal order would be made in September 2026,” added Cllr Donald.
The review is also looking at whether or not one or more new parish councils set up within the city would legally be able to take on the historic mayoralty function, which might otherwise be lost when the district council is dissolved.
The Mayor is elected at SADC’s annual meeting from district councillors, and their duties include representing the city and the council at various events, raising funds for charity and supporting local voluntary groups.
The office’s civic and ceremonial functions were established in various Royal Charters and Letters Patent, and one future option could be to create Charter Trustees, comprising councillors from the new local authority whose wards lie within the historic boundaries of the Mayoralty. They would then take on the role of preserving the city’s civic tradition, either on a permanent or transitional basis.
Despite a campaign launched by St Albans Civic Society to Keep A Local Voice for Our City, the level of public awareness in the CGR is currently very low, compounded by the fact that it is running at the same time as the local government reorganisation.
SADC came under fire for its lack of engagement with other key local stakeholders like the Civic Society and St Albans & Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society.
Fiona Couper, chair of Aboyne Residents Association, said: “It’s utterly, utterly confusing for people, and I think we’re a bit disappointed in the comms, they feel a bit inadequate… It’s not prioritising one of the key things that’s going to happen for this community.”
Cllr Donald said it was unfortunate but inevitable that with these two parallel processes happening at the same time, officers were naturally focused on local government reorganisation because that’s what the Government has tasked them to do.
SADC strategic director (customer, business and corporate support) Robin Taylor said they had received a good response on the CGR, and would continue to promote it as best they can.
“There is the potential for confusion, because the local government reorganisation is a substantial review for all authorities in Hertfordshire… and that was considered by full council before deciding to trigger the Community Governance Review, but ultimately the decision was that it was important enough to go ahead.
“We don’t want to exclude anybody from this process. All submissions will be considered, including ones that are very short and others which are very long.”
Gary Cahalane from Charrington Place Residents Association questioned whether district assets could be redesignated to the city parish council, therefore increasing the costs to residents within that area, especially as there is no cap on year-on-year increases for parish council tax.
He was told no decisions will be made on asset transfer until after any new parish council has been created.
Timothy Beecroft from Verulam Residents Association said there was a risk any new unitary authority took control of anything that raised revenue, leaving the parish council with those assets which cost money.
Cllr Donald said that while there is a district council still in existence they have the power to delegate assets to a parish council if they put up a good case for transfer, but there was an urgency to this as they only have until May 27 when a shadow unitary authority is established.
“We could decide to transfer assets when we set the parish up, or we could decide to leave them until unitary is set up. It’s our call at the moment, but it won’t be after May 27 I would suggest…
“On a wider point, while the Government is hoping there are going to be efficiencies from setting up unitaries, I actually think we’ll probably find our council tax will still go up because there will be a levelling between different districts within the unitary when they get merged, and some pay much higher council tax than we do at the moment.”
Local campaigner Peter Cook, who has been campaigning for a parish council for the Highfield area, said after the meeting: “I have had volunteers come forward to assist the campaign and we have obtained over 120 supporters’ signatures to date.
“The overwhelming response from residents has been to say thank you for making us aware of this proposal which will have a major impact on Highfield.
“Their biggest concern is they have heard nothing from the district council.
“The biggest surprise is the absolute silence from our ward district councillors and a number wondered whether they have been gagged.”
Any decision on whether the city parish council proposal goes ahead will ultimately be down to the council, rather than rely on a certain number of responses being received.
Residents are asked to share their views as part of the public consultation at https://www.hertfordshire-lgr.co.uk/ or https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/CGR before the deadline of October 6.
