18 Oct 2025
One of the most iconic – and frequently photographed – locations in St Albans city centre has been blighted by poorly installed street furniture.
The ‘Commit No Nuisance’ door to the Clock Tower is a popular spot for snaps by tourists and residents alike, but is now encroached upon by unsightly and badly fitted modern cycle racks.
The concrete fittings appear to have been slapped into place, spilling all over the paving stones, with similarly distasteful efforts also found on the other side of the tower.
They are just another example of a lack of care and consideration for our city centre shown by contractors engaged by Herts county council.
Earlier this year, historic cobbles dating back more than a century were ripped up and replaced with cheap-looking Tarmac on a section of pavement near The Blacksmith’s Arms.
County Hall insisted the work was only temporary and a full replacement programme will take place at an indeterminate future date, but similar patches elsewhere in the city centre – including St Peter’s Street, Market Place and Waxhouse Gate – have never been adequately repaired months later.
The situation has met with condemnation from local heritage activists.
Professor Tim Boatswain, chair of Conservation 50, said: “All too often, the heritage of St Albans is ignored by inappropriate street works. This is more than disappointing! Our heritage isn’t just a record of our past; it is the bedrock of our city’s future. From the remains of Roman Verulamium, our historic alleyways, to the tower of our wonderful Cathedral, it is this unique story that fuels our economy, defines our community, and gives St Albans an identity that is truly irreplaceable.”
Freda Chaloner, who chairs St Albans Civic Society’s planning advisory group, said: “It could be argued that the cycle racks by the Clock Tower have the positive unintended consequence of stopping nearby businesses from putting their bins there.
“The sight of overflowing commercial red bins has been an eyesore outside the Clock Tower for some time. But that misses the real point here. The failure to keep up decent standards in terms of materials and to match heritage assets like the cobbles, means we’re on a slippery slope, particularly in the conservation area.
“St Albans district council’s current focus, of course, is on what life looks like after the change to a unitary authority structure in 2027 as a result of local government review changes.
“We at the Civic Society are making the case for a St Albans parish (city) council to be established once SADC is abolished as part of the local government changes. This would have the responsibility of improving outcomes in cases such as these – only using reputable local contractors, with accountability for the quality of the end result, good value for money and alignment with local priorities, especially if supported by local community groups, residents and businesses.”
Campaigner David Kaloczi, who has previously fought against the removal of historic stone setts in Park Avenue, said: “A couple of months ago, I noticed that the historic cobbles between Daisy Cooper’s St Albans office and the Blacksmith’s Arms had been ripped up and replaced with Tarmac – right beside the war memorial where commemorative services are held. The change felt jarring and disrespectful to the heritage of the area.
“Not long after, I saw that plastic benches on concrete plinths had been installed directly against our Grade II-listed former Town Hall. These unsympathetic additions were organised by St Albans BID and rubber-stamped by the district council, with no apparent regard for the building’s architectural significance or this part of the conservation area.
“Then a concerned resident pointed out that three modern steel bike racks had been installed in French Row, right next to our Grade I-listed Clock Tower.
“Again, the placement felt careless and out of step with the historic surroundings.
“Looking around, I noticed at least five damaged bike racks nearby that are currently unusable, along with several abandoned bikes.
“These existing racks could easily be repaired/replaced to increase capacity, and there are also alternative locations that would have been far more appropriate for new installations.
“I contacted Historic England, who shared concerns about the poor siting of street furniture. However, because no planning applications were submitted for these additions, they were unable to formally comment or object.
“After many emails/phonecalls and attempts to engage with St Albans council, it’s become clear that they simply don’t care. The response I keep receiving is that under permitted development, they can do as they please.
“Whilst we have uniformed, uncaring councils running our district and county and contractors pretty much doing as they please, the look and feel of St Albans is changing for the worse at an alarming rate and our conservation area and listed buildings stand for nothing.
“Our councils need to be working with caring residents who are often funding these unsympathetic changes.”
We will be looking at Herts county council’s response to this issue next week.
