Rumblings from the Government suggest there could be plans to end the two-tier system of local government – abolishing district councils like St Albans and merging them into larger unitary authorities. The proposals would be the biggest overhaul of local government in more than half a century, with areas open to...
The district council’s draft Local Plan is not fit for purpose, claims a local environmental campaigner fighting to protect a rare wildlife meadow. Dr Robert Wareing has been battling for years to prevent the development of the 12-acre Bedmond Lane Wildlife Meadow, which borders the whole of the western edge of...
A bid to impose noise restrictions at fireworks displays on SADC-owned land has been thrown out by councillors. A motion proposed by the Labour group in partnership with the RSPCA, wanted to ensure fireworks louder than 90dB would no longer be permitted on animal welfare grounds. This would have dampened the noise at...
The first signs of the budget-balancing challenge faced by St Albans district council in the coming year have been revealed. Wednesday’s meeting of the housing and inclusion committee highlighted SADC’s financial position for 2024/25 and prospects for budget setting for 2025/26. It is the first opportunity for a council committee to consider...
There remains a great deal of uncertainty surround the new Government’s support of local councils, despite promises in the Autumn Statement. SADC leader Cllr Paul de Kort said he is still waiting for the details of many of the announcements before he can say whether the council will be better off...
There will be changes in the way SADC approaches tough budget decisions in the wake of the Harpenden on-street parking row, leader Paul de Kort has revealed. The new approach will see proposals on raising revenue or cutting costs for the coming year put forward at a much earlier stage. At the...
Like Boris and Brexit, Paul de Kort has got the job done. Both men tackled head-on a controversial issue which had polarised politicians for years and pushed it to a resolute conclusion. And just as it took some time to see the consequences of Johnson’s policies, how the St Albans Local...
New details about the numbers of local children staying in temporary accommodation have been revealed. A staggering 224 children are currently being housed by SADC, on average for 43 weeks. The district’s housing crisis was highlighted by Labour councillor Mike Hobday at the recent Full Council meeting, who argued that something needed...
Could Victoria Street be closed to all vehicles apart from buses? That sounds like one of the outcomes being mooted as part of a consultation about the major route into St Albans city centre. Herts county council is working with St Albans district council on a community-led initiative to create a...
Developers in north St Albans have destroyed the biodiversity of a site ahead of securing planning permission for a proposed 1,000 new homes. Contractors for Cala Homes have cleared a section of land between the A1081 Harpenden Road and the B651 St Albans Road.of flora and fauna, causing large scale damage to an...
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