It seems County Hall won’t take anything off the table when it comes to proposed improvements to Victoria Street. HCC is working with SADC on a community-led initiative to transform the route between the city centre and St Albans City railway station. Ideas thrown into the mix include more trees and planting,...
Could we be seeing the last Verulamium Park fireworks event to feature noisy bangs and whistles this November? SADC's Labour councillors, working with the RSPCA, have proposed that this year’s charity fundraiser should be the last to feature noisy fireworks. The proposal is inspired by animal welfare concerns and gives 12 months’...
Almost half of all council-owned garages are sitting empty – should they be redeveloped for much needed housing? A report to SADC’s housing and inclusion committee highlighted how only 51 per cent of all of the council’s 1,287 garage spaces – which cover more than 100 different locations - was currently...
The next phase in the process of implementing a Local Plan for the St Albans district is now underway. This week, members of SADC’s planning policy and climate committee agreed to commence the Regulation 19 Consultation. This only allows for public comment on the draft Local Plan’s compliance and ‘soundness’ with national...
Years in the making, St Albans draft Local Plan could be entering its final stages. SADC councillors will meet on Monday to decide whether the Plan - the blueprint for future development in the district - should go forward for the technical consultation, known as Regulation 19 Publication, later in...
Delays to the completion of Jubilee Square have contributed to a half-a-million pounds shortfall in council finances. This week’s meeting of the public realm committee included a report on SADC’s financial position and consequential impact on plans for the financial year 2024/2025. It stated: “In setting the budget for 2024/25 the council...
The proposed acceleration of the Local Plan process has not gone down well with opposition councillors on the district council. Cllr Simon Grover, on behalf of the Greens and Independents group, said: “We are very concerned about the Lib Dems' decision to rush through the Plan process. Up till now, the...
To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and in the wake of SADC leader Paul de Kort’s recent interview with this publication, local Conservatives have rebutted comments about the financial woes of the Liberal Democrat administration. St Albans Liberal Democrats demonstrate that they follow in their party’s time-honoured...
The balloons have burst, the buffet has been cleared away, and the dignitaries have dispersed. But a month after the official launch of city centre showpiece Jubilee Square, the long game has only just begun, as the district council has many years ahead before it finishes paying for the development. Although...
The brakes are off! SADC has announced preparations for a possible early submission of its long-awaited Local Plan, in a bid to shield against a wave of speculative development across the district. SADC planned to submit its draft Local Plan by April 2025, however, in light of the proposed changes to...
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