24 Mar 2026
A packed meeting of more than 80 residents highlighted strong concerns over a lack of consultation about proposals for the £6.5m redevelopment of the William Bird Pavilion in New Greens.
Many of those present at the New Greens Social Club last Tuesday evening said they were unhappy with the way the scheme has been communicated.
The event was organised by local Liberal Democrat councillors, with the suggestion that would be a formal opportunity to hear from council officers and ask questions about the plans. However, no council officers were present, and the session did not include a formal presentation or structured Q&A.
Confusion arose early in the evening when a member of the audience asked for clarification about the format, with many attendees stating they had expected a traditional public meeting.
The invitation, hand-delivered to residents, referred to “the council’s proposals” and stated that “district councillors and officers will talk you through what has happened so far.”
As the session progressed, some residents voiced frustration at what they perceived to be a lack of opportunity to engage in meaningful discussion, as instead they were being asked to jot down their views on Post-It notes.
Local resident Mike Cowell said: “I’m worried it may be a fait accompli.”
At several points, attempts by attendees to ask questions or make comments were rebutted by the Lib Dem councillors present, and the atmosphere became increasingly tense.
Concerns were also raised about claims in the invitation that the proposals had been “welcomed” by the New Greens Residents Association. Committee members present disputed this, stating that they had not agreed to the plans and had previously communicated their concerns to all SADC councillors on the strategy and resources committee.
This included the absence of a fully equipped kitchen which would severely limit both the kind of events that could take place and any potential income generated from them.
Other worries raised multiple times on Post-It notes scattered across the room were the lack of a community café and questions around accessibility — particularly the positioning of facilities across multiple floors with limited lift access.
Another resident, Steve Seaton, suggested that a community café would be far more useful for residents than a bar and football changing rooms.
Gail Jackson, Chair of Sopwell Residents Association, was part of the community team who campaigned for the fully accessible Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre which opened in 2023.
She explained: “In our experience at the Cottonmill Centre, despite the campaign’s pleas for a large community kitchen, a tiny kitchen space was built, which has continued to hugely frustrate the community groups that use the centre.
“Food is at the heart of community activities. Poor catering facilities mean we cannot provide appropriate food events for our local community. Groups run warm hubs in the centre and have to limit cooking to pasta and jacket potatoes – rather than being able to provide nourishing food which requires cooking on site. A suitable large kitchen is an essential, core aspect of any community venue – and is clearly missing from these plans for the New Greens proposal.”
Liz Elvidge, a member of the St Albans District Council Access Forum, added: “As someone with mobility concerns, I think the issue is why the footballers’ changing rooms can’t be upstairs, and the meeting area downstairs and accessible.
“If there’s only one lift, it can break down – that would stop people being able to use the facilities.”
Jackie Seaton highlighted further accessibility concerns: “If the main meeting room is upstairs and accessible toilets are downstairs, it makes attending events much more difficult for people with disabilities.”
Despite the tensions, the evening prompted a strong community response. Residents began exchanging contact details and discussing the need for a more formal and inclusive consultation process.
By the end of the night, around 40 residents had joined a newly formed group, Community Hub Action for the New Greens Estate (CHANGE!), which aims to represent community views and advocate for improvements to the plans.
Parish councillor Damian Gaskin said: “People want to be listened to. A consultation has been promised and it has not happened. This is a significant investment, and residents want to help shape something that truly works for the whole community.”
A petition calling for a community café, a fully equipped kitchen, and improved accessibility has now reached 677 signatures and officially closes on March 25. The link to the petition is https://stalbans.moderngov.co.uk/mgEPetitionDisplay.aspx?ID=49&RPID=5757566&HPID=5757566&$LO$=1
Members of CHANGE will be at the High Oaks shops on Saturday from 10am to 3pm for residents who would like to find out more or get involved.
Batchwood Liberal Democrat councillor Lynn Cunningham, who has previously commented on the William Byrd scheme, said she thought the meeting had gone well.
“We were delighted by the turnout at our meeting at the Social Club on Tuesday evening. Close to 100 people came, the vast majority were residents of New Greens itself, and we know how much excitement there is about residents’ voices at the heart.
“It is really important that the community has its say in this project. The council voted on its overall budget in February, ring-fencing over £6m for a fantastic new community centre for New Greens and the district, something the area needs so badly. Now we know the money is there, it’s time for the community to help shape the new facility and make it the best it can be within the budget available.
“Everyone at the meeting was able to view the drawings of the proposed new building and, most importantly, to tell us what they’d like to see in the new building and how they would like to use it. We also wanted to know how people use the playing fields, whether for dog-walking or picnics, and what ideas they had for the new facility to help enhance those activities. We know that many people would love to have some kind of café, for example, as New Greens definitely lacks meeting places.
“We also asked people to tell us how they use the current social club building, which has sadly reached the end of its life. We know people who use it for socialising, for playing darts, for Slimming World, for the Daylight Club, birthday parties and other celebrations and a whole range of other activities.
“The Liberal Democrat councillor team asked people to write down all their views and thoughts, we have collated all that feedback and we will be sending that on to the council officers who are managing this large capital project. Residents’ feedback includes thoughts from those who are delighted about the project coming to New Greens but have concerns about issues ranging from accessibility, light pollution, noise, the potential for anti-social behaviour.
“It is our understanding that a planning application will go in during the summer and we will be reporting back, as the elected councillors for Batchwood ward, to our residents on the project status before that planning application goes in.
“We would encourage any residents who were not able to attend the meeting to email us on batchwood@stalbanslibdems.org.uk to send us your views and any questions!”
