12 Feb 2024
The unexpected installation of marquees and footpaths to accommodate an extra round of Herts University graduation ceremonies has raised eyebrows at the Cathedral this week.
The trial event in the Abbey Orchard over February half-term is on top of the usual ceremonies in September, and requires several weeks either side for the erection and dismantling of facilities.
St Albans Cathedral relies on the graduations both to boost much-needed revenue, but also to raise awareness of the facility to a wider audience.
But a local residents group is questioning the suitability of the site for events on this scale, especially when taking into account the disruption caused during the construction and dismantling periods.
John Hedges, chair of Abbey Precincts Residents Association, said: “While it’s joyous to see the smiling faces of graduates and families on their big day, the adverse impact on the neighbourhood and residents far outweighs this. Although a prestigious location and backdrop for graduation ceremonies, and family album/social media snaps, it should be quite obvious that it’s totally unsuitable as a recurring construction site for 10+ weeks a year.
“The five-day ceremony causes 39 days of major disruption to residents, including: reduced access to Abbey Mill Lane, loss of already limited parking space and damage to the historic fabric of our neighbourhood. All without any consultation or compensation. This roughshod disproportionate approach is really not worthy of responsible organisations.”
He raised concerns about potential damage to the Grade I listed Abbey Gateway by articulated vehicles dropping off equipment and then reversing back through the narrow space.
“Doubtless the contractors are careful, but the margins for error are so small while the potential for damage is so evident. The articulated vehicles have to reverse out through the Gateway – empty or fully loaded – as they are far too large to travel down and turn around in Abbey Mill Lane. To put it mildly, I find this worrying and any damage would be unconscionable.”
But the Cathedral has insisted they will take every step to avoid any damage to the historic site.
Spokesperson Gemma Jones said: “Last year the number of visitors to the Cathedral was 577,000, which is up 77,000 on 2022, but as a free to enter Cathedral we can’t just rely on visitor donations, so we are looking more commercially at ways to reach a new audience and income.
“The graduation ceremonies attract so many students and visitors, and are a great opportunity to show off the city and Cathedral, but this February’s is just a trial, and we will need to see how it works out.
“The university are such good partners, and work tirelessly to ensure they don’t cause any harm. The marquees are not knowingly put on top of anything which might cause damage, we make sure we follow expert advice to protect our archaeology, and we believe the parkland will fully recover afterwards. They will also rectify any damage and take full responsibility for everything they do on the site.”
The Cathedral is currently applying for a new licence to make it easier to hold more activities outside the building and to ensure we meet all necessary planning requirements, and a public meeting will be held in the spring to discuss the long-term vision for the site.
“We want to be part of a thriving city, but we can understand where concerns are coming from. Hopefully we can work together with local residents and other agencies to ensure we make the most of this special place and keep visitors coming back,” Gemma added.
