Community News
Transkript
Community News
PREMIER Community Communi Co mm uni unity ty NEWS DECEMBER 03 2009 NEW View from meadow area (North West) towards the new leisure centre. Westminster Lodge gets go-ahead Westminster Lodge, in St Albans, is to be replaced with an exciting new leisure development. Cabinet for St Albans City and District Council gave the green light to the new leisure centre, to be built adjacent to the existing Westminster Lodge, following a public consultation held during the summer. The new development will include a 25m pool, a 17m learner pool, a fitness suite with 200 stations (including a spinning studio), two exercise studios, a climbing wall, a four court sports hall, a crèche and soft play area, a dedicated youth facility and a cafe/bistro. In addition to a sauna, steam room and spa pool, the full scale Spa facilities could include hot rooms, aroma steam rooms, a scented sauna, mud treatments and different water based treatments, similar to those in Roman baths. Cllr Sheila Burton, Portfolio Holder for Sport and Healthy Living at St Albans City and District Council, said: “This development will not only improve the leisure facilities available to local residents, but will also attract visitors from further afield, helping to contribute to the economic regeneration and sustainability of the city’s tourism market.” The design will form the basis of a planning application which is due to be submitted to the Council in January 2010. Construction work is expected to begin in November 2010 and the new leisure centre is due to open Snow stopper Council Laptop Theft We hope it won’t happen but just in case… In the event of adverse weather conditions affecting the collection of refuse and recycling, please see updates posted on the Council website at www.stalbans.gov.uk and at www.recyclingforapremier.com. There will also be a pre-recorded message on the Council’s Contact Centre number 01727 819285. Some residents have been affected by the theft of a laptop from Council offices containing information about postal voters. The Council understands that residents will be concerned about this matter and is seeking to be as open and responsive as possible. We have written to everyone affected, and set up a helpline to call on 01727 819291 or 819294 during office hours. Answers to frequently asked questions can be found at www.stalbans.gov.uk. See the ‘In Focus’ box on the homepage. A police investigation continues. Historic St Albans District: a premier community in Spring 2012. It is anticipated that the existing Westminster Lodge Leisure Centre will remain open until then when it will be closed and later demolished. Free parking this Christmas The Council owned St Albans city centre car parks (run by NCP) are FREE after 6.30pm and all day Sunday throughout the year. In addition, on Thursdays in December, the following car parks are also free after 4pm: • London Rd • Civic Centre Basement • Gombards • Bricket Rd North www.stalbans.gov.uk Strong consultation response on crucial issues affecting District Residents have responded in their thousands to St Albans City & District Council’s Shaping Our Community planning consultation which ran during the summer and early autumn. More than 3,000 written responses have been received. The consultation sought views on crucial issues affecting the District such as protection of the Green Belt and the potential location of future development. Interim findings will be published in January on the Council’s website. Cllr Chris Brazier, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Conservation at St Albans City and District Council, said: “We would like to thank all those residents who have responded to the consultation and voiced their opinions on what the District should look like in the future. The consultation was broad and asked residents to give their views on where they think housing development, schools, healthcare provision, transport services and retailing should be located in the future.” The consultation will feed into work to produce the Local Development Framework – a set of planning documents which set the direction of planning policy until 2026. More information is available at www.stalbans.gov.uk Recycle your low energy light bulbs Leader of the Council, Cllr Robert Donald using the new facility. Green grants on offer Grants for loft and cavity wall insulation and solar panels are among the energy efficiency measures on offer as part of an initiative to cut carbon dioxide emissions and reduce fuel poverty. St Albans City and District Council is one of 15 local authorities in Hertfordshire and Essex that have together obtained £6.6million worth of Railfreight Latest government funding. If you are not in receipt of benefits you are entitled to loft or cavity wall insulation at subsidised prices starting at £99. In addition, you may be eligible to receive grants and interest free loans to cover the cost of installing renewable technologies and heating upgrades. Sainsbury’s in London Colney is one of the first Sainsbury’s stores across the country to offer energy-saving light bulb and portable battery recycling facilities. If you are a homeowner in receipt of qualifying benefits or are aged 70 years or more, you will be eligible to receive free energy-saving measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, heating system upgrades, and renewable technologies such as solar panels, subject to the availability of funding, qualifying criteria and a technical survey. For more informationn please call 0800 980 6026, quoting STA1009, or go to www.heepgrant.org. The Council’s 24 hour secure internet payments service is available at www.stalbans.gov.uk The Railfrieght planning inquiry began on 24 Nov and runs until 18 Dec. The Inquiry is being held at the Civic Centre in St Albans. For further information, see In Focus at www.stalbans.co.uk. Just click on ‘Ways to Pay’ on the homepage. You can pay you council tax, housing or garage rent, business rates or Council invoices In partnership with recycling specialists Recolight, the store now has a specially designed collection container where shoppers can take their old energysaving light bulbs and batteries for recycling at approved treatment facilities. Why not pay your Council Tax online? Historic St Albans District: a premier community here. The council accepts most major credit or debit cards (not Diners Card or American Express). www.stalbans.gov.uk £700K fund to target change locally Ready and prepared? Thankfully, St Albans is a safe city and district in which to live and work and lots of work goes on behind the scenes to keep it that way. St Albans City and District Council is an active member of Hertfordshire Resilience, the county’s emergency planning forum which works to prepare for large-scale emergencies. Are you ready for anything? Here are a few simple things to think about. disruption to utility supplies is low, such an incident can be inconvenient for most and dangerous for others. The water, electricity and gas suppliers have special schemes in place for low income households, for customers who rely on a constant supply of water and for people with disabilities or who are chronically ill. Contact your provider for details of their vulnerable customer schemes. Flooding If you are unfortunate enough to suffer from the effects of seasonal flu or swine flu this winter, you will most likely suffer only a mild illness. Some people, however, will require more extensive medical support. If you do not have family or friends nearby, you may want to give some thought to identifying a FluFriend who would be able to collect your medication on your behalf, if necessary. Or why not offer your services as a Flu Friend to someone you know. More information about coping with swine flu can be found at www.wherts-pct.nhs.uk and www.enherts-pct.nhs.uk. Even if your home is not directly at risk from flooding, the 2007 summer floods showed us how we can all be affected by the consequences of an unexpected event. To see the risk of river flooding to your property, visit www.environmentagency.gov.uk where you can do a postcode check and sign up for free flood alerts. Alternatively, call the Environment Agency Flood Line on 0845 988 1188. You may want to check the details of your insurance policies and add cover if necessary. Disruption to utility supplies Swine flu “Aiming high – caring for our future” was the topic for a recent community conference organised by the Local Strategic Partnership, a group of key local agencies (police, councils, health organisations, etc.,) and voluntary and community groups, working in the District. The conference focused on how to make ambitions, set out in the District’s Sustainable Community Strategy, a reality. The involvement of young people was a key theme. Andrew Cawthorpe, Regional Partnership Manager for the East of England Prince’s Trust’s, gave the keynote speech and Youth Council members (pictured) ran one of the afternoon workshops. Students from Oaklands College produced a short film for the conference as part of their Media Production course work experience. Tarkan Ahmet, a Young Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust gave an inspirational account to delegates of his own experience of juggling full time caring responsibilities with achieving his ambition to set up his own internet business. The bidding process for a share of a special £700K Targeting Change Fund was announced at the Conference. Cllr Robert Donald, Leader of St Albans City and District Councillor and Chair of the Local Strategic Partnership, commented: “I look forward to seeing money going to community based projects that will make a real difference to local residents.” Further details are available through the Local Strategic Partnership website: www.stalbanslsp.org.uk or by email from info@stalbanslsp.org.uk. The deadline for bids is Wednesday 23 Dec 2009. Your Council – a developing centre of excellence for customer service St Albans City and District Council has been awarded over £80,000 by the Department of Communities and Local Government to pilot a new Toolkit designed to help local authorities deliver better customer service. In a 2008 survey, 99% of customers said they were either satisfied or very satisfied with the service they received. As a developing centre of excellence for customer service, the Council is committed to sharing its findings with other councils. While the likelihood of Tiffin Club wins Equalities Award Do you need an NHS dentist? To find an NHS dentist in Hertfordshire phone 01707 369645 or email The Council has once again come up trumps in the East of England Equality Awards, this year as joint winners with its Tiffin Club project. Last year the Council earned 2nd place with the Clarence Park Sensory Garden project. dentalappointments@herts-pcts.nhs.uk For details on refuse collection over Christmas and New Year, please see Recycling News or www.recyclingforapremier.com The Tiffin Club is held once a week and offers English literacy and numeracy classes, fitness sessions and advice on healthy eating and preventative healthcare for women from black and minority ethnic communities in particular. Historic St Albans District: a premier community Cllr Robert Donald, leader of the St Albans City and District Council and the portfolio holder for equalities, said: “I am delighted that this special luncheon club has been recognised in this way. Practical help to enable greater integration in the community and development of English language skills, especially for people who may feel isolated at home, is really important.” www.stalbans.gov.uk Fit & healthy hyy.. ..... iinn Stt Alban Albanss C Ci City t andd D ty District trict ic Your pathway to a LOCAL DEMOCRACY permanently healthier lifestyle Interested in becoming Improve your level of physical activity through a programme of exercise being offered by St Albans City and District Council. The St Albans District Exercise Referral Scheme (ERS) is a 24 week programme designed for people with health concerns who are unsure about what physical activity they can safely do. Professional advice and support is on offer to help you become more active. Referral to the scheme is through a health professional. Health issues might include mental health problems, hypertension, diabetes, joint or muscular flexibility and strength problems, back pain, osteoarthritis, weight related problems, asthma and lung problems, coronary heart disease or just being unfit through prolonged inactivity. The scheme is run by the Sport and Health Development Team, managed by the Council’s contractor Leisure Connection. Contact 01727 827667, or email steve.howard@leisureconne ction.co.uk for more details. Being more physically active has lots of benefits. It can help relieve stress and reduce depression and anxiety. It can alleviate high blood pressure and aid sleep. It can help you lose weight and improve body shape, posture and flexibility. It gives you more energy and it can be fun. Herts Youth Games will take place on Sat 26 June 2010 at the University of Hertfordshire Sports Village. Training sessions start in February and March and will be led by top Is it time to lead a more active lifestyle? Want to try a new activity? Want to exercise in a fun, relaxed and sociable environment with like-minded people? All the training sessions will be FREE to participate, so put a date in your diary and visit The programme, entitled Get Back Into, offers the chance www.stalbans.gov.uk and see the ‘Engage With Us’ box on the homepage, or call 01727 819519. Sat: 5th, 12th, 19th Christmas Markets – 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, 24th St Albans Farmers Market – Sun: 13th Wheathampstead Farmers Market – Sun: 20th Continental Market – 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th www.stalbans.gov.uk for details from January 2010. If you would like information on the programme and how to get involved sent to you directly please call 01727 827667. OR TRY SOMETHING NEW! If you answered YES to any of these questions then you may be interested in a new programme being organised by Active St Albans, a community sports and physical activity network working to encourage local adults to lead more active lifestyles. Councillors play a crucial role in providing local leadership. They represent the views of local residents and make decisions about how the District is managed. A new guide has been produced by the Council describing what is involved in becoming a Councillor. To download a copy, please visit St Albans Market – Wed: 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th coaches from clubs across the District. Sessions offer children and young people aged 5-16 a great chance to try out new activities or sports and possibly represent the City and District of St Albans at the games in June. The Games are run by the St Albans Arts, Sport & Health Development Team and managed by the Council’s contractor Leisure Connection. Local democracy depends on people getting involved. December Market Days Herts Youth Games 2010 The 2009 Herts Youth Games were a great success, but St Albans City and District Council thinks it can do even better next year. It aims to offer a greater number of free sports sessions and link more young people to regular physical activity in 2010. a councillor? to take part in regular physical activity within a fun and sociable environment. From badminton to bowls and netball to nordic walking there’s an activity to suit everyone and the first session is FREE! Visit www.activestalbans.com for more information or call 01727 827667. Have your say... We welcome anything you have to say about our services. Please send your comments to: St Albans City & District Council District Council Offices, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3JE Switchboard: 01727 866100 Opening hours: Mon - Thurs 8.45am-5.15pm, Fri 8.45am-4.45pm Textphone: 01727 819570 Fax: 01727 856745 Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk E-mail: yoursay@stalbans.gov.uk Customer Service Centre Opening hours: Mon - Thurs 8.45am-5pm, Fri 8.45am-4.30pm Harpenden Town Council Information Point, Town Hall, Leyton Road, Harpenden Telephone: 01582 768278 Opening hours: Mon - Fri 10am-4pm Alternative formats If you would like to receive this newsletter in an alternative format, such as Braille, or in another language, please call 01727 814605 EMERGENCY SERVICE (outside office hours) 01727 811155 Historic St Albans District: a premier community www.stalbans.gov.uk