CommunityWINTER 2012

INCORPORATING Recycling News

Community News is published by St Albans City & District Council

www.stalbans.gov.uk

We will be working hard to keep services going this

winter. If snow and ice hits the district we have plans in place to help keep disruption to waste and recycling services to a minimum.

If disruption lasts for a day or two, collections will roll on one day until we catch up. Crews will work on Saturdays until the backlog is cleared.

Where disruption is more severe, lasting 3 days or more, green waste

collections will be suspended for those roads that were missed. All black and green bin waste will be collected together and sent to landfill. Recycling boxes will be emptied on the next scheduled collection day, weather permitting.

You may prefer not to put out your green bin until the next scheduled collection so the content can be composted.

A useful all year round 2013 collection calendar is being delivered to homes before Christmas.

Details are also available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling.

Waste collection in the snow

Online snow service news...

Waste and recycling collection dates

All the latest news on services when it snows is available at

www.stalbans.gov.uk/snow. This is updated regularly.

You’ll find information on refuse and recycling, school closures, gritting, salting routes, advice on clearing pavements outside your home and lots more. Follow us on Twitter @StAlbansCouncil.

2 Winter 2012 St Albans City & District Council Community News

You can make payments such as Council Tax online at www.stalbans.gov.uk, via your bank, at the post office or at any

shop showing the Pay Zone sign. There is also an automated telephone payment line – call 0161 7853880.

Easier ways to pay your Council Tax

Arts Council funding

Over £60K of Arts Council funding is coming to the

district’s museums to fund a number of special projects.

A new Youth Forum will be helping shape what happens in our museums. We will also be asking local people to share their thoughts on what is special about the district for a future exhitibion.

For further information about St Albans district museums see www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk, telephone 01727 751810.

STOP PRESS: The 159 4th Century Roman coins found recently near St Albans are currently on display at Verulamium Museum.

New self serve computers are now available at the

Council’s customer service centre in St Albans.

You can avoid the queues and use the facilities to do your council business online. You can pay your

council tax, apply for benefits, take part in council consultations, enquire about a planning application – all online at www.stalbans.gov.uk.

If you are not used to computers, we can show you what to do.

The Council is moving forward with development of

the district’s Strategic Local Plan. Once formally adopted, the

document will set out strategic local planning policy up until 2028, including where housing and infrastructure will be developed. The protection of the Green Belt and sustainability are at the forefront of the Council’s approach to

developing the plan. There will be a final opportunity

for people to comment on the plan’s legal soundness before the final version is submitted to the Secretary of State for examination. This follows a series of detailed consultations over the last few years.

Further information is available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/strategic localplan, tel: 01727 814600.

Strategic Local Plan a vital planning document

New NHS non-emergency 111 numberNHS 111 is a new service being introduced to make it easier for you to access local NHS health care.

You can call 111 when you need medical help fast but it’s not a 999 emergency. Calls are free from landlines and mobile phones. For details see: www.bit.ly/rrkpUX.

New council self service points

www.stalbans.gov.uk 3

Local historian, Anne Wares, has been awarded the Mayor’s

Prize for Local History for her biography of the philanthropist Isabella Worley.

One of the richest and most generous residents of nineteenth century St Albans, Isabella Worley bought Christ Church for the city, and provided the fountain that was originally in front of the Clock tower and is now in Victoria Square. Worley Road in St Albans is named after her.

Mayor’s history prize celebrates local philanthropist

3

New MuseumThe Council has appointed award winning architects,

Purcell, to develop initial design ideas for a new museum at the old town hall in St Albans.

Members of the Civic Society and St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeology Society

are involved. The Hertfordshire Association of Architects, St Albans Museum and Galleries Trust and the University of Hertfordshire are also advising us. We hope to apply for Heritage Lottery Funding shortly.

For museum information see: www.stalbansmuseums.org.uk.

St Albans Community Safety Partnership has some advice

for shoppers during the busy Christmas season.

Try to put your purse or wallet in a front pocket rather than in an open bag. Use a handbag that can be zipped up and worn across your body, rather than over one shoulder. You can get purse lanyards to attach your phone or purse to your bag. Report incidents straight away. In an emergency, always dial 999. The number for non-emergencies is 101.

Hertfordshire Constabulary is reminding motorists of

the consequences of drinking or taking drugs before getting behind the wheel.

If you are caught driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, you could face a minimum 12-month ban, as well as a fine and/or imprisonment.

The offence of causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs now carries a maximum penalty of 14 years imprisonment. Remember that you can be over the legal limit many hours after your last drink, even if it’s the next morning. The best way to remain safe is not to drink and drive at all.

Keep purse-dippers at bay

Empty homesWith high demand for housing in the district, the

Council is making changes to the Council Tax discounts available to property owners who leave their houses empty.

We want to encourage people to bring their properties back into use as quickly as possible. From April next year, the Council is to halve the discounts available for properties left empty for major renovation works. We are also withdrawing the exemption from Council Tax for properties that are unfurnished and vacant. There will be an additional Council Tax premium for properties that lie empty for more than two years and the second home discount will be withdrawn.

The Council’s Empty Homes Officer can be contacted on 01727 819447 or cliona.goold@stalbans.gov.uk.

Drink driving ruins lives

4 Winter 2012 St Albans City & District Council Community News

A day in the life of... a food safety officer

Karen Clarke is a Business Compliance Officer at

St Albans City & District Council.8.45am I start the day dealing with

complaints, accidents and urgent food poisoning incidents that must be looked into within 24 hours.

11:00am I prepare my inspection bag – with my ID, camera, torch infrared gun, clean white coat and hat.

My first call is a routine unannounced inspection at a local primary school. I check the kitchen staff’s qualifications, refrigeration logs, and arrangements for keeping food warm. I check thoroughly for cleanliness. All is well. I score the premises under the Food Hygiene Rating Scheme (FHRS). It’s a 5 today, very high.

1:00pm I visit a small independent family run restaurant. Their Safer Food Better Business Pack, a simple documented hazard analysis produced by the Food Standards Agency has not been completed for over 18 months. I look through the temperature records. They have been completed for the whole week and today is only Wednesday! Not a great start. I check for cleanliness. There are flies in the kitchen and the rear door is wide open with no fly-screen fitted. Several floor tiles are broken and the cleanliness is poor. I can’t find a cleaning schedule. I need to document any problems I find, so I take photographs and make notes.

I move on to food storage arrangements. Is raw meat being stored correctly below cooked meat? Yes it is. Good. I notice several of the chillers have split seals and none of the

foods have date labelling. I ask the chef how many days they keep food. 5 days. It should be no longer than 3 days, or 3 months for frozen food. I check to see if the equipment is clean. One of the microwaves, used to reheat food, is in a bad way.

I give them a ‘O’ FHRS score meaning urgent improvement is needed. I will be back soon to check they have addressed the problems. We have the power to close them down if they don’t comply with food hygiene regulations properly.

3:30pm It’s back to the office to complete the paperwork and get stuck into my emails, deal with complaints and other food safety concerns. We prioritise our visits to protect the public. Last year we conducted almost 800 inspections to ensure standards are maintained.

Monday, Wednesday – 10am to 2pmTuesday, Thursday – appointments only

Monday to Thursday – 1.30 to 4.30pmFriday – 1.30 to 4pm

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 9am to 1pm

Wednesday – 10am to 1pm

Aldwyck Housing Group – available alternate Thursdays – 10am to 1pm from 29 November

Monday to Thursday – 8.45am to 5pmFriday – 8.45am to 4.30pm

Monday, Wednesday, Thursday – 10am to 1pm

Opening times for all organisations may vary during school holidays.

Hertfordshire County Council elections will take place on

Thursday 2 May 2013.If you are not included on

the current register of electors published in October 2012, or if you move house during the year, you can still register to vote up until 17th April 2013. To contact the electoral services team call or email 01727 819294, elections@stalbans.gov.uk.

The following organisations are working together at the St Albans Civic Centre.

Registered to vote?

LOCAL SERVICES

www.stalbans.gov.uk 5

Market datesSt Albans Market every Wednesday and Saturday plus Thursday 20 to Monday 24 December (no market Boxing Day)

St Albans Farmers’ Market 2nd Sunday of the month plus Sunday 16 December

Harpenden Farmers’ Market 4th Sunday of the month

GREEN ISSUES

St Albans scooped the Environmental Quality Award

and Gold in the city category at the Anglia in Bloom Awards 2012. This is the second year in a row that we have won awards in the competition. 

We are moving towards more sustainable and environmentally-

friendly methods of maintaining the district’s parks and green spaces. An annual seeding programme has replaced bedding plants which are less sustainable. Cattle grazing has also been re-introduced to Bricket Wood Common to help produce the right conditions for heathland plants.

Anglia in Bloom award

The Council’s grounds maintenance contractor

company, John O’Conner, is the winner of this year’s Chamber of Commerce Community Business Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

The company’s community

spirited activities include sports sponsorship, actively working with Friends groups to care for local beauty spots and providing work experience programmes. John O’Conner was also instrumental in helping the district achieve our 2011 and 2012 Anglia in Bloom competition awards.

The St Albans Green Ring is a 9km continuous green walking

and cycling route around St Albans due for completion in 2015.

It will link National Cycle Routes, the proposed Abbey Link Light Rail terminus, the Thameslink station and long-distance walking routes. It will also provide park and walk options to the city centre and offer vehicle-free access to visitor attractions.

The idea originated in work done on the City Vision. Final details are being prepared and will be publicised soon.

Green ring

John O’Conner recognised

6 Winter 2012 St Albans City & District Council Community News

We are planting snowdrop and daffodil bulbs in parks and

gardens this winter in place of high maintenance bedding plants.

More than 200,000 seasonal bulbs are currently being planted as part of a long-term strategy to make the district’s planting schemes more sustainable.

It follows the success of annual seeded flower schemes that brought a burst of colour to the district’s parks last summer.

Over the next few weeks the bedding areas may look rather sparse. However, underneath the soil there will be an array of bulbs waiting to burst into bud.

New maps and signs

Live bus information

Passengers in Hertfordshire are now able to view real-

time information on bus departure screens, online and via their mobile phones.

7,000 users have already downloaded the Intalink mobile phone app. For more information including timetables and journey planners, visit www.intalink.org.uk, telephone 0300 123 4050.

Two new map displays showing pedestrian routes

to key visitor attractions and retail areas are being installed in St Albans.

One will be located at the city station and the other in the city centre. The new signs will also reflect the rich history of the district. After public feedback further signs are expected next year.

200,000 bulbs planted

UK Power Networks has established a special register

of people in priority need. People on the register get priority service if there is a power cut.

The service is for people who

are especially vulnerable because, for example, they are chronically sick, disabled or dependent on medical equipment. An application form is available at: www.bitly.com/RgRwSl or from 0800 169 9970.

Power cut priority service register

Household Waste Recycling Centres Open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.• Dark Lane, Harpenden 10am – 6pm• Ronsons Way, St Albans 8am – 4pm (winter), 8am – 6pm (summer)• Waterdale, A405, Bricket Wood 8am – 6pm www.wasteaware.org.uk

Six new illustrations of trees sponsored

by local people in commemoration of their

loved ones, or a special event such as the birth of a child, have been created. Anyone can sponsor a

tree through the Tree Sponsorship Scheme. The illustrations are on display in a special

book in the reception area of the Council’s offices in St Albans. Details at www.stalbans.gov.uk/ sponsoratree, tel: 01727 819363.

Sponsor a tree

www.stalbans.gov.uk 7

Government funded grants of up to £3,500 (and up to £6,000

in areas where there is no mains gas) are available to homeowners and private tenants receiving certain income-related benefits.

The Warm Front scheme provides loft and cavity-wall insulation,

draught proofing, hot-water-tank jackets and repair or installation of central heating systems.

2012 is the last year that the Warm Front grant is likely to be available. To find out if you’re eligible visit www.warmfront.co.uk or call free on 0800 316 2814.

Fly-tipping is a real anti-social menace costing tax payers a

fortune to clear up every year and leaving a nasty blot on our beautiful landscape.

It covers everything from leaving bags of rubbish on a public footpath to dumping bulk waste in a country lane.

Fly-tippers can be fined up to £50,000 with prison terms of up to 5 years. The Council uses CCTV and special mobile recording equipment in local hot spots to catch people in the act. But we need your help too. To report fly-tipping, please call the Cleaner District Hotline on 0845 125 8000 as soon as you notice a problem. Thank you for helping.

A new online guide

is available for residents who want to adapt their homes to save energy and water.

The guide is available in both a short ‘how-to’ format and as a more comprehensive manual. The resource tells householders what to do before making any changes, what funding is available to help and the typical cost and financial savings of particular solutions. An online database of Hertfordshire companies with appropriate expertise is also available. More information at: www.hertslink.org/buildingfutures.

To see if your home is at risk from flooding, you can search

the Environment Agency’s online map based facility at www.bit.ly/SfJN6b.

You can sign up to receive flood alerts by telephone, email, SMS text message or fax by visiting www.bit.ly/7Dc9v3 or calling Floodline on 0845 988 1188. You can also follow the Environment Agency on Twitter for updates @EnvAgencySE.

Warm Front grants

Swatting the fly-tippers

Greener living tips

Sign up for flood info

Together, for a Cleaner District

Keeping the District Clean and Green

The Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000 Email: a.cleanerdistrict@stalbans.gov.uk

...please contact

If you spot a problem with...

• Abandoned vehicles • Illegal • or litter • Dog fouling or stray dogs • Dumped rubbish • Illegal • Overgrown hedgerows• Spills from refuse collection • Accumulation of leaves • Pest control • Damaged street furniture • Street cleaning required • Drugs paraphernalia • Trees (overgrown/obstructing highway) • Empty/derelict property • Air pollution

Now on twitter: @StAlbansCouncil

New weekend and bank holiday burial services are

being introduced at London Road Cemetery. 

The Council wants to ensure arrangements are sufficiently

flexible to meet the needs of all religious groups. Further information is available from the Cemeteries Manager at cemeteries@stalbans.gov.uk, call 01727 819362.

Weekend burials

8 Winter 2012 St Albans City & District Council Community News

Now on Twitter @StAlbansCouncil

Have your say... We welcome anything you want to say about our services.

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Last Christmas, an average of 50kg of rubbish per person

was sent to landfill. Here are some tips for cutting down on waste.

Christmas trees You can recycle your tree at your local Household Waste Recycling Centre (see page 6). If it is small enough it can go in your green bin. Some garden centres will collect your tree for a small fee (including Ayletts, 01727 822255).

Wrapping paper and Christmas cards Non-metallic, non-sparkly paper can be recycled. Please remove all tape. Recycle your cards at Council leisure facilities and Parish Centres.

Christmas food and shoppingTry to avoid items with packaging if you can. Buy rechargeable batteries for toys and electrical goods.

Put your food scraps in your green bin (wrapped tightly in paper) or in your home composter. You can put glass and plastic bottles, jars, clean foil, food and drinks cans, aerosols, newspapers and magazines in your recycling boxes.

COLLECTION ROUND 1 COLLECTION ROUND 2

Don’t have a rubbish Christmas

Usual day Revised dayMon 24 Dec Mon 24 DecTues 25 Dec Thurs 27 DecWed 26 Dec Fri 28 DecThurs 27 Dec Sat 29 DecFri 28 Dec Mon 31 DecMon 31 Dec Wed 2 JanTues 1 Jan Thurs 3 JanWed 2 Jan Fri 4 JanThurs 3 Jan Sat 5 JanFri 4 Jan Mon 7 JanMon 7 Jan Tues 8 JanTues 8 Jan Wed 9 JanWed 9 Jan Thurs 10 JanThurs 10 Jan Fri 11 JanFri 11 Jan Sat 12 Jan

Usual day Revised dayMon 24 Dec Mon 24 DecTues 25 Dec Thurs 27 DecWed 26 Dec Fri 28 DecThurs 27 Dec Sat 29 DecFri 28 Dec Mon 31 DecMon 31 Dec Wed 2 JanTues 1 Jan Thurs 3 JanWed 2 Jan Fri 4 JanThurs 3 Jan Sat 5 JanFri 4 Jan Mon 7 JanMon 7 Jan Tues 8 JanTues 8 Jan Wed 9 JanWed 9 Jan Thurs 10 JanThurs 10 Jan Fri 11 JanFri 11 Jan Sat 12 Jan

Monday 24 Dec – ClosedTuesday 25 Dec – ClosedWednesday 26 Dec – ClosedThursday 27 Dec – Open 8.45am-5.15pmFriday 28 Dec – Open 8.45am-4.45pmMonday 31 Dec – ClosedTuesday 1 Jan – ClosedNormal office opening times resume from Wed 2 Jan (see below)Emergency out of hours telephone: 01727 81155

Council Christmas opening times

Christmas waste and recycling collection datesTo find out whether your street is in Collection Round 1 or 2, visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/wasteandrecycling. Please put your bins and boxes out by 7am.

Green bin/recycling box collection Black bin/purple sack collection

We hope you enjoy reading Community News. If you can spare a moment, please email communications@stalbans.gov.uk or call 01727 819572 and let us know your views and what else you want us to include.

St Albans City & District CouncilCivic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans, Herts AL1 3JE

Website: www.stalbans.gov.uk Email: contactus@stalbans.gov.uk

Customer Service Centre opening hours: Mon-Thurs 8.45am-5pm, Fri 8.45am-4.30pm

Housing Repairs: 01727 819256Refuse & Recycling: 01727 819285Council Tax: 01727 819204Benefits: 01727 819476Cleaner District Hotline: 0845 125 8000 Textphone: 01727 819570

All Other Enquiries: 01727 866100

Harpenden Town Council Information PointTown Hall, Leyton Road, Harpenden

Opening hours: Mon-Fri 10am-4pm

Telephone: 01582 768278

Alternative formats: If you want to receive this newsletter in an alternative format, such as Braille, or in another language, please call 01727 819572. See www.disabledgo.com for information about access to local facilities.