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Local Elections-Thursday 2 May 2023

The next elections in the district are scheduled to take place on Thursday 2 May 2024.

Elections for the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner will take place throughout the whole district.

St Albans City & District Council elections will also take place, except in the district wards of Colney Heath and Redbourn.

The deadline for registering to vote in 16 April..

For further information about the elections, registering to vote, voter ID requirements and how to apply for a postal or proxy vote, click here.

Woodland Management Greenwood Park

St Stephen Parish Council will be undertaking woodland management in the area between the top car park and the cycle way from 20th to 22nd March.

The project will enable the Council to thin some of the trees by moving up to 30 trees to a new location within the park, John Bell’s copse.

Moving the trees will reduce competition in the area and result in improved tree health for the remaining specimens.

Creating more space will increase biodiversity of the area by allowing more light to reach the woodland floor.

Hedge Laying in Greenwood Park

This week, we have started a new project to lay a hedge along the boundary of Greenwood Park with the A414. The initial stage will be the first 50m or so. Hedge laying is a traditional craft that has been practised for centuries in the UK and the new hedge is being laid in the South of England style which is typical of our region. Feedback from our recent survey on the future of Greenwood Park called for improvement to the barrier between the dual carriageway and the Council is pleased to take action on this feedback as part of our woodland management plan.

Hedgerows provide a natural barrier and are an important habitat for wildlife and shelter for birds and small mammals. Healthy hedgerows are essential habitats for UK biodiversity, home to 80% of our woodland birds and supporting over 2,000 species such as hedgehogs, butterflies and several European Protected Species, including the dormouse.

Community Awards 2023

We all know people who go the extra mile to make our Parish a better place and we at St Stephen Parish Council think they deserve a pat on the back!

We are asking you to nominate people, businesses or groups you think deserve particular thanks for their work in the community this year.

Nominees must live or work in the Parish and have made an exceptional contribution that benefits the community, through outstanding performance and dedication. They must not be a previous award winner.

Click to complete an online form or click here to download a nomination form. Email completed forms to clerk@ststephen-pc.gov.uk or send to us at The Parish Centre, Station Road, Bricket Wood, St Albans, Herts AL2 3PJ.

Nominations must be in by 5pm on Friday 1 December. The nominees will be invited to our awards ceremony at St Stephen Parish Christmas Market on Sunday 26 November where the winners will be announced and awards presented.

Press release from St Stephen Parish Council

The letter in the Herts Advertiser dated 07-09-23 from Richard Curthoys expresses his personal views and not those of St Stephen Parish Council. The council has not formally discussed the issue of the closure of the High Street in St Albans by Hertfordshire County Council but does recognise that it has been controversial.

It is not the practice of St Stephen Parish Council to criticise elected members or officers of other authorities and the council can confirm that Richard Curthoys is in breach of its Media Protocol and Code of Conduct. His letter, had it been sent on behalf of St Stephen Parish Council, would have been in breach of Part II Section 2 of the Local Government Act 1986.

Mindful of its responsibilities under the Local Government Act, St Stephen Parish Council asks that the authenticity of any letters purporting to represent its views is verified with the Parish Clerk.

St Stephen Parish Council believes that Richard Curthoys is now fully aware of its Media Protocol and Code of Conduct. 

St Stephen Parish Council expects all of its councillors to work in a collegiate way with other elected members to support the needs of our community.

New Local Plan for St Albans

St Albans City & District Council is developing a new Draft Local Plan, which is like a blueprint for future development. It establishes the Council’s long-term planning strategy for delivering and managing growth and infrastructure, for environmental and heritage protection and enhancement, up to 2041.

This is an emerging Draft Plan, and people who live and work in the District, community groups and businesses are all encouraged to give their views. We want to hear from as many people and organisations as possible. The feedback received will help shape the final proposals.

Government guidance requires that Local Plans should set out an overall strategy for the pattern, scale and design quality of places, and make sufficient provision for housing (including affordable housing), infrastructure, community facilities and conservation and enhancement of the natural, built and historic environment.

Draft Local Plan 2041 Regulation 18 Consultation will be available for you to comment on between the following dates:

Start Date: 12/07/23 10:03 AM

End Date: 25/09/23 5:00 PM

How do I make any comments?

The best way to respond is by using the online consultation system which can be found through links on the Council’s website at: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/new-local-plan

You can send a response by Email to:

planning.policy@stalbans.gov.uk, or by post to:

Spatial Planning Team, St Albans Council Offices, St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE.

If you have any queries about this Regulation 18 consultation stage, you can contact us using the details above.

At the close of the consultation period, all comments will be considered by the Council and used to inform the next stage of the Local Plan process.

Yours sincerely,

Spatial Planning Team

St Albans City and District Council

Draft Local Plan Consultation Exhibitions:

A series of exhibitions staffed by Officers of the Council will take place over two weeks in September. The exhibition will come to the Parish Centre in Bricket Wood (AL2 3PJ) on Wednesday 6th September from 2pm to 8pm.