Author: Parish Clerk

At the Annual meeting of St Michael Parish Council, held on 10th May 2022, we completed the Annual Governance and Accountability Review (AGAR) for the year ended 31 March 2022. The AGAR statements and supporting accounts are now published on our Finances page.

Thank you St Albans District Council, for funding this marvellous display of daffodils at St Mary’s Church, Childwick Green

Monday 21st March: St Albans District Council publishes today its notice of forthcoming District Council elections.

St Albans District Council (SADC) has published its draft recommendations at 1st July and a second public consultation period ends on 16th September.

The changes across the District include one specific to St Michael and St Stephen :

Draft recommendation 5: to alter the parish boundary between St Michael Parish Council and St Stephen Parish Council that presently splits Ragged Hall Lane so that the parish boundary follows the new District Ward boundary running along the A414 westward from its junction with Watford Road to Park Wood, thereby including 2-110 Ragged Hall Lane (evens only) and 74-84 Watford Road (evens only) within St Stephen Parish Council area.

Those residents affected, mainly the properties with even numbers on the northern side of Ragged Hall Lane, will soon receive individual letters from the Electoral Registration Officer at SADC. Whether you AGREE or DISAGREE with this recommendation, we are urging all residents to make their views known directly to SADC.

The reasons for these proposed changes, and maps showing the present and proposed Parish boundaries, are available at www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-governance-review.

Background

SADC is conducting a Community Governance Review (CGR) of the parish and town councils’ electoral arrangements in the District, to conclude in approximately December 2022.  They have a dedicated web page which we encourage you to visit at www.stalbans.gov.uk/community-governance-review

The purpose of a CGR is to ensure that an area’s electoral and community governance arrangements are appropriate and continue to reflect local identities.  A CGR can alter the boundary of an existing parish or group a number of parishes together in a grouped parish council. If there are any changes arising from the CGR, they will take effect from the next scheduled parish council elections in May 2023. 

What does this mean for St Michael? The District Council DOES NOT have a pre-determined or desired outcome in mind. The outcome for St Michael Parish Council will depend on evidence and opinion gathered by the District Council, including the comments and opinions of local residents. However, this CGR will look with particular focus at the boundary along Ragged Hall Lane which has long divided properties between St Stephen and St Michael Parish Councils. To which community do Ragged Hall Residents feel they best belong?

The first consultation period ended on 31 March 2022 and the District Council will publish draft recommendations on 1st July. There will then be a second public consultation period; we will publish details here when they are available.

Highways England plan to complete essential resurfacing work to the A414 eastbound between the M1 and Park Street Roundabout, planning to complete this work over 3 weeks from Monday 14 February to Monday 7 March, weather conditions permitting.

Closures and diversions

To carry out this work safely, the A414 eastbound will be closed overnight Monday to Thursday from 9pm to 5am, as well as full weekend closures from 9pm on Friday to 5am on Monday for the duration of the work.

While the A414 is closed, drivers will be diverted along a well-signed diversion route as follows:

Eastbound traffic will be diverted via Breakspear Way, St Albans Road, Two Waters Road, A41 Watford Road and A405 North Orbital Road to re-join the A414 at Park Street Roundabout.

How to find out more about road improvements across the East of England: please visit https://nationalhighways.co.uk/our-work/east/. 

Or, please telephone 0300 123 5000, or email info@highwaysengland.co.uk.

The southbound A5183 will be CLOSED between Redbourn and St Albans for water main replacement for 10 weeks from Monday 10^th September. This is likely to cause major disruption with traffic re-routed along the A1081 onto the Ancient Briton junction.  The Parish Council is very disappointed that little prior notice was given by Affinity Water.  Updates through this link.

The St Albans District Council (Electoral Changes) Order 2021 was made on 28 July 2021. It is a law to implement recommendations made by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) for new electoral arrangements in St Albans District Council.

New ward arrangements for St Albans District Council have now successfully completed a 40 day period of Parliamentary scrutiny and will come into force at the local elections in May 2022.

The Order for St Albans District Council can be viewed through the following link.

Until May 2022, the civil parish of St Michael remains entirely within Redbourn Ward and is represented at District level by Redbourn Councillors. From the local elections in May 2022, you will vote, depending on which ward you live in, for the District Councillors standing in Redbourn or Verulam or St Stephen.

Here is a summary of the recommendations affecting St Michael civil parish:

• Both the St Michael parish boundary and the overall number (seven) of St Michael Councillors are unaffected by the LGBCE’s review.
• Parliamentary boundaries are also unchanged; St Michael will still be part of the constituency of Hitchin and Harpenden. (Update June 2021 – LGBCE propose that the constituency change to Harpenden and Berkhamsted in 2023)
• The existing, larger, St Michael Ward to be split into two wards:
  • St Michael North Ward – remaining in Redbourn district ward, with three St Micahel Parish Councillors;
  • St Michael South Ward – to come under Verulam district ward, also with three St Michael Parish Councillors.
• The existing, smaller, St Michael SE Ward to be retained but to come under St Stephen district ward, with one St Michael Parish Councillor.

Following LGBCE’s review, St Albans will be conducting its own Community Governance Review (CGR) of the parish and town councils’ electoral arrangements in the District, starting around October 2021.  Any changes arising from the CGR will take effect from the next scheduled parish council elections in May 2023 . Unlike the LGBCE review, a CGR can alter the outer boundaries of parishes.

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) published their initial proposal as part of the 2023 boundary review on 9th June 2021.

If you would like to see the proposal in detail, or wish to make any comment or representation, please follow this link to the Boundary Commission’s website. The period of consultation is open until Tuesday 2 August 2021. 

• It is unlikely that electors within the St Michael Parish Council boundary will be affected, although some neighbouring areas will see degrees of change – the key points are outlined below. Please also be aware that St Albans Council is due to begin a Community Governance review in September 2021, which could bring in parish council boundary changes quite separate from the parliamentary boundaries.
  
• Hitchin and Harpenden Constituency – replaced by Harpenden and Berkhamsted Constituency. The constituency compromises of the following SADC wards: Harpenden East, Harpenden North, Harpenden South, Harpenden West, Redbourn, Sandridge and Wheathampstead. The remainder of the constituency is made up of ten Dacorum district wards.
  
• St Albans Constituency  – No longer takes in the Bedmond area from Three Rivers DC and unlike in previous proposals retains London Colney. The constituency comprises of and is coterminous (essentially shares boundaries) with the following wards: Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Colney Heath, Cunningham, London Colney, Marshalswick North, Marshalswick South, Park Street, Sopwell, St Peters, St Stephen and Verulam. The boundary with Welwyn Hatfield has been adjusted specifically affecting 9 properties in Franklin Close, Colney Heath.
• Eastern England has gained 3 constituencies, from 58 to 61
• Herts and Beds – number of constituencies has increased from 17 to 18

Part of the process for the Annual Governance and Accountability Review each year is to make available the Parish Council’s financial papers. Please click here for the Public Rights Notice and Notes

You might also like to look at our Finances page