Category: Archive

The nomination forms for the Food and Drink Festival awards are now live. This is the first time the awards have been run in their ‘usual’ format since 2019, and it is hoped that there will be loads of nominations, particularly from places and people outside St Albans city centre. 

The nomination form is here: https://stalbans.force.com/guest/s/food-and-drink-nominations-2022

Please note this is not the voting stage, at this point it’s just nominations which are being asked for.

Nominations close on 11th July, and after that, the Food and Drink Festival Steering Committee will ratify/verify/rationalise the nominations, checking that they’re all in the right place, all fit the criteria and are all within the District/of a high enough hygiene standard to go forward to the shortlisting stage. And then the public will be asked to vote, vote, vote!!!

The Elections Office at St Albans District Council confirmed in June that no election has been requested. The vacancy will therefore be filled in due course by co-option, in accordance with the Local Elections (Parishes and Communities) Rules 2006. If you are interested in being considered, or would like to nominate someone you know (with their consent!) please do get in touch.

Please note -all our Parish Councillors, including anybody appointed by co-option, will automatically retire at the county-wide parish council elections in May 2023. Some or all of them may choose to stand again at that election, along with any new candidates coming forward.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a casual vacancy has arisen in the Office of Parish Councillor for the St Michael Ward of St Michael Parish Council.

If by Wednesday 8 June 2022 (14 days* after the date of this notice), a request for an election to fill the said vacancy is made in writing to The Proper Officer, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans AL1 3JE, signed by TEN electors for St Michael Ward, an election will be held to fill the said vacancy.

If an election is not requested, the vacancy will be filled by St Michael Parish Council by co-option in accordance with the Local Elections (Parishes & Communities) Rules 2006.

If an election is requested, the election will take place on a date determined by the Returning Officer within 60 days* from the date of this notice.

Dated: Tuesday 17 May 2022

Julia Reading, Clerk to the Council

*in computing any period of time for this purpose, a Saturday, Sunday, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Good Friday, or bank or public holidays or any day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning must be disregarded.

At the Meeting held on 10th May, we were sad to accept Peter Limebear’s resignation from St Michael Parish Council.

Peter has been a Councillor at St Michael for nearly 25 years, many of them as Chairman, and has overseen a number of significant changes in that time. We are indebted to him for his enthusiasm, loyalty and integrity on the one hand, and his good sense and dry wit on the other. Peter’s knowledge of Parish Council history is unrivalled, and we are certain to consult him regularly in our future work.

The Parish Council now has a vacancy to fill, and the official notice of this will follow shortly.

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

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.