SAPHRA
The Residents’ Association for Sopwell Lane, Albert Street, Pageant Road, Hart Road,
The Ryder Seed Mews Estate, Saracens Head Yard, Pearce’s Walk and Keyfield Terrace
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Notes of SAPHRA meeting held on Tuesday 29 October 2024 at 8pm
at the White Hart Hotel, Holywell Hill, St Albans
Present: Officials: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Minutes Secretary
Plus: 2 residents of Albert Street
1 resident of Pageant Road
1 resident of Hart Road
Apologies for absence: 4 residents
The main subjects discussed in the meeting were:
- Finances and banking arrangements:
Our current balance with Metro Bank remains unchanged at £487.83.
- City Neighbourhoods Committee:
- The new Chair and Vice Chair of the CNC have set up a small working party of councillors and residents’ associations to review the future role of the CNC. There has been one meeting so far.
- It seems unlikely that the new Leader of St Albans Council will continue to hold informal meetings with Residents’ Associations as Chris White did when he was Leader.
- Combined Central Residents Associations:
- Some CCRA members are part of the CNC working party mentioned above.
- The CCRA Travel and Movement Group are working well with HCC and SADC on a travel strategy for St Albans.
- Other Local Government Matters
- SADC has set up a St Albans Market Forum comprising representatives from the District Council, market traders, local businesses, the City Neighbourhood Committee and the Business Improvement District.
- SADC has approved the draft Local Plan for submission to the Secretary of State. The Regulation 19 consultation continues but is restricted to comments on the soundness of the plan and its compliance with national planning policies.
- Victoria Street
Herts County Council and SADC are holding a consultation about the future development of Victoria Street. Ideas are being sought on how this area can be improved possibly by better signage from the station to the city centre, green spaces with benches, more tree planting, wider pavements. Residents are encouraged to go on-line and participate in the consultation. A link is below:
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/VictoriaStreet
- The Green Oasis in Sopwell Lane:
SAPHRA gardening team met up on Saturday 28 September 2024. The dead field maple was dug out, Ron cut back the overgrown ivy and the flower borders were weeded. Since then, three small trees have been donated to us, a rowan, a crab apple and a sweet damson along with a rosebush, a spindle and several other perennial plants.
There will be another gardening day, weather permitting, on 16 November 2024 when we will mow the lawn, plant the three small trees and the other donated plants.
We will continue to chase the District Council with regards to the promised installation of wooden posts as well as the funding for the two information boards from the CNC budget.
- SAPHRA Christmas meal:
We discussed plans for the meal and agreed the venue and a date. Invitations will be distributed to everyone who has participated in a SAPHRA meeting or event in the past year.
- SAPHRA Christmas card:
The Christmas cards will be printed by SALPS and will include the details of our next meeting in January.
- Our next meeting will include our AGM and will be held on Monday 6 January 2025 at 8pm in The White Hart Hotel, 23-25 Holywell Hill.
Any Other Business:
a. Broken cobblestones outside the Samuel Ryder Hotel car park were reported and fixed.
b. Ryder Seed Hall – works appear to be progressing well (no news of new tenant)
c. Note from Chris White re Holywell Hill part closure:
Location: A5183 Holywell Hill, St Albans (Peahen Junction to a point 70m South)
Dates: 28/10/2024 – 01/11/2024
Traffic Management: 24/7 Road Closure Southbound only
Description: Upgrade of electricity supply for Peahen pub
d. Visitor parking permits. Two points were raised:
- A resident had been advised by a Civil Enforcement Officer that existing paper visitor permits will cease to be valid at the end of October 2024. Is that right? We thought that it had been agreed that the paper visitor permits were not going to expire.
Post meeting note – It has been confirmed that the Civil Enforcement Officer was wrong. Paper visitor permits continue to be valid.
- The new online visitor permits, only available in 10s, were going to expire after 12 months but it was agreed that they would be extended. However, the permits apparently disappear after 12 months – you have to look under “expired permits” in your online account to find them. They are still valid despite having been moved to the “expired” folder.
e. One of the No-entry signs to Sopwell Lane is STILL facing away from the traffic.
f. Heavy goods vehicles continue to use Sopwell Lane, damaging parked vehicles and occasionally getting stuck (which can take hours to clear).
At the close of the meeting, as is our habit, several residents adjourned to the hotel bar to continue the conversation in a less formal setting.
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