St Albans Civic Society

 

Hot issues 2010

this page gives links to topical Hot Issues.

18 March - Hertfordshire House  appeal withdrawn.

11 March - Westminster Lodge planning applications.

March 2010  -  Odeon / Alpha Cinema. The Odeon, or hopefully the Alpha Cinema, is highly topical. The latest news is that James Hannaway has raised over £1m. We hope he will be successful in purchasing the building. Then there will be the long haul of finding the £2 million plus needed for refurbishment. Your ideas will be most welcome.

3 March 2010  -  Conservation cuts. The cuts to the Council's Conservation team still give cause for concern. We are pleased to record that, following the letter reproduced here, a meeting with the new Head of Planning, Heather Cheesborough, has been held and it is hoped that ongoing contact can be maintained on a continuing basis.

February 2010  -  Tesco has taken a lease of the old Woolworths store in the city centre and abandoned plans for a supermarket on London / Alma Road.

The STOP TESCO campaign, which the Society strongly supported, has therefore paid off. Well done everyone - quite an achievement against such a heavy-weight company. Did you notice that Tesco referred to the emerging LDF (Local Development Framework) in arriving at their decision? The LDF clearly ruled out a big supermarket in London Road. Tesco's decision demonstrates the value of an up to date local plan.

Let us hope that the planning of the Alma Road area proceeds in a joined-up manner; the adjoining vacant school site and the cinema should be considered as well in a comprehensive plan for the area.