Vacancy for a ParishCouncillor

A vacancy has arisen for a Parish Councillor to represent the Beech Bottom ward of Sandridge Parish.

On 11th April 2025 a notice was posted for a period of fourteen working days, giving electors the opportunity to request that the Returning Officer call an election to fill this vacancy.  No request was made, and Sandridge Parish Council will now look to fill this vacancy by co-opting a new member at its meeting to be held on Wednesday 11th June 2025.

For more information please click here

From Taylor Wimpey regarding Oaklands College

Our engagement website is now updated and live, and you can access it here. If you haven’t yet done so, please do take a moment to complete the feedback form, or feel free to share your thoughts with us via email. Consultation will close on Friday 23rd May, and all responses will be taken into account ahead of the planning submission.

Vacancy for a Sandridge Parish Councillor

 

Share St. Albans - borrow useful items and save money and the environment!

 

Help design the mural on Jersey Farm Skate Ramp!

 

The Notices of Election for the forthcoming 1st May elections have been published

The elections that will be taking place in the local area on 1 May are:

  • Hertfordshire County Council – all divisions / seats are up for election
  • St Albans City & District Council: Redbourn ward - 1 councillor vacancy
  • Harpenden Town Council (Harpenden North town ward) - 1 councillor vacancy
  • Harpenden Town Council (Harpenden South town ward) - 2 councillor vacancies
  • Harpenden Town Council (Harpenden West  town ward) - 1 councillor vacancy

Hetfordshire County Council Notice of Elections

Click here to see candidate information for Marshalswick and Colney Heath

 

We’re very sad to report the news that former Parish Councillor John Newton-Davies has passed  away.

Please click here to read some words about his life

 

Click here to see the Jersey Farm Residents Association Spring 2025 Newsletter

 

Repair Fair at Jersey Farm Community Centre February 2025

St Albans District Fixers are coming to to Jersey farm Community Centre in February 2025 to help repair household fabrics and electrical items you might otherwise throw away. This is in support of the Recycling, Reusing, Repurposing, Repairing initiative by Sandridge Parish Council. This is part of a wider initiative to reduce waste, save people money and in the longer term prevent our planet from being destroyed by over exploitation of our shared resources.

The St Albans District Fixers are part of Sustainable St Albans www.sustainablestalbans.org/st-albans-district-fixers. We hold Repair Fairs around the district inspired by The Restart Project .

Fixing rather than buying replacements has already saved thousands of tons from going to landfill or incineration helping in a not insignificant way to reduce our CO2 emissions.

So, bring along your faulty electrical items and worn, torn fabrics. The team of skilled amateur fixers will do their best to put them right or offer advice. You may even learn to repair things yourself!

We run a booking system for the event and you can book a time for your repair via Eventbrite.

The the booking system is now live

 

PLEASE NOTE Sandridge Parish Council's January Full Council meeting has been cancelled

 

Sandridge Swift Initiative

This autumn we are launching our swift initiative - a new Parish Council project aimed at increasing swift numbers in our area. Sadly the numbers have been in decline since 1995, but we want to help! We are offering subsidised nest boxes to residents in the parish (subject to the location being suitable), alongside other supportive projects like hedge planting and creating new ponds. For more details of how you can be involved, come along to our information evening at Marshalswick Community Centre on Thursday 14th November

Information regarding the St Albans Local Plan

The draft St Albans Local Plan 2041 has now been published for its Regulation 19 consultation. The Plan will be available for you to make representations on between the following dates: 

Start Date: 26/09/24 10:00 AM  

End Date: 08/11/24 10:00 AM

The draft Local Plan can be found at https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/draft-local-plan-publication where you can make representations online. 

Paper copies of the documents can be found at the following locations during opening hours: 

  • St Albans Civic Centre 
  • St Albans Library 
  • Harpenden Library 
  • London Colney Library 
  • Marshalswick Library 
  • Redbourn Community Library 
  • Wheathampstead Community Library 
  • Hemel Hempstead Library 
  • Leverstock Green Library 
  • Radlett Library 

This is a formal, statutory stage in the preparation of a Local Plan. Following the consultation the draft Local Plan is sent, along with all duly-made representations received, to the Planning Inspectorate. The Plan will then be Examined by a government-appointed Planning Inspector who will consider if any changes need to be made to the Local Plan before it can be adopted. 

During the Examination of the Local Plan the Planning Inspector is only able to assess whether the draft Local Plan has been prepared in accordance with legal and procedural requirements, and whether it is ‘sound’. Therefore, all representations on the draft Local Plan must relate to a matter of legal compliance or a matter of soundness as follows: 

  • Legally compliant – the draft Local Plan has been prepared in accordance with the legal and procedural requirements for preparing Local Plans 
  • Positively prepared – the draft Local Plan provides a strategy which, as a minimum, seeks to meet the area’s objectively assessed needs; and is informed by agreements with other authorities, so that unmet need from neighbouring areas is accommodated where it is practical to do so and is consistent with achieving sustainable development; 
  • Justified – an appropriate strategy, taking into account the reasonable alternatives, and based on proportionate evidence; 
  • Effective – deliverable over the plan period, and based on effective joint working on cross-boundary strategic matters that have been dealt with rather than deferred, as evidenced by the statement of common ground; and 
  • Consistent with national policy – enabling the delivery of sustainable development in accordance with the policies in this Framework and other statements of national planning policy, where relevant. 

There will also be unstaffed public exhibitions of materials in St Albans Civic Centre between 7 October – 18 October, and 28 October – 7 November. 

How do I make any representations? 

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

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. 

All representations must be received by 10am on Friday 8 November 2024. 

Yours faithfully,

Spatial Planning Team 

 

Come along to Sandridge Village Hall to hear World War II history of Bletchley Park

Notice of Conclusion of Audit

Please click here for the Annual Governance and Accountability Return for the year ended 31st March 2024

 

Important information on the potential new development in north St Albans, just outside the parish boundary. To read more about upcoming consultations, please see the following links

 
 

We have received the following information from St Albans District Council;

"We will be removing a number of trees on the Highway on behalf of HCC in your area. These trees have been surveyed and a recommendation made to remove them. This is because they are either dead, dying, diseased, dangerous, and as such represent an unacceptable risk to members of the public and or property. Before any work starts the contractor will conduct a wildlife assessment to establish if there are any active bird nests in each tree. If active nests are found, the contractor will consult with Officers, and we will postpone the work if it is safe to do so.
Felled trees will usually be replaced and this process will be managed by colleagues at Herts County Council."

 

Information on upcoming road closures in the parish

B651 Temporary Closing of B651 St Albans Road and the footway situated on the north west side of B651 St Albans Road.

Click here for more details and the duration of the works

Click here for the map showing the works

 

Newly surfaced tennis courts at Sherwood Park

                 

 

Parish Council’s objection to the closure of the B651 and response from Hertfordshire County Council

Click to read SPC's letter to HCC

Click to read HCC's responce to SPC

Public Path Diversion Order to divert Sandridge Footpath 26

Please click here to see the Diversion Order and here to see the plan

D-Day Commemoration on Jersey Farm Woodland Park

 

 

Three new trees planted in our open spaces

Today we planted three new trees - a Rowan in Woodland Park, a Crab Apple in William Bell Open Space and an English Oak in St Leonard's Open Space. The Oak in St Leonard's was to replace the Queen's Green Canopy tree planted back in 2021, which we sadly lost due to the drought. It was a beautiful February day for planting trees! Thank you to our lovely warden Mark Carter for all your help. 

             

Volunteer hedge planting Sunday 4th February

Thank you to our volunteers who planted a new wildlife supporting hedgerow in St Leonard's Open Space. Unfortunatley the original hedge was lost but we are hoping that this hedge will grow quickly provide essential habitat and food for the local birds.

New clothings bins now in Spencer Meadow, Sandridge

Residents are now about to recycle their clothes at a second location in the parish. Help keep materials out of landfill and support this worthwhile charity at the same time. 

Details below for "Playing Out in 2024"

 

Spaces available at Jersey Farm Day Centre

There are spaces available at the Jersey Farm Day Centre. Please see here for more details.

 

Proposed Climate and Ecology Bill

At Full Council on 8th November 2023, Members discussed a request of support for the Climate and Ecology Bill, due its second reading in Parliament later this month. The request to support the Bill came from an organisation called Zero Hour which is lobbying the Government to pass the Bill.

A motion drafted by Zero Hour was circulated with the agenda. It was proposed by Councillors Twidell and Lambert to show support for the motion as circulated. It was then resolved to declare support for the Climate and Ecology Bill, to inform local residents, inform the local press and to write to local MPs informing them that this motion has been passed and urge them to support the Bill or thank them for already doing so.

 

Hornbeam Hedgehog Sanctury are looking for your help!

If you are interested in contributing to their crowdfund to build a large pond habitat for wildlife please see the below link;

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/wildlife-pond-in-hertfordshire

Volunteer morning at Skyswood Ancient Woodland

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers on Sunday 5th November for coming out in the autumn cold to help with essential maintenance tasks. We carrid out the following work in the woodland;

  • Hazel Coppicing
  • Bramble clearance
  • Wildflower strimming
  • After care for last years newly planted trees
  • Creating log piles for wildlife habitat 

 

New clothing banks located in the SPC car park, Marshalswick