St Albans Market Depot, currently used for storage and as a workshop A run-down site in St Albans city centre is set to be redeveloped into social housing. St Albans District Council is pushing ahead with proposals to demolish Charter Market depot in Drover s Way and replace it with much-needed housing. The council has carried out a study which it says shows it would be financially viable to regenerate the site with a new modern four-storey building. This would include commercial space on the ground floor for a market office and market equipment storage, while the remaining three floors would contain nine flats for social rent and 15 flats for rent at market rate to help pay for the project.
A council committee has said some aspects of the proposed charge should be reconsidered. In November, the council announced plans to start charging residents £45 a year to have their green wheeled bin or reusable sacks emptied. The Lib Dem-run council says the proposal, which is already in practice in several districts in Hertfordshire, is in response to the adverse impact the pandemic has had on its finances. On January 14, the council s environment committee scrutinised the plans and decided they wanted the council s Cabinet to revisit some of the plans. This included considering whether the charge is fair on elderly, disabled, and low income households.
St Albans District Council has completed its £4.8 million project at Wavell House in Cell Barnes Lane. Wavell House was knocked down and has been replaced with 24 homes including 12 two-bed properties, and 12 one-bed homes - all for social rent. The new building, constructed by Harpenden-based Jarvis and supported by a grant of £720,000 from Homes England, has been called Warner House. Some of the new tenants will be existing council tenants who have decided to downsize, freeing up their homes for larger households who may currently be in overcrowded accommodation. Any remaining flats will go to people on the council’s housing register who have been waiting for a new home.
Hertfordshire Covid map published by the government. Areas of darker colour are where there are more cases Most of south west Hertfordshire will move into tougher tier 3 restrictions from 12.01am on Wednesday after a rise in Covid cases. Health Secretary Matt Hancock delivered the news, which will come as a blow to thousands of people, in the House of Commons today. It forms part of the tier review that was not expected to be announced until Wednesday. But due to a surge of cases in London, Essex, and parts of Hertfordshire, the announcement was brought forward. Watford, Hertsmere, Three Rivers, and Broxbourne are the four areas of Hertfordshire that will move into Tier 3 from Wednesday.