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 18th November 2025
at the White Hart Hotel, Holywell Hill, St Albans
Present: Officials: Chair, Vice Chair
Plus: Cllr Jacqui Taylor, Cllr Juliet Voisey, 1 resident of Sopwell Lane, 3 residents of Albert Street, 1 resident of Pageant Road, 1 resident of Hart Road
Apologies for absence: Treasurer, Minutes Secretary, 2 residents of Sopwell Lane, 1 resident of Albert Street, 3 residents of Pageant Road, 1 resident of Saracens Head Yard
The subjects discussed in the meeting were:
- Finances and banking arrangements:
Our current balance with Metro Bank stands at £533.83.
Metro Bank will charge us £3 per month from January 2026. HSBC have ceased making a monthly charge for “charitable” accounts, which may include an association such as SAPHRA. We will see if we can move our account to HSBC.
- Sopwell Lane Green Oasis:
We have been waiting for more than two years for St Albans District Council to install a row of wooden posts along the front of the green oasis (to stop vehicles parking on the grass). A few days after the meeting the long-awaited posts were installed!
We will hold another gardening day for a pre-winter tidy up (and possibly to plant a couple more young trees) once most of the leaves on the surrounding trees have fallen.
- Local Government Reorganisation – (LGR) the move to Unitary Authorities:
Hertfordshire’s proposal has now been submitted to the national Government. There was a split across Hertfordshire, with two Authorities (Hertfordshire and St Albans District Council) proposing two new authorities, three councils proposing three new authorities, and five councils proposing four new authorities. This difference of opinion has been reflected in the submission. The Government guidelines on the size of a new unitary authority (500,000 to 700,000 residents) would align with two authorities for the 1.24M residents of Hertfordshire, although three would also produce right-sized unitary authorities and a four-way split would produce authorities no smaller than a typical London borough.
St Albans District Council believes that the three-way split would be best for St Albans, but the decision will be made by the national Government.
- Community Governance Review: (CGR) - the proposal to set up a St Albans city/parish council
There was a large and hugely positive response from the initial consultation in favour of a parish/ city council for the unparished area in the centre of St Albans. St Albans District Council will now hold a second consultation running from 8th December 2025 until 23rd February 2026 on a more specific question linked to a Parish Council. The outcome of the second consultation will be reviewed from March to May, and a recommendation put to the Strategy and Resources committee after the May local council elections. The assumption is that the May 2027 elections would include the first voting for the new Parish Council for the centre of St Albans.
Residents Associations and the Civic Society will be encouraging residents to vote in favour of the new Parish Council and will be working to clarify the responsibilities of the new Council and the assets that it could / should be responsible for.
- Local Government reorganisation – Elected Mayors in charge of strategic authorities:
This is important (could have as big an impact as the move to a unitary authority) but the area covered by the new mayoralty is unlikely to be defined (by national Government) until the shape and size of the unitary authorities for Hertfordshire are settled.
- Combined Central Residents Associations:
- Continuing to work closely with Civic Society on the CGR
- Travel & Movement Group are still working with HCC and SADC on a travel strategy
- TAMG also working with HCC and SADC on proposals for Victoria Street improvements
- Local plan:
This is progressing well. The plan is currently being examined by Government inspectors. On-site inspections of some of the proposed development sites have been held. Confidence is building that the plan will be approved.
- Parking review in Zone M:
- Key proposal is to extend hours from 6 days until 8 pm (current) to 7 days until 10 pm (proposed)
- Also some tidying up of the regulations and the creation of a few extra spaces
- The consultation has now closed, and we await the implementation of the changes.
- Former Ryder Exhibition Hall / new Moka restaurant:
The restaurant has now opened. At present their opening hours are reasonable.
- SAPHRA’s next meeting (and AGM): Tuesday 13th January 2026 at 8:00 pm in The White Hart Hotel, 23-25 Holywell Hill.
- Any Other Business:
One (of the previous two) “unsuitable for HGV” sign has been replaced at the entry to Albert Street after chasing by Cllr Matt Fisher.
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