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 30th June 2026
at the White Hart Hotel, Holywell Hill, St Albans
Present: Officials: Chair, Vice Chair, Treasurer, Minutes Secretary
And: Cllr Voisey, 2 residents of Pageant Road, 1 resident of Hart Road, 2 residents of Albert Street, 3 residents of Sopwell Lane,
Apologies for absence: Cllr Hughes
The subjects discussed in the meeting were:
- Finances and banking arrangements:
Our current balance with Metro Bank stands at £499.88. Since January of this year Metro Bank has charged us £3 per month for having our account with them, £18 in total. Tim has discovered that Nat West might offer us a free account as our Vice Chair has a personal account at the bank. Angela will visit Nat West bank later this week to enquire.
Roger will make a claim on behalf of SAPHRA for the £100 grant from SADC.
- Local Government reorganisation – unitary authorities:
- No change in status since our meeting in May
- The Councils in Hertfordshire could not agree if Herts should be split into 2, 3 or 4 unitaries, so made several proposals and left it to the Minister to decide. The public consultation on the proposals has now ended. The Minister’s decision is expected this summer.
- The elections to the new unitary authorities are scheduled for May 2027, with the new authorities becoming operational (and SADC ceasing to exist) in 2028.
- Local Government reorganisation – Strategic Authority & elected Mayor:
- No change in status since our meeting in May
- Strategic Authorities, led by an elected Mayor, serving a population of 1.5 million or more will be responsible for planning, housing, transport, health, environment etc.
- It is possible that, if Hertfordshire is split into 2 or more unitary authorities, we could have a Strategic Authority (and subsequently an elected Mayor) covering what was Hertfordshire.
- Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any up-to-date information about this.
- Local Government reorganisation – unparished area in central St Albans:
- SADC’s Strategy and Resources Committee met on 23rd June and voted to recommend to the full Council (meeting in July) that St Albans City Centre Parish Council be set up with 25 councillors, with elections to be held in May 2027.
It was also recommended that a Shadow Parish Council (SPC) be formed to prepare for it. The SPC should be composed of 9 councillors; one each from the 9 unparished wards.
- The Civic Society and RAs pressed strongly for representatives from voluntary groups, BID etc. to be members of the SPC also, but that was not accepted.
- As a consolation prize the public will be allowed a longer time to speak at meetings of the SPC.
- The full Council will consider & decide final recommendations on 15th July, with any Community Governance Orders made in autumn 2026, with first elections to any new parish council taking place in May 2027.
- Combined Central residents Associations:
- Members still working closely with CNC and Civic Society on CGR / parish council
- City Neighbourhoods Committee of SADC:
- Is working to establish which SADC assets might be transferred to a new Parish Council
- Had put a motion about this for discussion by the SADC Strategy & Resources Committee on 23rd June, but that request seems to have been rejected
- Was due to meet on 17th June. Next meeting now scheduled for 13th July. Angela will represent SAPHRA and will also do the required training on being a member of the CNC. Roger has agreed to watch a recording of the training to qualify as an attendee at future CNC meetings.
- Local Plan:
- The recently drafted Local Plan is due to be adopted in July. It will be the first local plan for St Albans to make it through to adoption since 1994 (i.e. the first in 32 years).
- Following an instruction from Central Government SADC has started work on a revised Local Plan to take account of revised national planning policies and requirements to provide for more housing than in the plan about to be adopted.
- The goal is to complete the next Local Plan by 2029. SADC won’t exist by then, but the successor local authority will be required to take over the production of the new plan.
- Sopwell Lane Green Oasis:
There have been two gardening mornings since our last meeting but, unfortunately, due to a mix up in days and dates very few people attended. The grass was cut and further work on the flower borders was undertaken. Future proposed works for the site include digging out the pond, creating a raised flower bed from recycled scaffolding boards and laying a new stone edging to the plant border as many of the existing bricks are broken.
Members were reminded that the Summer Get-together is on the 19th July at 3pm and although there will be some seating supplied, they were advised to bring their own chairs if possible. There will be a gazebo so the event can go ahead whether rain or shine. We will print and deliver invitations soon. We will invite Cllr Jacqui Taylor and all current ward / division councillors.
- Parking review in Zones M & N:
- In Zone M Keyfield Terrace the Council’s parking app no longer allows the invalid purchase of one hour parking in a residents’ bay (thanks to help from Juliet).
- SAPHRA’s next meeting:
Will be Tuesday 18th August 2026 at 8:00 pm in The White Hart Hotel, 23-25 Holywell Hill.
- Any Other Business:
-The long-awaited Blue Plaque for Samuel Ryder was mounted on what is now the Moka restaurant on Tuesday 23rd June at 1pm. A good number of people attended and Moka were very hospitable and put on a free buffet and drinks
- Matt Fisher is helping Tim to get permission from HCC for a bench to be put outside the Samuel Ryder Hotel. Tim has already sourced the money for it
- Moka restaurant: Albert Street residents are unhappy with the number of large red rubbish bins outside the restaurant. Cllr Hughes is looking into more aesthetic ways of concealing the bins.
- Cars are still exceeding the 20-mph speed limit in Sopwell Lane and Albert Street. Cllr Voisey will supply SAPHRA with several “hedgehog” 20 mph signs as these are “informal signs” so there is no restriction on how many can be displayed.
- Concern has been raised about the incorrect ‘No Right Turn’ sign at the top of Bardwell Road where it joins Sopwell Lane, next to Malthouse Court. Cllr Matt Fisher has raised this issue with Herts County Council, but it appears that they will only act if the incorrect sign causes an accident.
- Roger will report to SADC that the Albert Street nameplate at the junction with Keyfield Terrace is coming detached from its backplate.
- A question was raised about the pedestrian crossing on Holywell Hill by Moka restaurant. Once you have pressed the button to stop the traffic you need to stand in view of the sensor, or it will think there is nobody waiting to cross. The sensor is not pointing to the place that people stand whist waiting to cross. Cllr Fisher is raising this issue with Highways
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