NOTICE is given that the Hertfordshire County Council intend to make an Order under Section 14[1] of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, to prohibit all traffic from using that length of Oakwood Road, Bricket Wood from its junction with West Riding north westwards to its junction with Old Watford Road, a distance of approximately 800 metres, except for access.

The section of road will be closed between the hours of 9.30am and 3.30pm (Mondays to Sundays inclusive) for approximately 4 days during the period 19 March 2013 and 22 March 2013, when signs are in place. An alternative signed route will be provided for traffic whilst the road closure is in place.

In a further development regarding the proposed rail freight interchange at Park Street, St Albans City & District Council has received notification of an extension to the Secretary of State’s decision making timescales.

The Secretary of State originally proposed to allow until 28 February 2013 for the planning obligation to be submitted, before proceeding to a final decision.  However, in a letter dated 24 January 2013, the Secretary of State has agreed to a request from Helioslough to extend the period to 28 March 2013. 

This is to allow Hertfordshire County Council’s Cabinet to consider the matter at its meeting on 25 February.  The County Council owns land included in the proposed rail freight interchange site.

Further details available from St Albans City & District Council.

St Albans City and District Council’s Cabinet has agreed an interim housing target of 360 homes per year to fill a gap in guidance on local development.

The revocation of the East of England Plan on 3 January left the District without an adopted local plan specifying appropriate levels of housing development. The revoked document included a house building target for the District of 360 homes per year from 2001 to 2021.

A provisional housing target of 250 homes per year was set out in the draft Strategic Local Plan (SLP). However, a decision by full Council on 28 November led to the withdrawal of the SLP for further work to be undertaken.

Further details available from St Albans City & District Council.

Further details are available in the attached letter.

You may be aware that London Midland are having problems with staff 

shortages at the moment. Many trains are being cancelled, to the extent 

where they are publishing details of 'trains at risk of cancellation' on 

their website.

Please be sure to check this before travelling.

ABFLY are keeping a record of cancelled trains on the Abbey Line. Please 

e-mail Roz Devlin if you hear about or become affected by a cancelled train 

on the branch.

Regards

Dave Horton

London Midland are proposing to make timetable changes to the Abbey Line this coming December. This will involve re-timing ten morning trains to run seven minutes earlier. 

On balance, five new connections from the branch on to the mainline will be created, and five connections from the mainline on to the branch will be lost. 

The trains affected are: 

Existing 0901 ex Watford Junction becomes 0854 and loses the connection out of the 0834 from Euston & the Southern service from Milton Keynes 

Existing 0922 ex St Albans Abbey becomes 0915 and gains a connection into the 0937 VT to New Street/Wolverhampton & 0941 to Milton Keynes 

Existing 0946 ex Watford Junction becomes 0939 and loses a connection out of the 0924 from Euston 

Existing 1007 ex St Albans Abbey become 1000 and gains a connection into the 1026 to Tring & 1027 to Euston 

Existing 1031 ex Watford Junction becomes 1024 and loses the connection out of the 1005 from Euston & 0947 from Milton Keynes 

Existing 1052 ex St Albans Abbey becomes 1045 and gains a connection into the 1111 to Northampton 

Existing 1116 ex Watford Junction becomes 1109 and loses the connection out of the 1054 from Euston 

Existing 1137 ex St Albans Abbey becomes 1130 and gains a connection into the 1151 Southern service to South Croydon 

Existing 1201 ex Watford Junction becomes 1154 and loses the connection out of the 1134 from Euston 

Existing 1222 ex St Albans Abbey becomes 1215 and gains a connection into the 1241 to Milton Keynes 

The proposals do not breach London Midland's Service Level Commitment (SLC) so there will be no formal consultation, however they have asked us directly to poll the views of ABFLY members so if any of these changes will cause you significant inconvenience, please get in touch a.s.a.p (by return). Equally if you applaud the proposed changes, it would be nice to know too. 

Kind regards

Dave Horton

With effect from 30 July 2012, the Monday to Friday service between Watford and Bricket Wood (Victor Smith Court) will be withdrawn, except for peak periods. 

 

With effect from 30 July 2012, the Monday to Friday service will be reintroduced, serving Coates Way. There will be additional Monday to Friday journeys serving North Watford ASDA store in partial replacement for 621 journeys. 

Timetables and other details about UNO bus services can be viewed on their website.

At the Annual General Meeting of the Community Rail Partnership (CRP)*, held on 22 March, it was noted that discussions are well advanced on the proposed conversion of the St. Albans Abbey to Watford Junction line from heavy to light rail. The project should enable a more frequent service to be established but there still one or two items relating to ‘through ticketing’ and structural ownership which are taking longer to resolve than initially envisaged. 

 

* The Abbey Line became one of the UK’s first Community Railways when the Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership was launched in 2005. The CRP is administered by Hertfordshire County Council and brings together the local community, businesses, local government and the railway with the objective of securing the long term future of the line. 

 

Timetables valid until 21st October 2012 are available from the timetable page of the Abbey Line Community Rail Partnership website, the Parish Centre and the Post Office, as well as Civic Centres, libraries and tourist information offices in St Albans and Watford.