Residents invited to help shape new community hub in New Greens
Local people are being invited to help shape plans for a new community hub and changing facilities at William Bird Open Space, with a public exhibition taking place later this month.
St Albans City and District Council is progressing plans for a new community hub in the New Greens area of St Albans. The site on Toulmin Drive is an important local asset, supporting multiple football and rugby pitches that are widely used by residents and local clubs.
The New Greens area currently has ageing community facilities. The proposed development will address this by creating a modern, accessible and flexible community hub, alongside high-quality changing provision designed to meet Sport England and relevant governing body standards. The facility will support sport, community events and social activities, offering an inclusive space accessible to all.
The scheme will replace the former pavilion, which was closed in 2022 due to structural issues linked to RAAC. While temporary facilities have enabled continued use of the pitches, they do not provide a suitable long-term solution. The new development will deliver a permanent, energy-efficient building, along with improvements to access, parking and wider site infrastructure.
As part of the proposals, the existing New Greens Residents’ Association building in High Oaks - which is outdated and is in a poor state of repair - will be decommissioned, with users relocating to the new hub in Toulmin Drive to benefit from improved and more versatile accommodation.
A new housing development planned for the High Oaks site will help fund delivery of the new facility. This will only be redeveloped once the new community facilities are operational so that the Residents’ Association will continue to have a home throughout.
To get to this stage, the Council’s team has engaged with a range of closely involved local stakeholders (see website link below), including New Greens’ Residents Association and the Centurions Rugby Club, and has refined proposals based on feedback received so far. Now the Council is widening out its engagement and seeking feedback on refined proposals from everyone.
Have Your Say
Residents, community groups and stakeholders are encouraged to attend the public exhibition at Townsend School in High Oaks, St Albans, on Tuesday 30 June, a drop-in event that runs from 5pm to 7pm.
Attendees will have the opportunity to view the emerging proposals, speak to the project team and provide feedback that will help shape the final design.
For those unable to attend in person, further information on how to view the plans and submit comments, and a range of other information can be found on the Council’s website at: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/william-bird-pavilion-redevelopment-new-greens-hub.
Cllr Giles Fry, Lead Councillor for Resources at St Albans City and District Council commented:
The Council is committed to working collaboratively with our community to ensure the new hub reflects the needs of local people, groups, and sporting clubs.
Feedback from the exhibition will play an important role in refining the proposals as the project progresses. We are keen to get feedback on revised draft designs which take account of feedback received so far.
With Hertfordshire Local Government Reorganisation around the corner, it is important that plans progress in a timely manner so that the planning application can be submitted later this summer. By doing that, the project has the best chance of coming to fruition as there are various deadlines imposed on councils undergoing such reorganisation.
I encourage people to come along to the Council’s exhibition to learn more about the proposals and give their views.
Media Contacts: www.stalbans.gov.uk/news-and-whats.