Two land deals give fresh impetus to Council's City Centre plans

Two land deals give fresh impetus to Council’s City Centre plans
St Albans City and District Council is the preferred bidder for the former Police Station in Victoria Street, St Albans.
The Council has also been advised that it is the preferred bidder for the adjacent NHS site in Civic Close, St Albans.
At last night’s Cabinet meeting (Thursday 22 June), the Council’s Portfolio Holder for Commercial and Development, Cllr Julian Daly, gave an update on City centre plans.
At the meeting, Cllr Daly commented “For some years now, the Council has been working to rejuvenate the large area around the Civic Centre and over towards Victoria Street. We want to see this area – the so called City Centre Opportunity Site (CCOS) – developed in a cohesive way, for the benefit of our community. Last September, community design group Look! St Albans hosted a public design charrette to address how this might look in years to come.
“Over recent months, the Council has engaged in competitive bids to purchase the former Police Station site in Victoria Street and the Health Clinic off Bricket Road. These two sites are located within the CCOS area.
“We have now been advised that we are the preferred bidder for both sites.
“We will shortly be meeting with the owners of adjacent Hertfordshire House to address how best to take forward development of the whole CCOS site.”
The largest part of the southern end of CCOS is occupied by St Albans’ old police station.
Police Station
A fully-operational police station, located at the Civic Offices, has been open since the old police site closed in 2015.
The old police station, built in the mid-1960s, was no longer fit-for-purpose and since then discussions for the future of the site have been underway with a range of partners.
Following a competitive bidding process, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) [who has strategic responsibility for the police estate] has agreed to a sale of the building to the District Council.
David Lloyd, the PCC for Hertfordshire, said the new development would benefit the police and the public.
“The old building wasn’t suitable for modern day policing, and my Community Safety and Criminal Justice Plan sets out the need for the police to make the best use of our resources.
“This development will deliver on-going revenue for us to spend on local policing and I’m pleased to be able to continue the great work we already do with the District Council, where our police station is now situated.”
Bidders were invited to submit “best and final” offers to the PCC and from that closed process St Albans City and District Council was selected as the preferred bidder.
The disposal of the former police station is part of a wider Police Estates Strategy which – led by the Constabulary’s operational needs and by the Commissioner’s plan – sees at least one major police station in each of the ten districts of Hertfordshire. This is where core local policing teams are based, and can be supplemented by smaller stations where needed.
NHS Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust runs a range of services for children and adults at the Principal Health Centre in Civic Close.
A spokesperson for the Trust said: “We welcome the opportunity to work with our partners at St Albans City and District Council, Hertfordshire Constabulary and other local organisations to ensure we have a facility which will help us provide modern healthcare, while also helping to rejuvenate this particular area of the City centre.“
Media Contacts
St Albans City and District Council
Claire Wainwright, Executive and Communications Manager, St Albans City and District Council, 01727 819572, claire.wainwright@stalbans.gov.uk
Police and Crime Commissioner
Paul Scoins, Senior Communications and Engagement Officer, Hertfordshire PCC, 01707 806 163 / 07736 480 035,
paul.scoins@herts.pcc.pnn.gov.uk
NHS
Christopher Knibb, Head of Communications and Engagement, Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust, 01707 388105, chris.Knibb@hct.nhs.uk