Editing St Albans (section)

==Governance==
St Albans has two tiers of local government, at district and county level: [[St Albans City and District|St Albans City and District Council]] and [[Hertfordshire County Council]]. The main part of the urban area of St Albans (the pre-1974 borough) is an [[unparished area]], directly administered by the city/district and county councils.

=== Past ===
{{Infobox historic subdivision
|Name=St Albans
|subdivision_type=[[Ancient borough]] (1553{{ndash}}1835)<br>[[Municipal borough]] (1836{{ndash}}1974)
|HQ=St Albans
<!-- Statuses -->
|Start=12 May 1553 (Ancient borough)<br>1 January 1836 (Municipal borough)
|End=31 March 1974
|Replace=[[St Albans City and District]]
<!-- Memberships -->
| membership_title1     = County Council
| membership1           = [[Hertfordshire County Council|Hertfordshire]]
}}

The early administrative history of the town of St Albans is closely tied to [[St Albans Cathedral|St Albans Abbey]]. The town was effectively controlled by the abbey through the [[Middle Ages]], but there were frequent disputes between the abbot and townspeople about the extent of the abbey's powers in the town. Following the dissolution of the abbey in 1539, the rights previously held by it passed to the crown.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kate Morris |url=http://www.stalbanshistory.org/page_id__345_path__0p2p145p147p.aspx |title=Other publications &#124; Research papers &#124; Places &#124; St Peter's in the Borough &#124; A lecture given by Kate Morris on 26 November 2010 |publisher=St Albans History}}</ref> On 12 May 1553 the town was granted a charter by [[Edward VI]], incorporating it as a [[ancient borough|borough]] with a mayor.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Page |first1=William |title=A History of the County of Hertford, Volume 2 |date=1908 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=477{{ndash}}483 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/herts/vol2/pp477-483 |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref>

The borough consisted of the [[ancient parish]] of St Albans (also known as the Abbey parish) and parts of the parishes of [[St Michael, Hertfordshire|St Michael]] and [[St Peter, Hertfordshire|St Peter]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10000725/relationships |title=St Albans Borough through time &#124; Census tables with data for the Ancient District |publisher=Visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref> The borough was reformed by the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]] to become a [[municipal borough]], and the boundary was adjusted to additionally include part of the parish of [[St Stephen, Hertfordshire|St Stephen]]. On 28 August 1877 the borough gained [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]], following the elevation of St Albans Abbey to become a cathedral.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Whitehall, September 11, 1877 |journal=The London Gazette |date=11 September 1877 |issue=24502 |page=5185 |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/24502/page/5185 |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref> The boundary was also adjusted in 1877 to include part of the parish of [[Sandridge]].

The [[Local Government Act 1894]] divided parishes that were partly within municipal boroughs. The parts of St Michael, St Peter and Sandridge within the borough became the new parishes of St Michael Urban, St Peter Urban and Sandridge Urban. The part of St Stephen within the borough was absorbed by the parish of St Albans. The parishes that were formed outside the borough, that is [[St Michael Rural]], [[St Peter Rural]], [[Sandridge Rural]] and the reduced St Stephen, became part of [[St Albans Rural District]] on 28 December 1894.

[[St Albans Town Hall]] was built between 1829 and 1831 and served as the council's meeting place until the 1960s, when the council moved to new premises at the [[Alban Arena|City Hall]] and adjoining buildings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mcaslan.co.uk/work/st-albans-museum-and-gallery|title=St Albans Museum and Gallery|date=10 July 2018|publisher=John McAslan and Partners|access-date= 28 December 2020}}</ref>

In 1898 the parish of St Albans absorbed St Michael Urban, St Peter Urban and Sandridge Urban so the parish and borough occupied the same area. In 1901 the population of the borough was 16,019, growing to 18,133 in 1911. St Albans expanded in 1913 by gaining parts of Sandridge Rural (241 acres), St Michael Rural (138 acres), St Peter Rural (992 acres) and St Stephen (335 acres). In 1921 the population of the enlarged borough was 25,593, growing to 28,624 in 1931. It expanded again in 1935 as part of a [[county review order]] gaining more of St Michael Rural (890 acres), St Peter Rural (436 acres) and St Stephen (712 acres).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10213381/relationships |title=St Albans AP/CP through time &#124; Census tables with data for the Parish-level Unit |publisher=Visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref> The population of the borough was 44,098 in 1951 and 50,293 in 1961.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10213381/cube/TOT_POP |title=St Albans AP/CP through time &#124; Population Statistics &#124; Total Population |publisher=Visionofbritain.org.uk}}</ref>

=== Present ===
[[File:StAlbans-PSX1.JPG|thumb|St Albans viewed from the [[Clock Tower, St Albans|Clock Tower]]: French Row (to the left), Market Place (to the right), St Peter's Street and the tower of St Peter's Church (centre)]]
{{Main|City and District of St Albans}}
The borough was abolished on 1 April 1974 and St Albans became part of the new, larger [[St Albans City and District]]. City status was transferred to the entire district by [[letters patent]] dated 9 July 1974.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=46352|page=7920|date=24 September 1974}}</ref> Local government services are now provided by [[Hertfordshire County Council]] (strategic services) and St Albans City and District Council. Eight [[Parish councils in England|local parish councils]] (limited local services) cover the parts of St Albans City and District that were previously in St Albans Rural District and Harpenden Urban District, but the area that was St Albans Borough prior to 1974 is an unparished area. Within this area, (the Ashley, Batchwood, Clarence, Cunningham, Marshalswick South, St Peters, Sopwell and Verulam wards) a City Neighbourhood Committee of the district council was set up in June 2013 with comparable responsibilities to parish councils for small parks, playgrounds, open spaces, war memorials, allotments and public conveniences.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/July/cityneighbourhoodcommitteetakesonlocalagenda.aspx |title=St Albans City & District Council – City Neighbourhood Committee takes on local agenda |publisher=Stalbans.gov.uk |date=1 July 2013 |access-date=28 November 2013 |archive-date=1 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701060256/http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/July/cityneighbourhoodcommitteetakesonlocalagenda.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.stalbans.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/press-room/items/2013/March-2013/cityneighbourhoodscommitteeunderscrutiny.aspx#0 |title=St Albans City & District Council – Proposed City Neighbourhoods Committee under scrutiny |publisher=Stalbans.gov.uk |date=1 March 2013}}</ref> The City and District Council built a new civic centre in 1989 adjoining the 1960s City Hall complex, which became known instead as the Alban Arena.

===Parliamentary representation===
{{Main|St Albans (UK Parliament constituency)}}
St Albans is part of the homonymous parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Established in 1885, it is a county constituency in Hertfordshire, and elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.