A collection of 10 new homes have been delivered on a historic site in St Albans, marking the city's first residential development in seven years.

Contractor Morgan Sindall delivered the Oak Tree Gardens Scheme on the site of the former Museum of St Albans (MOSTA), Hatfield Road, which relocated to the old Town Hall.

The historic building was redeveloped under a £4.8 million two-stage contract, retaining the Victorian façade from the old museum and extending it to create six open plan units. The onsite bungalow was also demolished to create four 4-bed terraced homes.

This development supports the local council's plans to regenerate the city centre as a cultural hub.

David Rowsell, area director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Northern Home Counties, said: "The former Museum of St Albans site is historically rich and of great importance to Hatfield Road and the surrounding community.


"The project team has successfully delivered this complex scheme to the highest standards - successfully incorporating the original Victorian façade into the redevelopment to create this collection of outstanding new residential properties.

"We're extremely pleased to have worked closely with local resident groups and stakeholders throughout the build process. It's been a great privilege to have been a part of such a remarkable project and play a role in supporting the council's wider vision to regenerate the city centre."

Councillor Julian Daly, Portfolio Holder for Commercial and Development for St Albans City and District Council, added: "These are homes of the highest quality, built to last, on an enviable location at the edge of the city centre. I am delighted that Morgan Sindall Construction was able to complete them in a way that is sensitive to the prominence of the site and within budget.

"We ensured that local people and community groups, led by Look! St Albans, helped shaped the designs by allowing them to contribute to an independently-facilitated charrette. The results are outstanding.

"The money from this development will go towards funding the new St Albans Museum + Gallery, another successful Council project."

(CM/MH)