Waiting for a bus in part of the St Albans district will be more comfortable this winter after the completion of a £6,000 programme of repair and refurbishment on shelters.

St Stephen parish council decided some years ago to install high quality wooden bus shelters to reflect and enhance their rural setting in the villages in the parish which include Park Street, Chiswell Green and Bricket Wood.

To date 24 shelters have been installed, each costing around £11,000 to purchase and install.

This year’s work has included replacement of some of the wooden shingle roofs, remodelling of openings to provide better visibility from inside the shelters and wood preservative treatments.

The aim is to extend the life of the shelters and ensure that they remain in good condition and continue to provide much needed shelter from the elements.

It has been left to the parish council to install and maintain the shelters because the county council policy is not to replace those with ‘low passenger use’.