Draft minutes of the meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council held at St Stephen’s Church, Great Wigborough on Tuesday 12th March 2024 at 7.30pm
Present: John Walker, Roger Pittock, Phil Gladwin, Clare Lauwerys, Jinny Gale (chair), Catherine Sprott, Netty Knill Jones, Liz Davidson, Robert Davidson, Kevin Bentley
Apologies for absence: None
The minutes of the February 2024 meeting were confirmedand agreed by all and signed by the chairman
County Councillor Report: Flooding is a major issue at present with the constant rainfall and ditches are being cleared when land is owned by ECC. Other land owners are reminded of their responsibilities to clear all their roadside ditches.
The new county budget will provide dedicated gangs to address all issues in a certain area for a week. Extra funding will be provided for this from next month.
Ride London will be going through Essex again and so many of the pot holes will be filled before the event.
Continue readingA meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council will be held at Salcott Village Hall, meeting room on Tuesday 13th February 2024 at 7.30pm to which the Councillors are summoned to attend.
Apologies for absence:
To confirm minutes of the January 2024 meeting:
County and City Councillor Reports:
Public-Have Your Say:
Declarations of Interest:
Draft minutes of the meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council held at Peldon and Wigboroughs Community Hall, meeting room on Tuesday 9th January 2024 at 7.30pm
Present: Robert Davidson, LizDavidson, Roger Pittock, Cathrine Sprott, Clare Lauwerys, Phil Gladwin, Jinny Gale (chair), Kevin Bentley
Apologies for absence: Netty Knill Jones, Andrew Ellis
The minutes of the December 2023 meeting were agreed by all and signed by the chairman
County Councillor Report: ECC are proposing to increase the council tax by 4.99%, (2% of which is for social care). Children’s care is expensive as the price suppliers can charge is unregulated, unlike in adult social care.
The school transport provision is down to national policy and ECC is speaking with the Dept of Education so a fairer method of deciding who is eligible for free school transport can be established.
Highways budget will also be increased to help tackle the poor condition of the roads.
Continue readingA meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council will be held at Salcott Village Hall on Tuesday 8th February 2022 at 7.30pm to which the Councillors are summoned to attend
Apologies for absence:
To confirm minutes of the January meeting:
County and Borough Councillor Reports:
Public-Have Your Say:
Declarations of Interest:
A meeting of Winstred Hundred Parish Council will be held at Salcott Village Hall on Tuesday 12th October 2021 at 7.30 pm to which the Councillors are summoned to attend.
Apologies for absence:
Minutes of the last meeting:
County and Borough Councillor Reports:
Public-Have Your Say:
Declarations of Interest:
As ever, the 5 Parishes Organizing Committee is hard at work getting ready for the show on 2nd August, and will be posting updates and news on their new webpage on this site. You can also follow the show on Facebook – www.facebook.com/5ParishesSummerShow.
Recent Updates are:
Details for the Five Parishes Companion Dog Show 2015, which is held under Kennel Club Rules and Show Regulations in aid of Dogs for the Disabled are now availble to download in full (link below). Summary details are:
Download the full details by clicking this link.
The Organisers are also keen for all to be aware of the following:
Your dog is vulnerable and at risk during hot weather and the Kennel Club offers the following guidance for travelling to and whilst at Kennel Club licensed events.
Remember if you feel hot your dog is likely to feel much hotter and dehydrated and this could lead to dire results. Please look after your dog’s welfare.
Anyone whose dog is entered at a Kennel Club licensed event should take all reasonable steps to ensure the needs of their dog(s) are met and should not put a dog’s health and welfare at risk by any action, default, omission or otherwise. Breach of Kennel Club Regulations in this respect may be referred to the General Committee for disciplinary action under Kennel Club Regulations.
Gordon Davis of Abberton & Langenhoe Parish Council is organising a tour of the main local properties affected by the Great East Anglian earthquake. Meet at Abberton & Langenhoe village hall at 2pm on Sunday May 31st. Please book in with Gordon on 01206 735395 to help with catering numbers.
The Colchester earthquake, also known as the Great English earthquake, occurred on the morning of 22 April 1884 at 09:18. It caused considerable damage in Colchester and the surrounding villages in Essex. In terms of overall destruction caused it is certainly the most destructive earthquake to have hit the United Kingdom in at least the last 400 years, since the Dover Straits earthquake of 1580.
At 9:18 am the earthquake struck, centred mainly in the villages of Wivenhoe, Abberton, Langenhoe, and Peldon causing the surrounding area to rise and fall violently as the waves spread, lasting for around 20 seconds. Measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, the effects were felt across England, as well as in northern France and Belgium.
The earthquake damaged about 1,250 buildings, including almost every building in Wivenhoe and Abberton, and in settlements all the way to Ipswich. The medieval church in Langenhoe was significantly damaged, as were those in the villages of Layer-de-la-Haye, Layer Marney, Layer Breton, and Peldon. In Peldon, the local newspapers claimed that every building had been damaged in some way. The Guardian reported that the earthquake was greeted with terror by the people near Colchester.
There are some reports that between 3 and 5 people were killed by the earthquake, but this has been disputed by other contemporary accounts. The Times reported damage “in the many villages in the neighbourhood from Colchester to the sea coast”, with many poor people made homeless, and estimated the cost of the disaster at £10,000. It did, however, mention the death of a child at Rowhedge, attributed to the earthquake. The large waves caused by the earthquake destroyed many small craft.
It is believed that the earthquake resulted from movement along a fault in the ancient Palaeozoic rocks that underpin most of Essex, causing waves to propagate through the overlying Cretaceous and Tertiary layers.
As is often the case, it is not always the strongest earthquakes that cause the most damage, and the British Geological Survey estimates that the 1884 earthquake’s magnitude was only around 4.6 on the Richter Scale, compared with 6.1 for the 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake.
Langenhoe Church was badly damaged. Masonry tumbled off the tower, crashing into the roof of the nave and chancel. The nearby rectory was also damaged.
Note – Wikipedia is subject to change over time – click this link to view the current article.
As ever, the 5 Parishes Organizing Committee is hard at work and continue to provide updated details of this years event for posting here, please do check back periodically. In the meantime, anybody wishing to contact the committee should contact Sally Abbott on 07526 220384 or 01206 735931. You can also follow the show on Facebook – www.facebook.com/5ParishesSummerShow. Download flyer here.
Sponsored by Collier & Catchpole
Dog show schedules available here.
WIGBOROUGHS VILLAGE HALL MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
The Committee has met seven times since the AGM in November 2014. Our discussions have become increasingly complex as we have sought to address the various divergent and strongly held views within the community.
After the February 2014 questionnaire which showed clear support for two projects above others many residents believed that the decision about investment of the sale proceeds of the School Lane site was made. What remained to be done was to agree contracts between WVHMC and St Stephens’ Church and the Peldon Village Hall Management Committee, to agree on a recommended split of funds between them and then seek the community’s support for implementation.
Postal Voting at the AGM could not be used due to a change of policy by the Charity Commission and a group of residents expressed a view that all of the money should be retained and invested in the Wigboroughs. There was no doubt about the level of emotion expressed but there was no way at that time of quantifying that view against the results from the questionnaire.
While the Trustees considered how to do this Mr Cave approached us seeking our support in his application to have his land in School Lane at Drake’s Corner admitted into the Village Envelope, this being a step towards developing the land. He hoped to build a minimum of 12 houses there (later verbally stated to be more likely 15) and as part of the development would offer to provide a Community Centre and some land to the Wigboroughs residents. This offer has been extended thanks to the generosity of Mr and Mrs Wyatt who, if Mr Cave eventually acquires permission to develop his land, will donate additional land adjacent to Mr Cave’s to provide a larger area for sporting and recreational activities.
Faced with these two changed situations the Trustees felt that they had a duty to reconsider the way forward and decided, for a hopefully final time, to seek the views of residents again.
This turn of events has meant that we have abandoned our plans for a Spring EGM to gain ratification for selling the School Lane plot and now hope to address that at the June AGM together with our recommendations for investments, which will only be finalised when we have seen the returns from the pending consultation.
While planning for this further consultation Carol Wyatt resigned as a Trustee. Carol was one of the volunteers who organised the re-establishment of the Committee in 2011 and had been involved with the earlier attempt to re-build a Village Hall in the Wigboroughs. She brought special knowledge and experience as well as passion to the Committee. These were appreciated and she is missed. The Committee decided to exercise their right to leave the vacancy unfilled until the Trustee elections come round again at the AGM currently scheduled for 18th June 2015.
Carol also acted as our Treasurer and we are currently seeking a finance professional to take on that role without becoming a Trustee. This is within our remit.
We have, due to the efforts of Ella Haines for which we are immensely grateful, identified one of two scrutineers necessary for us to use the Postal Voting System.
The current situation about investment projects is not straightforward.
Development of the Nave has given rise to a concern that the Committee could be accused of religious discrimination if this was the only investment made. The Charity Commission has advised us informally that the provision of alternative facilities, such as a shared community facility with Peldon, would offset this accusation but frustratingly it has failed to confirm this view formally to date. The PCC has now drafted the enhancements they would like WVHMC to consider funding in an initial stage of development and have quoted an estimated price for them of between £60,000 and £70,000. Further development and investment may be considered at a later date.
Merging with the Peldon Village Hall charity is still possible but would now have to be on a changed basis because PVHMC have cut back on their original plans and intend to have a new more affordable hall built by the end of 2015. This will depend on them plugging the reduced gap in their funding by grants and donations. If we are still interested in joining them in a shared development we need to be certain of our intent and new contribution level by the summer of 2015.
The Peldon Village Hall Management Committee was asked whether they would wish to consider pursuing a joint development sited in the Wigboroughs but declined the invitation as they believe that there is a much greater chance of a successful outcome by pursuing their current plans.
It remains the Committee’s view that a Village Hall in the Wigboroughs is not sustainable but if Mr Cave eventually obtains planning permission for his land and makes a very substantial offer to the Wigboroughs the Committee will, of course, look again at the situation as it then is. Mr Cave’s land has been submitted to a Colchester Borough Council planning process which will result in a new Local Plan in the summer of 2017. No landowner can be certain that his land has been accepted into the Village Envelope until that process is complete. Normal planning applications can then proceed through the familiar process of consultation, negotiation, ruling and possibly appeal before it would be clear what the community might gain from this project. Funding of other projects would have to put on hold until this point is reached. The Committee feels that this is a high risk option with no guarantee that Mr Cave will achieve a favourable result from the Local Plan process and thus he may not, after a considerable passage of time, be in a position to make good on his potential offer to us.
The Committee is clear that contributing to the development of two community centres close to each other in the Wigboroughs would not be responsible use of Charity funds. It does not therefore support the idea of developing the Church nave and accepting Mr Cave’s offer should he one day be in a position to make it.
The Committee is aware that there is no point in considering joining in with the Peldon development and accepting an offer from Mr Cave as the time factor on the latter will be longer than the window of opportunity on the former.
I hope that in this report I have been able to explain the Committee’s situation and can only urge you to COMPLETE AND RETURN THE CONSULTATION FORMS which will shortly be arriving through your letterboxes. We need to be clear about the views of ALL the residents.