This section of the website contains village and club news as well as news from the Parish Council and Borough Councillors. If you have news to contribute please contact the parish clerk.
The Beth Chatto Gardens have recently been in touch with a summer offer:
We’ve come to realise that a lot of the local community have never visited the Beth Chatto Gardens before and so we’re offering free entry to the garden for children under 14, throughout the summer holidays (3 children per paying adult at £6.95), and we’d also like to invite you to a FREE evening of music and art on the 20th September.
It would be lovely to welcome members of your parish to the gardens and if you’d like to sign up for the events newsletter, please do here: http://eepurl.com/bmfHyb.
Beth Chatto Gardens are based on the ecological and creative principles of their founder. They aim to provide an inspirational and sustainable, quality experience for all visitors. Education and enjoyment underpin the gardens’ philosophy. They are located at: Elmstead Market Nr Colchester Essex CO7 7DB.
A new audio webcasting system is now in place streaming live from some of our council meetings and debates, available through our website and twitter feed, or you can choose to catch up later.
Links to the audio are from the ‘Your Council’ tab of essex.gov.uk with recordings available alongside meeting details and agendas. You can jump straight to a specific agenda item if that’s all you want to hear again.The Full Council meeting broadcast is planned for 14 July and committees of the council have also started to come online. Look out for tweets with links to the audio stream at the beginning of each meeting on the @ECC_DemSer twitter feed.
Telephone calls to Essex County Council’s Contact Centre now start with a recorded message about call charges. This follows new legislation introduced by the communications regulator Ofcom and the Advertising Standards Authority for 084, 087,09 and 118 numbers, as part of the national UK Calling scheme.
Callers to the Contact Centre on all 0845 numbers are informed that calls cost 5p per minute plus the access charge from respective service providers.
The number of unrepaired potholes on county roads has fallen. In the three months leading to June 30, unrepaired potholes and carriageway defects on the county’s busiest roads have reduced by 70 and 75 per cent respectively, compared with the same period last year. According to Essex County Council figures, potholes and other carriageway defects were maintained at under 350, with 137 on the county’s busiest roads and 206 on main and key roads. Outstanding carriageway defects on local roads have also fallen over the same period, from 5,212 to 4,626, with 2,581 potholes repaired, continuing the positive trend seen over the previous three months. Since the same period last year, carriageway defects on local roads are down by 23 percent, from 6,001 to 4,626. To report a pothole or carriageway defect visit http://www.essexhighways.org/tell-us-pothole.aspx.
Have a summer holiday to remember with Essex Outdoors
Essex Outdoors exciting 2015 summer holiday programme for 8-16 year olds has been released. Centres in Bradwell, Danbury, Harlow and Mersea will be running School Holiday Activity Days, which include up to four activities in one day, between 23 July and 28 August. Activities include aerial trekking, archery, bouldering, BMX, canoeing, caving, climbing, kayaking, low ropes, orienteering, zip wire and much, much more. Harlow is running additional climbing days as well as canoe and kayak days between 23 July and 28 August, with Bradwell also running a canoe day on 18 August. Activity days are the perfect way for children and young people to try the challenge and excitement of new activities. Activity days cost £30 per day or buy four days and get the fifth free. Dates, times and activities vary per centre so please check the website for full details or contact your nearest centre.
Aiming High for Disabled Children – summer programme
Essex Outdoors will be running the ‘Aiming High for Disabled Children’ programme this summer. The programme offers a range of day and overnight activities for free to disabled children and young people who are aged 8 to 18, as well as their carer. The programme includes:
Activity days at Harlow from 24 July to 28 August
Activity days at Danbury on 28 and 30 July
Sailing/crabbing day at Bradwell on 25 July
One night break in either Bradwell or Danbury on 15 August.
Mersea Island Festival overnight (five nights from 23 August)
Mersea Island Festival day visits from 25 to 30 August
Please note participants must live within the administrative boundary of Essex County Council to qualify for free places. For eligibility as well as dates, times and activities per centre please check the website.
Join us at this special dog themed fun day for dogs and their owners on Sunday 9 August in Colchester’s Castle Park.
Bark in the Park will transform the open space in Colchester’s park into a dog and dog owner’s extravaganza. This event, led by Colchester Borough Council’s Animal Control Team, will offer everything man’s best friend needs. There will be plenty to keep the whole family (and their dogs) amused throughout the day and visitors are assured of a great day out. Owners will also have the chance to enter their pet pooches into the various dog show events that will take place during the day.
Dog Show Categories
Best Young Handler
Smiliest Staffy
Most Gorgeous Rescue
Handsomest Dog
Prettiest Bitch
Calmest Tail
Best Trick
Overall Best in Show
There will be entertainment and demos, competitions and prizes, K9 Aqua Sports, dog agility, doggie trade stands and much more! Make sure you register online (for free) to enter one of the seven pet Dog Shows on the day! Find out more here.
A brand new tourism video promoting Colchester has been created to showcase everything that the Borough has to offer! If you haven’t had a chance to watch it on their YouTube channel yet, then click the link:
Every year the national Summer Reading Challenge aims to keep the country’s children reading throughout the holidays and as this year’s theme is ‘Record Breakers’, Essex Libraries wants as many pledges of support as possible to set a new Guinness World Record™ for ‘the most number of pledges received for a reading campaign’, and to contribute to an Essex record.
Children pledge to visit their local library, read six books of their choice and collect stickers in six categories to secure medals. Adults and volunteers pledge to support children to read. Older children can take part in a reading and arts programme called ImagiNation.
Councillor Roger Hirst, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Libraries, Planning and the Environment said:
Getting more children to read for pleasure during the summer holidays will be a fantastic achievement. This record attempt will be used to highlight the importance of reading for pleasure as well as the importance of libraries in communities. I want to see Essex playing its part in creating this new world record.
The Summer Reading Challenge is produced by The Reading Agency in association with Guinness World Records™ and delivered by libraries, bringing together fact and fiction and helping young readers to discover some wonderful and truly amazing records from around the world.
Note – the Mobile Library’s next visits are scheduled for 29th July, 12th August, 26th August and 9th September visiting The Glebe (Peldon), Creek View Cottages (Gt Wigborough) and The Street (Salcott) on each of those mornings.
…. if in any year an AGM shall not be convened and held in the month of June the AGM for that year shall be held as soon as practicable after the month of June.
Since the previous AGM in November 2014 the committee has struggled with agreeing a recommended way forward for what has become a very challenging problem.
Given the schisms in both the community and the committee we sought help from the Charity Commission in the good management of the Charity and advice from a lawyer who specialises in Charity Commission work.
The lawyer stated that the Charity has been in breach of its objectives since the hall first became unusable over 20 years ago because the trustees have not managed the hall for residents to use nor provided the alternative benefits which the Governing Document allows for. He therefore advised that selling the land to enable the release of alternative benefits was a priority task to comply with the objectives of the Charity. Further that if residents did not agree to sell the land the Charity would effectively become ungovernable because the trustees would be unable to take action to correct the breach of duty. In that case the Charity Commission would advise on what action should be taken.
We are currently seeking further help from the Charity Commission and the lawyer.
The committee and the community have suffered from ill-founded rumour in the past and the trustees want to be sure that any information given is both correct and legal.
We feel that although this is delaying the AGM it is in the best interests of the Charity to resolve the outstanding issues before moving forward.
Thanks to Robert & Liz Davidson, the Peldon Village Hall and Cancer Research UK will benefit from this great evening of music.
Relax, dine & dance with the
Crissy Lee All Stars
featuring: Liz Oki (from The Voice), and Victor Bynoe (of The Drifters)
PLUS
The Rachel Clarke Steel Band
The event takes place at Brickhouse Farm, Lower Road, Peldon with the gates opening at 5:30pm. Tickets are £20 including supper. There will also be a Grand Auction & Licensed Bar. Parking is free.
Tickets to be booked in advance from Bob Holmes on 01206 735510.
Damaged Clay EmbankmentSeawall Repairs – Old Hall Farm, Tolleshunt D’Arcy
The Envionment Agency have advised that during a routine survey they have identified a section of sea wall that is in poor condition and requires repair. This work will be taking place over the next few weeks (weather permitting). The following are extracted from their factsheet.
Where is this work happening?
We will be carrying out repair works to
approximately 20m of clay seawall adjacent to
the steel piled defence wall at the end of Old Hall
Lane, Old Hall Farm.
Where is this work happening?
The Agency will be carrying out repair works to approximately 20m of clay seawall adjacent to the steel piled defence wall at the end of Old Hall Lane, Old Hall Farm.
What will we be doing?
The existing clay embankment has eroded and slipped reducing the current standard of flood protection it provides to the local area. We will re-profile the clay seawall back to the correct height and install Gabion basket scour protection to the seaward face of the seawall. The rock filled Gabion’s will provide toe and anchor support to the seawall preventing further erosion and slippage. Gabions also provide a useful refuge for many types of wildlife. To complete these works safely and efficiently, it will be necessary to use some machinery both on the site and to access the site. We appreciate that this may be unsightly and we will work hard to ensure that disruption is kept to a minimum.
Why are we doing the work?
This important work is being delivered to help safeguard people, property and arable land in the local area of Tolleshunt D’Arcy.
Full Time – 35 hours per week Salary circa £24,000
Job Vacancy with RCCE Rural Housing Enabler
Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) is a leading charity working in Essex for over 85 years. We provide assistance to people and communities throughout rural Essex to build a sustainable future.
RCCE is looking for a new Rural Housing Enabler to help rural communities in Essex provide the housing they need.
You will promote and advise on affordable rural housing, working with parish councils, registered providers and local authorities to achieve this. You will attend community events, deliver presentations at parish council meetings and undertake housing needs surveys.
You will also have the opportunity to work on other community engagement projects that include wider housing and development priorities or needs.
You will be a confident communicator, able to prioritise and problem solve and be enthusiastic about rural communities, especially in terms of affordable housing. This role will require flexibility, as it involves some out of hours working. We are particularly interested in hearing from applicants that have experience of affordable rural housing or planning/development.
RCCE registered charity no 1097009 Registered company no 4609624
To apply you must complete an application form and an equality monitoring form, which can be downloaded from RCCE’s website: www.essexrcc.org.uk/Working_for_us or can be provided by contacting us (see above).
For any queries relating to the posts or application process, or informal discussion please call 01376 574 330.
Colchester Borough Council have just issued details of a number of events and activities, including some for this half term, as follows:
Half term fun with Colchester Museums
Banish half term boredom with Colchester Museums this May, as we host activities that are a break from the norm!Get your creative juices flowing with the twisted history of Colchester in cartoon, enjoy a feast for the ears with tales of Roman Food or prepare your very own shell-fishy hand puppet to take home! Find out more here.
Summer Screen
Two weeks of Summer Screen in Castle Park between 29 June and 12 July will be covering everything from live Wimbledon, Amélie, Mamma Mia and Shaun the Sheep: The Movie; all accompanied by a licensed bar, pop up food kiosks, bands and more! Wimbledon is FREE, film tickets just £2, under 3yrs FREE. Find out more here.
King of Pop, The Legend Continues
‘NAVI’ the world’s No.1 Michael Jackson performer will be recreating the magical classics from the early Jackson 5 songs to the mega-hits such as Thriller and Smooth Criminal. A great night of entertainment suitable for the whole family. Tickets £17 and £10 for children 16 years and under. Find out more here.
Be more streetwise about your well-being
Street Wise, is offering all things ‘street’ and more, for families to enjoy for free this summer – in a bid to help local people become more streetwise about their health and well-being.Street dance, street food and street sports such as football, basketball and skipping are just some of the free activities and attractions on offer at the event on Saturday 13 June, 10am-4pm at the Colchester Institute. Find out more here.
Colchester Borough Council run numerous events throughout the year, some upcoming events are:
Bandstand Concerts in Castle Park
The concerts take place on Sunday afternoons (and the occasional Saturday) through the summer from May to September. Highlights areThe Band of the Parachute Regiment, The Colchester Band and Sweeting Swing Band. Find out more here
Half term activities at Colchester Museums & Leisure World
Colchester Museums: live animal encounters, Roman food, puppets, kites and more! Fine out more here
Leisure World Colchester: badminton, short tennis, swimming, arts, crafts, dance and more! Find out more here
Celebrate the Moot Hall Organ restoration
Celebrate the restoration of the Moot Hall Organ with a mix of great events at firstsite and Colchester Town Hall. Meet the Organist, make your own organ pipe, join the Big Pipe Busk, Organs in the Archives and Organs in the Movies. Don’t miss the inaugural recital on 24 May! Find out more here
There are lots of great events taking place in Colchester – why not take a look at the Visit Colchester website
Essex ahead on pothole repairs
Have a summer holiday to remember with Essex Outdoors
Join us at this special dog themed fun day for dogs and their owners on Sunday 9 August in Colchester’s Castle Park.
Summer Reading Challenge 2015
July 4th – Music on a Summer’s Day
Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) is a leading charity working in Essex for over 85 years. We provide assistance to people and communities throughout rural Essex to build a sustainable future.
Half term fun with Colchester Museums
Summer Screen
King of Pop, The Legend Continues
Be more streetwise about your well-being
Colchester Events