Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
Latest 50 Club winners from Jean Armstrong 6th March 2009
December
£25 Janet Nolan, £10 John Watt, £10 Charlotte Coleman, £10 J Brace, £5 Mr Barrett
Snr.
January
£25 H Bacon, £10 June Arnold, £10 Jim Bond, £10 Jean Plane, £5 P Cain.
February
£25 J Harrison, £10 Joscelin Watt, £10 Anita Abrahams, £10 S Hammerson, £5 P Millington
Appeal Hearing 41 Colchester Road
from Chris Pearcey, 3rd March 2009
John Watt and I together with four villagers attended the Appeal Hearing today (3rd March) in the Council Chamber at BDC Town Hall in respect of the plans to develop the 41 Colchester Road site. It lasted most of the day and ended with a site visit by all the interested parties. BDC were represented by Sue Ennos and a senior colleague called Mr Davies (can't remember his first name). The appellant, Gary Sharp was there and was represented by his agent Stuart Rowe.
I don't think we left any stone unturned in putting a case for the village. We were all impressed with the Planning Inspector, a Mrs Jan Chance, who conducted and chaired an open and frank discussion allowing everyone to have their say. She was very professional and appeared to be sensitive to all the concerns raised by the PC and other villagers in their objections. She spent a long time on site, and walked along Colchester Road, and the rear approach to Chalkney House in order to fully assess the impact of the proposed development.
We have no feel as to how this might pan out but, irrespective of the outcome I feel we have had a full and fair hearing. A final decision should be made in the next six weeks or so.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
A large number of vehicles have been damaged/broken into in the Halstead area in recent weeks.
In White Colne seven catalytic convertors were removed from white transit vans at Chalkney Garage overnight on 19th/20th February. In a separate incident at the same garage, a toolbox was removed from the back of a vehicle by smashing the locks overnight 22nd/23rd February.
Also, vehicle registration plates have been removed from a car on White Colne Green and from other vehicles in Greenstead Green and neighbouring villages. It is believed that these are used as false plates on vehicles trying to avoid paying the London Congestion Charge.
Any information on these or other incidents
please notify Braintree Police Station 0300 333 4444.
Sue Norris March 1st 2009.
March 2009
The 50 Club operates as a mini lottery in the village.
You are invited to buy a number for 50p per month. This number is then put in a hat with the other numbers and 5 numbers are drawn out. The First prize is £25; there are three £10 prizes and a £5 prize. You are able to have as many numbers as you like.
The funds raised are used to support the village hall. Many of the grants that have been secured to improve the hall have been successful because we are able to match fund or provide some of our own funds. This is largely thanks to the 50 Club.
We would urge all new and existing members of the club to help the volunteers who run it by making annual cash payments or set up an annual standing order.
If you would like to join the 50 club please contact Jean or Colin Armstrong on 221811
Report of the AGM of the River Colne Countryside Project
from Sarah Adlem 8th March 2009
I attended the nineteenth annual general meeting of the River Colne Countryside Project on Thursday 5th March.
Richard Parmee reported on the activities that he had organised along the Colne Valley during the year.
White Colne got a couple of mentions as he had supported the White Colne Meadows with planting the Heritage Orchard. He also supported the White Colne Village History Group by replacing a couple of stiles to make the heritage walks more accessible to all. He helped to clear the Blue Walk along the water meadows in preparation for the Bat Walk in May that he led as well as installing and unveiling the two History Group interpretation boards in June at the Right Royal Tea Party event.
The River Colne Countryside Project had worked with many villages and other groups along the valley. Success had been seen with the otter holts constructed and elm cuttings taken, apparently from Dutch elm disease resistant trees. Richard also reported that his advice had been sought increasingly in regard to planning applications in the valley.
His post has been funded jointly by Colchester Borough and Braintree District Councils. Colchester have withdrawn their funding and the Project will need to try and find another source of funding if it is to continue in the same way as before.
John Claydon, from the Environment Agency gave a summary of the Agency’s year on the Colne.
Darren Tansley from the Essex Wildlife Trust then gave an interesting insight into the plight of the water vole. Unfortunately, the vole, most famously, Ratty in Wind in the Willows, is suffering at the hands, or maybe the jaws of mink and their populations have been dramatically reduced. Essex Wildlife Trust has identified the areas where the mink are most prevalent and managed to reduce their numbers and have seen an increase in the vole populations. Their recent otter survey also shows the Colne as the ‘best’ river in Essex for otters.
News from the Parish Council Meeting 16th March 2009
The Chairman announced that all parties had now signed the agreement to transfer land to ECC (in return for either the village hall in the case of White Colne PC or monetary reward in the case of 3 separate landowners) It is expected that ECC will now seek planning approval to develop the land situated to the rear of the football area near the village hall.
It was announced that the Essex Air Ambulance would be sending a speaker to the Annual Electors meeting on April 20th. It is also hoped that a representative from ECC Highways will also attend to answer some of the outstanding queries on various issues. The most pressing being that Highways will do nothing to stop the erosion of the bottom of the village green, unless the PC agrees to the provision of double yellow lines.
Highways is of the opinion that the erosion is caused by parked cars in the area despite the fact that the PC has repeatedly stated that HGVs have been sighted “cutting off” the corner of the Green whilst the road has been empty of any vehicles.
The PC discussed the proposal by BDC to change the remaining 57 properties in White Colne receiving a black sack refuse collection to a wheeled service by October 2009. The PC hoped that once the assessment of properties had been carried out, affected residents would be able to discuss any individual or special requirements with the District Council. The PC would only step in if a resident felt that their situation had not been given due consideration.
The bus shelter will now not appear outside the old Kings Head until at least April as there are insufficient funds in the budget. The PC will also be asking for at least one shelter if not two to be provided outside Fox and Pheasant Centre as this is a centre of employment.
A shoe recycling bank will soon be provided at the back of the village hall on a trial basis
WHITE COLNE
THEFT.
…COLCHESTER ROAD, WHITE COLNE
Between 23rd March 18:00hrs and 24th March 08:05hrs.
Suspects unknown removed trailer displaying part index P828…from rear garden.
Items removed:-
Williams High tail gate Silver trailer part index P828…
Aluminium roof ladder-
F8 Electricians ladder
4 x Acro Props ( tools)
Please call your Neighbourhood Policing Team 07974 442984
Please note that sometimes there will be an answer phone regarding the Neighbourhood Policing Team mobile so PLEASE leave a message with your full name, address and telephone number, and an Officer will call you back WITHIN TWENTY FOUR HOURS.
or Braintree Police Station 0300 333 4444 if you have any information!!!!
Clive Stewart, Essex Watch Administrator, Essex Police,
Braintree Police Station, Blyths Meadow, Braintree, Essex, CM7 3DJ.
Tel: 01376 556 282. Mobile 07837 160049
Email: clive.stewart@essex.pnn.police.ukWednesday 25th March 2009.
Fox and Pheasant Centre
Planning application for restaurant/cafe, shop & takeaway service.
The Parish Council regret that despite the following:
- Braintree District planning officer's recommendation to refuse,
- Essex County Council Highways asking for refusal,
- The Parish Council objecting along with various residents
- The Ward Councillor asking for refusal,
the planning committee of Braintree District Council have gone against all of these recommendations and have granted approval for the restaurant, with hours of working as stated in the original application.
Needless to say the Parish Council are dismayed at this outcome and will write to the District Council requesting that they enforce all the the conditions that still apply to the site
Neighbourhood policing -
Please note that Pc Paul Andrews is now on holiday until 18.00 hrs 20/04/09
In his absence please contact Pc 148 Jeff Russell
His contact details are:
jeff.russell@essex.pnn.police.uk
07974 442984 (leave a message and he will get back to you ASAP)
Meadows Working Party 15th March.
What fantastic weather! It was great to have a good reason to be out enjoying it.
The new heritage orchard interpretation board was installed as were a number of replacement trees for those that ‘hadn’t made it’. A few gaps in the hedges were also filled
The village Quiz Night
The village Quiz Night was held last Friday and hopefully everybody had a good time.
As novices we faced the evening with trepidation but the feedback we received on
the night and in subsequent e-
Thirty people came along and the winners, the Westrips and their guests (aka 'The Bookworms'), took the prize of a bottle of wine each whilst the bottom team went through the indignity of being presented with tea towels to do the washing up! The quiz and raffle made a net profit on the evening of £87 which will go towards the cost of redecorating the Village Hall.
Thanks to everyone for coming and to Sarah Adlem (and Anders and Alex) for helping with the raffle and Mark Adlem for the loan of the PA system.
Put a date in your diary for the next one which will be on Friday 16th October.
COLNEFORD HILL WALL to be repaired
from Chris Pearcey.
The EDF pole has been moved to a safe position and work will commence within the next 6 weeks to rebuild the wall. Work here will take roughly 3 weeks and is likely to cause traffic delays as obviously traffic lights will be required. The work will be undertaken outside of the rush hours so hopefully the traffic disruption will be kept to a minimum
Damage to the Village Green -
'Annual Elector's Meeting -
Villagers will have noticed that the bottom of the Village Green continues to take a buffetting from vehicles cutting off the corner and causing damage. Essex County Council (Highways) consider that the problem is caused by vehicles parking on the corner so that there is insufficient room available for other vehicles to pass without encroaching onto the grass. The vehicles parked on the road do not help the situation but evidence suggests that vehicles cut off the corner irrespective of whether parked vehicles are there or not. ECC's only solution is to impose double yellow lines at the junction with Colneford Hill but because of the severe lack of parking space within the village the Parish Council are totally opposed to this suggestion. So we currently have an impasse between the Highways Department of ECC and the Parish Council. Two senior representatives of the Highway's Department have agreed to come along to the Annual Elector's meeting to explain their position and hear the views of residents so we would encourage villagers to come along and have their say on this or any other Highway's issue.'
Footpath -
The Parish Council requests
that residents crossing the field from Colne Park Road to the allotments and the
Meadows keep to the ancient path adjacent to the old railway line. Residents should
not cross the field diagonally nor deviate from the path as this could be considered
by the land owner as trespassing and might lead to prosecution. Please be considerate
White Colne
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