Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
White Colne
Parish Council
May 2009
BT has announced that the telephone kiosk will remain in the village but will change to a cashless system. Copy of letter follows:
Dear Mr Williams
Thank you for your e mail.
We are just altering the payphone instrument itself. The kiosk structure is not affected.
By way of some background information, it may help if I explain that the changes affect only the very least used boxes and are an important element of our drive to preserve the payphone network for future generations. Given that BTs public payphones are resourced entirely through the revenue generated by those boxes that are profitable (BT Payphone receives no funding for loss making boxes either from other parts of BT, or externally), it is imperative that swift action is taken to ensure that the service is sustained. 99% of households in the UK have access to private telephony and, with the proliferation of mobile phones in particular, payphone usage has seen a dramatic decline in recent years.
Past consultations on proposed removals of little used boxes have shown that many people have concerns about the loss of such facilities, particularly in emergency situations. One of the changes introduced as a result of Ofcom’s review of universal service in March 2006 was that up to 30% of our public payphones nationally can now be “cashless”. By converting some payphones to “cashless” (these are boxes that we would otherwise be looking to remove), we can address such concerns whilst, at the same time, reducing the costs we incur. It is absolutely vital that we do this if we are to safeguard the payphone network as a whole.
To clarify, a cashless payphone will allow the following types of call:
Calls paid for by credit or debit card
calls paid for by BT chargecard
calls paid for by prepaid calling card
100 operator calls
999 emergency calls
0800 calls
transfer charge calls
All of the 12 boxes affected within the Braintree District Council area are little
used -
I appreciate that this may not the response you were hoping for, but hope the above information helps to clarify the rationale behind the changes.
Yours sincerely,
Rick Thompson
-
Highways response to problems with damage to village green
We have received the following letter and plan from ECC Highways and would welcome residents views. Please email the Clerk........
News from the Cluster meeting 11th May
1. Essex Air Ambulance and the land owners at the airfield have submitted planning apps but both are invalid as they do not contain enough detail at this stage to go before planning.
2.The damage to Green was discussed and in particular the fact that the diagram was not relevant as lorries travelling in that direction would go across the top of the Green towards Colchester. Robbie Jamieson agreed to another site visit (time & date TBC).
3. Responsibility for linear path from Colne Park road to Colne Engaine is with Tom
Hamilton -
4. Draft budget of £35000 has been agreed to provide Pavement along Colchester Road as far as the footpath that crosses the field between the village and F&P. Exact location TBC.
5. BDC with help of highways are to produce road signs to be used by residents when the river floods.
6. The PC has no right of appeal against planning decisions other than taking it to judicial review at our cost within 3 months of the planning decision.
7. The reasons given by committee member for accepting the food outlet application at F&P against planning advice were
- 28 years history as a food establishment
- overflow car parking facility
- local residents all too far away to be adversely affected
- highways could not show any evidence of incidents at the site
- economic conciderations -
ingredients will be locally sourced, employ local people & all financial risk is with applicant. - The committee "have to be very careful if they reject an application in case they are sued"
8. BDC are setting up a peoples panel to regularly canvass panel members opinions.
9. 05/06/09 is world environment day in Halstead High Street.
Date and venue for next meeting to be confirmed.
Work delayed at Colneford Hill
Highways work to repair the wall at Colneford Hill which was scheduled to start today, has been delayed due to the non arrival of the correct bricks.
More news when we hear about the re-
White Colne Up For Sale
White Colne residents are selling up – but not their houses; the contents of their
garages. A village wide garage sale will be held on Saturday June 20th starting at
2.30pm. Free parking will be provided at the village hall off Bures Road, allowing
visitors to stroll around the village and snap up a bargain. Cream teas will be served
at the hall from 3pm to 5.30pm. Treasure hunt maps, which will include a special
competition for all the family, will be on sale at each venue. Free small treats
for children too! Organisers Sarah Adlem and Jane Taylor promise a fun afternoon
hunting out some good buys -
Planning Application 09/00622/FUL -
We have received the above planning application for the erection of a single storey rear/side extension.
The application can be viewed on the following link:-
http://www.braintree.gov.uk/Braintree/planning/Development+Control/View+Planning+App/How+to+find+ a+Planning+Application.htm
We are asked to send our comments by 16th June which is before the next PC meeting in July
Please send any comments to davidwilliams@whitecolne.com
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