PARISH NEWS

22 April 2014

Next Parish Council Meetings: Wed. 23rd April

short agenda      full agenda

and Wed. 30 April.

Police Commissioner to Visit Thaxted

[posted 22 April]  The Police and Crime Commissioners for Essex will visit to Uttlesford on Thursday 24th April.  The meeting will take place at Thaxted Primary School, Barfield Road, Thaxted from 7 pm.  Link to the briefing document and web page.

West Essex Children's Support Service to Close

[posted 22 April]  The Local Authority carried out a formal consultation in the Autumn Term 2013 on proposals to close the West Essex Children’s Support Service with effect from 31^st August 2014.  Following the completion of the consultation process and the decision by Cabinet to proceed with the proposal to close the LA sought the agreement of the Secretary of State for Education in line with the required process for a pupil referral unit in special measures.  The Secretary of State has given his permission to close with effect from 31^st August and the closure process is now in effect.  Officers are making arrangements for all pupils affected by the closure and will meet with their parents to discuss the transition to new provision in September 2014

Stansted Barclays closure debate reaches national level in the Independent:

http://www.independent.co.uk/money/spend-save/last-bank-in-town-shut-it-down-say-barclays-and-then-rbs-but-locals-say-no-9255593.html

Residents who wish to complain about Barclays closing the branch can write to:

Uttlesford Approves Local Plan, Tues. 8th April.

[posted 8 April] The draft local plan was approved by 23 votes to 14 at the UDC Council meeting on 8th April, against much barracking from members of the public, who were threatened with removal from the chamber.  The plan will now go to a pre-submission consultation for six weeks in April-June and will be submitted to the government inspector in July for approval by the Autumn.  If approved the plan will be adopted in Spring 2015.  Comments submitted during the consultation period will all be taken into account by the inspector. A link to an audio record of the meeting can be found at

http://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/councilcabinetandcommittee

3.4 Ha of land around Foresthall School is earmarked for education, Crafton Green earmarked for commercial redevelopment,  small scale commercial development around Sworders.   read more...

Foresthall Sch.                   Crafton Green

A North-East Bypass for Stansted ?

The aim is to limit congestion on Grove Hill and Lower Street in the event of significant housing expansion in Elsenham.  See  Appendix D, circa p 128,  of the Uttlesford Draft Local Plan Highways Impact

Beware of New Phone Scam

Uttlseford Inspector Colin Cox has put out a warning of a new spate of telephone scams.  The MO is a phone call received by the victim from the fraudster, stating he is a Police officer from Hammersmith Police Station, Bishops Stortford Police Station or recently Saffron Walden Police Station.

The fraudster then alleges he has a suspect in custody who has gained access to the victim's account.  He will ask questions regarding the victims bank details and will get the victim to withdraw money in order that it can forensically examined and traced. He will arrange for a courier to collect the money.

The fraudster asks the victim to call them back to confirm his identity.  Unbeknown to the victim the call has not been cleared properly and the offender has simply kept the phone call ‘Live’ handing it to another who then pretends to be the bank.  (You can always phone back on a mobile to avoid this)  A link to a BBC story is below

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26616872

Vacancy for Parish Councilor

Following the recent resignation of Cllr Collingwood, there is potentially a requirement for a new parish councilor to fill the post until the next elections, scheduled for May 2015.  Interested parties should enquire at the parish 01279 813214 or email parishcouncil@stansted.net for more information.

Exit Barclays, Enter Sainsburys Local.

Information obtained by District Councilor Alan Dean is that the building was sold by Barclays to Mr Hagon 8 years ago and leased back for a 25 year period.   Mr Hagon was apparently unaware of the transfer of the lease to Sainsbury.

Read more at Herts&Essex Observer 

and Barclays Strategy:

Stop Stansted Expansion Calls for Independent Noise Watchdog

read more..

Primary Care Centre gets the Green Light

[posted 12 Mar]  Dr Christopher Leeman and Dr Sue Humphrey, GPs at the existing Stansted Surgery, West Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (WECCG), NHS England and NHS Property Services have now reached agreement on the final business case.  The project will move to demolition of existing buildings in April and construction starting early summer 2014.  read more

Health Centre Drawing (PDF)

Site Plan (PDF)                            

Neighbourhood Watch Meeting

[posted 20 Mar] The next public meeting is Wed 22nd May 2013,  7.30pm  in Stansted Day Centre, Crafton Green.  Read more.

ECC Consultation on Essex Replacement Minerals Local Plan

[posted 12 March]  Public Consultation 13 March - 24 April.

ECC Consultation on Moving Farnham Primary School to St. John's Road, Stansted.

[posted 26 Feb] Essex County Council and the Governing Body of the Farnham & Rickling Federation of Church of England Schools have commenced a public consultation on linked proposals to relocate Farnham CE Primary to St John’s Road, Stansted and enlarge the school from 56 to 210 places on a phased basis, with effect from 1 September 2015.  Comments will be received up to 4th May.

more details and public meetings..

http://www.essex.gov.uk/Education-Schools/Schools/Delivering-Education-Essex/School-Organisation-Planning/Pages/Consultations.aspx

    St Mary's Former School 

Make Comments on the E. Herts District Plan

[posted 7 March]  The consultation runs from 27th Feb for 12 weeks;  the housebuilding near Tesco will  impact Stansted Parish from the south on the A120 due to increased road traffic.  Links to the consultation can be found at  www.eastherts.gov.uk/districtplan  

Stansted in Bloom Competition, Entries by 27th June

[posted 4th March]  Information and Entry Form

Work starts on Demolition & Rebuild of Mead Court

The demolition of Nos 30-56 Mead Court Cannons Mead Stansted and the construction of 29 affordable dwellings including associated roads, parking and open space.

http://publicaccess.uttlesford.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do;jsessionid=25E4474B8A2CA47A6AA23DA554EEF737?action=firstPage

Deadline for Comments on 14 Cambridge Road has Expired

The last date for comments on the planning application at 14 Cambridge Road was Monday 24th Feb. 

http://www.pcs.planningportal.gov.uk/pcsportal/ViewCase.asp?caseid=2208075&coid=106762

Comments should be published in March.

Children's Centres - No Cuts in Stansted

[posted 16th Feb] Following a BBC East report (Sunday Politics, 16 Feb)  on opening hours reductions in some Essex Sure Start Centres, village ECC councillor, Ray Gooding,has confirmed there will be no cutbacks at Stansted's Lower Street Spangles Centre.

Flooding: Emergency Phone Numbers

[posted 15 Feb] ] The Parish Council's Emergency Planning Committee has compiled a list of phone numbers for emergency use, (thanks to G.S.)   read more....

and some collected flood advice here

Stansted Flood Risk Map

With acknowledgments to the Environment Agency, a map of the flood-prone areas of the village can be found here.   The catchment area extends beyond Ugley Village.  Ugley Brook can be found on the west side of the B1383, High Lane and Gall End Lane.  The worst choke point is the start of the underground culvert at the north end of Lower Street.  The grid on the culvert inlet is regularly cleared of branches, twigs and, sometimes, parts of tree trunks by near-by residents.

Stop Stansted Expansion Campaign

The latest campaign report from SSE can be found here.

Planning Submission for 68 houses at Pines Hill

[posted 8 Feb 2014]  Outline application for the demolition of existing buildings and redevelopment of the site for approximately 68 residential dwellings with access from Pines Hill together with landscaping, infrastructure and ancillary works

http://publicaccess.uttlesford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=MZTDBXQN01O00

An early brochure from Linden Homes can be found here.  The Parish council was opposed to this development in 2012 read more, due to it being in Metropolitan Green Belt.  The  land has been inside the parish boundary since the boundary change in 2012.  Two views of the area below:

Talking Newspapers for Needy Listeners

Herts and Essex Newspapers run a volunteer service which distributes MP3 recordings of local news to visually impaired people in villages and towns around Bishop's Stortford.  Delivery is free and the recordings can also be downloaded directly online.   contact information...

Buffy Rolls into Town

11am to 12:30 pm., Walson Way,  every Wednesday during term.   read more...

Uttlesford Local Plan Consultation results online:

[posted 23 Jan] The 1,200 responses to the Consultation on new housing sites, which ended 13th January, are now available to read on UDC's web page:

http://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/article/2775/Local-Plan-Consultation-Completed

See also a news item in the Herts and Essex Observer:

http://www.hertsandessexobserver.co.uk/News/Uttlesford/1200-responses-to-Uttlesfords-plans-for-an-extra-2680-new-homes-20140121104604.htm

Taylor Wimpey Bentfield Planning Application Appeal Refused by Inspector:

[posted 7 Jan]   "......I conclude that the appeal proposal would not meet the environmental dimension of sustainable development. It follows that the general presumption in favour of sustainable development does not apply to it."

read Inspector's report...

Christmas Fayre 2013

High Court Verdict on SSE claim

[posted 20th Dec]  Prior to the Airport Commission ruling out Stansted for a second runway on 17th December, High Court Judge Patterson had published her ruling on SSE's challenge relating to MAG.  read more..

Crafton Green Library, Parish Office and Information Centre approved by UDC.

[posted 23 Nov]  This project was approved by 8 votes to 3 at the UDC Planning Committee meeting on 20 Nov.  (rapporteur G. Sell).   View  architects floor plan  and a computer generated external view

Fairfield Application for 800 Homes at Elsenham Refused

[posted 20 Nov]  The Fairfields planning application was today refused, for a second time and by 6 votes to 4, by UDC planning committee.  read more at Herts and Essex Observer..