News • Stansted Mountfitchet Parish Council

The Health Centre...

Tudor Owen — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:53:12 +0000

... the saga continues.

Yes, that's Rochford's; or Foresthall park as it's now known, and it could be the location of the long promised health centre after all. At a recent meeting between the Primary Care Trust and local interested parties chaired by your Parish Council leader Geoffrey Sell, the PCT announced that it had failed to agree terms with the owner of a central site it had been looking at for the last eighteen months.

There will be a meeting of the Parish Council to discuss the location of the health centre on Wednesday 21st July 2010 at 7.30pm.

Geoffrey explains the current situation:

For many residents of Stansted and surrounding villages their health care is met by the

Doctors' practice located in St John’s Road. It has been recognised for many years that

the building is unsuitable for the provision of medical facilities fit for the 21st century as

the property is cramped and does not comply with disability discrimination legislation.

The landlord of the property has also made it clear that he wants the practice to find

alternative accommodation.

The question we now face is not 'do we need comprehensive medical facilities for our

growing population' but where should they be located?

NHS West Essex Primary Care Trust, the body responsible for the delivery of our

medical care, has had the task of finding suitable premises big enough to accommodate

both the clinic currently at Crafton Green and the Doctors' surgery. Bigger premises will

enable the practice to offer facilities such as blood tests for which patients currently have

to travel to Herts & Essex Hospital in Bishop's Stortford. The Primary Care Trust also

plans to offer the services of a NHS Dentist which, at the moment, the village lacks.

As part of the planning conditions for the development of Foresthall Park, Uttlesford

District Council negotiated a Section 106 Agreement with the developers. This included

the provision of land for a health centre.

The former Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust attended a public meeting in May

2008 where he explained that long running negotiations for a site in Cambridge Road,

Stansted, had not been fruitful. The Trust intended to develop the site at Foresthall Park.

The announcement was met with considerable opposition from many residents who were

concerned about the loss of medical facilities from a central village site. The majority of

respondents to the Parish Plan questionnaire of last year also supported this view, so the

Parish Council asked the PCT to look again at other central sites before they made their

decision. This the PCT undertook and spent most of 2009 and the first six months of

2010 investigating a central site for the new health centre. However, at a recent meeting

chaired by myself, the Chief Executive of the PCT explained that they had now drawn a

line under negotiations for this site as they had failed to reach an agreement with the

landlord.

The PCT has now been given a series of questions drawn up by the Parish Council to

which they have been asked to respond by the 12th July. We want to satisfy ourselves that

the PCT has fully evaluated all the options.

We understand the strong feelings about the location of the new health centre and we

know that many residents are concerned about moving other key community facilities,

such as St Mary’s Primary School, to Foresthall Park. However, the PCT has spent years

looking for a central village health centre site and it's time that progress was made.

There will be a meeting of the Parish Council to discuss the location of the health centre

on Wednesday 21st July 2010 at 7.30pm. The venue will be Stansted Day Centre,

Crafton Green, where parishioners have the opportunity of addressing the Council in the

public participation session at the start of the meeting.

We should stress that the Parish Council, although a consultee and a stakeholder, is not

the decision maker. All we can do is reflect the views of the village as a whole and make

representations to that effect.

When the PCT decides upon its location, with or without the Parish Council’s agreement,

a planning application will have to be submitted to Uttlesford District Council.

For many residents of Stansted and surrounding villages their health care is met by the Doctors' practice located in St John’s Road. It has been recognised for many years that the building is unsuitable for the provision of medical facilities fit for the 21st century as the property is cramped and does not comply with disability discrimination legislation. The landlord of the property has also made it clear that he wants the practice to find alternative accommodation.

The question we now face is not 'do we need comprehensive medical facilities for our growing population' but where should they be located?

NHS West Essex Primary Care Trust, the body responsible for the delivery of our medical care, has had the task of finding suitable premises big enough to accommodate both the clinic currently at Crafton Green and the Doctors' surgery. Bigger premises will enable the practice to offer facilities such as blood tests for which patients currently have to travel to Herts & Essex Hospital in Bishop's Stortford. The Primary Care Trust also plans to offer the services of an NHS Dentist which, at the moment, the village lacks.

As part of the planning conditions for the development of Foresthall Park, Uttlesford District Council negotiated a Section 106 Agreement with the developers. This included the provision of land for a health centre.

The former Chief Executive of the Primary Care Trust attended a public meeting in May 2008 where he explained that long running negotiations for a site in Cambridge Road, Stansted, had not been fruitful. The Trust intended to develop the site at Foresthall Park. The announcement was met with considerable opposition from many residents who were concerned about the loss of medical facilities from a central village site. The majority of respondents to the Parish Plan questionnaire of last year also supported this view, so the Parish Council asked the PCT to look again at other central sites before they made their decision. This the PCT undertook and spent most of 2009 and the first six months of 2010 investigating a central site for the new health centre. However, at a recent meeting chaired by myself, the Chief Executive of the PCT explained that they had now drawn a line under negotiations for this site as they had failed to reach an agreement with the landowner.

The PCT has now been given a series of questions drawn up by the Parish Council to which they have been asked to respond by the 12th July. We want to satisfy ourselves that the PCT has fully evaluated all the options.

We understand the strong feelings about the location of the new health centre and we know that many residents are concerned about moving other key community facilities, such as St Mary’s Primary School, to Foresthall Park. However, the PCT has spent years looking for a central village health centre site and it's time that progress was made.

There will be a meeting of the Parish Council to discuss the location of the health centre on Wednesday 21st July 2010 at 7.30pm. The venue will be Stansted Day Centre, Crafton Green, where parishioners have the opportunity of addressing the Council in the public participation session at the start of the meeting.

We should stress that the Parish Council, although a consultee and a stakeholder, is not the decision maker. All we can do is reflect the views of the village as a whole and make representations to that effect.

When the PCT decides upon its location, with or without the Parish Council’s agreement, a planning application will have to be submitted to Uttlesford District Council.

Comments?

St. Mary's Meeting....

Tudor Owen — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:53:00 +0000

...1st July
Stakeholders are invited to attend an exhibition at the School between 3.30pm and 7.30pm on Thursday, 1^st July 2010, where there will be an opportunity to view the plans that have been prepared. Officers from Essex County Council, the architectural design team and representatives from the School will be on hand to discuss the proposals.

Statutory Notice: St Mary’s C of E Foundation Primary School

Exhibition and Presentation - St Mary’s CE Foundation Primary School, St. John's Road, Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex, CM24 8JP

On 17 June 2010, Essex County Council published a Statutory Notice to enlarge St Mary’s CE Foundation Primary School, to be achieved through the relocation of the School to a new site at Rochford Nurseries.

At 6.30pm, Councillor Stephen Castle, Essex County Council Cabinet Member for Education & the 2012 Games, will attend the exhibition to give a presentation about his decision to proceed with the publication of the Statutory Proposals, to answer questions from those present and also to hear their views. Anyone with an interest in this matter is welcome to attend both the exhibition and presentation.

...

David Mason

School Organisation and Planning

The Restoration of the Windmill....

Tudor Owen — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 23:09:52 +0000

...is very nearly finished!

By the middle of next week the contractors, 'IJP Owlsworth', will have handed the site back to the village after five months hard work. You may have noticed the sails facing the Rec' this week, something that hasn't been seen for over a hundred years.

The Mill will be open to visitors at the end of May and there will be some sort of reopening 'bash' in June.

The Health Centre...

Tudor Owen — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 10:12:34 +0000

... still hasn't been built. Indeed the PCT still haven't applied for planning permission, a fact that concerned a number of residents at the Annual Parish Meeting at the Free Church on the 24th March.
So what progress has been made? It seems negotiations are still ongoing between the PCT, developer and landowner, held up by efforts to agree on the type of lease. It takes eighteen months from planning to completion so any new services are still some way off.

Update... June 2010... They couldn't agree on the lease... back to square one!

Comments?

It's that time again...

Tudor Owen — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 16:35:15 +0000

Along with The Link magazine all households should have received the papers for use at the Annual Parish Meeting which describe the work of the Council, a financial Review and future objectives.

In addition there will be a presentation relating to the Parish Plan and the recent questionnaire as well as an exhibition in the lobby on re-equipping and developing the play areas following discussions with manufacturers and after site visits.

Along with The Link magazine all households should have received the papers for use at the Annual Parish Meeting which describe the work of the Council, a financial Review and future objectives. In addition there will be a presentation relating to the Parish Plan and the recent questionnaire as well as an exhibition in the lobby on re-equipping and developing the play areas following discussions with manufacturers and after site visits.

Agenda

New Parking Restrictions...

Tudor Owen — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:30:44 +0000

... are proposed at the junction of Long Croft and Rainsford road, near the entrance of Bentfield Primary School. At school run times this area gets quite congested making it less safe for those on foot and often obstructing the bus service.

The notice can be seen here, which also includes other changes at Bentfield Causeway.

You have until the 26th February to give your thoughts on these proposals to the County Council.

Comment

"Eyesores...

Tudor Owen — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:02:18 +0000

... Are knocking nearby trade - council". Said a headline in the Saffron Walden Reporter this week.

Your council is concerned that buildings that continue to be left empty in the village are falling into disrepair and are damaging to the economic vitality of the village. The Three Colts public house and ex B&R carpets shop on Cambridge road are both becoming eyesores and if left to decay further may well end up like that other well known 'dangerous structure', Mont House in High Lane.

There is not a lot the Parish or District Councils can do about empty commercial properties except appeal to the landlord, so the Parish council has written to the owner of these properties to ask about his intentions and offer its assistance.

And Now...

Tudor Owen — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:45:49 +0000

...the end is near! The 'Fountain Willow' will be felled soon.

You may remember that after its last inspection the Willow tree was reported as being in a bad way - in need of some attention and surgery to a limb.

Well, it seems that removing the dangerous limb would destabilise the whole structure, making the tree surgeons already consulted reluctant to attend to the Willow. Arboriculturalist Dr David Brown has clarified his report's recommendation that the tree be removed and reluctantly the council has had to agree that this local landmark should be felled. 'If the tree were to be retained it would be for a short period, ... not be as attractive as it is now' and would 'have an increasing failure risk attached to it'.

Dr Brown's report can be found here.
And the notice of intent here

The fountain and 'island' are due to be renovated soon and a replacement sought for the Willow.

The Total Filling Station...

Tudor Owen — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:11:58 +0000

... site on Cambridge road could be developed for residential flats or 'units' as they are referred to in a recent planning application.
The filling station operator was not given an option to extend the lease on the site beyond 2010, the owner preferring to develop the site. They intend to demolish the garage and erect 14 2 bed dwellings in its place.

The application can be viewed here: UTT/1441/09/FUL

It will go to the District Council development committee on the 10th February. The report is here.

Update....

Uttlesford District Council rejected the proposals unanimously.

See this story here in the Saffron Walden Reporter.

Ray Woodcock raised a petition against the proposals with 327 names which he presented to the development control committee with this statement.

This is unlikely to be the end of these proposals so keep an eye out for an appeal or a revised application.

Comment?

As Another One Bites the Dust....

Oliver Treend — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:14:26 +0000

... the amenity value of trees in the village is further diminished. Despite many of the valuable and useful trees in the village being subject to tree preservation orders (TPOs) they are steadily and relentlessly being felled.

Of course they grow and and can endanger nearby buildings or block someone's precious sunlight - they become sick and structurally unsound or perhaps they're in the wrong place when a site is to be developed. But in the end they are victims of an expanding village that enjoys the rural open feeling they give, but can't always overcome the bureaucracy and health and safety issues that they cause in a more urbanised environment.

TPOs across the county have been revoked by ECC as responsibility for them passes to the District council who have to survey all the trees before reissuing them.

Keep an eye on your local trees and report any threats to their future. Remember they need to be looked after and not neglected so report any problems as well as attacks with chainsaws, which, incidentally, are more often than not quite legitimate. If you want to carry out any work on a tree with a TPO make sure you contact the district council first to seek permission.

Comment?

Bentfield Pond....

Tudor Owen — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:19:34 +0000

... is once again given some attention by the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers who made it for the third year in a row, aided by a few councillors on what turned out to be a sunny Sunday. The project is now complete for the time being and the Pond restored to a much healthier state. More...

The Windmill Works...

Tudor Owen — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:58:10 +0000

... have at last begun as the contractors, IJP, moved on site last Monday 2nd November. The works, which include repointing the brickwork, removing the cap and repainting the sails, should be completed early in the new year when we will see the cap turn the sails into the wind for the first time in one hundred years.
The first task was to arrange for BT to divert three telephone cables around the Mill to allow some working room for the cranes that will take off the sails and cap.

The Annual Fireworks...

Tudor Owen — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:44:53 +0000

... And bonfire at Elms Farm.

ELMS FARM, CHURCH ROAD, ENTRANCE VIA ARCHWAY COTTAGE

GATES OPEN 6.30 pm,BONFIRE 7.00 pm

FIREWORK DISPLAY 7.30 pm

ADULTS £3, CHILDREN £1

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE

WEAR WELLIES

TAKE SPARKLER STICKS HOME AS THIS IS A HORSE FIELD

If you can offer wood for the bonfire, please contact the Parish Clerk on 01279 813214

7th NOVEMBER

The Mile Iron....

Tudor Owen — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:48:24 +0000

.... Has been renovated! You may have noticed it gleaming in the sun at the Cambridge road Chapel hill junction oposite the Fountain. Originally placed near the fountain It's been in it's current position for quite some time and and been looking a little rusty - it's a solid lump of iron - until spotted by milestone enthusiast John Nicholls of the Milestone Society. He and his colleagues make it their business to revivie as many of these small pieces of history as they possibly can.

The Mile Stone Society have a website wher you can contact John if you know of any lonely and forgotten waymarkers or milestones. Their stated aim is: to identify, record, research and interpret for the public benefit the milestones and other waymarkers of the British Isles.

The public convenience...

Tudor Owen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 23:05:29 +0000

...comes at a price! The 'superloo' in the Lower Street car park costs the district council £25,000 a year to maintain which, at a time when local authorities are feeling the squeeze and looking for cuts, makes it and others a potential target. Locked into a long lease they are unlikely to be able to close this necessary convenience which only attracts spent pennies to the tune of 20% of its outgoings, so are likely instead to ask the Parish if they'd like to foot the bill for the Loo.

Should the Parish pay?

It's a sign of tough choices ahead and just another in a stream of services, such as PCSOs, youth services and street lighting, that that should be financed at district and county level, being pushed onto the Parish - or face loosing them. The Parish does it's best to stretch the precept to these undoubtedly worthwhile services, but at a time when the village is set to grow significantly it's resources will be at the limit and obligations such as play equipment for our public spaces are left to be funded by grants and charitable subscriptions - if we're lucky.

It's an old dillema, cuts or higher taxes? And as relevant to us at the most local level as it is at the centre of central government.

The MUGA opens...

Tudor Owen — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 22:10:01 +0000

...At last. The new Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) facility on Mountfitchet Green was officially opened on July 18th. Anyone in the village can use it for five-aside, tennis, basket ball or netball.

At the Windmill Fete...

Tudor Owen — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:31:57 +0000

... The 'teddy bear parachuting' saw a minor mishap as George's most favourite thing in the world managed to get his 'chute snagged halfway up the Mill. After bravely clinging on for most of the Bank Holiday afternoon the intrepid bear was helped down to a nearby window with the aid of a very long stick, and reunited with his relieved owner.

The fête was a great success raising nearly £2500 to help maintain the soon to be renovated Mill. On completion of the works in the spring of 2010 the cap will be able to face into the wind and the sails turn properly as they did in 1910 when the Mill was last used. The project was made possible by an English Heritage grant and much fundraising and donations over several years.

Information about the Mill can be found here.

The Fountain Willow...

Tudor Owen — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 20:09:48 +0000

... at the junction of Chapel Hill and Cambridge road is due for the chop!
"At the end of its useful life", according to consultant arborialist David Brown, it will eventually have to be removed.

As a well known landmark and of some amenity to the village the Parish Council believes it should do what it can to maintain the willow as long as is reasonably possible, unless or until it becomes a danger. At the moment it looks like one limb needs to be removed and the crown reduced. Quotes are being sought, but what the tree may look like after major work remains to be seen.