PARISH COUNCIL Minutes of the 996th Meeting held on 7 August 2013 at 7:30 pm in the URC Hall.

Present: Councillors Graham Harvey (Chairman), Richard Freeman, John Moore, Caroline ScottBowden (entered during item 13/80.3), Alan Thawley and Chris Woodhouse. District Councillor Felton was also present along with 7 members of the public. 13/76 Apologies for Absence and Declarations of Interest. Apologies had been received from Councillors Nicholas Hinde, Fiona Hitchcock, Peter Rose, and Corinne Walker. Councillor Harvey declared a pecuniary interest in Item 13/94 and took no part in the discussion of this item. Cllr Thawley declared a non pecuniary interest in Item 13/80.4 (Stop Stansted Expansion group) and took no part in the discussion of this item.

13/77 Public Forum. The public raised the following topics – 77.1 Toilet signs – The Assistant Clerk informed the meeting that these had been ordered and would be erected very shortly.

77.2 Pothole in Bury Chase Car Park – The Assistant Clerk informed the meeting that the

work was scheduled to commence during the week beginning 19 August.

77.3 Pothole outside Wilderwick, Hollow Road – The Clerk informed the meeting that a works order had been raised for this in May but that the work had not yet commenced. It was agreed that the Clerk should chase this long outstanding problem. Clerk 13/78 Minutes of the Meeting held on 2 July 2013 The minutes were approved and signed by the Chairman.

13/79 Matters arising from the Minutes 79.1 Winter Salt Partnership (13/58.2) Cllr Harvey agreed to provide the Clerk with names Cllr of the volunteers for snow clearing, so that the necessary forms could be completed. Harvey 79.2 Flitch Green supermarket planning decision (13/58.3) – The Assistant Clerk confirmed that he had written to UDC to express the Council’s concern that the planning permission did not address the problems regarding access and parking.

79.3 East Anglia Children’s Hospice (13/58.4) – The Clerk agreed to establish if this organisation had any connections with Felsted families. Clerk 79.4 Affordable Housing allocation under UTT/13/0989/OP (Land to the east of Braintree Road, Watch House Green) – The Assistant Clerk had spoken to UDC Planners and established that the houses would be allocated under a cascade system commencing with the Parish Council. Councillors therefore agreed that they would need to compile a list of Clerk local residents who might be interested in the affordable housing.

79.5 Three Horseshoes, Bannister Green – Concrete blocks – The Assistant Clerk had

spoken to UDC Enforcement officers and established that owners were entitled to protect unoccupied buildings ‘for a reasonable time’ provided that such protection did not extend onto Clerk the highway. It was agreed to consider this matter again in 3 months time. 79 79.6 Application to fell one oak tree at Chelsea Oak (13/69.6) – The Assistant Clerk reported that UDC had placed a temporary TPO on the tree and would be discussing the matter further with the resident.

13/80 Correspondence The list of correspondence was circulated to Councillors (see p8).

Page 1 of 12 80.1 Newly elected District Councillor The Chairman welcomed Marie Felton who was in attendance. 80.2 UDC Youth Initiatives Working Group – It was agreed to ascertain if either the Youth Clerk Club and/or Felsted Rovers Junior section would be interested in receiving such advise/support.

80.3 UDC Highway Rangers – The Assistant Clerk had already drawn up a list of potential Clerk work for the Highway Rangers and it was agreed that these should be submitted with the addition of the cleaning of the Felsted Village Sign and the various village/hamlet name signs. 80.4 Requests for donations from Citizens Advise Bureau and Stop Stansted Clerk Expansion – It was agreed to place these items on the Agenda for the next meeting.

13/81 Finance The list of payments shown on p 9 was approved. The Clerk informed Councillors that the

cheque written in June 2013 to A and J Lighting Solutions for £121.20 had been lost in the post and never received by them. It was agreed to cancel the lost cheque and issue a replacement.

13/82 Clerk and Assistant Clerk’s pay and conditions 82.1 Revised National Pay Scales for Clerk’s (w.e.f. 1 April 2013) Councillors noted the increased pay scales and it was unanimously agreed that both the Clerk and the Assistant Clerk should move to the new scales from 1 April 2013 and receive the relevant pay arrears. 82.2 Review of salaries/contracts/job descriptions following the change of roles It was proposed by Cllr Thawley, seconded by Cllr Moore and unanimously agreed that the new Clerk should be placed onto point SP20 of the National Pay Scales w.e.f. 1 August 2013. Cllrs Harvey It was agreed that a Working Party, consisting of Cllrs Harvey, Woodhouse, Hinde and Moore, would meet to discuss the new Assistant Clerk’s pay point before the next meeting. Hinde Woodhouse It was further agreed that the same Councillors would consider any necessary changes to the and Clerk/Assistant Clerk’s contracts and job descriptions following the changeover. Moore 13/83 Village Centre Toilets Councillors noted that there had been no further response from UDC Planning Department or the architect. Once the Playing Field toilets are properly signposted, the need for a second block of public toilets in the village was discussed at length. It was agreed that once the signs are in place the situation should be monitored and the need reassessed. 13/84 Byelaws The Clerk reported that she had been in communication with the DCLG who had queried the name of the ‘Green’ at Bannister Green and this had now been resolved. The DCLG had suggested 4 other modifications to the wording of the Draft byelaws. Councillors accepted the

revised wording for all but byelaw 17 regarding Children’s Play Apparatus. It was agreed that the Clerk would suggest an alternative wording for this as follows “No person above or below the age stated by a notice conspicuously displayed on or near any apparatus shall use that Clerk apparatus”.

13/85 Playing Field 85.1 Repair of public toilet drains Councillors unanimously agreed to accept the quotation from Arvon the details of which had previously been circulated. The cost would be £600 + VAT to reline the 8m section between

the two manholes and £1200 + VAT to replace the pipe between the second manhole and the ceptic tank. The work would be carried out on 10 th /11 th August and the Clerk had placed a notice on the toilets giving advance notification of their closure on these dates.

Page 2 of 12 85.2 Construction of car park The Clerk informed Councillors that she had registered an Expression of Interest with the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF) for a grant towards the cost but had been informed that work could not therefore commence until the CIF decision had been made.

District Cllr Felton agreed to investigate the possibility of also allocating her UDC Members

Grant towards this project.

85.3 Additional playbark on Children’s Play area

The Clerk informed Councillors that since the play area was constructed, the level of playbark had been eroding and that the original 12”+ was now down to 12” in places. This had Assistant exposed the concrete fixings at the bottom of some of the posts and an urgent top up of Clerk playbark was required. The Assistant Clerk had obtained costings and advise which recommended that between 55 and 92 cu metres be spread over the area. It was proposed by Cllr Thawley, seconded by Cllr Freeman and carried by a majority (with one abstention) that 55 cu metres of playbark be ordered urgently at a cost of £2900 to include installation. If this proved insufficient a further load, giving a total of 92 cu metres, should be ordered. 13/86 Bannister Green road naming Cllr Councillors would be speaking to residents about the result of the survey before the next Moore meeting. 13/87 Parish Plan Councillors noted that a local graphic designer had been engaged to assist with the layout of the final plan document. 13/88 Book Boxes (Adopted Telephone Kiosks) Councillors were pleased to note that the display shelves had been installed and that books

and leaflets had been placed into the boxes which were now operational. It was agreed to notify the Dunmow Broadcast and BBC who had both previously featured the Book Clerk Boxes. 13/89 Allotments 89.1 Extension of water supply Councillors were pleased to note that UDC had awarded a grant of up to £3,300 (subject to 50% matched funding) for this project. A decision was awaited regarding an ‘Edible Essex’ grant of up to £1,000 from RCCE. Councillors noted that the mains connection by Affinity would cost £1448.31 +VAT and that the six water tanks would cost £95.71 + VAT each (total £574.26 + VAT). A second quotation had now been received for the on site work but a revised quotation from the original tenderer was still awaited (to include laying the pipework at a depth of 750mm instead of 500mm as originally stated and the provision of a standpipe). It was proposed by Cllr Thawley, seconded by Cllr Freeman and unanimously agreed to accept the lower of the Assistant two final quotes, up to a maximum of £4745. Clerk 89.2 Maintenance of access track Councillors considered two quotations to resurface the access track to the allotments and unanimously agreed to accept the quotation from Contour Landscapes to carry out the work at a cost of £6018, to include the installation of a dropped kerb. It was agreed that the owners of Bell Cottage should be notified of this impending work as Assistant they have a drainage gulley adjacent to the track. Clerk 89.3 Collection of allotment rents by standing order In order to increase efficiency in the collection of the allotment rents, Tony Sherred from the Allotment Society, proposed to stipulate that future rents should be paid via standing order

directly into the Council’s bank account. It was proposed by Cllr Thawley, seconded by Cllr Moore and unanimously agreed to carry out this change for all allotmenteers who hold a bank account.

Page 3 of 12 13/90 Repositioning of village flag pole The school bursar had no objection in principle to moving the flag pole onto the edge of their playing field opposite the Memorial Hall. However they had asked who would operate the flag pole and were checking the position with regard to insurance cover.

13/91 Salt bins Councillors agreed to consider the quotation received at the next meeting. Clerk

13/92 Additional notice board at Gransmore Green Councillors were keen to install an additional notice board behind the bus stop in Gransmore Green and it was agreed that the Clerk should obtain costings for consideration at the next meeting. Clerk

Councillors discussed a suggestion to relocate the notice board at Bannister Green and

agreed that the Clerk should compile a full list of all notice boards and their state of repair for consideration at the next meeting. Clerk

13/93 Highway Problems Councillors noted that pothole repairs had been undertaken outside Hatleys, Pyes Cottage and Pyes Farm at Molehill Green. Councillors noted the following outstanding repairs which had all been reported to ECC Highways and were the subject of works orders

Reerection of fallen fingerpost at Leighs Lodge junction

Replacement of finger post at Main Road, Willows Green (“Molehill Green Road”)

Repair of road edge outside Wilderwick, Hollow Road

Repair of pothole/drainage problems at junction of Bakers Lane and Road (It was Clerk agreed that the Clerk should try and expedite this repair because of its seriousness).

It was agreed to report the overhanging hedge at the western end of Stevens Lane. Clerk It was noted that the village attendant would cut back the overgrown bus stop and approach path at Gransmore Green.

Emergency Procedures and Risk Review 13/94 It was agreed that the Clerk should instruct NFU to undertake a new Risk Review and that this and the Emergency Procedures should be considered again at the October meeting. Clerk

13/95 Planning Decisions and New Applications 95.1 Decisions received since the previous meeting: UTT/13/0989/OP Land East of Braintree Road, Watch House Green Outline application for the erection of up to no. 25 dwellings, access from Braintree Road complete with related infrastructure, play area with all matters reserved except access. Permission Granted 11 July 2013.

UTT/13/1060/HHF Envilles, Chelmsford Road, Felsted Erection of a single storey garden shed with landscaping and ground works. Permission Granted 16 July 2013.

UTT/13/1089/FUL The Chimes, Bannister Green Change of use of cart shed to a two bedroom dwelling. Erection of single storey side extension . Permission Granted 10 July 2013.

Page 4 of 12

UTT/13/1123/FUL Land at Webb Road and Hallett Road, Flitch Green Erection of 9 no. residential units and 1 no. retail unity (Class A1 use) with associated parking and access. Permission Granted 3 July 2013.

UTT/13/1166/FUL Potash Farm, Cobblers Green Removal of condition C.90B on application UTT/0285/03/FUL: “The use hereby permitted shall be for holiday/short term letting only. The maximum period that any person may occupy the site shall be 4 weeks in any period of 6 months” Permission Granted 2 June 2013.

UTT/13/1167/HHF Helpstons Manor, Hollow Road, Felsted New detached cartlodge building with domestic facilities. Permission Refused 29 July 2013. (“ The application site lies outside the development limits of any settlementthe building by way of height and scale is contrary to the aims of policy S7 ”).

UTT/13/1273/OP Farley House, Braintree Road, Felsted Outline application for the erection of dwelling with associated access and garage with some matters reserved. Permission Refused 5 July 2013. (“ The development of this site would result in additional built form in the countryside which would be detrimental to the open and rural character of the surrounding countryside. The development does not need to take place there and is not appropriate to the rural area and there are no material considerations which would justify the development of this site outside of development limits. The proposal is contrary to advise contained in the National Planning Policy Framework (2012) and to Policies S7 and GEN2 and of the Uttlesford Local Plan (adopted 2005 ”).

UTT/13/1287/HHF Richmond House, Causeway End Road, Felsted Side two storey extension and a rear single storey extension with internal alterations. Permission Granted 8 July 2013.

UTT/13/1326/FUL and UTT/13/1339/LB Bury Farm Barns, Bury Chase, Felsted Conversion of utility parlour range/stables into residential dwelling, including link extension. Retention of Grade II* barn as amenity area to dwelling and removal of existing agricultural storage building. Erection of cartlodge/workshop together with associated landscaping improvements. Planning and Listed Building Permission Granted 16 July 2013 (subject to conditions excluding the proposed fencing and pergolas).

UTT/13/1338/FUL Sparlings Farm, Braintree Road, Felsted Erection of extension to free range egg production unit for a further 3,000 birds. Permission Granted 18 July 2013.

UTT/13/1356/HHF 8 Bury Fields, Felsted Removal of existing glazed entrance porch to be replaced with brick porch with roof to match existing. Permission Granted 8 July 2013.

Page 5 of 12 UTT/13/1433/HHF Hawkins, Braintree Road, Felsted First floor rear extension above existing utility room. Permission Granted 5 July 2013.

UTT/13/1508/FUL Three Horseshoes, Bannister Green Change of use from Public House (A4 use) to single residential dwelling (C3 use). Permission Granted 29 July 2013.

UTT/13/1540/CLE Holly House, Gransmore Green Certificate of lawfulness for existing garage. Certificate Granted 11 July 2013.

UTT/13/1547/FUL The Yard, Bartholomew Green The use of land for stationing of caravans for residential purposes for 1 no. gypsy pitch together with the formation of additional hard standing and a utility/dayroom ancillary to that use. Permission Granted 1 August 2013.

UTT/13/1602/HHF 5 Garnetts Villas, Braintree Road, Felsted Part demolition and two storey rear extension. Permission Granted 30 July 2013.

UTT/13/1619/NMA and UTT/13/1625/LB Saddlers, Chelmsford Road, Felsted Replacement rear extension. (Revision to consent UTT/0982/11/LB) Listed Building Permission Granted 30 July 2013 but Planning Permission Refused 2 July 2013 . (“The roof amendments submitted are not considered to be a minor amendment as the proposal is materially different to that approved under UTT/0982/11/FUL. An application for planning permission needs to be submitted.” )

Tree work application decided:

UTT/13/1729/TPO Felsted School, Braintree Road, Felsted Reduce 2 no. Lime Trees to previous pollard points; crown lift on 2 no. Sycamore Trees and 1 no. Lime Tree to 3 metres and cut back overhanging branches by up to 4.5 metres. Permission Granted 30 July 2013.

95.2 Planning Applications to be considered at the next Planning Committee meeting UTT/13/1884/HHF Saddlers, Chelmsford Road, Felsted Amendment to roof to approved application UTT/0982/11/FUL.

UTT/13/1969/CLP Elogant, Causeway End Road, Felsted Certificate of Lawfulness for proposed rear dormer.

Tree work application: UTT/13/2025/TCA Woodstock, 2 Riche Close, Felsted 50% crown reduction on 1 no. walnut tree.

Page 6 of 12

13/96 Development of semi-circle of land near Gransmore Green (south of B1417) Councillors noted that UDC Enforcement team are investigating this matter.

13/97 Clerk’s Matters 97.1 Grass Cutting contract The Clerk pointed out that the existing 3 year contract was due for renewal and Councillors agreed that the Clerk should obtain ideally 3 quotations for consideration at the next meeting. Clerk 13/98 County and District Councillors’ Reports The report from District Councillor Harris was noted (see pp 1012). It was agreed that the Clerk should forward details of the UDC Parking questionnaire, mentioned in the report, to Cllr Clerk Hinde (Chairman of the Highways Committee).

13/99 Urgent Matters and proposals for future agenda items.

99.1 Erection of final Heritage Board at Bury Chase car park

Councillors studied the design of the final board and found it acceptable but wished to suggest that the reference to the Three Horseshoes public house, Bannister Green be deleted now that the public house has closed. Councillors also wished to suggest that a repeat of the Church information sign be put on the Clerk back of the sign as both sides would be visible from various points in or near the car park.

99.2 Development of school site to replace Follyfield building The Clerk reported that work on this new building, off Stebbing Road, would commence on 27 August 2013 with builders being on site from 20 August. The work was anticipated to last one Clerk year. Workers should be on site by 7.30am each day to avoid aggravating the existing traffic

problems and an information board would be erected to keep neighbours/villagers advised of progress. It was agreed that this information would be advertised on the parish council website/notice boards and in the newsletter.

13/100 Next Planning Committee Meeting: Wed 21 August URC Hall at 7:30 pm Next Council Meeting: Wed 4 September URC Hall at 7:30 pm

13/101 The meeting closed at 9:36 pm.

Chairman .. 4 September 2013

Page 7 of 12

FELSTED PARISH COUNCIL

Meeting 7 August 2013, Agenda Item 5 — Correspondence

1. District Councillor (Felsted Ward) Election on 25th July 2013 – Result Marie Felton elected Note 2. UDC Youth Initiatives Working Group – Offer of advise/support to local communities to help them establish more services for young people. Expression of interest required by 20 September 2013 Action? 3. UDC Highway Rangers – Information regarding the service provided and contact details for requests 4. EALC – New publications available – Good Councillors Guide (4th Edition) and Local Councils Explained Action? 5. Uttlesford Citizens Advise Bureau – Statistics for Felsted residents and request for funding. Action? 6. Stop Stansted Expansion – Update on situation and request for funding. Action? 7. Anglian Water: Shaping our Future – Response to their biggest ever customer consultation on the future of water services. See: www.discoverdiscussdecide.co.uk . Feedback invited by 18 August 8. Chelmsford City Council – Examination of the Core Strategy and Development Control Policies Focused Review Draft Submission Document – Main Modifications. A number of changes have been made to this document as a result of the Examination Hearings : see http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/csdpc/examination Consultation closes 29 August 9. Felsted Football Club – Letter thanking the Council for agreeing to wave the playing field rent for the 201213 season and for their continued support to the club. 10. Countryside Voice (CPRE) – Summer 2013. 11. Braintree Arts Theatre – Productions September 2013 – March 2014

Page 8 of 12 Page 9 of 12

Felsted Ward District Councillor Report

June/July 2013

Dear Parishioners

Welcome to the monthly report from your District Councillor, Stephanie Harris where I hope to keep you informed on recent activities within the District.

HISTORY – WE DIG IT! LOCAL SCHOOLCHILDREN TAKE PART IN HISTORIC COMMON DIG

Schoolchildren from Uttlesford are joining forces with archaeologists from the University of Cambridge to take part in an archaeological dig on Common. The weeklong dig will commence on Monday 22 nd July under the direction of Dr Carenza Lewis from Access Cambridge Archaeology at the University of Cambridge. It will be funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund’s All Our Stories programme and Access Cambridge Archaeology, which is supported by the Arts & Humanities Research Council. The dig is being coordinated by Saffron Walden Museum with the support of Saffron Walden Town Council. Archaeologists and their student assistants are looking for part of the outer bailey ditch from the town’s Norman castle, which is thought to run under the Common’s north west corner. A geophysical survey of the site was carried out in May and June using ground penetrating radar and magnetometry by Dr Tim Dennis, Ralph Potter and Museum volunteers.

The archaeologists are keen to investigate some of the mysterious buried features detected by the survey, but until they start digging they cannot be sure what they will uncover. Saffron Walden Mayor Keith Eden said he was “delighted” to give permission for the dig to take place. He said: “Residents of Saffron Walden have huge interest in their wonderful town’s past and we look forward to the dig team making some exciting finds.” Students from Saffron Walden County High School and Newport Free Grammar School are taking part in the dig.

Newport Free Grammar’s Head of History, Colin Almond, said: "This is a fantastic opportunity for our students. “We are thoroughly looking forward to the week and appreciate the chance to discover more about our fascinating local history." The project fulfils a longheld ambition for Museum Curator Carolyn Wingfield, who said: “The Museum wanted to provide more practical opportunities for local students to get involved in archaeology and to further our knowledge of the Castle and the town’s history. “The combination of the Heritage Lottery Fund grant and the professional expertise of Access Cambridge Archaeology will enable us to do just that.” Members of the public will be able to watch the dig from Monday 22nd July and follow its progress on the project’s blog at http://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/digonthecommon There will be a daily update at around 3.30pm at the dig site on The Common. Archaeologists will take any finds away for further analysis and on Saturday 14th September there will be a public event in the Museum and Castle grounds to share the results of the dig and celebrate the Castle’s history.

UDC TO CONSULT ON CAR PARKING IN THE DISTRICT MAKE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR SAY

Residents and businesses across Uttlesford are to be asked for their views on car parking in the district. Uttlesford District Council’s Scrutiny Committee has set up a working group after deciding to look into its current parking arrangements. And as part of its work the group has drawn up two separate questionnaires which it is urging local residents and businesses to fill in. Responses will be fed into a report the group will present to the Scrutiny Committee, which can recommend changes to the Council’s Cabinet on or offstreet parking arrangements. Councillor Iris Evans, who chairs the Car Parking Task Group, said: “This is a chance for residents and businesses to have their say about their experiences of using our car parks. “We want to know what people think about how well the car parks are maintained, whether there are enough parking places, the level of fees, ways of paying and residents’ parking schemes. “I urge residents and businesses to fill in the questionnaires so that we can gather as much information as possible in order to improve car parking provision in Uttlesford.”

Page 10 of 12

You can respond to the questionnaires online by going to www.uttlesford.gov.uk/parkingsurvey but please ensure you fill in the correct one. Paper copies of the questionnaires will also be available from the following locations: • The UDC offices in London Road, Saffron Walden • Saffron Walden Library • Saffron Walden Tourist Information centre • Library • Stansted Mountfitchet Library and • Library

Closing date for responding to the questionnaires is Monday 9 th September, 2013.

DON’T ABANDON IT – GET IT SCRAPPED! COUNCIL OFFERS FREE CAR SCRAPPING SERVICE

Has your beloved old motor finally given up the ghost and conked out for the very last time? Well worry not, because we can arrange for it to be picked up and taken away to be scrapped for you FREE of charge. The European Union’s End of Life Vehicles Directive provides funding for local authorities to arrange for the collection and recycling of unwanted cars and vans. It is estimated that such vehicles create between eight and nine million tonnes of waste across the EU every YEAR. Uttlesford District Council’s appointed car scrapping contractors are Takeleybased C&C Motors. If you want to arrange for your old car or van to be taken away by them and scrapped at no cost to you all you need to provide are the following: • The keys to the vehicle • The vehicle’s log book and • A letter confirming that you are happy for us to dispose of the vehicle on your behalf. It is a criminal offence to abandon a motor vehicle and if you admit to, or are convicted of, doing so, you could face a fine of up to £2,500. The Council has powers under the Refuse Disposal Amenity Act 1978 to seize abandoned vehicles and remove them. Only recently it used these powers to scrap a Chrysler PT Cruiser which had been dumped in a car park adjoining Bridge End Gardens in Saffron Walden. The vehicle had sustained substantial damage – it tyres were missing, all its windows had been smashed, its number plates had been ripped off and it had been daubed with graffiti. Cllr Alastair Walters, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, said: “There’s absolutely no excuse for dumping unwanted vehicles. “Why risk a hefty fine and disposal charges when all you’ve got to do is contact us and we’ll arrange for your old car or van to be scrapped safely free of charge? “Abandoned vehicles not only look unsightly they also pose a very real safety hazard to young children who might be tempted to play on or near them. “This Council will act swiftly to remove abandoned vehicles when we’re notified about them and we won’t hesitate to prosecute the owners.” To arrange for your old car or van to be safely disposed at no cost contact the Council’s enforcement team on 01799510326 or via email at [email protected]

HERE TO HELP – THE HIGHWAY RANGERS PARISHES URGED TO MAKE USE OF DISTRICT CLEAN-UP TEAM

Is there an area of your village or town which looks a bit neglected, overgrown or unsightly? If the answer to this question is 'Yes' then help could well be at hand courtesy of the Highway Rangers. The Highway Rangers can tackle a wide range of minor works not undertaken by your parish council as part of its normal maintenance programme. These include: • Trimming back overgrown vegetation • Ad hoc grass cutting • Cleaning and small repairs to nonelectrical road signs and • Small repairs, cleaning or painting of street furniture. Any resident can request the help of the Highway Rangers simply submit the details of the area or item you would like to see tidied up, and its location, to your local town or parish council by letter or e mail. Make sure you include your own contact details so they can get back to you in the event they need more information. They may have already included a request to tidy the area or item you have in mind in their ongoing maintenance programme. But if not, they can email your request to the Highway Rangers and, if it’s within the scope of their operations, it will be approved for action. The Rangers are there to provide a service which can help make your village or town even more attractive for local residents and visitors – so take advantage of them! Please note the Rangers are only permitted to tidy up on land owned by Essex County Council’s Highways Department or your parish council. They cannot act on private land.

Page 11 of 12 WELCOME HOME PARADE UTTLESFORD SAYS ‘THANK YOU’ TO THE MEN AND WOMEN OF 21 FD SQDN

Saffron Walden will reverberate to the sound of marching feet again later this month when the town welcomes home 21 Field Squadron (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) from its latest tour of Afghanistan. Members of 33 Engineer Regiment (EOD) and 101 (City of London) Engineer Regiment (EOD) will parade through the Market Square on Sunday 28 th July accompanied by the Prince of Wales Marching Division Band. The parade is being held to officially welcome home 21 Fd Sqn (EOD) from Operation Herrick 17, and to mark the disbanding of 49 Fd Sqn (EOD) and the formation of 821 EOD and Search Sqn (RLC). Eighty five soldiers from 21 Fd Sqn (EOD) were deployed on the operation as part of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Search Task Force in Helmand province. Working in teams and at great risk, Task Force members were responsible for finding and disposing of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) as well as conventional munitions. Members of 33 Engineer Regt (EOD) and 101 (City of London) Engineer Regt (EOD), both based at Carver Barracks in Wimbish, will parade to the Market Square after forming up at Uttlesford District Council’s HQ in London Road. The ceremony to formally welcome back 21 FD Sqn (EOD) will take place at 1.30pm and members of the public are encouraged to attend. After the parade members of both regiments will attend a Service of Thanksgiving at the town’s St Mary’s Church between 2pm and 2.45pm. The parade is the culmination of a weekend of events taking place at Carver Barracks, the centre point of which will be the Wimbish Station Open Day on Saturday 27 th July. Members of the public are invited to join Army families for the Open Day, which the Barracks is hosting to say a public ‘Thank You’ to the residents of Uttlesford for their support. It runs from 11.30am until 4pm and offers a host of displays, stalls and attractions to amuse the whole family. These include: • An air display • Military working dogs • An armoured fighting vehicle • The Royal Engineers’ Air Balloon • A children’s assault course • Bouncy castles • Remote control vehicle and night vision goggle mazes • Clay pigeon shooting • A bridge building demonstration • Mine detecting, diving and sniping stands • An archery ‘butts’ (practice range) and • Numerous food, drink and refreshment stalls A car boot sale will also take place at the barracks from 10am to 12.30pm prior to the start of the Open Day. Captain Suze Marshall, the Media Officer at Carver Barracks, said: “This is our way of saying a big ‘Thank You’ to local residents for their unstinting support of the Armed Forces. “We hugely appreciate the backing the Army receives from members of the public in general and the support the residents of Uttlesford give to Soldiers from this Barracks. “There will be a host of brilliant attractions for the whole family at the Open Day and we would love to see as many members of the public coming along as possible. “And to round off what promises to be a great weekend we will be parading through Saffron Walden on the Sunday to welcome home our comrades from their latest tour of Afghanistan. “It promises to be a fantastic weekend which will once again showcase the tremendous links between the Army families at the Barracks and members of the local community.”

ELECTION OF A DISTRICT COUNCILLOR IN FELSTED WARD THURSDAY 25 TH JULY 2013

The following persons have been nominated: FELTON Marie Christine Pudneys Causeway End Road Felsted Essex CM6 3LU Conservative Party Candidate STANNARD Alan Patrick 34 Evelyn Road Willows Green Gt Leighs Chelmsford CM3 1QQ U K Independence Party (UK I P) WATTEBOT Antoinette Magdeleine Armigers Stanbrook Thaxted Dunmow CM6 2NN Liberal Democrats ZANGANAH Yad Sardar Zewar 2 Saines Road Little Dunmow Dunmow CM6 3GP Labour Party Candidate Felsted Ward District Councillor

Stephanie Harris [email protected]

Page 12 of 12