A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 8 Chelmsford Civic Society M i n d f u l o f C h e l m s f o r d ' s H e r i t a g e a n d S h a p i n g I t s F u t u r e

Chelmsford’s Future by: Malcolm Noble

The City’s businesses have just voted to establish a Business Improvement District (BID) in Chelmsford. The idea is that businesses will pay an additional levy that will fund projects of benefit to the City and its economy. The Civic Society will apply for associate membership. The Society is proposing that Chelmsford should apply for UK City of Culture status in 2025. The Sunday Times has voted Chelmsford as ‘the best place to live in the East of England’; ‘there has been an extra spring in its step since it was granted city status in 2012. The station has been refurbished, Anglia Ruskin University’s old site has been turned into 845 homes, shops and offices; Bond Street has been redeveloped with an Everyman Cinema, a White Company and a John Lewis store." The emphasis though is on education, with good schools, Chelmsford College, Writtle and Anglia Ruskin Universities.

However, there is a long way to go before we can realise fully the objectives set out in the City Council’s application for city status in 2012: to ‘make this a truly Great Place to live, work and learn’. The Civic Society has submitted detailed responses to the consultation on the Local Plan. A key point is a necessity for defining closely what is meant by our vision for Chelmsford as the ‘capital of ’. Marc De’ath, Cultural Partnership Co-ordinator, and Roy Clare CBE, Chair of the Community Development Trust, will address these matters at our meeting on 18th April. A P R I L - J U N E 2 0 1 8

Bletchley Park Rivers Festival Marconi Building Armistice Day

Marriage's Mill Shire Hall Vicky Ford, MP

Programme of Events Friday 27th April – Annual General Meeting Wednesday 18th April 730pm Vicky Ford, our new Member of Parliament, will Igniting a Passion for Chelmsford's Future address us once we have completed AGM Meeting House 10 South Primrose Hill CM1 2AG business. She will give her reflections on her time representing the constituency in Parliament Friday 27th April 730pm from her victory in the general election to date. Annual General Meeting with guest Vicky Ford, MP Upper Hall Trinity Methodist Church, "Vicky Ford was elected as the Member of 46 Rainsford Rd, Chelmsford CM1 2XB Parliament for Chelmsford in 2017. She is a member of the Science and Technology Select Committee and Chairs the All-Party Wednesday 16th May Parliamentary Groups for Information Group visit to Bletchley Park (now fully booked) Communication and Technology and for Rare Diseases. She also chairs the Conservative 23rd June – 1st July Backbench Policy Committee on Brexit. Chelmsford Festival and Rivers Festival Vicky was a Member of the European The Society is playing a full part in arranging this new Parliament from 2009 to 2017. She chaired the event for the summer calendar: especially Pam Swaby, Internal Market and organiser of the Rivers Festival. Details are on the Consumer Affairs Committee (IMCO), one of the Festival website – chelmsfordfestival.org most powerful economic committees of the Parliament. As well as spearheading digital Saturday 16th June policy and single market reforms to boost trade, Civic Voice Day she led the negotiations to end mobile roaming charges and changes to European gun laws 6th to 9th and 13th to 16th September after the Paris terrorist attacks. Vicky was Heritage Open Days - organised by Alan Pamphilon ranked in the top 10 most influential MEPs in Europe by Politico magazine. October/November During her time as an MEP Vicky also led We have been successful in gaining a lottery Fund negotiations on banking reform in the aftermath ‘Awards for All’ grant for this year’s Ideas Festival. of the financial crisis, on budgetary reforms for 20th October as part of our commemoration of the Eurozone countries and helped establish a €80 billion Horizon fund for science and research. Armistice Centenary, we will be visiting Stow Maries, the This brought over £500 million into the East of FirstWorld War Aerodrome England."

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Chelmsford Civic Society M i n d f u l o f C h e l m s f o r d ' s H e r i t a g e a n d S h a p i n g I t s F u t u r e

EVENTS NEWS January Talk

Dr. Viv Newman gave a most interesting talk to 50 members and guests on 3rd January. When the 1914-1818 war broke out those who had campaigned long and hard for Votes for Women transferred their organising, activist and fundraising skills to winning the war: then, near the end of it the vote. Without them, victory might not have been possible.

February Talk

Stephen Norris and David Jones reported on their project ‘Chelmsford Lives’; recording interviews with local residents going back to the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s. This gave the 50 attendees a fascinating insight into Chelmsford’s quite recent past. The meeting took place on 7th February at the Galleywood Heritage Centre.

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