As part of a Countywide review of the Essex bus network, we would like to get your views on how the local bus network could be improved.
An online public survey has been launched to get the view of bus users and non-users on the bus network. To make the information as relevant as possible, we are most interested in responses which relate to the districts in which the responder travels most often by bus or (if not) where the person travels most often within the county.
Please see the links below to the surveys for each district.
TEC Mates is a programme to support the use and uptake of Digital Technology and Technology Enabled Care (TEC) products and services. It aims to inform vulnerable people, their friends, family and carers on TEC and its capabilities, and to consider its adoption for accessing social and health care services.
Could you be a TEC Mate Volunteer?
WECAN are looking for people with a good all-round knowledge of smart phones, tablets, Chromebooks,
laptops and smart speakers, as well as the enthusiasm to help others gain the skills they need.
MEDIA RELEASE: Specialist developer selected to deliver the Hedingham Medical Centre
Braintree District Council has selected a specialist developer to take the development of a medical centre in Sible Hedingham on to the next step.
OneMedical Group, a company which specialises in the creation of health care properties, have won a bid to develop the centre after a tender process.
A plot of land on Osier Way was safeguarded for the development of a health centre when Bloor Homes were granted planning permission to build homes on the old Premdor site.
The Council, together with NHS Mid Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), identified this land as an opportunity for investment and have been looking at the best way of bringing a medical centre forward on the site to replace the three GP surgeries local to the area, all run by the Hedingham Medical Centre.
After evaluating the options, the Council, Mid Essex CCG and the Hedingham Medical Centre, have agreed that OneMedical Group – a specialist in the development of health care properties – should take the project forward and on to the next stage.
The Council is now looking to transfer the land to OneMedical Group for it to proceed with the scheme on behalf of Mid Essex CCG and the GP surgeries. OneMedical Group will invest in the build and development of the facility and will own and manage it once it is complete.
Once built, the medical centre will have the capacity to serve about 10,000 patients from Sible and Castle Hedingham and the surrounding villages.
Cllr Kevin Bowers, Cabinet Member for Housing, Assets and Skills at Braintree District Council, said: “We are pleased that, together with our partners, we have found a specialist provider with the right expertise and experience to take this project on and forward to the next stage. We know how important good healthcare facilities and services are to residents, which is why we have been doing all that we can to help facilitate that process.”
Dan Doherty, Alliance Director – Mid Essex for the Mid and South Essex CCGs, said: “Ensuring the communities we serve have high-quality, sustainable and safe NHS services is our priority. A key part of delivering on that is making sure local GP practices have accessible, modern premises, so we are very pleased this arrangement is moving forward. We are grateful to the Council, Hedingham Medical Centre and OneMedical Group for working with us to make it happen.”
OneMedical Group will soon arrange and share details of virtual engagement events, where the team will listen to and answer questions, and share information about the project. Residents can email Feedback@onemedicalgroup.co.uk to ask questions and register their interest in the events.
Cllr Hylton Johnson, Ward Councillor for Hedingham at Braintree District Council, said: “I am delighted that the plans for a new healthcare facility in Sible Hedingham are moving forward. The delivery of a centre which meets modern standards will benefit patients, residents and the local community for many years to come. I would encourage residents local to the area to register their interest in the virtual events to find out more about the plans and the project.”
Subject to planning approval, work is expected to start at the site early next year.
Essex Assoication of local councils – free training sessions on Mental Heath First Aid, J9 Domestic Abuse training and Living with Dementia Please click hereto find out more and how you can register.
Highways England – to view the May/June 2021 newsletter regarding the – A12 Chelmsford to A120 widening scheme newsletter – please click here.
To see Councillor Finch’s May parish update please clickhere.
Notice from Parish Council Announcement of RESOLUTION TO BORROW At the Toppesfield Parish Council meeting of 6th May 2021, it was RESOLVED to seek the approval of the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities & Local Government to apply for a PWLB loan of £85,000 over the borrowing term of 50 years for the purpose of purchasing the Green Man barn and carrying out refurbishment and renovation works which will provide a new dedicated parish office and a multi-use room, including all utilities. The annual loan repayments will come to around £2,900.
It is not intended to increase the council tax precept for the purpose of the loan repayments as the loan costs will be covered by savings on rent currently paid for the space used by the Parish Council at the village hall and by rent paid by the community brewery which currently occupies part of the building. In addition we expect a growing income from the renting of the multi-use room.
For information, a summary of the proposal is set out below.
If you have any views or opinions you wish to feed in, or would like more details of the proposal please contact the parish council direct by 30 June 2021.
Kaaren Berry Clerk
Proposed purchase of the Green Man Barn by Toppesfield Parish Council
Overview of proposed project
A purchase price of £55,000 has been agreed with the owner for the Green Man Barn;
Part of the barn (the cart lodge and stable /hayloft) is currently rented by the community owned brewery. This arrangement will continue;
The underused front part of the barn will be converted to a parish office and a small multi-purpose meeting room that will be available for hire;
The total cost of the barn and associated work would be in the order of £90,000;
The funding would come from the parish council’s own funds and a loan from the PWLB for £85,000;
The loan would be repayable on an annuity basis (that is, equal instalments during the life of the loan) over 50 years and would bear a fixed rate of interest. PWLB fixed interest rates are set twice daily. The rate today (19 May 2021) is 2.46%pa;
There will be no increase in the parish council precept to cover the cost of the loan. It is our intention that the cost of the borrowing would be covered by associated income (rent from the brewery and for the hire of the multi-use room) and savings by the parish council as rent on the currently used space would no longer be paid. A spreadsheet is attached showing the financial projections.
We would like to complete on the purchase by autumn 2021 and complete the necessary work by spring 2022.
Background and rationale
The Green Man Barn is a Victorian stable block in good structural condition.
Part of the barn (the original stable and cart lodge) was converted and refurbished and is currently occupied by Pumphouse Community Brewery Limited.
The storage area of the barn is currently underutilised.
The parish council office has, for the past 20 years been located in a small rented space in the village hall; previously the space had been a galley-kitchen. There is no running water in the office and although there are toilets in the contiguous village hall, a pre-school occupies the hall every morning and some afternoons therefore making access difficult. Additionally the office is now very constrained for space and storage.
The barn would not only provide an adequately sized space for the clerk and visitors and save the current rental. It would also be able to offer a multi-use room available to rent.
The latter room would be made available to hire by service providers (e.g. mobile hairdresser, chiropodist etc), for training (such as IT skills) and for meetings of small groups, clubs etc, for whom the village hall is either not available or too large for them. It could also be used by the parish council for its meetings.
Used in this way the renovated barn would add a new facility to the village and would complement the amenities already present. For the community owned pub, it would also offer the potential to provide refreshments and food to hirers of the multi-use room.
Financial forecasts
The following is a review of the anticipated costs and income associated with this project.
Project Cost
The price of the barn has been agreed with the owner at £55,000. In addition we expect the transaction costs to be £3,000. That is a total purchase cost of £58,000.
The cost of creating a parish office and multi-use room is expected to be £32,000.
The total project cost would therefore be £90,000.
Financing cost
Of the total cost, it is intended that £5,000 would come from the parish council reserves and £85,000 from the Public Works Loan Board (‘PWLB’) for a period of 50 years. This loan would be at the fixed rate of interest applicable when the loan is drawn down and repayments would be made every 6 months.
Based on current interest rates, the annual cost of the loan will be £2,963.
Future impact on parish council budget
The parish council will save the cost of paying rent and hiring fees to the village hall, currently £1,350 per annum, and will receive rent from the brewery of £1,200 per annum.
Total annualincome or savings will immediately therefore be £2,550.
We would however expect to generate some income from the hiring out of the multi-use room and assume, conservatively, that in the first year this would total £600 (£50 per month).
This would result in a net annual benefit to the parish council of £187
Over time, we would expect to see increases in the rent charged to the brewery, increased income from the multi-use room and will avoid future increases in the rent charged by the village hall. In aggregate, and given the fixed amount of loan repayment, we expect the net benefit to the parish to increase.
Budget forecasts for the next 5 years have been prepared to demonstrate the projected impact on the budget. These can be viewed on request to the Clerk.
SWOT Analyis
Strengths
Initial income and savings exceed cost of loan.
Income and savings from differing sources.
Value of barn unlikely to fall.
Better quality accommodation for Parish office (including toilets and running water).
Office more secure and larger storage space.
Fixed (known) cost of borrowing.
Future increases in brewery rent received will enhance financial benefit.
Weaknesses
Large debt for small council to take on
Mitigation: debt servicing covered by brewery rent, savings on VH rentals; debt is known cost so no increase in event of higher base rates
Need for management of the asset
Mitigation: new refurbishment will reduce likelihood of major maintenance / repairs in foreseeable future. Management of bookings for room hire to be handled by clerk in short term. If activity increases, possibility exists to provide part-time employment.
Opportunities
Multi-use room will provide extra small meetin.g space for community and potential income for parish
Brewery (community owned, not-for-profit) will benefit from security of tenure.
Multi-use room could enhance opportunities for community owned pub (provide meals etc for groups hiring room).
Possibility of part-time employment in managing /cleaning/preparing multi-use room for rent.
Threats
Brewery closes and rental ceases.
Mitigation: Space could be let to a new start-up brewery as a ‘ready-to-go’ venture. Brewery could be emptied and space rented
Cost estimate of works increases
Mitigation: fixed price contract for works
Low level of building/ design skills on PC
Mitigation: Local architect and building/construction manager will provide pro bono support
In 2020, up to 500 children are expected to come into care and Essex County Council needs new foster carers to help transform children’s lives.
Unlike other agencies, essex County Council are a not for profit organisation and therefore our only motivation is the wellbeing of vulnerable children in Essex.
You do not need any specfic qualifications to become a foster carer; just time, patience, a spare room and a commitment to improving children’s lives.
If you have any questions or wold like further information please visit our website or give the friendly fostering team a call.
Essex Trading Standards has produced a short YouTube video highlighting the issue of doorstep crime. The film, Rogue Traders, takes a slightly different approach to that usually seen to raise awareness of doorstep crime and features some well-known actors. Alongside Lee Mead, Casualty and Holby City actor – and winner of the 2007 BBC talent contest Any Dream Will Do, are well known actors Perry Benson, who has appeared in popular television shows This Is England and Benidorm, and Christine Ozanne, an actress who will be familiar to fans of daytime BBC soap opera Doctors. The film has been officially released via YouTube and Essex County Council’s own social media platforms.
Watch the video here:
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