I am pleased to say that despite the problems caused by the COVID situation the Steering Group for the Neighbourhood Plan has been able to make significant progress even though we have only been able to meet “ virtually” and exchange information and views by email.

We are very encouraged that with the aid of our Planning Advisors we have been able to present our first draft of the Plan, which is over 100 pages and contains the ideas and suggested policies which you have given us to Chelmsford City Council for their comments.  These have been both favourable  and helpful.  We are awaiting a decision as to whether we will have to carry out a Strategic Environment Assessment on the Plan and it is understood that this is unlikely.  In which case we will then be able to make the draft plan available for consultation by yourselves before the final draft is prepared and submitted to the City Council for the final formal process of Independent Examination.  This would be followed by a referendum by all those in the Parish entitled to vote to seek acceptance of the Plan.  At present  the COVID Act 2020 prevents any such referendum taking place until at least May 2021, but this should not affect our further progress in the meantime.

To give you some idea of the weight and importance of this very exciting document which will be used to map of the future of Writtle, we have placed on the Neighbourhood Plan section of Parish website, three studies which have been researched and produced as back up evidence and research by the team.

We will of course provide you with further updates as we move further along.

Jonathan Weymouth, Chair, Writtle Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group 01/06/2020

Essex Country Parks reopening

Essex County Council is pleased to announce that all Essex Country Parks will be reopening on Thursday 21 May.

Following the easing of restrictions to outside space announced recently by the Government, ECC Country Parks team have been working over the past few weeks to put in place necessary safety measures to ensure the parks can open in line with government guidance, and ensuring visitors and staff can remain safe.

The parks, car parks and toilets will be open to the public, however the children’s play equipment, visitor centres and cafes will remain closed, in line with government guidance.

We would ask that all visitors using the Essex Country Parks follow social distancing rules, paying particular attention to these in areas such as the car parks and toilet facilities. We anticipate that the parks will be busy, and so ask residents to use their judgment in relation to their visit – considering the time of their visit and the park they choose to visit for example.

Essex County Councillor Simon Walsh, cabinet member with responsibility for Country Parks said: “I know the opening of Essex Country Parks will be a welcome announcement for many Essex residents, who appreciate the chance to spend time outdoors in our beautiful Essex parks. Now more than ever, we have seen how spending time outdoors can be beneficial for our physical and mental health.

“We have taken the time to consider how we can safely open the parks and ensure social distancing rules can be followed and are now in a position where we can open, with some adjustments. Visitors are asked to plan for their visit and consider how they can enjoy our parks in the safest way – this might be considering if they could walk to their local park rather than drive, downloading the parking payment app MiPermit, or avoiding busy times. We also ask visitors to ensure they do not park illegally or in unsafe locations to access the park as this puts pressures on local highways services.

“We will continually monitoring the situation and if social distancing cannot be maintained and we are worried about the safety of visitors or our staff we will have to put in place further restrictions”

Changes that have been necessary to enable safe opening include:

• Restricted opening hours, all country parks with open at 9:00am and close at 5:00pm
• Once car parks are full we will have to limit access to the parks
• A move to contactless debit or credit card payments for car parking, to avoid minimising contact with cash machines. Alternatively you can download the car parking payment app in advance of your visit, further information can be found here.
• Fishing will be permitted during Park open hours however we will no longer be accepting cash payment on the day of your visit at the following sites, Belhus Woods, Danbury and Weald,. If you are intending to fish you will need to purchase a fishing pass online in advance of your visit. Please note we will only be offering day passes during this reopening period.

The Parks reopening on 21 May are listed below. Sky ropes and play equipment will not be available at any of our sites until further notice.

• Belhus Woods Country Park
• Cressing Temple Barns
• Cudmore Grove Country Park
• Danbury Country Park
• Great Notley Country Park
• Hadleigh Country Park
• Marsh Farm Country Park
• Thorndon North Country Park
• Thorndon South County Park
• Weald Country Park

For further information please visit out FAQ page here

ENDS

For Essex County Council media enquiries:

Press Office at press.desk@essex.gov.uk

Out of Hours: 07717 867525

Keep in touch at www.essex.gov.uk, Facebook, Twitter

Message from Writtle University College

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic and recent government guidance, Writtle University College (WUC) switched to remote learning on March 17th. We remain open for ‘essential services’ only, including support for our remaining residential students, for the care of our animal population and for estate security.  

Most permissive footpaths on WUC land remain open, however we ask walkers and joggers to safeguard their health by respecting social distancing guidance. We also ask you to support the welfare of our livestock by refraining from approaching or feeding animals. Please note, there are no public rights of way across our Main or Lordships Campus and members of the public will be challenged if they are found in these areas. Visitors are reminded not to venture beyond permissive paths. CCTV monitoring of our site operates 24/7. 

Thank you for helping us to keep our community safe during these uncertain times.

The parish council has decided to deliver the 2020 edition of the Writtle Flyer.  The flyer was printed back in March but unfortunately we were unable to deliver due to the start of the coronavirus pandemic.  Residents should receive their copy over the coming week.  Unfortunately some of the articles are out of date but we hope you find the remaining articles of interest.

We are pleased to report that a further significant milestone has been achieved in the preparation of the Writtle Neighbourhood Plan.

On 21st April, the initial draft version of the Plan was submitted to Chelmsford City Council for screening to determine if a Strategic Environmental Assessment is required and to receive any comments their officers may have on the form and content of the Plan. These are necessary technical steps in the process so that the draft Plan can be refined and subsequently published for review and comment by the community.

Further news updates will follow to keep you informed of the Plan’s progress.