Day 94 of (heating up) Lockdown

On Day 94 lockdown we will have done well to have kept our cool with temperatures in the 30’s! ECC are also getting a little heated about the amount of litter & waste that those visiting parks, countryside & beaches are leaving behind; expect to see a few more signs like the one on the right. News today includes:

West Bergholt FC thanks West Bergholt PC
July 4th – 1m or 2m?
The Essex Way,
Climate Change Network, and
FC/PC becomes AC/DC.

West Bergholt FC Thank PC for Grant

West Bergholt FC were grateful for the £500 grant they received from the Parish Council. It helped them transform their clubhouse as the following Before / During / After pictures show.

July 4th

Following the recent announcement by the Prime Minster, the lockdown restrictions will be eased further with effect from 4th July. There will be more venues opening, including playgrounds for children, & pubs/beer gardens for adults, but the main guidance remains. The rules for social distancing are now set at 2m OR 1m with additional precautionary measures (e.g. face masks, being side-by-side etc…).

You can read the full guidance here. This guidance sets out the principles you should follow to ensure that time spent with others outside your home is as safe as possible. If you are clinically vulnerable or extremely vulnerable, you should follow the guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people and you can also get support.

Playgrounds – Good & Bad News

Due to the COVID crisis, the company approved to fit the new swings at the Lorkin Daniell field has been on lockdown since March and was only allowed to restart work again from the 4th July. Being at the top of their list, that means the Lorkin Daniell playground will only be open for 2 days before it has to be closed again whilst the new equipment is being installed. This will start on Monday 6th July and we don’t know exactly how long it will take to complete at this time.

The Essex Way

81 miles long, the Essex Way runs from Epping to Harwich via West Bergholt. It crosses the old Roman Road between London & Colchester about halfway between Epping & Ongar. Other sights en route include:

Greensted Church – built about 645 AD it is believed to be the oldest wooden church in the world.
Willingale Churches – one churchyard, two churches!
Pleshey – Norman castle earthworks.
Terling Windmill.
Cressing Temple.
Coggeshall Abbey.
Paycocke’s House.
Chappel Viaduct.
West Bergholt.
The ‘Dumb Animals Humble Petition’.
Dedham Vale AONB.
Wrabness Bell-Cage.

The following booklet about the Essex Way was issued by ECC in 2008. Enjoy.

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The Climate Change Network

A group of 21 English councils, including Essex, has launched a new network to highlight the important role of rural areas in tackling climate change.

The new Countryside Climate Network is calling for its voice to be heard in the climate change debate in an open letter to the Telegraph.

The letter highlights the fact that rural areas are often more likely to suffer the effects of climate change, but can also come up with solutions, and calls on Westminster to listen to what rural communities have to say.

Essex County Council is one of three East of England counties to have joined the network, being accompanied by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk County Councils. Essex has extensive areas of countryside, with 72% of its land area deemed rural.

The Letter

Sir,

Our rural communities are at the frontline of feeling the effects of climate change. The driest of springs follows a winter of floods. Damaging our food production, bringing hardship to our villages and towns. But we can also be at the forefront of climate action too.

The countryside offers far more than a place to plant millions of trees to offset carbon emissions from elsewhere. Rural communities have always been a great source of national progress and innovation. This is why we have joined forces with UK100 to launch the Countryside Climate Network.

We are a new group of ambitious Council Leaders from predominantly rural parts of the country, collectively representing over 40% of England’s land area.

Our goal is to ensure that the voice of rural knowledge and experience on climate action is listened to in Westminster. We need to be an active participant in transforming our national economy into one that saves, rather than harms, our environment. We stand ready to do our bit in the national interest of securing a net zero future for the UK.

Day 94 of (heating up) Lockdown – the FC/PC edition