local services Archives - Page 13 of 16

October 22, 2014

Well done to the few – litter pick

Some of the Litter Pick team — Litter PIckers October 2014

Litter Pick – 15 Sacks Collected

The litter pick held on Saturday morning 18th October was successful. 15 black bags of rubbish were collected!!!

The turnout of volunteers was a bit disappointing, if more residents had come forward to help we could have had an even cleaner and tidier village. Many thanks to the following volunteers:-

Ros Stone,
Jill and Mike Poole,
Ron Birkin,
Dave and Louise Seager,
Diana Woodgate,
Gunter Klaphake,
Jenny Church,
Murray Harlow,
Rachel Howard and daughter Francesca aged 10, and
Sarah White, who lives in Turner Rise but works in the village.

Well done to all and many thanks for their support.

October 1, 2014September 30, 2014

NHS Update – Maternity Services

External Review of Maternity Services provided by Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust

An external review of maternity services across North East Essex has been published by North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust (the Trust). The review by the NHS England Strategic Clinical Network, which was jointly commissioned by the Trust and the CCG, noted much good practice and commended the enthusiasm and commitment to women and their families. Out of a total of 19 recommendations in the report, there was just one major concern requiring immediate action.

The report recommended that the Trust should ensure the delivery suite at Colchester General Hospital should have an extra (supernumerary) senior midwife on duty in line with a previous recommendation by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG). Work is already underway to ensure the Trust meets this recommendation. The report also comments on the small number of women giving birth at the midwife-led units at the community hospitals in Clacton and Harwich, stating there are insufficient births to warrant a 24 hours a day 7 days a week service. It adds that the need to cover three sites is part of the difficulty in meeting the midwife to birth ratio recommendation from the RCOG.

Lisa Llewelyn, Director of Nursing and Clinical Quality at the CCG, said:

The report gives the CCG external assurance about the service and supports us in preparing for consultation with the public on a sustainable and safe service. We note the comments around the number of births at the midwife-led units at Clacton and Harwich but are also conscious of the need to provide choice of birth location as recently proposed in draft guidelines by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

Amanda Hallums, Divisional Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at the Trust, said:

We are grateful to the Peer Review Team for carrying out a very thorough review. We welcome the findings of the report as it identifies many strengths and areas of good practice. We will be working jointly with the maternity multidisciplinary team and CCG colleagues to address the recommendations.”

Commissioned to assess opportunities for improvement in and to assess the viability of births from three sites across North East Essex (Colchester, Clacton and Harwich), the report’s 19 recommendations were grouped under the following headings:

Clinical governance
Operational efficacy
Clinical leadership

Included in the recommendations were:

An urgent review of midwifery staffing together with clinical pathways, patient information, communication, quality and governance
Annual review of staffing to ensure resources match demand
A wider Essex review of maternity services
Build on good practice to ensure continuous improvement including reviewing risk management structures and clinical governance
Boards of both organisations need to ensure they have sight of outcomes as well as performance

September 16, 2014

All change at the White Hart

Andrea Dowd will be taking over The White Hart in West Bergholt on the 29th Andrea Dowd who is taking over the White Hart September. Andrea has some 20 years experience within the licensed trade and has run a number of successful village pubs in the past and is returning to the trade after a break to raise her children.

Andrea’s vision for the pub is one that she hopes will embrace the whole of the village community and she is looking to fulfilling her role as a member of that community, supporting local causes and charities and being involved as much as possible.

Andrea promises good quality beer and food (including fresh fish direct from Billingsgate and roast potatoes and cheese and biscuits on the bar on Sundays), as well as entertainment, and has no wish to make any radical changes, preferring to maintain the pub as an important part of the local community and a quaint village pub.

There are two events coming up that have already been planned:

On the 17th October there will be a Soul/Motown night, an evening of mellow soul and motown music from the greats, and
On the 31st October there will be a Halloween theme to the day and evening, and Andrea hopes that families will get involved during the earlier part of the evening with the opportunity for fancy dress and games for the children. In the latter part of the evening there will be a party for the grown ups, fancy dress optional but great fun and great music.

Future plans involve weekend treasure hunts for the whole family, a weekly quiz with prizes in support of local charities and a meat raffle.

September 15, 2014September 15, 2014

Get fit with HIIT

High Intensity Interval Training – HIIT

We have been informed of new fitness classes starting in West Bergholt. Kelly’s HIIT offers an intense total body workout lasting 40 minutes which, Kelly says, is:

designed to shred fat, transform your whole body and make you feel amazing.

The sessions start at 9:30am on Friday 26th in the Methodist Church Hall and cost £5 a session. Kelly adds:

Modifications for any fitness level, bring a towel and water and be prepared to work hard, sweat buckets and leave on an enormous high from your efforts!! ‘Warning’ HIIT is highly addictive. Whether you’re just starting out on your fitness journey or already train but are looking for a quick effective full body workout come give it a go – you won’t regret it.

Spaces are limited so you are encouraged to contact Kelly through her Facebook page if you are interested.

Of course, before starting any exercise programme, it’s advisable to seek advice from your GP or a health professional if you have any health concerns, such as a health condition or an injury.

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014

Orpen Hall Car Park Finished

Resplendent in the evening sun today the Hall car park appears transformed from its former pot-holed and generally dishevelled appearance of late. Groupbridge our doughty and endlessly accommodating contractor has departed leaving only the portaloo as evidence of the workforce and equipment which has been a feature of the car park over the past 6 weeks.

Over the summer holidays the following work has been carried out:

Old surfacing scraped off and potholes filled in
Surface levelled and prepared to form the hidden (but essential) base-course of the parking area
New kerbing has been laid to the perimeter
Two new soakaways have been installed to take drained rainwater away out of harm’s way
French drains have been installed for water to percolate through to the edges
New drains installed and pipework fitted
New blacktop course laid to the entire car park
Planting areas prepared
Cycle stands installed
Ramps installed to some hall entrances
44 regular car parking spaces marked out together with4 disabled spaces and a loading bay
Access to adjacent areas of the Muga and football pitch created and protected from encroachment

Some of these features are shown in the slide show.

All this has been achieved with minimal inconvenience to hall and Lorkin Daniell field users. There are one or two “snagging areas” to revisit in the coming weeks and planting areas will be planned for landscaping activities (both hard and soft landscaping will be employed).

The Parish Council would like to reiterate its thanks to: Groupbridge (especially Chris Souter the Project Manager) our excellent contractor, to Doldens our designers and contract managers, to nearby residents and hall and Lorkin Daniell field users. Especial thanks also go to Essex County Council for their generous grant of £12,000.

As the lead for the Parish Council on this work I would like to thank the following for their assistance. Firstly my fellow Cllrs on the PC project team Bob Tyrell, Andrew Savage and Brian Butcher, as well as those who assisted with co-ordination, namely the Hall Administrator Vicky Beckwith-Cole, the Chair of the Environment Committee Phil Walby and last but by no means least our PC Chair John Gill-Ross whose almost daily inspections towards the end of the project ensured we picked up many of the users’ needs, using his long experience of the way the community interacts with the hall and environs.

I hope the community makes good use of the car park over the coming months and years. I hope readers will agree with me that the work has been transformative.

Chris Stevenson, Chair of Planning and Development Committee – 10th September 2014.

August 23, 2014September 11, 2014

Black-top on at Orpen Hall car park

The Orpen Hall Car Park resurfacing project is nearing completion and will be finished by the end of August, leaving the area spick and span and ready for the more intensive day to day usage which will resume in the autumn.

Over the past week a new black- top macadam surface has been laid which neatly complements the extensive repairs to the car park foundations, hall entrance treatments, kerbing and drainage work which has been going on since the end of July.

White-lining next step

The remaining work to be completed in the coming days includes white lining the car park area to show clearly where users may park and unload. It will also include disabled and cycle parking areas. There will be tidying up activities of course to remove excess debris, materials and the contractors plant and equipment.

Planting to follow

Following the completion of the works there will be a planting scheme drawn up for the new planting areas adjacent to the hall itself.

Parking Spaces

There have been some comments about the amount of parking that will be available after the works, and the access arrangements to the hall entrances. Approximately 40 marked spaces will be available together with a loading bay, 7 disabled spaces and parking for bicycles. Access to the MUGA area, hall entrances, emergency access points, have all been enhanced such that they are not blocked off in the future by parked cars while the hall is in use. This was a key feature of the design and indeed a fire and safety assessment pointed out the lack of ramps to some of the access points.

Thanks to residents & users

The Parish Council would like to thank hall users for their forbearance during these works. Most of the time at least some parking has been available, however it won’t be long until the whole car park is available once more. We won’t be doing this again for at least another 30 years so any inconvenience is over for a while!

August 15, 2014

Shame on who?

A Shameful Side To Our Village

Background to Tennis Courts

Six years ago The Parish Council assumed responsibility for the tennis court area of the Orpen Field. A key aim is to promote the use of this facility and to make it more readily available to village residents for tennis and other sports. To this end membership of the West Bergholt Sports Club has attracted about twenty families, and casual use can be booked at the Co-op at a fair price. The Council has not sought to make any profit from the facility but simply to set aside enough each year to maintain it in good condition and replace the surface when it becomes necessary.

Despite security access abused and damage caused

For security and safety reasons the management committee introduced a coded locking system on the main gate. This has generally worked well but sadly some individuals have abused it and gained entry, misusing the area, repeatedly damaging nets and equipment which have needed replacement at a cost of over £500. The attraction to young people for football was recognised and so a goal area was provided lower down the field and this was well used and appreciated.

A sad day – police involved

It is sad to report that despite efforts to maintain security, unauthorised entry has continued culminating in an act of vandalism on the lock which has completely ruined it and will cost over £200 to replace. To make matters worse a temporary padlock with a chain securing the gate was stolen on Saturday 9th August and was captured on CCTV. Those involved are in the process of being identified.

Polite request

In the meantime the court area remains open. A notice asks that no football is played and the nets are not interfered with. Also children under ten are not allowed on the courts unsupervised. Parents are asked to ensure that their children respect this. The management committee will meet shortly and make recommendations to the Council about the future of the facility.

Any information on the incidents described above or suggestions for future means of access and the booking of the courts will be welcomed by the Council.

August 4, 2014

Orpen Hall Car Park starting to take shape

This picture update shows some progress made on the car park over the past week, with some photos taken by Doldens. We are beginning to see the benefit of separating the hall from the car park already, with the new kerbing redefining the relationship between the building and the tarmac. We sometimes don’t appreciate the aesthetics of the original hall design, and the revised car park treatment will bring this out. Life isn’t only about functionality and low maintenance!

July 23, 2014July 22, 2014

NHS seek local views at health forum

Help shape NHS decisions – all welcome to local health forums!

The NHS in North East Essex is inviting anyone interested to come to our local Health Forum meetings in Dovercourt (Harwich) 6th August, Clacton 8th August, and Colchester on 4th August.

The main themes for the August meetings include:

At all meetings:

7 day working project, including the GP Services Survey, presented by Jo Hall project lead at the CCG.

The survey is online at: http://tinyurl.com/lh5tuaq

At the Colchester meeting:

A review of progress in improving cancer services at Colchester Hospital by the Hospital’s Medical Director, Sean MacDonell.
Presentation about the Care At Home research project: how do older people feel about services delivering care in their own home, by Sue Hughes, doctoral researcher at Anglia Ruskin University.

At the Clacton and Harwich meetings:

A workshop about the new community phlebotomy (blood tests) service.

Attendance & Venues

People attending are welcome to raise their own issues and will have a chance to directly question senior managers from the CCG on their actions and plans. Meetings will be at:

Colchester area , Monday 4^th August, 2pm to 4pm. Please come to the 2nd floor at the Primary Care Centre (upstairs from the Walk-in Centre) in Turner Road, Colchester CO4 5JR.

Harwich area of Tendring, Wednesday 6^th August, 2pm to 4pm. Dovercourt Central Church, 203 Main Road, Dovercourt, Harwich CO12 4ES .

Rest of Tendring (Clacton) area, Friday 8^th August, 2pm to 4pm. Please come to the Tendring CVS hall in Rosemary Road, Clacton CO15 1NZ.

Any member of the local public can join the Health Forum. Join here to have your say as a member of NE Essex CCG public “Health Forum”: http://tinyurl.com/qxss6oq

July 22, 2014July 26, 2015

Orpen Hall Car Park resurfacing

Yesterday marked the start of works to renew the surface of the Orpen Hall Car Park. The Parish Council (PC) has appointed Groupbridge contractors to carry out the work following a tender exercise carried out in June and approved at June’s PC meeting.

Orpen Hall car park surface has deteriorated

Over the years the car park surface has gradually deteriorated and settlement over the last 10 years has resulted in ponding and puddles occurring after heavy rain. The surface is in fact very poor in places such that a lot of repairs will be needed prior to the new surface being applied. In addition to the new Tarmac surface some further drainage will be added to ensure that rainwater is collected and distributed either to new soakaways or to new French drains that will be installed along the longest edges of the car park.

After resurfacing the Orpen Hall car park will be re-lined and two sets of cycle parking stands installed near the entrances to the halls; disabled parking bays will be provided and ramps installed to ensure the hall is DDA compliant. A further feature will be to separate the car park surface from the main building to enhance the appearance of the hall. Planting will take place around the outside of the hall to soften the hard edges of the car park and building. A plan of the finished car park is shown below or you can click the following link for the most recent full size construction plan in PDF form – Orpen Hall car parking layout.

Co-ordination of the work is being undertaken by Doldens who are acting as agents to the PC and supervising the works. It is not anticipated that the work will unduly inconvenience the community since the work will coincide with the school holidays and at a time when the hall is not so heavily used. Access to the halls will not be affected and the repair work will be undertaken in two phases such that there is as much parking available at any one time as is possible. During this time one of the entrances will be out of action so as to isolate a portion of the car park for the works to take place safely. There will be a time in mid to late August when the whole surface will be re-paved meaning that the car park will be unavailable for up to three days. This will be well advertised in advance.

Timetable and contact

The timetable sees work being undertaken from yesterday (21st July) to the end of August, you can download an outline copy of the most recent timetable by clicking the link: Orpen Hall car park Programme. Regular hall users have been informed already as have those with single bookings over this period.

The work is being funded using PC earmarked funds of £50,000 and a grant from Essex County. Council for £12,000.

If any reader has concerns or queries they should contact the hall administrator ([antibot mailto=”[email protected]”]), or Parish Clerk (Parish Clerk ([email protected]), in the first instance who will either answer queries or obtain information from our agent and/or contractor.