New Church Road L-R Rachel Hopkins (teacher – Heathlands), Jeremy Hallam (headteacher – Heathlands), Aaron Monks (winner – age 9), Cllr Anne Brown (Essex County Councillor), John Gili-Ross (Parish Council – Chair of Environment), Mrs Monks (Aaron’s Mum), Murray Harlow (Parish Council – Communications), Harry Stone (Parish Council – Vice Chair & Transport Rep), Chris Stevenson (Chairman Parish Council)At School Lane
20’s Plenty Near Heathlands
Improving traffic safety in our villages and schools can take some time but West Bergholt Parish Council has shown it is worth the effort. Over a three-year period the village produced and introduced a Traffic Safety Plan. It did this working in partnership with Essex County Council, Heathlands primary school and village residents.
The Safer Colchester Partnership (SCP) is conducting a survey to ask local residents for their views on crime and anti-social behaviour in the Borough. The SCP produces a yearly Annual Partnership Plan which contains actions to help lessen crime and the fear of crime in Colchester. The results from this survey will inform future priorities and actions for the Safer Colchester Partnership.
The Environment Agency has issued a 24/7 Hotline to try and gain intelligence to combat the illegal dumping of rubbish also known as fly-tipping. If you witness or find fly-tipping or have any information about it you can now report it to the Environment Agency 0800 807060.
Responding to concerns about traffic related safety issues in the village, the Parish Council has helped to form a group whose brief is to explore ways of addressing these concerns. This group consists of Parish Councillors, Borough Councillors and residents who want to help bring about improvements; since September it has met three times.
As a starting point, the Village Safety Plan of 2012, which led to changes in New Church Road, has been revisited. As then, no single measure will solve all our problems, and so an approach, which is termed the 5 Es, is being followed.
Engage the community
Encourage good driving and parking
Educate all sections of the community
Enforce the regulations
Engineer revised road layouts
All need careful thought and cooperation to achieve, with 4E and 5E being most difficult and needing most time; however we have made a start.
On 25th February in the Orpen Hall a safety promotional event is being planned and will be advertised fully in the New Year, so please look out for details and make every effort to attend.
Reporting bad & illegal practices on Trygve
Trygve
Following increased activity on Facebook about 30 residents have already downloaded an App called Trygve. This gives you the chance to report incidents, with photographs if appropriate, and will:
give the authorities the means to identify persistent safety abusers, and
enable the group to collect evidence to support action at the most dangerous hotspots.
That being so, if you feel able, please sign up to join those already giving their support using this link.
Communications
The team are also establishing good communications with the School, hence parents, and there are plans to engage other key players such as the Coop.
If you have ideas to help, or would like more information, please contact the group through the Parish Clerk, Laura Walkinshaw, on 240772 or [email protected].
Draft Neighbourhood Plan Consultation Starts
Make Sure You Have Your Say!
Major consultation starts on matters which will affect our village and parish for the next 15 years
Following on from the publication of the preferred option for Colchester’s Local plan, the West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan Steering Group is holding its own consultation. This autumn, starting on 5th October and extending until the end of November, a major consultation on the draft Neighbourhood Plan for West Bergholt will take place.
The consultation will take the form of:
A summary leaflet on the main points of interest in the Neighbourhood Plan.
Release of the draft Neighbourhood Plan document.
A questionnaire.
Meetings as required but including the October and November Parish Council meetings
To find out more and to view the consultation material listed above please visit our Neighbourhood Plan pages, so, to get started visit some of the main webpages listed below:
Residents and Businesses are urged to visit the exhibition and read the consultation during the next few weeks to view:
Possible locations for new housing and sports facilities.
A range of community initiatives and projects we may want to see fulfilled.
Policies we may adopt to guide our planning and response to planning applications.
Take time to read the full document, the various consultation summaries, exhibition material and participate in the accompanying survey. This is the last of the informal consultations which will take place. After this our plan has to take its chances in the rarefied atmosphere of statutory planning examinations, including a referendum in due course, before it can declared a “statutory” plan.
As Chris Stevenson, Chairman of the Steering Group says:
It has been my pleasure to lead a group of extremely motivated people, whose concerted effort has been to bring us to this point in the process. Make their day and mine by helping us over the line – by all means challenge us and argue with our findings but do so from the point of making the plan even better than it is. Above all participate!
This is a pivotal point in our history. Never before has national and local government actually asked us to prepare our own plan to cover the next 15 years – let’s make the most of this opportunity!
Chris Stevenson Chairman West Bergholt Neighbourhood Plan steering Group Chairman West Bergholt Parish Council
Following the recent Traffic Safety Group meeting, a new initiative has been launched to help reduce parking & speeding issues in and around West Bergholt. Based on a free community safety App, Trygve, users can share and receive local incident information in real time. This information can be as detailed as you want including pictures and GPS location but should always include:
Date.
Time.
Where (did it happen).
What (was the issue).
Using the App will allow the group to measure the number of incidents and identify hot spots.
Already in use in many communities in the UK, a Neighbourhood watch coordinator using it in his community has said:
The app has not only been good at creating a community, but we have also been able to help with a few incidents of anti-social behaviour and thefts, by being able to pass more information onto police. It can help map any crime trends, and make users aware of areas they may want to be more alert.
It is an easier and quicker way for the community to communicate with each other as Facebook is not as instant as this app, nor can it use GPS as accurately. I am proud to co-ordinate our group and use my skills from my job to share more safety tips.
You can download Trygve to Android or iPhone devices; there is also a mobile friendly web-version for other mobiles and devices.
Further to the earlier news item (more details here), we have received the following update about Safety Volunteers from Essex Community Messaging:
The Parish Safety Volunteer Programme is a new community safety initiative, delivered in partnership by Essex Police, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service and volunteers from local communities.
Could you volunteer?
Parish Safety Volunteers are trained by experts from our organisations to deliver bespoke fire and crime safety advice and fit smoke detectors in homes. Parish Safety Volunteers will work in pairs, in a smart but comfortable uniform and visit people in their own homes to offer this bespoke service. A diverse range of people will benefit from the Parish Safety Volunteer programme from young families, to the elderly and those vulnerable to the risk of fire or fear of crime.
You must be over 18, know your local area well and be able to commit to an average of 10 hours each month. Everyone who volunteers as a Parish Safety Volunteer will be interviewed, provide two references, complete standard Police security checks and a confidential health questionnaire. Good all-round communication skills are also a must. Reasonable expenses will be paid.
If you are interested in finding out more about what is involved in becoming a Parish Safety Volunteer, please visit www.essex-fire.gov.uk/volunteering or email [antibot mailto-=”[email protected]”] or ring 01376 576237.
Nick Alston will give lecture on Policing in Essex: The way ahead and the role of the PCC
Essex Policing – The Way Ahead
The future of policing in Essex will be the subject of a public lecture given later this month by the Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex.
In a public lecture as he approaches the end of his term in office PCC Nick Alston will reflect on his time as PCC as he looks ahead to how Essex police will need to respond to the changes in crime across Essex and to the many other demands on police resources.
The lecture, entitled “Policing in Essex: The way ahead and the role of the PCC”, will also look at the developing role of the PCC and at the crucial links between Essex Police and other agencies in seeking to prevent crime and bring offenders to justice.
The event takes place on Thursday March 17 from 6.30pm to 7.30pm at Chelmsford’s Anglia Ruskin University.
The lecture will take place in the Lord Ashcroft building at Anglia Ruskin University in Bishop Hall Lane, Chelmsford, CM1 1SQ.
Refreshments will be available from 6pm with the lecture beginning at 6.30pm.
The event is free and open to all. To book your place visit the EventBrite website. If you have any questions please contact [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”].
With the weather steadily improving and with the nights getting longer, it is even more important that your garden is secure from would-be criminals. Making your garden more secure could prevent an intruder from getting into your home, garage or shed.
Essex Police have offered the following hints and tips for securing your garden:-
Installing strong fences or gates will act as a deterrent, preventing intruders getting into your garden.
Ideally any gates, fencing, walls and hedges at the front of your property should not be more than 1.2m (4ft) so the front of your house can be seen by passers-by.
A standard 1.8m (6ft) wall or fence at the back of your house is sufficient. Increase the height to 2m (6ft 6in) if there is public access on the other side – any higher than this will need planning permission.
Trellis fixed to the top of a fence is not only decorative but can provide extra protection as it is difficult to climb over, breaking easily and noisily. Trellis does not need planning permission.
If your garden is easily accessible via the side of your house, a strong lockable gate, fitted towards the front of the property, will act as a deterrent.
Garden gates should be at least the same height and strength as your fencing with hinges securely attached to the gateposts.
Fit a good quality rim lock which can be locked from both sides as well as a padbolt with padlock inside.
Ensure locks fitted to gates cannot be reached from over the fence.
Remember to always lock your gates.
Planting prickly plants or a hedge, such as firethorn, climbing rose or hawthorn, around the perimeter of your garden can be a powerful deterrent.
Gravel on paths and driveways can act as an alert to someone coming towards your property.
Install dusk to dawn security lighting. The low energy lamp stays on in the dark and switches off when it starts to get light.
Secure garden furniture and wheelie bins so they cannot be used to climb on and gain access to upstairs windows.
Do not leave ladders lying around – they could be used by thieves to climb into an upstairs window. Keep them locked in a garage/shed or chained to a fixed object.
Do not leave tools, gardening equipment or debris lying around in the garden as they could be used to smash windows.
Keep your garden neat and tidy so it looks cared for.
While working in your garden, make sure doors and windows are locked to stop unwanted visitors.
Do not use barbed wire, razor wire or broken glass on walls or fences to protect your property – you could be held legally responsible for any injuries caused. Consider fitting spiky plastic topping, which is legal, along with a small warning sign.
