Sub-committee Meeting held on Thursday 12th February 2015 in John Lampon Hall
Councillors present
Harry Stone, Murray Harlow, Jenny Church, Phil Walby, Rosemary James
Apologies
Rachel Howard
1
Village Handyman
Harry to meet with John Gili Ross and Val Walsom regarding Performance Management review.
Ivor to contact Andrew Wilkes to arrange cutting of hedge at Methodist Church
HS
2
Village Ponds
Carla from the The Conservation Volunteers has been contacted. Because of weather conditions this pond will be cleared later in the year.
JC
3
Traffic Safety Plan
Apparently the introduction of yellow lines and 20mph signs for New Church Road and School Lane have been agreed but we await a date for these to be put in place.
Agenda Item
4
Potholes
Many potholes in the village have been marked for repair. We are waiting for the work to be carried out. Problem with drain cover in John Lampon Close has been reported.
5.
Dog fouling
A dog bin has been ordered for the Brewery site. An item for the March Bulletin has been sent in encouraging dog walkers to help keep the village clean. Marcus is contacting the dog warden. To ask Marcus to request some new dog fouling notices that we can put in strategic places in the village.
JC
6
Beacon
Steve is arranging for a pole to be bought and the sign will be placed near the Village sign at the area adjacent to junction of Chapel Road and Colchester Road. Ivor to be asked to assist Steve with transporting beacon to the site.
Agenda Item
HS
7
Areas of work in village
Agreed to produce a map showing sites of our responsibility in the village.
HS
8.
Noise abatement
A problem with noise near Queens Road is not apparent at the moment. Phil will monitor this in spring/summer.
PW
9
Hall Road
A complaint has been received regarding flooding here. The ditch to the east side of the road has been cleared. To monitor flooding when next heavy rain comes. Potholes have been marked for repair by ECC Highways Dept.
Date of next meeting – Thursday 12th March 2015 in JL Hall
This ‘Who will care?’ summit is for community and voluntary organisations, health organisations and the public sector to debate the power of social action, exchange information and generate great ideas for health and wellbeing. It takes place on 23rd March, 9:30am – 2:00pm, at the firstsite Gallery, Lewis Gardens, High Street, Colchester CO1 1JH.
Who will Care? is an independent commission led by Sir Tom Hughes-Hallett that sets out a number of high impact solutions to prevent future crisis in health and social care in Essex. It called for a new approach to supporting communities and people where the Community and Voluntary Sector plays a greater role and works collaboratively with the public sector.
This Swap Shop is intended to bring different sectors together to spark new ideas that can bring better quality solutions for citizens.
Hear about successful projects using social action and volunteering,
Consider a new culture of collaboration,
Question what needs to change for better outcomes,
Think about how community based initiatives can best be supported,
10.00 Welcome and Who Will Care Update and Future Direction
10.10 Who Will Care Schemes Update
Two test and learn programmes will share their progress
‘Maldon Sheds’ – Sarah Laskar, CEO Maldon CVS
‘My Social Prescription’ Louise Willsher, Engagement Officer, Colchester CVS
10.25 Keynote Speaker: The Future of the Voluntary Sector
Kevin Curley CBE, Voluntary Sector Adviser
The growing hardship in our society which the local voluntary sector must respond to
The tension between delivering services and campaigning on behalf of those in need
Our responsibility to exploit new opportunities for raising the funds we need to be sustainable
The unchanging values which underlie all our work
10.50 Swap Shop – Session 1
Round table discussions hosted by leaders that bring new and different solutions to health and
social care by using social action and volunteering. Hear about how they do it, the challenges
encountered and the benefits it can bring the people involved.
11.35 Key issues for Essex – A discussion
11:45 Swap Shop – Session 2
12:30 Networking Lunch
13:00 North East Clinical Commissioning Group: Supporting Voluntary Action, Shane Gordon, Chief Officer, North East CCG
13:10 Keynote Speaker: People Powered Public Services
Daniel Farag, Senior Programme Manager, Nesta Daniel will explore how Social Action and people helping people can make a difference. He will consider the role citizens can play in powering public services, and how Social Action can change the nature of public services to achieve better outcomes. Referencing models of innovative practice from across the UK he will provide insight in to the benefits of working closer with our communities across a number of care settings.
13:30 An Interactive Summary – Ask the audience with Paul Hill, ACFO, Essex Fire & Rescue Service
There has been considerable publicity about the fact that the proportion of our population that are elderly is increasing. Also that there is a significant proportion of elderly people who live alone and can be lonely and become isolated. A charitable trust has set up “Silver Sunday” in an attempt to raise this issue and try to take steps to address it (www.silversunday.org.uk). We became aware of this and felt we as a Church would like to respond. The designated Silver Sunday is in October but we were not in a position to arrange something at that time.
As a first step we are holding a simple afternoon tea on Sunday March 1 at 3.00 and are inviting folk to attend. If you are elderly, living alone and not fortunate enough to have family and/or friends living nearby this could be for you. You are warmly invited to an Afternoon Tea with folk in a similar situation to yourself. We will provide transport to pick you up from your home, bring you to the tea and return you to your home when the tea has finished.
If you, a neighbour or someone else you know, would like to come to the tea please contact Judith Fletcher (01206 241969) or Andrew Wilks (01206 242511). If you can let us know you are coming it will help with our arrangements.
Crucial Crew – 27th March
The FREE Crucial Crew event is taking place on Friday 27th March between 10am – 2pm at St Botolphs Church, St Botolpsh St. and is targeting those over 55s who are members of established clubs or groups.
Several local organisations have joined together to organise, Older Persons Crucial Crew. This event will bring together 130 ambassadors from clubs and groups serving older persons in the Colchester Area and involves 16 tables in an informal setting.
There will be a total of 16 speakers from 8 different organisations;
The Police Home and personal security,
The Fire service Home fire safety advice,
Trading Standards, Rogue traders and consumer advice,
Environmental Health for residents,
Colchester street wardens, street safety,
Gas safe,
Young people from Stanway School computer mobile phone advice, and
Red Cross.
Each speaker will sit at your table for 15 minutes giving advice and information in an informal setting, almost like a safety speed dating!!
A free buffet Lunch prepared, provided by Colchester Institute catering course students, will be served at your table by Students from Stanway School. After lunch the speaker’s organization plus several other service and help organisations will provide tables where you can go and talk in more detail on issues raised during the morning’s event.
This event is for the over 55s and it is the aim that the members attending will take back the information gained, the contacts made to their respective clubs, ensuring that the information is cascaded through the whole area.
There will be limited free transport available on the day, but to save costs if you are able you can use your own or Public transport leaving this for the people who need it we would be very grateful.
As I am sure you will understand that with just 130 places available for the whole of Colchester we have to offer up to 5 places to each Organisation on a first come first served basis so if you are interested please return the linked ticket request to:
Do you want to have the opportunity to support children with Special Education needs, then why not become a volunteer Independent Supporter (IS) with ECDP? The purpose of the role is:
To provide appropriate support to young people with special educational needs (SEN) and their parents/carers through the transition from a traditional Special Educational Needs Statement system to the new Education, Health & Care (EHC) assessment and planning process.
Full training will be provided
All reasonable expenses will be provided
Volunteers will be working either alongside other volunteers and staff or independently
Working hours are flexible
Volunteers would usually need to commit to around 6 hours per month
To support group-based and individually focused support, workshops/events which will empower young people and parents/carers to make informed choices/decisions
Successful applicants will be required to complete two days face to face training, two days on-line training plus some supplementary training.
Training is available throughout Essex. If you would like to work with us to support disabled children and their parents/carers in Essex, please contact Cindy Peacock by email [antibot mailto=”[email protected]”] or call her on 01245 392 319.
More about ECDP
ecdp (Essex Coalition of Disabled People) is a pioneering charitable organisation (no. 1091293), run by disabled people, for disabled people. They deliver a range of services and award winning programmes which enhance the everyday lives of disabled people across the UK. Involving and engaging disabled people in all that they do, ensuring that their voice continues to be heard.
Our values
Our values underpin everything we do and shape our behaviour, both as an organisation and as individuals working within ecdp. We are:
Inclusive
We include anyone who has rights under the Equality Act 2010 within our definition of ‘disabled people’. This includes anyone with a physical and/or sensory impairment, mental health condition, learning disability or long-term health condition (such as HIV/AIDS or cancer). We also recognise anyone who declares themselves to be a disabled person.
Expert
As an organisation run by and for disabled people, we have a unique and insightful perspective. Our history and work provides us with a depth of knowledge on the issues faced by disabled people in Essex. We use this knowledge to add value to our own work and that of the public, private and voluntary sectors in order to effect change for disabled people.
Innovative
We are adaptable, embrace change and try new ways of doing things. We work in an imaginative and flexible way, seeking feedback to help us innovate.
Responsive
We listen to the needs of and work in partnership with disabled people and our stakeholders. We respond in a timely manner and in a way that is enabling, supportive and professional.
The abseil will be an exhilarating 100ft descent and will give participants a birds eye view of the high street. The abseil is being managed by Creation Climbing Centre and there are up to 60 places are available.
Last year over 50 adults took to the challenge raising a fantastic £6,500 for EACH! The money raised helps care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions and supports their families. Last year, EACH helped 572 families, many of whom live in Essex.
Minimum age to take part is 12 years.
Registration and sponsorship:
£15 registration for adults 17 yrs and over – minimum sponsorship £85.
£15 registration for children 16 yrs and under – minimum sponsorship £30.
From babies to young people up to the age of 18, EACH supports families, children and young people living with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk from diagnosis to end-of-life and throughout bereavement. They do this through a range of services delivered where the family wish – in their own home, at hospital, in the community or at one of their three hospices in Milton, Ipswich and Quidenham.
Care at end of life isn’t the only service EACH provides though; many children and young people who use their services are extremely active but need additional support and care. A child might receive the support of a play specialist to give them access to appropriate play activities helping them grow in confidence and aid their physical and mental wellbeing, enjoy sensory rooms at the hospices, have music therapy sessions to offer the opportunity to interact, communicate and express themselves or sessions in the therapeutic hydrotherapy pool.
Their support stretches further than the young person to include families, they know the stresses and strains living with a life-threatening illness can place on all the family. EACH runs special family events where families can meet others in similar situations to them, sibling days always full of smiles and laughter and spiritual care.
OK, it’s not 2014 any more but that memorable image of Lord Kitchener pointing his finger lingers, especially since it now graces a 50p coin.
So, since I’ve been webmaster for the village I have posted over 30 editions of the Village Bulletin online which ensures that there is a live archive, but what about those paper copies you receive through your doors? What about the energy that goes into creating them in the first instance? This is all down to the hard work of a small group of committed individuals creating and distributing the bulletin, they are now after some local support:
We are looking for a new Committee member to join the existing group but who will also be able to get involved and organise bundling of the Bulletins to give to the distributors each quarter and to organise holiday cover and find new distributors as and when required.
Please contact Bernard Colbron 240297.
I hope you are able to lend your support on this,
Dave, (webmaster).
West Bergholt Methodist Church are holding another of their popular half term Coffee and Craft mornings for young families. This is taking place on Monday February 16 from 10.30 to 12.00 and promises fun activities for young families. The session will take place in the Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Lane and ALL ARE WELCOME but, sorry, we are unable to accept unaccompanied children. The cost is £2.50 per family.
Further details from Andrew Wilks on 01206 242511.
Why not come & join us – there are vacant allotments!
Vacant Allotments – Grow Your Own
As a new growing year approaches a small number of plots have become available to let to village residents. The standard price is £16 per year for up to a 5 rod plot with concessions for those over 60, and starter plots are available.
The benefits of joining over eighty other village residents are:
Reduce weekly household costs by growing your own fruit and vegetables.
Enjoy organically produced produce.
Benefit from West Bergholt fresh air and exercise.
Make new friends and enjoy the company of fellow plot holders.
(See more below)
The downsides are:
The battle against the weather and pests.
The need for a regular commitment of a few hours a week.
Essex Highways Department have announced a large list of road closures affecting large parts of the Colchester & Braintree areas from 9th February. The Temporary Closure Notice states that:
The closures are scheduled to commence within 18 months from 09 February 2015 or where appropriate signs are showing and weather permitting, and are required for the safety of the public and workforce while highway maintenance works are undertaken. Exact dates of the road closures will be notified via advanced warning signage on sites. Letters to residents and other affected or interested parties advising of the works/dates and other relevant information will also be sent out at least 2 weeks in advance.
Those closures where the diversion route crosses over into another County or use the A12 and A120 are subject to the approval of the relevant County Council or the Highways Agency.
Access for emergency service vehicles and pedestrians will be maintained at all times during the closure.
The Order will come into effect on 09 February 2015 and may continue in force for 18 months or until the works have been completed, whichever is the earlier.
The following appear to be those ‘closest to home’ but the best advice seems to be to look out for the yellow advance warning signs!
Roads
Detail of Closure
Diversion
Chitts Hill, West Bergholt
Between its junctions with Halstead Road and Argents Lane
Halstead Road, A1124 Halstead Road, Spring Lane, Argents Lane and vice versa.
A1124 Halstead Road, Eight Ash Green
Between its junctions with Spring Lane and the A12/Essex Yeomanry Way roundabout
After a busy December with 4 crimes, January saw none at all until the last week when there were two cases of theft, one of diesel and another from a property. For a complete crime picture, please visit http://www.police.uk/ however, please be aware this information is always three months behind.
Theft of Diesel Oil – Manor Road
At some time between 18:00 on 23rd and 10:30 on 24th January, unknown suspects gained access to the farm by lifting a chained gate beside the road off its hinges and the tracks of their vehicle can be seen crossing the field to the farm shed and the adjacent fuel tank where the suspects unscrewed the lid of the tank and are believed to have syphoned out an unknown quantity of diesel used by the farm tractors, the syphon pipe was abandoned nearby.
At some time between 21:00 on 27th and 10:30 on 28th January, unknown suspects gained access to a garage by unscrewing the hinges from the door, and removed a number of items.
[Note – this months first two information releases are particularly relevant to this type of crime].
Information Releases
A few interesting articles this month, a reminder that Garage & Shed security is important (tools can be used to break in to your house!), another burglary-oriented article written by ex-professional burglar Michael Fraser and an announcement of a new website to support victims of crime be they anti-social behaviour or much more serious.
Could that spade be used to break into your house?
Garage & Shed Security
Whilst most houses have adequate security what is often neglected is the shed or garage, “nothing much in there” I hear you say, “Just a garden spade and fork”, but these are perfect tools for burglar to use to get in your house. Adds insult to injury when the tool used to break into your house is your own, so give it some attention.
Garages and sheds by the nature of their construction and position especially when away from the house are always going to vulnerable. Quite often the supplied locks provide just the barest minimum security and are easily overcome so always consider supplementing the existing locks with further locking systems both for the doors and items within.
On garage doors this could be by adding locking bolts to both sides of the “up and over door” or a garage door defender in the ground in front of the door, if you have side door don’t forget this too. With sheds coach-bolt and plate the padlock hasp sections to the frame and door, use a good quality “Close Shackle” padlock; don’t forget the hinges ensure they cannot be unscrewed.
Consider using “Ground Anchors” or “Shed Shackles” to chain larger items to (again good quality padlock and chain); keep chains tight so that it is not in contact with a surface it can be struck against. Protect windows with a wire mesh and fit a curtain or white wash the windows to prevent prying eyes.
Visibly security mark your property with your post code and house number this reduces the value to the thief; you can even register serial numbers free of charge at www.immobilise.com . There are also a number of commercially available security marking systems available that are suitable for a wide range of products and others for specific products.
It is also worth fitting a shed alarm to the shed or garage, and adding security lighting these are relatively inexpensive and available from most DIY/hardware stores.
If siting a new shed where possible position it within sight of rooms in the house routinely occupied.
Author note: Michael Fraser is an ex-burglar, who starred in BBC’s ‘To catch a Thief’ and ‘Beat the Burglar’ as well as Channel 4’s ‘One last job’. He is also a trustee of the Apex Trust, which helps young people with criminal records gain employment.
When you’re thinking about how to make your home burglar-proof, you have to think like an opportunist thief, because a burglar will look for the tell-tale signs of weaknesses in your home.
Start with the front of your house.
If your gate is open or broken, an opportunist will see it as a weakness. It’s an invitation. Always close your gate. If it’s broken – fix it. And if you don’t have one, get one.
It’s the first psychological barrier to keeping a burglar away.
If you have just one cylinder lock on your door, a burglar knows he can get in to your home no matter what. If you have two locks on your door and your neighbour and your neighbour only has one, the burglar will very likely go next door. He’s not going to make more work for himself.
Avoid ‘Beware of the dog’ signs. They are a sure indicator that you don’t have an alarm in your property. A thief will also think that you probably leave your back door open to let the dog into the garden. The same goes for an ‘I love cats’ sign or something similar. Pet owners often don’t have an alarm.
If the front of your house looks weak to an opportunist burglar, he can guarantee that the back of your house will be even weaker. As soon as a thief can get around the back of your home, he knows he’s probably safe.
As soon as a burglar is in your house, whether he got in from the front or back, he’ll go to the front door with either a glass bottle or a broom. The thief will balance the bottle on the door handle. If the owner comes home, the bottle will fall off the handle and smash before they get inside. This gives the thief a warning sign and time to escape. Or he’ll jam the door shut with a broom. Again, this will give the intruder a sign and time to escape if the owner fails to get into their house easily.
Humans are creatures of habit, they inevitably keep their house and car keys near the front door or in their handbag; a handbag will nearly always be left in the kitchen. Once a burglar is in your house, he’ll look for keys first. Then he’ll be looking to find out what your habits are. Your calendar will be very useful. Again, we humans are predictable and almost always have a calendar hanging in the kitchen. The thief will look for key dates – when you will be on holiday, when you have a dentist appointment – any clues about when you’re scheduled to be out of the house.
The next thing on a burglar’s list is to look for small items – non bulky valuables that can be taken straight away. This might include jewellery, credit cards, bank statements and spare keys. The thief will make a note of all bulkier valuable items in your house – he’ll be planning to come back again to get these when he knows you’ll be out.
Now the burglar knows you. He knows what kind of person you are from the items in your house and he has your bank details to clone later. If the burglar has taken a spare set of keys to get into your house, he’ll normally trash it before leaving. When a homeowner returns to a messy house, they have to go through everything to see what’s missing. They’ll normally be concerned about expensive jewellery, antiques and items of sentimental value. Keys are one of the last things people think of and so often don’t realise they’re missing. So when a burglar returns to finish the job, it’ll normally be within 7 to 10 days of the first burglary and the locks have not been changed.
How can you prevent yourself from being the victim of a burglary?
Michael’s top tips:
A key tactic in burglary prevention is avoidance and not just alarming your property. For example, chain up your wheelie bin to a fence away from you house. A burglar will stand on a wheelie bin to get into the first floor of your house. Furthermore, a wheelie bin is like a filing cabinet, so shred all your documents before you throw them away.
Having two locks on your front door is really important and make sure your windows have window locks that are visible from the outside looking in. This will make your home seem like too much hard work to a burglar.
Fix broken gates
Put a wire basket on the inside of your letter box. There’s still space for letters to come through the door but it prevents burglars from fishing for keys through the letterbox – thieves know that keys are often left on a table next to the front door.
Keep windows and doors shut and locked, even when you are at home. A thief will burgle your property even when someone is inside; for example, when they see a bathroom light go on.
Use an alarm is you have one.
Join your local Neighbourhood Watch and display the sticker saying you do. This demonstrates to the thief that you are aware of the risk of being a victim of burglary and he’ll most probably decide to move on.
Don’t make it obvious if you are a pet-owner. ‘Beware of the dog’ often means “I don’t have a house alarm” or “my back door is open” in burglar language!
When parking your car, turn the wheel towards the curb rather than keeping the wheels parallel. It sounds so simple but this makes your car alien to the opportunist thief because everyone parks their cars with wheels straight. Those turned wheels means it will take the thief a few more seconds to steal your car. Every second counts and they don’t want to take that extra risk of getting caught.
Keep suitcases and bags in the loft or with their handles tied together. Otherwise a thief will use those very bags to transport items out of your home.
Don’t keep a calendar in your home. It tells a thief everything about you. Put a blind in the kitchen and in other rooms so that people can’t see in. a thief can learn a lot about you just by looking in through your windows.
One of the best things you can do is to film every room in your house in detail with a video camera or take lots of photos. Not only does this help you remember where everything was before the burglary but it helps you to prove to your insurance company that certain items were in your house.
Essex Victims Gateway
Nick Alston, the Police & Crime Commissioner for Essex recently launched a new website, the Essex Victims Gateway.
The website offers access to the many local support groups for people who have been subjected to crimes ranging from rape to anti-social behaviour. Victims can simply type their postcode into the site’s search facility to find out more about the support available locally to them.
Alternatively people can click on a specific crime type – such as hate crime or anti-social behaviour – which will take them to a page featuring case studies, frequently asked questions as well as live links and contact details for support groups.
The Essex Victims Gateway helps victims find support tailored to their needs, including specialist services for the most serious crimes such as rape and sexual violence.
Crucially, the website offers help to all victims, including those who have not reported a crime to police or where offences have happened in the past. And the site also offers a “leave this site” tab, which runs through every page and, with the touch of a button, redirects users to Google in case they need to leave the page quickly.
Mr Alston said:
The Essex Victims Gateway provides a postcode based service enabling victims to contact support and advice available in their area. It’s been designed to enable people to rapidly find the information and expertise they need.
There is also a ‘Leave this site’ icon which is essential because there are circumstances where a person accessing the site may want to leave it quickly.
I hope that victims find this website useful but I also really hope they find the confidence to report crimes to police quickly.
Jan Dalrymple, Chief Executive of the Essex-based domestic abuse charity Safer Places, said:
I’m delighted the website has been pitched at victims whether or not they want to report a potential crime to the police.
Many victims do not want to report a crime and do not know where to turn, and the Essex Victims Gateway gives access for those hidden victims to receive support from specialist agencies.
For example, a person whose partner is showing early signs of dementia and is becoming violent, may not want to go straight to the police. Rather they want to have a confidential conversation about the options and support available to them.
Sometimes, we – the specialist agencies – may support victims to go to the police and report a crime, but sometimes we can support them without needing to involve the criminal justice system.
Victims frequently say to Safer Places and I’m sure other organisations: ‘We didn’t know where to go for help!’ I’m confident that the Essex Victims Gateway will help address those needs.
Work to develop the website and its content, in consultation with victims and their representatives, will be ongoing.
The government has decided that all victims’ commissioning funding should be controlled by PCCs from April 2015: a big and radical step. In preparing for this responsibility, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner has produced a comprehensive analysis of the needs of victims and the services available to them at the moment across Essex. That analysis has supported the development of the Victims Gateway and can be read on the PCC here:
Silver Sunday – 1st March
