March Parish Council Meeting

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The March meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 11th at 7.30 p.m. There were five members of the public present along with District Cllr. Roger Walters.

White Court Play Area – more new play equipment is to be installed such as a roundabout and see-saw and we hope to clear what’s left of the grass and mud and resurface the area, possibly with bark chippings. Tarmac will be laid on the path leading in to the play area by the swings and allowing room to park pushchairs etc.

Skating Facilities – Rayne now have a small quarter pipe just off the Village Hall car park. This is similar to what we would like in Great Notley at the ‘RAFT’. Councillors and anyone interested, were asked to visit Rayne to see exactly what we are proposing and to give an idea of size and noise to be expected.

Village Sign – the sign is now completed and ready to be erected. It will go near the pond at Panners Bridge, hopefully in time for the Queens birthday in April.

Discovery Centre – the Parish Council are very keen to help publicise future activities planned for the Discovery Centre. Mrs Sharon Fouracres has various activities in mind such as the hire of bicycles and pedal go-karts. Other suggested ideas were a Kite Club, using large kites with harnesses and also pony rides. The lakes are being stocked with fish and before the anglers can start fishing, ‘swims’ are being constructed, one of these will be suitable for those that have mobility impairment. The Parish Council has erected three new seats around the lakes to replace the old wooden benches.

Skips – the council has decided not to hire skips but to hire two manned refuse vehicles instead. The refuse vehicles have been booked for Saturday 5 April between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, one will be parked behind Tesco’s at Notley Green and the other one in Ennerdale Avenue, White Court. Anything apart from fridge’s, tyres and asbestos may be disposed of.

Annual Assembly – the Assembly will be held at the Community Centre on 15 April at 7.30 p.m. Everyone is invited.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 8 April 2003 at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School in Blickling Road. There is a short time available before the start of the meeting for Public Question Time. All are welcome.

Posted Friday, March 21, 2003, 11:55 GMT by greatnotley

February Parish Council Meeting

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The February meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 11th at 7.30 p.m. There were four members of the public present.

Best Kept Village Competition – the Council has agreed to enter the competition again this year. Litter was the main complaint in last year’s comments from the judges. We now employ a person to pick up litter on a weekly basis, and with help from the community we would like to see Great Notley become a litter free zone.

Play Area – new play equipment has now been installed in the play area behind White Court School.

Village Sign – the sign is nearly ready and will be erected near the ponds at Panners Bridge.

The Great Notley Parish Forum – in order for the Council to seek input, opinion or direction from the electorate, a formal, twice yearly meeting with representatives from all areas of the community is to be launched at the Annual Assembly in April.

Annual Assembly – the Assembly will be held at the Community Centre on Tuesday 15 April at 8 p.m. The Parish Council will chair the meeting.

Local Elections Thursday 1st May 2003 – if you are enthusiastic, community minded and are willing to spare some time why not stand as a Parish Councillor for Great Notley. Nominations must be in between March 24th and noon on April 1st at the latest. If you would like any information or just a chat please contact the Clerk (01376 528081) or the Electoral Officer at Braintree District Council.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 11 March 2003 at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School in Blickling Road. There is a short time available before the start of the meeting for Public Question Time. All are welcome.

Posted Wednesday, February 19, 2003, 12:52 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Council Meeting January 2003

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The January meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 14th at 7.30 p.m. The Chairman welcomed those present and wished everyone a Happy New Year.

Power Failures – the Chairman and the Clerk attended a meeting with representatives from 24 Seven, chaired by District Cllr. Roger Walters, to discuss progress made in the last year. 24 Seven said that in the last year there had been 17 major faults compared to 24 in the previous year, and admitted that this was still not good enough. 24 Seven outlined the actions they planned to take which included the building of a new sub-station at Great Notley which should be ready by the autumn.

Allotments – once the identified site has been adopted by the District Council, it would then be transferred to the Parish Council, who would then be responsible for the letting of plots and all other aspects of the management of the site. This could take a year or so, as the site needs to be landscaped, fenced and water laid on and the legal documents drawn up.

Skips – the Council will be providing skips for domestic waste only for a trial period. Three skips have been provisionally booked for the weekend of 26/27th April. Sites will be published on the notice boards nearer the time.

Parish Forum – the Council will be setting up a regular Parish Forum for interested organisations / groups within the Parish. It is hoped that the Forum will encourage communication between organisations and the Parish Council.

Discovery Centre – the Parish Council are keen to encourage use of the Discovery Centre and Sharon Fouracres, Marketing Manager BDC will attend the next meeting.

Play Area – new equipment will be installed in the play area behind White Court School within the next week or two.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 11 February 2003 at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School in Blickling Road. There is a short time available before the start of the meeting for Public Question Time. All are welcome.

Posted Tuesday, January 28, 2003, 18:19 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting October

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The October meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 10th at 7.30 p.m.

Five members of the public attended including three young people who asked the Council when they were going to get a skateboard area in Great Notley. Planning permission is not required; a Certificate of Lawfulness has been applied for from Braintree District Council.

They also asked when the pitches at the Discovery Centre would be ready for use, and before leaving, thanked the Council for lining the basketball court at the ‘RAFT’.

Other matters raised in the public forum were parking along Cuckoo Way from Tesco’s to Elsham Drive roundabout, which was considered dangerous due to the speed of vehicles using this stretch of road particularly as visibility was poor due to the bend in the road. Overgrown hedges and litter was also a problem.

The Council accepted a quote for £10,000 to install new play equipment at the White Court Play Area.

The Council is still considering the possibility of employing a Community Youth Development Worker; it was agreed that more research would need to be done before any decision is made. If there are any parishes that have any information on this I would be interested to hear from them. (Please contact the Clerk – Angela Balcombe 01376 528081).

There has been a certain amount of graffiti in Great Notley recently, the culprits are known and the police have been notified.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 12 November at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School in Blickling Road. There is a short time available before the start of the meeting for Public Question Time. All are welcome.

Posted Monday, November 18, 2002, 15:24 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting September

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The September meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 10th at 7.30 p.m.

Members of the public present asked if anything could be done on a temporary basis to restrict parking outside the Notley Green Primary School. Parents are parking outside the school making it difficult for contractors vehicles to manoeuvre. This was making it very dangerous for the children. The Clerk is to contact the County Council to see if they can help, in the meantime parents that do not need to drive to the school are asked to leave their cars at home and walk their children to school.

‘RAFT’ – A vote in favour was taken to submit a planning application for a skating area within the ‘RAFT’. Therefore an application will be submitted to Braintree District Council for their consideration.

The Parish Council is to purchase and install three new seats for the Country Park to replace the wooden seats that have either been vandalised or rotted away. The Council is also going to provide four more litter bins at various locations in Great Notley. The Council now employs a person to pick up litter for four hours a week and it was agreed that this has made a real difference.

Parish Sign – the location for the Jubilee Parish Sign has been agreed. It will be sited in front of the pond at the Panners end of the village providing permission is gained from the developers.

On Thursday 12 September the underpass leading to the Discovery Centre was badly flooded. Essex County Council has confirmed that the reason for this is that at 10 a.m. someone had tampered with the pump controls, which are on a telematics system. The alarm was automatically triggered and ECC had spent all morning trying to rectify the problem. Unfortunately the pumps may have to be replaced at an approximate cost of £8,000.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 8th October at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School in Blickling Road. There is a short time available before the start of the meeting for Public Question Time. All are welcome.

Posted Tuesday, September 17, 2002, 5:36 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting August

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The August meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 13th at 7.30 p.m.

Before the meeting started, the Chairman welcomed Jean Twin, Young Peoples Representative from Braintree District Council, who presented a display of skateboard parks that other parish and town councils had provided. Jean then went on to answer questions from councillors and members of the public relating to skating facilities.

The ECC ‘CONTACT’ Bus had been poorly attended but those that did attend enjoyed the facilities. The bus will be visiting again on Friday 30 August at 7.15 p.m. in the Community Centre car park. The bus is aimed at children aged thirteen upwards.

The Council are to investigate the possibility of providing allotments for Great Notley. A number of residents have come forward expressing an interest, therefore a meeting is to be arranged with Braintree Council and Countryside Properties with regard to the siting and administration of the proposed allotments.

The Council are also considering the possibility of a Community Youth Development Worker for Great Notley. The Parish Council would have to be responsible for the arrangements for the employment, including recruitment, terms and conditions, management and any additional funding. Councillors agreed this would be a big responsibility and are to arrange for someone to attend a future meeting with more details.

New equipment is to be provided for the White Court Play Area, for children up to the age of eleven. Representatives from Wicksteed Leisure and Playdale are to visit the site to give advice and quotes for the equipment.

An amended design for the Jubilee Parish Sign was accepted. It will be carved in wood and cast in aluminium and will be double sided.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council will be on Tuesday 10 September at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m.

Posted Tuesday, August 20, 2002, 10:49 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting July

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The July meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 9th at 7.30 p.m.

The Chairman welcomed new councillor Paul Hughes to the meeting who was elected due to the second candidate withdrawing his candidature.

A proposal was put forward to remove the hill at the ‘RAFT’ but objections were raised about spending precepted money to remove the it. The proposal was seconded but councillors voted against removing the hill. The basketball court will be white lined in the near future.

A meeting was held with representatives from BDC to discuss the future grass cutting options for Great Notley. The Parish Council will consider the possibility of taking on this service.

Various repair work and new equipment is needed for the play areas, councillors are to meet prior to the next meeting to look at this. The seating shelter at the basketball court has been further vandalised and it was agreed to remove it completely. All incidents of vandalism to Parish equipment is to be reported to the police and a crime report number obtained, it was suggested at the meeting that all members of the public do the same.

The Clerk is to write to ECC to complain about the state of the pathways and kerbstones in White Court, also a footbridge on the footpath in the Country Park.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council will be on Tuesday 13 August at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.00 p.m. A representative from BDC will be attending to answer questions regarding the proposed skating facilities for Great Notley. There will be a display of facilities other parishes have provided.

Posted Friday, August 2, 2002, 5:48 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting May

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The May meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 14th at 7.30 p.m.

The first item of business was to elect a Chairman. It was proposed, seconded and unanimously agreed that Cllr. Paul Stirland be elected as Chairman. The new Chairman thanked Cllr. Barltrop for all her work as Chairman in the past and Councillors showed their appreciation with a round of applause. Cllr. Moore was elected as Vice-Chairman.

Skate Ramp – members of the public present had voiced their concern over the proposed siting of a skate ramp. The Chairman explained the background of the four suggested sites and Councillors voted on two of the proposed sites, the Discovery Centre and the mound area of the ‘RAFT’ (Teenage Play Area). As the votes for both sites were equal, the Chairman used his casting vote against the Discovery centre and in favour of the ‘RAFT’. Permission to use this area must be obtained from BDC and if permissible, a planning application will be submitted.

Casual Vacancy - A letter of resignation had been received from Cllr. John Hainsworth. Councillors gave a vote of thanks to John and a letter thanking him for all his valued work as a Councillor will be sent. A Casual Vacancy now exists and notices advertising the vacancy will be published shortly. Details can be obtained from the Clerk – Angela Balcombe, tel. 01376 528081.

Finance – the Clerk explained the new Audit Arrangements from April 2002, which will require the appointment of an Internal Auditor. The Accounts for 2001/2 were approved by the Council and signed by the Chairman.

Village Appraisal (District of Tomorrow) – Jan Cole from the RCCE and the Clerk, Angela Balcombe, attended the Notley Green Primary School May Fair on Sunday 12 May, and carried out a ‘quick’ appraisal, to find out from local residents what they like, or feel needs improving in the Parish. This proved a most successful exercise and the results will be analysed by BDC and included in their Community Strategy. Thanks to everyone who took the time to add his or her comments and to the Head Teacher, Faye Trussler, who gave us a pitch at short notice.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council will be on Tuesday 11th June at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. There will be 15 minutes at the start of the meeting where the public may ask questions relating to issues within the Parish.

Posted Monday, May 20, 2002, 13:33 GMT by greatnotley

Parish Meeting April

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM77 7FT. Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The April meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 9th at 7.45 p.m.

Preceding the meeting was the Annual Assembly at which the main topic of conversation was the Parish Sign, which the Council has precepted £3,000 to mark the celebrations of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee. Members of the public present disagreed with this proposal. Questions were asked regarding the increase in the council tax. Copies of Receipts and Payments of the last financial year were available for members of the public. Also discussed was the proposed expenditure on play equipment for the coming year.

The Parish Councils (Model Code of Conduct) Order 2001 was adopted without amendment although not all Councillors were in agreement as to whether the Council should adopt it. The Parish Code of Conduct can be inspected at meetings of the Council or by making an appointment with the Parish Clerk.

The Council agreed to purchase two new flags for the War memorial at White Court, a Union Jack and an American flag. It was also agreed to order and pay for a replacement ‘Notley Green’ road sign.

The public meeting arranged by the Parish Council with the police was considered successful with a good turnout. The Chairman thanked all those who participated in the meeting.

The ditches within the Parish contain a lot of rubbish and builders rubble. This is to be reported to the Clean Team and the Parish Council will try to find out who is responsible for clearing the ditches before areas are adopted by the District and County Councils.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council will be on Tuesday 14th May at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. There will be 15 minutes at the start of the meeting where the public may ask questions relating to issues within the Parish.

Posted Monday, April 22, 2002, 19:43 GMT by greatnotley

November Parish Council Meeting

GREAT NOTLEY PARISH COUNCIL
Clerk – Angela Balcombe
6 Shires Close, Great Notley, Braintree, Essex CM7 8FT.
Tel. 01376 528081

Parish Council Report.

The November meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 13th at 7.30 p.m. All members were present.

A member of the public asked what the Council’s perception of police protection in Great Notley was. This question related to the amount of vandalism and general hooliganism in Great Notley recently. The Chairman explained about the loss of a local policeman and read a letter sent by the Council to the Chief Inspector regarding the request for increase of policing in Great Notley. Councillors agreed with the public present that there was not enough support from the police and suggested that we arrange a public meeting to discuss the issue further.

Precept – Councillors discussed the budget for the next financial year. A total of £10,000 was agreed towards renewing play equipment (some of this money will be earmarked for future play areas that may need equipment). £6,000.00 will be put towards skating facilities, and a grant from ‘Awards For All’ is also to be applied for to help fund the skating project.

A total of £1,750.00 is to be given in grants to the Brownies, Scouts, Football Club and the Air Ambulance.

‘RAFT’ (Recreational Area For Teenagers) – Councillors all agreed that Cllr. Moore had done an excellent job in constructing the seat / shelter for the ‘RAFT’. This was made from mostly recycled materials and was well used by the teenagers.

A meeting was held at the Discovery Centre during the half term holiday to discuss the possibility of providing skating facilities in Great Notley. This meeting was attended by four Councillors, the Clerk, Sgt. Bob Bell, Jean Twin (BDC Young Persons Representative), Ian MacNee (Rayne Ramp Committee) and a dozen or so young lads. A working party was set up and a site meeting held at the ‘RAFT’ on Saturday 10 November to discuss the location and type of equipment required.

The Clerk had spoken to Head of Planning at Braintree District Council regarding acquiring some extra land next to the ‘RAFT’ for this purpose. Mr Crofts explained that the Parish Council would need to put in a planning application for the land. A vote was taken, with 6 in favour and two against applying for planning permission. The vote was carried.

Golden Jubilee – it was agreed to spend up to £3,000.00 on a Village Sign to mark the Golden Jubilee and suggested that a competition be held to decide on a design for the sign.

Next Meeting – Tuesday 12 December at 7.30 at The Notley Green Primary School, Blickling Road, Gt Notley.

Posted Thursday, November 22, 2001, 15:55 GMT by greatnotley

September Parish Council Meeting

Parish Council Report.

The October meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 9th at 7.30 p.m. All members were present. Also attending were ten members of the public, nine of whom were teenagers who had come along to ask for skating facilities to be provided in Great Notley. The youngsters produced ideas and plans to show what they had in mind and also mentioned the possibility of fund-raising. A meeting has been arranged to discuss this further, to be held at the Discovery Centre during half term.

London Road – Councillors agreed unanimously to send written support regarding the proposed experimental prohibition of motor vehicles using the London Road as a through route (access only). Letters to be sent to Essex County Council and Braintree District Council.

Precept – the Clerk handed all Councillors a financial report with details of income and expenditure and last year’s precept. Councillors were asked to consider the next financial year’s expenditure in time for the next meeting when the precept will be decided.

Levens Way Path – a quote was accepted to improve the existing path at Levens Way and to create a new path branching off to the play area and to install a second gate.

‘RAFT’ (Recreational Area for Teenagers) – the new basketball posts have now been installed and the area cleaned up, all rubbish has been cleared from the ditch by the bridge. The Parish Council is looking for an oil drum to be used as a bin as the old bin has been destroyed. If anyone is able to help with this please contact the Clerk on 01376 528081.

Next Meeting – Tuesday 13 November at 7.30 at The Notley Green Primary School, Blickling Road, Gt Notley.

Posted Tuesday, October 30, 2001, 8:45 GMT by manicmonday

September Parish Council Meeting

The September meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 11 at 7.30 p.m. All members were present, also attending were County Councillor Roger Walters and Ben Attenborough from the Braintree and Witham Times.

Police Report - In response to a letter to the Chief Constable which was discussed at the last Council meeting, Councillors have had a meeting with Braintree Police outlining their intentions concerning policing for Great Notley Parish. The suggested three actions are - Patrols to be available in shifts, these have already started. Special Constable staff to assist high visibility patrols, this has already produced an arrest for a drugs related offence, and Sgt. Midwinter has agreed to produce a police article for the Great Notley Times giving up-to-date news and advice about policing in the Parish.

Play Areas - New concrete bases have been put in at the ‘RAFT’ (Recreational Area for Teenagers), and the new basketball posts should be installed at the beginning of October. The Play Area by the Community Centre is still in need of repair and considered dangerous. Despite numerous pleas to BDC, who are responsible for the area, work has still not been done. The Clerk to write to BDC again.

Post Office -The Parish Council are still pursuing the need for a Post Office in Great Notley, although Post Office Counters will not agree to it being housed in White Court Stores, there is a possibility of opening a Post Office in the new ‘Neighbourhood Centre’.

Golden Jubilee – various suggestions were put forward as to how the Parish Council might contribute towards celebrations for the Golden Jubilee, possibly including BDC and Countryside Properties in any arrangements. It was agreed to make some investigations and discuss it again at the next meeting.

Next Meeting – Tuesday 9 October at 7.30 at The Notley Green Primary School, Blickling Road, Gt Notley.

Posted Sunday, September 30, 2001, 9:32 GMT by manicmonday

August Parish Council Meeting

The August meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. The Chairman welcomed all those present including two members of the public, who raised the fact that the 20-mph speed limit is being broken on too many occasions. The secretary of the Residents Association, agreed to make a point of mentioning this in the next Association Newsletter. The Parish Council will also mention it in the Gt. Notley Times.

A reply to a letter written to the Chief Constable regarding the lack of policing in Gt. Notley had been received. The letter states that the team at Braintree Police Station and the Rural Team based at Shalford are aware of problems relating to anti-social behaviour and vandalism that have been reported, and have made every effort to deal with the situations as they arose. The Parish Council has decided to follow this up and to invite Inspector Owers from Braintree Police to a future meeting.

Fly-posting is still causing problems, although the Clerk has contacted the Enforcement Officer at BDC on a number of occasions, it was agreed to write again.

Two new post boxes are to be installed in Gt. Notley, one to go at the Panners Bridge end of the village and the other to go in the middle of Cuckoo Way. The Parish Council are to order three new dog bins and three new litter bins at a total cost of just under £1000 to go at various locations where needed.

Correspondence has been received regarding the erosion of the pathways at the Country Park making it difficult for users of wheelchairs and pushchairs. Enquiries have also been received regarding fishing at the lakes. The Clerk had spoken to Paul Sheriff from the Discovery Centre who explained that fishing was not allowed as it is a wildlife area and that 'No Fishing' signs would be put up soon. The Council agreed to write to the Discovery Centre asking if they could provide an area for fishing, considering quite a few
children had expressed an interest.

The next issue of the Gt. Notley Times will be ready for distribution
shortly, it will include a special report of the fete held on the Village Green including photographs taken by Cllr. Stirland with the Parish Council's new digital camera. Some of these photo's will appear on the Council's website www.greatnotley.gov.uk

Cllr. Burdett attended an Emergency Planning meeting held at The Institute, Braintree. Cllr. Burdett gave an excellent report of this meeting, which she considered interesting and informative and which showed how much needs to be done quickly and proficiently when an emergency occurs. Cllr. Burdett was thanked for her report.

'RAFT' (Recreational Play Area For Teenagers) At present the 'RAFT' is still closed due do vandalism. New basketball posts are to be installed this month, these are being provided free of charge by EBBA Outdoor Basketball Association, although the Parish Council, as part of the agreement must pay for the installation and maintenance for the next five years. It is hoped that when the area is cleaned up, repaired and new posts installed that the children will take some pride in it and look after it.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on Tuesday 11 September at 7.30 p.m. at The Notley Green Primary School.
Posted Monday, August 20, 2001, 10:01 GMT by manicmonday

July Parish Council Meeting

The July meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. The Chairman welcomed all those present including four members of the public.

London Road - this agenda item was brought forward and the meeting suspended to allow members of the public present to speak. The Chairman read a letter from Essex County Council regarding the proposed prohibition of motor vehicles in London Road. The proposal will now be presented for consideration by a committee at Braintree District Council, the date has yet to be arranged. The Chairman informed the those present that the Parish Council supports the proposals and will send a representative to the committee meeting to present the Parish Council's, and local residents, views.

Melvyne Crow - Landscape & Countryside Manager BDC.
The Chairman introduced Mr Crow and welcomed him to the meeting. Mr Crow gave an outline of the various aspects of his work including ecological issues and explained his involvement over the years in the development of White Court and Great Notley Garden Village. Mr Crow answered a number of questions put to him by Councillors and promised to put pressure on the Environment Agency regarding work to be done in White Court Wood. Mr Crow also agreed to send the Clerk an up to date list of trees covered by TPO's.
The Chairman thanked Mr Crow for his time and it was agreed that a lot had been learned in a short space of time.

Great Notley Times. The next issue is well under way with input from various associations. A sub-committee meeting is to be arranged soon to organise delivery to all households in the Gt Notley parish.

Cluster Meeting. Peter Crofts, Head of Planning at BDC attended the Notleys and Cressing Parish Cluster meeting hosted by Gt Notley. There were nine agenda items including London Road and Rural Transport.

Discovery Centre. Cllr. Barltrop attended the official hand-over from Countryside to BDC. Local members including the Parish Council were thanked for all the work they had put in for the community.

Website. Nothing new to report on the website, over two hundred people had visited the site so far. To visit the website go to www.greatnotley.gov.uk

Tree Warden. Cllr. Want attended a Tree Warden meeting - 'Who is Right? / Who is Wrong - Trees and The Law' held at Gosfield Village hall on 19 June.

EALC. Cllr. Barltrop and the Clerk attended the EALC AGM on 4 July at Pleshey Village Hall. It was agreed that the EALC proportion of the subscription payable by member council's is increased by 20% for the financial year 2002/03, this is the third request for a 20% increase due to a cut of 50% in the grant from ECC.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on the 14 August at 7.30 at The Notley Green School
Posted Tuesday, July 24, 2001, 7:35 GMT by manicmonday

June Parish Council Meeting

The June meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. The Chairman welcomed all those present including one member of the public. Apologies had been received from Cllr. Hainsworth who was on holiday.

Post Office - Mr Hurst sent the Parish Council a copy of a letter he had received from the Post Office to say that they are not agreeable to a site meeting regarding the application to run a post office from White Court Stores. Mr Hurst, in his letter, has said that after the elections he will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister for Postal Affairs.

London Road - when the results of the London Road survey were received some months ago, the Parish and District Council supported the possibility of an experimental prohibition of motor vehicles in the London Road. Essex County Council approached Essex Police for their support. Unfortunately the Chief Constable believes this proposal to be an inappropriate use of the legislation and that it would cause an unnecessary enforcement problem. The proposals will now be presented for consideration by a committee at Braintree
District Council. The Parish Council are asking to be involved in this committee and would also like to see a roundabout installed at the entrance / exit of White Court, which would also help to slow traffic.

Great Notley Times - although a week late due to printing problems, the Times went out to all residents in the Great Notley Parish and was considered very successful. The magazine has worked out quite cost effective with revenue from advertisers covering a large percentage of production costs. Cllr. Stirland was thanked for doing an excellent job.

Litter / Dog Bins - the Council have budgeted for more bins this financial year. Information to be brought to the next meeting regarding cost / design.

'RAFT' (Teenage Play Area) - the basketball posts have been vandalised, one of them was dangerous so has been completely removed. The Council has registered the 'RAFT' with the English Basketball Association. They are to provide a grant to provide two new posts, which the Council will pay to install and maintain for five years. Countryside Properties has agreed to supply materials to build a brick shelter, someone is needed to build it (if anyone is interested in helping or can quote to build this, please contact
the Clerk on 01376 528081, a concrete base is already in place).

Mr Perkins continues to do an excellent job in picking up litter from the Play Areas, perhaps if our children took more of their litter home or used the bins provided, he wouldn't have to work so hard!

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on the 10 July at 7.30 at
The Notley Green Primary School.
Posted Tuesday, June 19, 2001, 15:49 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting

The May meeting of Great Notley Parish Council was held at The Notley Green Primary School at 7.30 p.m. The Chairman welcomed all those present includingone member of the public. Apologies had been received from Cllr. Howley who was on holiday.

The first item of business was to elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman. Cllr. Moore nominated Cllr. Betty Barltrop as Chairman, seconded by Cllr. Hainsworth, the vote was unanimous. Cllr. Hainsworth nominated Cllr. Paul Stirland as Vice-Chairman, seconded by Cllr. Burdett, the vote was unanimous.

During public question time Queenborough Lane was discussed. The member of public present asked if the other side of Queenborough Lane was within the boundary of Great Notley Parish. The Chairman explained that it wasn't parished but came under Braintree District Council.

A pond pole has been purchased by the Parish Council to be looked after by a local resident who has kindly volunteered to use it to clear rubbish from White Court pond. An open manhole cover in White Court Wood had still not been covered, despite having been reported some time ago, the Chairman has spoken to BDC who have agreed to see to it within the week.

The Council has agreed to purchase a digital camera for use with the Great Notley Times and the Great Notley Parish Council website. The website is now up and running and can be viewed at www.greatnotley.gov.uk

A trophy has been purchased by the Council to give to The Notley Green Primary School in memory of John Perks. The trophy will be engraved and presented each year to a pupil for outstanding achievement.

Play Areas - a site meeting with two representatives from BDC had been held. The play area by the Notley Green Community Centre has now been adopted by BDC therefore they are now responsible for the maintenance of the equipment.
The play area behind White Court School has had some maintenance work done but it is not yet complete. Cllr. Moore kindly diverted the entrance gate to make it safer for young children when entering, to avoid running into the swings and BDC are to install a second gate at the other end of the play area for safety reasons.

The next issue of the Great Notley Times is now ready and will be delivered to all homes in Great Notley shortly.

The only working silk museum in this country has now gone from Braintree.
The Silk Museum was forced to close due to high rent charged by Braintree District Council. This is to be included as an agenda item at the next Cluster meeting to be hosted by Great Notley Parish Council in June. A letter is also to be sent in protest about this to the Member of Parliament.

The next meeting of Great Notley Parish Council is on the 12 June at 7.30 at
The Notley Green Primary School.

Posted Thursday, May 10, 2001, 7:11 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting

The April meeting of the Parish Council was held at the Notley Green Primary School, this meeting included the Parish Annual Assembly at 8 p.m. The Chairman welcomed four members of the public and Sgt. Ken Midwinter from Braintree Police.

Annual Assembly.

Chairman Cllr. Barltrop gave a comprehensive report, which started about the creation of the new Great Notley Parish in April 2000, and the election of eight Councillors and various sub-committees. In July, Angela Balcombe was appointed Parish Clerk, she was chosen from a large number of entries for the post of Chief Executive to the Council. A number of special visitors have attended the Parish meetings to talk on specific subjects, at the October meeting Member of Parliament, Mr Alan Hurst talked about local issues and agreed to take up the need for a sub-post office in this area. This is an ongoing saga which we hope will convince the postal authority that a post office is often a lifeline to the elderly and those without cars.

Street lighting is a problem while areas of Great Notley Garden Village are still awaiting adoption. The Clerk now has an up to date list of "who owns what" and "who is responsible for what". Essex County Council have only adopted a limited number of lights in adopted areas and these, generally speaking, are kept in good order.

Cllr. Barltrop gave thanks to Paul Stirland, Vice-Chairman and to all
Councillors for the invaluable work they do behind the scenes, also to Angela for her expertise with the Parish finances and all she does to maintain the smooth-running of Parish Affairs. Thanks also to the public for their interest in Parish affairs and for coming to the meetings to support elected Councillors.

Great Notley Times - Cllr. Stirland thanked all those who had contributed to the magazine, including Cllr. Barltrop for help with advertisers, and Eliot for help with delivery. The magazine was considered a success and was working out to be cost effective.

Police - Sgt. Midwinter reported that problems arise on a day to day basis but any particular problems could be reported to him and he would do his best to see to them quickly. The Great Notley area was considered to be quite a good area with most incidents reported as more nuisance value than criminal.
Various problem areas were pointed out to Sgt. Midwinter and he was asked if he could monitor these areas. Sgt. Midwinter explained that jobs have to be prioritised and that the police rely on information when it is actually happening and that he would do his best to respond as quickly as he could.

The Chairman thanked Sgt. Midwinter and the members of public for attending the Annual Assembly, which closed at 8.45 p.m.

Other matters discussed at the Parish Council meeting were the White Court Wood, a meeting was held there with Mr Melvyn Crow from BDC to discuss future work to be done in the wood. This is to include a bridge and possibly a marsh area to be created at the Langdale end of the wood. Mr Crow is to contact the Environment Agency to see if they can help with this project. A team of volunteers is needed for the Autumn, to help with the clearing of paths and coppicing.

Great Notley Parish Council now has its own website, Greatnotley.gov.uk which should be up and running in the next couple of weeks. Cllr. Jackson is the Webmaster; the Chairman thanked Cllr. Jackson for the tremendous amount of work he has done so far to get the website ready for publication.

Thanks were expressed to Cllr. Moore for moving the entrance gate and diverting the path to the play area behind White Court School. Some work has been done to the equipment but there is still more to be done. The Clerk reported that she had contacted BDC on a number of occasions regarding this, another meeting is to be arranged to discuss this further.

The next meeting of the Parish Council will be 8 May 2001 at The Notley Green Primary School, Blickling Road, at 7.30 p.m.

Posted Friday, April 27, 2001, 6:37 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting

The March meeting of the Parish Council was held at the Notley Green Primary School and 4 members of the public were in attendance. A question was asked about the closure of the footpaths due to Foot and Mouth disease. The Chair explained that all metalled footpaths were an exception and were not closed.

A survey was handed to the Council to show that residents, although in favour of a footpath on the west side of London Road, did not want the path to run adjacent to the houses, but nearer to the kerb.

Chairman Mrs Barltrop, Cllr. Moore and the Clerk planted a new tree, to replace the one blown down in gales, at the front of White Court.

The Village of the Year and Best Kept Village Competition 2001 entry forms have been received from the RCCE, entries are to be in by 6 April. It was agreed to enter and to include a map to show all areas of the Parish.

Three new notice boards have been ordered to replace the old boards at White Court. The new boards will have lockable doors on one side for the use of the Parish Council, but will be left open on the other side to allow use of the boards by local residents.

Street Lighting.

The Clerk is waiting for an up to date list of adopted roads from ECC to show who is responsible for streetlights still not working. This list will show the various developers and which lights they are responsible for, making it easier to report lights that are not working.
A meeting is to be arranged with a representative from BDC to determine the future of the four lights in the Community Centre Car Park. The Parish Council has paid for a new light, which has been installed outside no.19 Teal Close, and will also be paying for the maintenance and supply of electricity to the light.

The next Parish Council meeting will follow on from the Annual Assembly, which is to be held on 10th April at 8 p.m. at the Notley Green Primary School, Blickling Road, Great Notley. All are welcome to attend.

Posted Saturday, April 14, 2001, 22:00 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting

The February meeting of the Parish Council was held at the Notley Green Primary School and 17 members of the public were in attendance to ask questions about the future of the London Road. As this was an item on the agenda, the Chairman suspended the meeting proper, to allow these residents an opportunity to voice their concerns. During that time, a show of hands was asked for and a unanimous response for further restrictions of through traffic was recorded.

Councillors then discussed the points raised at their meeting with Highways and the concerns expressed by local residents, and it was agreed to make formal representation to the Highways Authority for the following proposals to be implemented: -
1. That a temporary "All motor vehicle ban except for access" be implemented for 18 months on the London Road. That the "Access Only" signs be carefully placed after a site meeting with representatives from both Black Notley and Great Notley Parish Councils and the Highway Authority.
2. That a mini-roundabout be installed at the exit from White Court.
3. That a footpath be installed along the west side of the London Road between The Chase and Cut Hedge.

The closure of the slip road from the Braintree bypass down to the London Road was also discussed, and it was considered that this would significantly reduce the amount of traffic using the upper London Road.

The new bus shelter has been erected on the site opposite the nursery school.
The Council have agreed to purchase a new street light outside No. 19 Teal Close.
A list of street lights not working has been handed to the Clerk, to
be reported to ECC and the various developers responsible for their
maintenance.
The Chairman had been in touch with the Community Association about the lights on the Village Hall car park.

Great Notley Parish Council has been chosen to host and finance a BDC
Activity Day for children in the Easter Holidays at the Community Centre.
Posters advertising the event will be displayed shortly.

BDC has started work to repair equipment at the play area behind White Court School and it was reported that Cllr. Moore has agreed to undertake the work to be carried out on the fencing around the play area.
There has been some discussion about the future of the play area behind the Community Centre and this will be raised at the next Great Notley Liaison meeting in March.

A letter had been received from Alan Hurst MP saying that further
representations were being made for a post office in the area.

It was agreed to accept the contract with BDC whereby the Parish Council continues to maintain the footpaths through the White Court Wood.

It was reported that the Great Notley Times had been delivered to the 2,000 plus homes in the parish and thanks was expressed to the Editor and those who had arranged and carried out the distribution.

The next meeting of this Council will be at the Notley Green Primary School on Tuesday 13th March at 7.30 p.m.

Posted Friday, February 16, 2001, 19:07 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting

The next Parish Council Meeting is at Notley Green Primary School at 7:30PM on Tuesday 13th February 2001

Posted Tuesday, January 16, 2001, 17:53 GMT by manicmonday

Parish Council Meeting Notes

The Chairmain opened the meeting and welcomed those present, including 27 members of the public who were there to voice their concerns about a controversial planning application. Questions were asked and the Chairman assured local residents that their concerns would be dealt with sympathetically by the Council.

The Chairman introduced Andrew Potter, the BDC Dog Warden, who explained the procedure for reporting dog owners who break the law by refusing to clear up after their pets. It was agreed to purchase more dog bins, and to consider the suggestion of installing them in pairs.

It was reported that the base for the shelter in the Teenage Play Area had now been laid and the hut would be erected as soon as possible. Quotes are being obtained to tarmac the top of the hill.

A new bus shelter opposite the Nursery School will be installed shortly. Additional litter bins are to be purchased and notice boards replaced at White Court. It was agreed to purchase a tree to replace the one on the front of White Court which was blown down in the gales and also to enquire about replacement trees in front of the Discovery Centre.

Arrangements have been made with Highways to discuss the London Road surveys; the problem of abandoned vehicles; safety barriers; footpath access and the draining of water in the underpass.

The Parish Clerk and Councillors will be attending the Rural White Paper Conference being hosted by the Essex Association of Local Councils and the Rural Community Council of Essex of Friday 26th January.

The second edition of the Great Notley Times will be distributed at the beginning of February. The Next meeting of the Parish Council will be on Tuesday, 13th February at Notley Green Primary School commencing at 7.30pm.


Posted Sunday, January 14, 2001, 17:23 GMT by manicmonday