Please complete our short survey to let us know how we can further support you to take action on climate.
Essex County Council has an ambitious Climate Action Plan to become a net-zero county council by 2050 and help make our communities more resilient to the effects of climate change. We need the support of everyone who lives, works and studies in the county to help reach these goals.
The council is looking to support residents who want to take action to reduce their impact on the planet and the effects of climate change. This could take the form of bitesize webinars, or more formal online training.
We need your views to ensure that the result will be of benefit.
We hope the information from this survey will be used to develop a county-wide programme of climate action support for residents supported by Essex County Council and other organisations.
The programme will equip residents with skills to take meaningful action and allow for more consistency in resident engagement on climate in Essex.
Thank you for taking part in latest Local Plan survey
Thank you so much to everyone who shared their views with us as part of our recent Local Plan survey.
This was to get your thoughts on whether the vision, objectives and policies in our current Local Plan continue to be appropriate and if not, suggest changes you feel will help ensure we meet the district’s needs.
We received more than 400 comments and we’re now in the process of going through each one, using this insight to help inform the final draft Local Plan document, which we will consult on later this year. This will also include the proposed sites where new homes, jobs and other facilities could be located. Keep an eye out on our channels and this newsletter for when it goes live.
Our Local Plan Sub-Committee (a committee made up of councillors who represent Braintree District Council) will start discussions around development allocations in the summer.
Latest updates on Norwich to Tilbury pylons plans
You may be aware of plans by National Grid to install pylons between the existing substations in Norwich and Tilbury in Essex, to upgrade the electricity transmission system and connect new offshore wind generation.
The proposals are through and near to the Dedham Vale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and in part in the Braintree district, where it crosses an existing 400kV overhead line.
You can read more about our position on these plans here.
They are currently consulting on proposed changes in Essex and Thurrock which are running until 11:59pm on Thursday 27 March.
This week the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill was introduced to Parliament. The bill, introduced by central government, sets out further reforms to the planning system, which impacts local authorities like us.
The bill is aimed to speed up and streamline the delivery of new homes and critical infrastructure and includes measures such as localising planning fees and increasing planning capacity to support with this.
One key takeaway is people living within 500 metres of new electricity transmission infrastructure will receive up to £2,500 over ten years off their energy bills. This includes the transmission lines between Norwich to Tilbury.
Two NHS Mid and South Essex meetings in public this March
We will be holding two meetings in public this month which provide an opportunity for residents to observe discussions on local healthcare planning and delivery.
The Integrated Care Partnership meeting takes place on Wednesday 12 March and the Board meeting takes place on Thursday 13 March. Both meetings will be held as a meeting in public, and members of the public are welcome to attend and listen.
For more information on how you can join in, including times, locations and details on how to register, visit our website:
This week the Beat the Street campaign has launched in our district, and it has already been a great success, with more than 5,000 participants so far!
This engaging community initiative is designed to encourage people of all ages to become more physically active.
It transforms our district into a giant, interactive game where participants earn points by walking, cycling or scooting between “Beat Boxes” strategically placed throughout the community.
Everyone is welcome to join, both as an individual or in a group. There are also lots of prizes up for grabs.
Greater Essex Devolution… what does it really mean?
You may have heard discussions locally about devolution plans for Greater Essex, and wondered what does it actually mean?
Devolution means that the UK government gives more control and money to local councils, so they can make decisions and manage services closer to residents.
Now that Greater Essex is part of the Devolution Priority Programme, a new Mayoral Combined County Authority could be formed for Greater Essex by May 2026. This is a legal body set up using national legislation, with its own board and governance arrangements. This will enable a group of two or more councils to collaborate and make collective decisions across council boundaries.
The UK government intends for Greater Essex to have a directly elected Mayor for the Combined County Authority, who would have the ability to speak directly to government ministers, ensuring local concerns are heard, and secure funding for local projects.
Find more information about the role of a Mayor online.
Devolution could bring many opportunities to Greater Essex, including improved local services, better transport links, and more tailored economic growth strategies. Decisions for Greater Essex could be made closer to home, impacting you and your community.
Play area refurbishments across Braintree district
Recently we have completed some refurbishments at play areas in Braintree and Halstead.
Play areas in Meadowside and Clare Road in Braintree, and Brook Meadow and Oxford Meadow in Halstead received a range of refurbishments, including inclusive equipment catering to all ages and abilities, improved accessibility for children with disabilities and safer surfacing.
The Clare Road playground in Braintree benefited from an £82k contribution secured through a Section 106 Agreement, funding upgraded equipment and site improvements.
Our 2025-26 budget allocates further funding to continue the playground refurbishment program, ensuring that local play areas remain vibrant, safe and accessible for all.
Braintree Spring Job Fair
Join our next job fair in Braintree at Causeway House, Bocking End, on Tuesday 11 March from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Come along to this free event to meet local employers, find out about local job opportunities and apprenticeships and further training and education opportunities to increase your qualifications.
We have over 30 employers booked in for the event, including Braintree Village, Essex Police and Royal Navy.
CRESSING PARISH COUNCIL
