Monthly Archives: February 2018

Your Communities, Libraries and You

Invitation to Essex County Council  YOUR COMMUNITIES, LIBRARIES AND YOU event

Please click here to find out more: FINAL Your community and Libraries_A4_Poster_AW
Libraries have long been at the heart of communities. But communities, lifestyles and expectations are changing so libraries need to change too. We are inviting people to get involved to rethink libraries’ place in communities and make them fit for the future, relevant and sustainable. We think libraries have great potential as hubs for local people, services and activities, and we want to work with our communities and partners to make it happen. We want your ideas, your enthusiasm, your local knowledge and your creative thinking about how to provide what your community needs.
The events are open to the public, including library

Monday 26th March 2018 at  Clacton ACL, St Osyth Road, Clacton, CO15 3BN

The event is open to the public, including library users and non-users, and to community groups, community leaders and partner organisations.
Please register now at libraries.essex.gov.uk to secure your place(s) at the event.
The  event will last for two hours from 7 to 9pm and comprise:
 a short film illustrating the themes to be discussed
 a 20-30 minute discussion led by myself or my deputy, Cllr Mark Durham
 discussion zones on the themes of ‘community heart’, ‘getting involved’, ‘front door to services’ and ‘innovation’ where you can talk to staff and each other, share your ideas and sign up for future involvement.
Refreshments will be provided.

Arlesford Primary School

Essex County Council has commenced a consultation on a proposal to expand Alresford Primary School, with effect from 1 September 2019.

Please click here to find attached a copy of the consultation document. It can also be viewed at the following address: http://essex.gov.uk/schoolconsultations

 

Parents/ carers and other interested persons are invited to attend a drop in session (no appointment necessary), where officers from Essex County Council will be available to talk about the proposed expansion and answer questions.  The drop in session will be held on Tuesday 20 February, between 3:30pm and 7:30pm at the school, Ford Lane, Alresford, Colchester, Essex, CO7 8AU.

 

More information on the proposal can be obtained by writing to the School Organisation Team, PO Box 4261, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 1GS or emailing [email protected]

 

The closing date for receipt of comments on the proposal will be 16 March 2018.

 

Kind regards,

Ian Bateman

School Organisation Support Officer

School Organisation

Essex County Council

TDC Planning News

Hight Court judge rejects Council’s appeal over housing plans in Sladburys Lane

 
Wednesday, 7 February, 2018

A judge has refused to hear an appeal by Tendring District Council (TDC) against a proposed housing development in Holland-on-Sea.

TDC had refused planning permission for the site in Sladbury’s Lane, where developers had applied to build up to 132 homes.

The Council’s decision was reversed at appeal by a Planning Inspector, and TDC had then sought to challenge this decision in the courts.

However a High Court planning judge has refused the Council’s application for a judicial review. She ruled in her decision, taken without a hearing, that there was no perceived error in law and that it was not for the courts to decide on the merits or otherwise of a planning matter.

The court has also ordered that TDC pay for the Secretary of State’s costs for responding to the judicial review application.

Cllr Neil Stock, Leader of TDC, told a meeting of full Council last night (Tuesday, February 6) that the Authority would reluctantly accept the decision.

“Our external legal Counsel has reviewed the Judge’s refusal and confirmed that whilst disappointing, the planning court has, over the last 6-12 months, been very dismissive of any claims which stray into the planning merits at all, even if there is an arguable error of approach or law,” he said.

“There is no increased prospect of success in persuading the court that an arguable error of law exists by proceeding further.

“When we decided to take legal action to challenge the inspector’s decision it was done based on solid reasons and it is unfortunate that on this occasion we have not been successful.

“The inspector’s decision was based on specific information about this particular application and I am determined it will not alter the Council’s resolve to present robustly the housing land supply position and defend its decisions as necessary.”

Copied from TDC website