NEWS

The Felsted Parish beacon will be lit in celebration this coming Thursday evening at the memorial hall playing field.

1940’s music will be playing prior to and after the lighting of the beacon.

Arrival, from 8.30 pm onwards
Proclamation 9.15 pm
Lighting of the beacon 9.30 pm

Words of remembrance and celebration by Revd Nigel Little, Felsted School CCF will also be attending the celebration.

The Parish Council are aware of an invitation circulating from Bloor Homes for a “Community Information” event at the URC Hall in Stebbing Road on Thursday 8th May from 3-7pm.

They are seeking comments from the community on proposals for a new development of up to 100 dwellings in Bannister Green.

Residents are encouraged to attend and to provide their feedback to Bloor Homes.

PCSO Natalie Smith will be hosting drop in sessions in the Royal British as follows:

Friday 9th May 6pm-7pm
Friday 6th June 6pm-7pm

These drop in sessions are an opportunity for residents to:
• speak with the local community policing team about any concerns that they may have;
• obtain crime prevention advice;
• stop by for a chat.

Please feel free to stop by, everyone is welcome, no appointment is necessary.

PCSO Natalie Smith will be hosting the following Beat Surgery:

Venue : The Wood Cottage Tearoom

Date:     Thursday 8th May 2025

Time:    11:00 am – midday

This drop in session is an opportunity for residents to:

• speak with the local community policing team about any concerns that they may have;
• obtain crime prevention advice;
• stop by for a chat.

Please feel free to stop by, everyone is welcome, no appointment is necessary.

Felsted Parish Council has recently set up a Facebook Page to share news, updates and information. To visit the page please click here: https://www.facebook.com/felstedpc/

Please consider liking and following the page to stay connected to the Parish Council.

The Parish Council are aware of an invitation circulating from “Springfields Planning and Development” for a “Community Consultation” event at the Memorial Hall on April 23rd to seek comments from the community on a proposed development for 70 dwellings on land north of Garnetts Lane and Chestnut Walk. The Parish is also “informally” aware of an additional potential application for an unknown number of dwellings on land off Rayne Road that may well come forward shortly.

The site that is the subject of the “Community Consultation – Land north of Garnetts Lane and Chestnut Walk” will be supported in the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan Review and included in the soon to be submitted “Regulation 14” submission of the “updated” Felsted Neighbourhood Plan. This site was included in the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan Review drop-in sessions held in March 2024 when, as one of 12 sites taken forward, it received a high preference rating from residents attending the drop-in sessions with 73% voting in favour and voting 27% against.

The consultation being undertaken on April 23rd by “Springfields Planning and Development” is their own independent consultation in order to gauge public opinion and to enable them to collect Parishioners comments.

Background on current housing commitments for Felsted

As we have covered in previous publications, including the Focus Magazine, the matter of additional housing for Felsted, which we fully understand is not wanted, is not something that the Parish can ignore or brush aside. The pressure on all communities is enormous and with Uttlesford District Council (UDC) not currently having an “up to date” Local Plan and in addition, being unable to demonstrate the required 5 year housing land supply, there is a significant risk of opportunistic and speculative planning applications coming forward.

Housing numbers for Felsted

The Uttlesford emerging Local Plan, which is currently submitted under “Regulation 19” and is due for review by the appointed Planning Inspectors (with a number of hearing sessions due to be held, from 10 June to 19 June) originally allocated 320 additional dwellings to Felsted. Since that original allocation was made by UDC there were 216 dwellings approved (some of which are now built) which UDC then took into account and they reduced Felsted’s allocation in their Regulation 19 submission to 104. With a further 23 having since received approval this reduces Felsted’s outstanding obligation to 81.

As you can see from the above, Felsted has a firm allocation in the UDC emerging Local Plan. These additional homes need to be delivered by 2041 and the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan will support the delivery of the outstanding allocation of 81 dwellings.

The next meeting of the Stebbing Local History Society is on Monday the 14th April, starting at 8 p.m. This will be held at Stebbing Village Hall in Mill Lane.

They are delighted to welcome Alan Crouchman as speaker. He will be delivering two short talks entitled “Flak Bait – A miraculous survival” and “The impact of the Americans – family stories”. Both talks relate directly to the wartime airfield Andrewsfield much of which was in the neighbouring parish of Stebbing.

Stebbing Local History Society would be delighted to welcome any Felsted residents interested in WW2 locally.

No need to book just turn up and pay £2 on the door.

This spring, Love Essex are challenging Uttlesford residents to reduce their general rubbish to one bag a week. This challenge is for those whose general rubbish is collected on a Tuesday.

To help you reduce your waste, you will have received a handy guide. This guide includes tips on how to prevent waste, reuse items, and recycle correctly. You’ll also see a sticker on your grey-lidded general rubbish bin to remind you about what should be recycled.

Are you up for the challenge? Click this link to take part: Take the One Bag a Week Challenge – Uttlesford District Council

Join the Farleigh Hospice Walk for Life on Sunday, 11th May 2025.

Choose your challenge: a 12km ramble from Paper Mill Lock or a 24km trek from Heybridge Basin. Walk along the scenic Chelmer & Blackwater towpaths and support an incredible cause. Walk solo, with friends, or family – every step makes a difference.

Sign up here: https://www.farleighhospice.org/events/walk-for-life-2025