NEWS

PCSO Natalie Smith will be hosting beat surgeries at:

     The Wood Cottage Tea Room

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.

The surgeries will be on:

Thursday 16th October                  11am-12pm

Thursday 13th November              11am-12pm

Thursday 18th December              11am-12pm

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

Residents may wish to be aware that TotalEnergies will be attending the Rayne Community Coffee morning on Saturday 27th September 10am – midday.

Venue The Old School Room, Shalford Road, Rayne CM77 6BS
Felsted residents are encouraged to attend.

Whether the Neighbourhood Plan supports the Water Tower site (or any other) for development depends on the ability of the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan Review Group (FNPRG)  to complete the review of the Neighbourhood Plan (NP).  A problem has been encountered however, which the FNPRG are, with UDC’s help, trying to resolve .

UDC has said a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is required for Felsted’s NP, without which it cannot proceed to Reg 14 in the Neighbourhood Planning process.  Earlier this year however, and without notice, central government withdrew all funding for Neighbourhood Planning which includes Felsted’s SEA.  UDC is now trying to fund SEAs for parishes, like Felsted, that are trying to complete their NP’s or Reviews.  The outcome of the funding request should be known quite soon. If funding is granted the SEA then has to be commissioned (from AECOM) and completed, which can take several weeks.  In reality, the FNPRG don’t expect to see a SEA report before the end of September at the earliest.  In the meantime, they continue to work on the plan as best as they can, and minutes are available on Felsted PC’s website.

Outside of the NP process however, the Parish Council’s Planning Committee is required to comment on the planning application made in respect of the Water Tower site.   They have also been formally notified that, in the next two weeks or so, Bloor Homes will be making a planning application for the site at Watchhouse/Bannister Green for circa 100 new homes.

In respect of the Water Tower project, the FNPRG have had further dialogue with the landowner’s agent and expressed very serious concerns about site access. Whilst the FNPRG are obliged to be reasonably accepting of the increase in traffic in Garnets Lane from the completed and occupied homes – not something they want anywhere in the parish – they have been forceful in expressing their very serious concerns about the impact of construction traffic during the development phase and have urged the construction of a ‘haul route’, using Chaffix Farm land in Braintree Road to be included in the application.  They have said that it is very unlikely that an application that proposes Garnets Lane and Stebbing Road as construction access will be supported by the Neighbourhood Plan Review Group.  A reply is awaited.

Cllr Richard Freeman, as Chair of the Parish Council’s Planning Committee has also written to Essex Highways asking for specific consideration to be given to the highway’s issues in any construction phase of the application and has also applied to UDC for a deferral on the Parish Councils response to the application, pending the outcome of that enquiry or sight of ECC Highways formal response to the application.

In respect of the Bloor Homes site, the planning consultants have adjusted the plans to, in their opinion, overcome any objection based on coalescence.

The inspection of the UDC Local Plan (LP) has complicated matters still further.  The Inspectors assessing the plan have indicated that they are concerned that the housing number pipeline in the UDC plan has been miscalculated. (To be honest this is all more technical than the FNPRG understand!) The outcome is that a 5% figure used in defining the ‘buffer’ in the UDC housing supply will need to be subject of a ‘modification’ in the LP and a 20% multiple applied.  FNPRG’s understanding of the Inspector’s comments is that some further increase in housing numbers across the District will be required to ensure the LP passes inspection.

Given the uncertainty and pressure from central government surrounding housing numbers nationally, the assessment of the FNPRG is that it is not in the least inconceivable that both the Water Tower and the Bloor Home sites could receive approval outside of the NP process.

Prior to the Planning Inspectorate’s comments about the LP (referred to above), the Parish Council wrote to the CEO of UDC challenging the methodology in the LP of the housing allocation across the parishes, which seems to condemn ‘Larger Parishes’  (of which Felsted is one so designated) of becoming ever larger. Again a response is awaited.

Felsted Parish Council has been advised that TotalEnergies has written to the UK Planning Inspectorate formally withdrawing their proposed submission of a Development Consent Order (DCO) which is the official preparative application in the consenting regime for an NSIP.

As advised by Felsted Parish Council on February 27th, 2025, the INSIP was for a large solar farm development covering circa 650 acres that was being proposed to be located on land between Watch House Green and Rayne.

TotalEnergies advise that whilst they are withdrawing from the NSIP proposal they continue to plan to bring a cross-boundary planning application forward which will be submitted to Uttlesford District Council (UDC) (and Braintree District Council), but this will no longer be as an NSIP but it will be in the form of a conventional Planning Application.

This will give Felsted (and Uttlesford District Council) the opportunity to consider the proposal and respond on behalf of Felsted in the usual manner for a Planning Application.

A copy of the TotalEnergies letter (dated 15th August, 2025) can be read here.

Following a review of their timetables, reliability and passenger demand Central Connect are making changes to a number of their Essex services from Monday 1st September 2025. These changes are designed to ensure the ongoing sustainability and reliability of their network and improve passenger journey options. A summary of the changes being made can be found below along with links to copies of their new timetables.

Service 331 – Braintree > Felsted > Helena Romanes School

Service 331 is introduced on school weekdays serving Helena Romanes School in Great Dunmow. Buses will depart Braintree Kings Park Village and run via Great Notley, Willows Green and Felsted (partly replacing Flagfinders 827 & 828 services).

Service 331 journeys will open to the public and may be used by any passenger presenting a valid pass or fare. Fares on Service 331 will mirror those on Service 333.

Click below for new Service 331 timetable

https://cdn.tmsops.co.uk/media/vboeastmidlands/331_Summary_TT_010925.pdf

Click below for the Service 331 (& 333) map

https://cdn.tmsops.co.uk/media/vboeastmidlands/331-333_Map_010925.pdf

Service 333 – Braintree > Felsted > Great Dunmow > Stansted Airport

Following a review of their launch timetable, minor changes to timetable are made to reflect traffic conditions along the route. This predominantly affects early morning and evening journeys.

In addition, on weekdays, one journey in each direction will divert in Great Dunmow and serve Helena Romanes School instead of Stortford Road. This to partly replace Flagfinders 827 & 828 school services (along with new route 331).

To provide additional capacity for school patronage and airport traffic, most journeys are upgraded to operate with double deck buses (overnight journeys may continue to operate with single decks).

Click below for new Service 333 timetable

https://cdn.tmsops.co.uk/media/vboeastmidlands/333_Summary_Timetable_010925.pdf

Residents may wish to be aware of a consultation  by Essex County Council on Supported Local Bus Services. The survey is open until 27 October 2025 and can be accessed here: https://consultations.essex.gov.uk/iptu/localbus2025
It is important to note that the majority of buses in Essex are operated commercially and these do not form part of this consultation.

The Uttlesford District Council Planning Portal shows that a Planning Application has just been made to UDC in respect of the Water Tower site in Garnetts Lane, Felsted (UTT/25/1929/OP).

This application refers to the site the subject to a public consultation held by the land-owner’s agents earlier this year.

As part of the continuing consultation process which commenced in March 2024, on 11th/12th July 2025 at the URC the Neighbourhood Plan Review Group sought parishioner’s further comments about these (and other) development proposals which are being considered for inclusion in the Review. To help assess the viability of proposals, various options, conditions and DRAFT policies have been discussed with agents for sites under consideration. However, no site allocations or policies have yet been formally adopted by the Review Group in a Reg 14 submission.

The Group does not anticipate progressing to the next stage (Reg 14) until it has assessed further evidence – particularly in relation to access – and a Strategic Environmental Assessment has been conducted and the outcome assessed. This is unlikely to be before late September 2025.

Meanwhile, this application will be considered in the prescribed manner by the Planning Committee of Felsted Parish Council. As previously stated at the Consultation Events, the result of the ‘vote’ and the comments received at the Events will be shared and will help to inform the Parish’s formal response to UDC about the application.

Parishioners who wish to make any personal representations or comment about this (or any) application are advised to do so directly to Uttlesford District Council as the Local Planning Authority. You have until 27th August to consider and submit your response; you may do so by following the link below:

https://publicaccess.uttlesford.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SZLTDDQNK4T00&activeTab=summary

The Review Group.

UCAN is the residents charity for Uttlesford, working to improve life for everyone who lives here. Their mobile community supermarket, in partnership with The Active Wellbeing Society and Uttlesford District Council was launched earlier this year selling basic essentials at cheap prices.

The Community Supermarket will now be located at Flitch Green, Hallett Road Car Park (instead of the previous location of Holy Cross Church).

They will be in this location on Tuesday 12th August between 9.30am and 11.30am, and then every other week.

Please note: A referral is NOT needed in order to access the support.

Token Vote

• Total tokens issued:142 (One per household attending)
• Water Tower site:60
• Bloor Homes Site:65
• No preference expressed:17

Analysis of Comments

In addition to the token count, as shown above, we have very carefully read and considered the 83 comments left over the two days on the ‘Comments’ boards by the 190 (Friday 86 and Saturday 104) individuals who attended. (Where more than one post -it appears to have been used to express a view by the same contributor, the additional note has been counted as a single comment.).

We have given a categorisation code to each comment.

There is a degree of subjectivity in the categorisation of the responses, but we have tried to ensure the code matches the intent of the contributor.

The majority (35 notes) are assessed (GC) as providing general comments about development in and the pressure on infrastructure, urging resistance to any further development but without offering specific comment on the two major sites on display.

Following the event the Parish clerk also received six emails form residents who were unable to attend but asked for their views to be considered.

• (SBH) Seven (7+2) offered comments clearly in SUPPORT of the Bloor Homes site.
• (ABH) Nineteen (19+1) offered comments clearly AGAINST the Bloor Homes site.
• (SWT) Two (2) offered comments clearly in SUPPORT of the Water Tower site.
• (AWT) Twenty (20 +3) offered comments clearly AGAINST the Water Tower site.

Neither the token vote nor the ‘comments’ at the consultation event have provided an overwhelmingly clear result.

The distribution of the tokens shows greater support for the Bloor Homes site (65) over the Water Tower site (60). The notes on the ‘Comments’ boards and the emails are also evenly balanced, with similar numbers rejecting both sites (20 and 23) and a slightly greater number (7+2) offering specific support for the Bloor Homes site as opposed to (2) offering support for the Water Tower site.

As we have consistently said, this is NOT a simple ‘numbers game’.

In further developing the Review we will also now carefully consider the result of the Strategic Environmental Assessment, (which we are increasingly hopeful will be funded) and will be an important factor in determining how we proceed to producing a DRAFT plan for assessment in accord with Reg 14, when parishioners will have a further opportunity to comment on the plan before it is submitted to a Planning Inspector.

The Inspector will decide whether the plan is compliant with the Neighbourhood Plan Regulations, if further work is required or if we can proceed to a Referendum, when parishioners will finally be able to decide whether to support the plan.

The Review Group