NEWS

This year’s Felsted Primary School Art Competition saw 36 entries on the theme of ‘Space’, and over 60 visitors to see and admire them.

Graham Harvey, Frances Marshall and Richard Freeman, from Felsted Parish Council, took on the challenge of judging.

With the school back from holidays, the winners were announced and the prized awarded by Alan Mackrill on Friday 27th September.

Alan congratulated the winners, saying “I know it was a very difficult task to find winners from the very high standard of entries. Well done to all who submitted entries.”

Age range 4 – 6

• 1^st           Emmie Peart
• 2^nd          Obi Powles

Age range 7 – 9

• 1^st           Matilda Hulett
• 2^nd          Charlotte Holly Pascoe

Highly commended:

• James Malthouse
• Julia Collyer

Age range 10 – 11

• 1^st                           Rose Powell
• 2^nd (JOINT)          Eve Hodson and Ned Purcell

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Early last year the Parish Council completed extended negotiations with Enodis (the developers of Flitch Green) and took ownership of the Open Space off of Station Road between Felsted and Flitch Green. The picture below shows the site  as we inherited it, a blank canvas.

Work is now ongoing to develop this space as a Nature Area. A Working Group made up of members of The Parish Council, local residents and wildlife experts is overseeing this long-term project.

Funds from Enodis are enabling the Council to create a varied habitat for wildlife and much progress has been made over the past few months. Rubbish and fly tipping have been cleared. The area along the front has been landscaped and sown with a wildflower mix, including Yellow Rattle, Ox Eye Daises, Cowslips and Primroses, together with other wildflowers. These produced a beautiful display in the Spring, with much of it still on show as we move into Autumn.

To facilitate dog walking two sets of dog waste bins have been installed, together with general rubbish bins. One set is by Station Road and one set is by Footpath 59.

FP 59 is being maintained on a monthly basis, as are paths mown throughout the Nature Area. In order to minimise disturbance to the Nature Area and protect the wildlife habitat, walkers are requested to stick to the mown paths.

The Working Group is being advised by Essex Wildlife Trust. Following recent Barn Owl sightings, members have also met with The Essex Barn Owl Conservation Project, with a view to purchasing and installing nesting boxes in the Autumn.

Notices are regularly posted at the Station Road entrance and around the Nature Area to update residents regarding ongoing work and developments. We welcome any comments residents may have regarding how we maintain the area in the future.

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As the Neighbourhood Plan moves closer to public referendum stage, we are again reminded if its importance in the never ending fight and vigilance against inappropriate developments.

The latest attempt, to build 260 houses on the edge of Felsted, was objected to by Felsted Parish Council, refused by Uttlesford District Council (with the support of our District Councillors), and has now been refused by an Appeal Inspector.

The decision notice can be read here.

The battle goes on. Along with fighting applications for inappropriate developments within our Parish, we are now fighting an application to build 150 houses on our border with Rayne, which would put construction and resident traffic through Willows Green. Our objection can be read here.

We have been contacted by Uttlesford Licensing authority regarding an application for a broad event licence for Felsted School.

Summarising:

1. The application covers the whole Felsted School site and applies to films, live and recorded music, late night refreshments and alcohol (all both indoors and outside).
2. Films – Between 08:00 and midnight Sunday to Wednesday and 08:00 to 01:00 (1am) Thursday to Saturday to cover summer outdoor events where the films would not commence until the sun has set.
3. Live music – Between 08:00 and 23:00 Monday to Wednesday and 08:00 to midnight Thursday to Sunday.
4. Recorded music – 08:00 to 23:00 Monday to Wednesday, 08:00 to midnight Thursday and Sunday, 08:00 to 02:00 (2am) Friday and Saturday.
5. Late night refreshments – Up to 23:00 Monday to Wednesday, extending to midnight on Thursdays and Sundays and 02:00 (2am) on Friday and Saturdays.
6. Alcohol – 11:00 to 23:00 Monday to Wednesday, 11:00 to midnight Thursday and Sunday and 11:00 to 02:00 (2am) Friday and Saturday.

The message from Uttlesford Licensing follows:

I am writing to advise you about a new premises application that we have received from Felsted School. The application is for the exhibition of films, live music, recorded music, late night refreshment and the supply of alcohol. The school has multiple buildings and outside spaces and they are applying to licence the whole site. The application can be viewed in full on our website. Links below:

https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/media/9750/Felsted-School-premises-application-August-2019/pdf/Felsted-School-application-r.pdf

https://www.uttlesford.gov.uk/media/9751/Felsted-School-Premises-Application-August-2019-Maps/pdf/Felsted-School-maps.pdf

The last day for public representations is Tuesday 3 September .

Any comments you wish to make must be made to Uttlesford Licensing, ku.vog.drofselttuobfsctd-947e1e@gnisnecil.

Felsted Parish Council Planning Committee considered the application at their meeting on 20th August and will be objecting on the grounds of nuisance in a school and Conservation Zone area, citing the recent early morning noise nuisance from the Leavers’ Ball and asking that events be considered instead on a case by case basis.

Are you interested in the local environment?

Do you have a few hours to spare?

Would you like to help the local community?

If the answer to these questions is ‘YES’ then perhaps you are the person we are looking for.

The Council is looking for a volunteer Tree Warden to ‘keep an eye’ on the trees and hedges around the village, report any problems to the Clerk, organise occasional tree planting sessions and provide advice to the Council on tree related matters.

If you are interested in this role please contact the Clerk, Diane Smith on 01371 823071 or at ku.vog.cp-detslefobfsctd-317b93@krelc

This year the Parish Council is again sponsoring an Art Competition for Felsted Primary School pupils.    

To celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the moon landing this year, the theme is “Space”.

There are “The Works” (a national arts, crafts and hobbies store) voucher prizes for the 1^st and 2^nd winners in each of three age groups.

An exhibition of the submitted paintings will be held in the Memorial Hall, between 10.30 am and 1.00 pm on Saturday 10^th August. Entry to the exhibition is free.

Do come along and see the exhibits of local children.   Last year’s competition was a credit to both the School and the children who contributed. They were even featured in the local newspaper with their prize winning pictures:

The Felsted Neighbourhood Plan has now been submitted to the Independent Examiner, Chris Collinson.

The examination commences today, Thursday 1 August 2019.

The letter sets out how the examination will be conducted can be read here.

Following the local elections we have a vacancy on Felsted Parish Council.

It is a rewarding role, where you get the opportunity to give a little time to help our community. You don’t have to have the free time of a retiree to be a Councillor, the role is flexible and needs just a few free hours a month to attend occasional evening meetings and follow up  activities.

If you are interested and would like more details or just have a few questions please contact our Clerk.

Felsted Parish Council has consistently fought for a fair deal for Felsted residents impacted by proposals to increase passenger numbers at Stansted from 35 to 43 million, and in the process increasing flights by 50,000 a year.

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) is seeking a dialogue with Uttlesford District Council (UDC) and is currently progressing a High Court challenge to the decision by UDC’s previous administration to conditionally approve the application.

To further the call for the decision to be returned to the new administration, alongside consideration of new information, SSE have launched a petition, which can be found here.

The Felsted Neighbourhood Plan Group (FNPG) has continued to work hard on our behalf to complete the Neighbourhood Plan.

The Plan has now been submitted under Regulation 16 to Uttlesford District Council. This triggers a six week formal consultation period prior to the plan being examined by an independent examiner and then moving on to referendum.

The Plan is important to us, not only to guide the way in which we want our Parish to develop in coming years, but also in our fight against the tide of inappropriate development proposals we are seeing. Many of these developments use the lack of a UDC 5 year housing supply as their justification for inappropriate developments. However, with an approved Neighbourhood Plan, Felsted will only need a 3 year supply to negate this argument, which exists.

The six week formal consultation period will run from Wednesday 12 June 2019 and close on Wednesday 24 July 2019 at 5:00 pm.

You can view the Felsted Neighbourhood Plan and associated documents via UDC’s website or hard copies of the documents are available at the Councils main offices in Saffron Walden.

In order for your representation to be taken into account at the Neighbourhood Plan examination and keep you informed of the future progress of the Neighbourhood Plan your contact details are needed.

Comments must be made in writing, the response form can be used to make representations or you can email comments to ku.vog.drofselttuobfsctd-8f660d@ycilopgninnalp or by post to:

Planning Policy
Uttlesford District Council
London Road
Saffron Walden
Essex
CB11 4ER
The closing date for representations to be made is 5:00 pm on Wednesday 24 July 2018.