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Community Achievement Awards - Chairman of the Council, Lady Patricia Newton & Cllr. Jo Beavis are inviting nominations for the Community Achievement Awards 2008/09.
The awards are to celebrate those who have made an outstanding contribution to the community & to improving the quality of life of others by giving their time, support and care.
Flood Lagoons - A ceremony has marked the completion of work on vital flood lagoons in Sible Hedingham.

On Wednesday 18th June councillors and officials celebrated the completion of a flood alleviation project in Sible Hedingham.

Residents, who were hit by terrible floods in July 1999 and again in 2001, have eagerly awaited the £600,000 lagoons for five years. The lagoons in Wethersfield Road, will protect parts of Church Street, Rectory Road as well as Wethersfield Road itself.

The scheme was designed in consultation with the Environment Agency, Braintree District Council, Sible Hedingham Parish Council and the landowner. Cllr Norman Hume, cabinet member for Highways and Transportation said: "This scheme will bring much needed flood relief to road users and residents in Sible Hedingham."
The public toilets at Sible Hedingham - have been transformed after a £34,000 refurbishment. The funding came in part from a £5,000 grant from Braintree District Council’s Rural Communities Development Fund. It is the maximum grant available under the scheme. The fund is designed to enable parishes to carry out projects which will benefit their communities, such as new play equipment or village hall renovations.  Another £8,000 came from Essex County Council’s community initiatives fund leaving £21,000 for the parish council to find. New facilities for the disabled have been added at the recreation ground block, which also includes toilets for men and women and a changing room. Paths to the block have been redone and new gates installed at each end of the ground which are easier for disabled people to use. They were opened by Councillor Jo Beavis, who represents Hedingham and Maplestead on Braintree District Council and is chairman of Sible Hedingham Parish Council.
Jo's Ready To Run For Shelter - Jo is following in her Father's footsteps by running in this years (2008) London Marathon. She will be running in aid of the charity Shelter and has been in training since August 2006. She has been running the routes 4 times a week around Sible Hedingham and Gosfield that her Father used to run, in all weather conditions. "I am looking forward to it. It's a goal and I am a great one for having goals".
The Safer Streets Agenda - A PCSO beat surgery will be a regular event in the Sible Hedingham Parish Council Office. The monthly drop in surgery will be a way of encouraging people to report problems and raise issues. Jo said " I am glad the Parish Office can be of use. We just want to firm up the partnership that is working with the Police. The Parish Office room is a great asset for meetings like this and is getting used more and more."
New Access Alongside The River Colne - The long awaited riverside walk is now got the go ahead and will link Station Road with Alderford Street when completed. Parish Council Chairman Jo Beavis said " the riverside walk will be a great asset for the village". She is pictured with Project Officer Richard Parmee, Parish Councillor Ronnie Green and Parish Clerk Adrian Corder-Birch.
Flood Relief Plan Nears End - Jubilant Parish Councillors are celebrating the near completion of the Flood Lagoons. They have supported local residents from the start and the contractors are making progress in leaps and bounds to protect a lot of houses in the Village. They have waited four years for the £600,000 scheme to protect the village from the reoccurrence of the bad floods suffered in 1999 and 2001. The 13 week project to build 3 flood lagoons should be finished by the end of November (2007). The scheme comply's with all the latest environmental standards with the excavated earth being reused on the site. Planting will be done around the site and any hedgerows removed will be replaced.
Parish Councillor - I have been elected as a Parish Councillor for Sible Hedingham Parish Council in the May Elections. I was then elected by the Parish Council to be the new Chairman for the coming year at their May meeting.

Conservatives Take Control Of Braintree District - Myself & Wendy have been re-elected & Fred Swallow has taken the seat of Lib.Dem Steve Boulter! The Conservatives took 42 of the 60 seats at Braintree, Labour lost 10 & the Lib.Dems lost 4 seats.The results are below:

                                 2007     2003    Gain

Joanne Beavis -          1283     1013    +270

Wendy Scattergood -  1114       710    +404

Fred Swallow -           1103        -          -

 

Braintree District Results -

Conservatives - 42 (+15)

Labour - 9 (-10)

Lib.Dem - 1 (-4)

Halstead Residents - 5

Greens - 2

Independents - 1

TAKE YOUR PARTNERS - It is time for change. The Government is proposing reforms in local government and our local communities will be at the heart of their thinking. These are exciting times. A community call for action!
Partnerships, I believe, are the way forward. We need to re-balance the local relationship. Local Government needs to be
closer to people and places. We would all like to see our local communities be prosperous and vibrant. Together we can make a difference. Watch this space!
District Council Elections - Myself & Wendy Scattergood will be standing again in the May elections this year and a third Conservative Councillor will also be standing, Fred Swallow. You will be seeing us over the next few months walking the streets, knocking on doors & delivering leaflets with our group of helpers. If you receive a survey leaflet please fill it in & leave it sticking out of your letterbox for us to collect. These give Councillor's feedback on what you think & want from your Council.
New Year See's Big Change - As of 1st January 2007 we are preparing to leave Saffron Walden & join the new Braintree Constituency which will be formed at the next General Election. There is a lot of work to be done but remember Sir Alan Haselhurst is still our MP until then.
Greenfields Community Housing: A brighter future for council tenants -
The ballot to decide the future of the housing service has now taken place and tenants and leaseholders have voted to transfer to brand new housing organisation, Greenfields Community Housing.The results were as follows:- Out of the 68% of tenants that used their vote, 62.3% voted to transfer- Out of the 44% of leaseholders that used their vote, 74% voted to transfer.
The Local Government Association Annual Conference - Joanne has just returned home from Bournemouth. She was a delegate at the 2006 Annual Local Government Conference. Quote "Change is in the air and devolution is the bold word on eveyones lips". Devolving some powers down from Central Government into the hands of Local Government are the key lines from this years Local Government Conference.
"We now all await the Lyons White Paper on the future of Local Government - this is due in the Autumn and should set out a road map for the future".
"I believe that the future is bright. We, as Local Authorities, are being encouraged to work together, share information and perhaps look at some areas of joined up working to order to offer better service delivery for our communities".
"The buzz word is choice, I believe that choices will come with change - I'm excited about the future of local government!"
Dispersal Order - Joanne has supported all the actions taken in order to obtain the Dispersal Order for Sible Hedingham. During the last two years Joanne has sat on two local committees set up specifically to look at ways of reducing ASB in Sible Hedingham. These Research and Surveillance Committees have provided a great back ground to supplying information in supporting the Dispersal Order. Quote "I am pleased to see the action being taken in regard to the Dispersal Order. This is positive action! In addition, it demonstrates how multi agency working can add real benefit to ones community - undoubtly this multi agency approach adds real value".

Stansted - As UDC start the process on the Stansted expansion application - don't forget to  keep updated by visiting the UDC site.

The Council Web Site - More great news for on-line users. As more and more access to services are becoming available on-line, did you know that you can now check out any planning application on line. Check the result of your application by just clicking the street name. Yet another great service being provided by Braintree District Council.

In April 2006 Joanne was elected by the Council to join the newly formed Shadow Board For Housing Options. This is seeing over the stock transfer of Housing from the Council to a Housing Association. Because she has taken over this extra responsibility she has had to stand down from three of the other committees she was on, which are: Halstead Hospital League Of Friends, The River Colne Countryside Project & The District Development Committee.

She said "It is such a shame as I have enjoyed very much being involved with these Committees. I just would not have been able to give them my full attention. What with running my own business & having at least 2 queries a day from people in my District about things such as planning, vandalism, Roads & Stanstead Airport, there is only so much one can do & concentrate on."

Joanne Beavis collecting an award - with other colleagues, Autumn 2005, Park Lane, London. Braintree District Council was the winner of the 2005 MRS research awards. This award is given to the submission that best demonstrates the impact of research on decision making within, and understanding the issues relating to, the public policy and/or social arena. The award demonstrates how a combination of research techniques provides real insight to improve local services.
Joanne Beavis gets promotion - At the Braintree District Council AGM 2005 District Councillor Joanne Beavis was appointed to the Standards Committee. Councillor Beavis becomes the first woman member of the Standards Committee since it was established in February 2002.
Sir Alan Haselhurst Holds Seat - Sir Alan Haselhurst has kept his seat and increased his majority over the Lib Dems by more than 3000 to over 27,000!! That's over 50% of the vote! A very well done to him and his army of helpers throughout the constituency.
David Finch Holds Seat for County - David Finch has also kept his position as County Councillor and increased his vote to over double that of the Lib Dems!! He had 4959 votes and the Lib Dems had only 2182 votes and Labour had only 1722. David achieved 47.7% of the votes which is a great result. The Lib Dems are not quite the force in our area they keep telling themselves!