Chelmsford City Council is holding a Full Council meeting this evening (July 17th) and the agenda shows a Motion to Council submitted by Councillor Mike Steel, Member for Broomfield and the Walthams.

It was a non-political Motion, asking that the health authorities work even more closely with the City Council to utilise funds available from developers to provide more, much needed, health facilities.

However the Administration wanted to politicise the Motion, and so Mike has sadly had to withdraw it.

Given that today’s King’s Speech will undoubtedly feature planning as a key item, it is essential that our residents get the much-needed infrastructure that is necessary if new homes are to be built.

Here is our press release.

“Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Stephen Robinson attempted to wreck Cllr Mike Steel’s Motion to Chelmsford City Council Meeting this evening by adding political statements to Mike’s original wording. Mike is very disappointed at this, as his Motion was entirely non-political and simply trying to get the local Health authorities to work more closely with the City’s excellent planners to increase the health facilities for our residents. Mike is keen to progress what we as City Council can do, here and now, to increase primary care facilities, rather than just revert to the usual political blame game.

Although it is not possible for the City Council to directly dictate the provision of new doctors’ and dentists‘ surgeries, Members can and do ensure that such infrastructure is included in all the major planning applications (for example, at the new Beaulieu development) but Mike’s Motion went beyond that to facilitate and encourage the health service to set up such surgeries.

Cllr Steel has reluctantly withdrawn his Motion to Council to stop political statements spoiling what was a genuine cross-party attempt to improve health facilities in Chelmsford, but will continue to fight for these in his role as both a City and County Councillor.”

So, we find ourselves looking at a new political landscape after a General Election that was, for any Conservative, and by any measure, painful.

It would have been naïve of any Conservative to have expected anything but a defeat; but the extent of Thursday’s losses were perhaps more punishing than any of us had feared.

The extent of those losses were, I suspect, fuelled in part by protest votes garnered by Reform candidates. The Reform candidate for our constituency hailed from Frinton and admitted at our local hustings that she had never visited our town before the election was called.

Nor had ‘our’ Labour candidate for that matter.

It was, however, reassuring to see Sir John Whittingdale returned to parliament, albeit with a much reduced majority. He’s served our constituency – and the nation in his various Cabinet roles – well for many years. I frequently support his local constituents’ surgeries at Club Woodham and many residents speak highly of the support he’s provided them.

Elsewhere, I was saddened to see Vicky Ford lose her Chelmsford seat. Vicky has worked tirelessly for Chelmsford, securing funding for the Army & Navy replacement and the new railway station at Beaulieu.

I wish Marie Goldman well in her new role. Vicky Ford will be a tough act to follow; and it’s fair to say that meetings of  Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council won’t be the same without her.

It’s now back to ‘business as usual’. I will be attending a meeting of Essex County Council on Tuesday, followed by a Town Council committee meeting that evening.

Local councillors at at all levels, are focussed on the needs of their communities and while, at District and County Council levels, we align ourselves in political groups, we didn’t party during lockdown, we simply got on with the business of running our County.

Now, as anyone who knows me will know, I’ve been a petrolhead since my early teens, and it’s time for the British Grand Prix.

Cllr. Bob Massey

As reported by Mark Francois MP, Essex County Council are proposing to refurbish and repurpose the former Chetwood primary school on Gandalfs Ride as a ‘sixth form’ annex to a new Special Needs school.

The school will cater for up to forty, sixth-form SEN pupils, out of an overall 190 special needs pupils.

The operation of the existing Chetwood Family Hub will be unaffected.

Residents are starting to receive their Council Tax letters for the coming year.

As the County Council’s precept (including the Adult Social care charge) represents nearly 71% of the overall Council Tax bill, we thought it would be useful to show how the County Council spends our money:

Or, expressed as a daily spend:

Essex County Council – Daily Spend 24/25

I was pleased to see that Essex County Council have installed two new sets of steps at Marsh Farm Country Park; one near the viewing point at Hawbush Creek and one near what the Park Runners refer to as “Bob’s Hill”.

The Locality Grant I was allowed by Essex County Council to improve local facilities funded these and, along with the two sets of steps my grant funded at Saltcoats last year, should improve access to the sea wall for residents.

Steps at Hawbush Creek

Steps at “Bob’s Hill”

It’s been a couple of months since the May elections, and the City Council is settling down to business as usual. Councillors have been appointed to the various committees overseeing the City Council’s running.

At Essex County Council has started another round of its ‘Member Led Potholes Scheme’ where each County Councillor is able to identify up to eighteen potholes in their area for priority treatment.

I posted a request on Facebook for residents to make representations and also asked all the South Woodham Ferrers Town Councillors to identify potholes in their wards.

Only three – Peter Ferry, Lisa Kelly, and Darren Thompson took the time to respond, so I can only presume that the roads are not as bad as in other parts of our County.

Nothing, interestingly, from the local Council Taxpayers Association representatives who have declared their intention to “HOLDING THE PARTIES WHO RUN OUR TOWN TO ACCOUNT!” (their capitals), again I can only presume that there are no potholes in Woodville Ward.

Residents had already identified potholes in Benbow Drive to me, so I’ve reported those, those identified by our Town Councillors, and the potholes on the ‘S’ bend on the B1418 towards Woodham Ferrers.

Update – On July 18th I waas driving towards Chelmsford on the B1418 and saw a highways engineer highlighting multiple potholes – beyond those I reported – inclding some that had previously only received temporary repairs. It remains to be seen if Essex Highways treat the potholes with more than white aerosol, but fingers crossed! 

Early next month, Essex Highways plans to resurface the Inchbonnie Road stretch between Ferrers Road and Clements Green Lane.

Clements Green Lane itself is scheduled for resurfacing this financial year; the problems with the road surface are defined as ‘delamination’ and so cannot be treated by the County’s pothole teams.

There will be a second round of the scheme in October, so I will be asking for another eighteen potholes again nearer that time.

Bob Massey
Representing the residents of Chetwood & Collingwood Ward at Chelmsford City Council, and South Woodham Ferrers at Essex County Council.

After a fractious City Council election campaign, it’s time to contemplate the result.

Firstly, thank you to each and every one of the 707 residents who voted for me (I also voted for myself).

I will – with Ashley John and Malcolm Sismey – continue to fully represent you, and the other residents of Chetwood and Collingwood Ward at Chelmsford City Council.

Congratulations to Murrough O’Brien on his election as a Conservative councillor representing the residents of Elmwood and Woodville Ward, and also to Donna Eley and Terry Sherlock who will be representing those residents as Liberal Democrats.

To Keith Bentley, Tricia Hughes and Ian Roberts, who have represented residents over the past four years – twenty years in the case of Tricia Hughes – thank you for your service.

It is, of course, frustrating to us that Chelmsford has returned a Liberal Democrat City Council, we elected Conservative City Councillors will continue to hold them to account when their policies are found wanting.

Once again, thank you for your support.

Bob Massey
Representing the residents of Chetwood & Collingwood Ward at Chelmsford City Council.