Cllrs Ault and Staines

A refreshing and productive Sunday morning spent with Essex County Reform Councillor Carl Johnson, taking the time to visit a number of locations across our community that require urgent attention.

Together, we looked at areas where improvements are needed to enhance public safety, protect residents, and safeguard some of the valuable historical assets that make our villages so special.

Politics works best when it focuses on people, places and practical solutions. By getting out into our communities and seeing issues first-hand, we can better understand the challenges and push for the action that local people rightly expect.

From highways and drainage concerns to the protection of important heritage buildings and infrastructure, there is much work to be done, but progress starts by identifying problems, working together and ensuring the right authorities are held accountable.

We will continue working hard to ensure our communities remain safe, well maintained and proud of their heritage.

Less politics. More action. Real results.

Another day, another bag of rubbish thrown from a vehicle onto Wethersfield Road.

Beer cans, coffee cups, food packaging and general waste — all casually discarded into our countryside as if someone else will deal with it.

This isn’t an accident. It isn’t a mistake. It’s a deliberate choice.

The people who live here, walk here, cycle here and volunteer their time to keep our villages clean should not have to spend their weekends clearing up after those who treat our roadsides like a bin.

Wethersfield Road deserves better.

If you can carry it full, you can take it home empty.

Respect our countryside. Respect our communities. Stop littering from vehicles.

Tendring District Council establishing 3 new Parish Councils in response to resident demand. Will Braintree District follow and Parish the rest of its District including; Bocking and Braintree Town too....?

Exciting news for our local communities! Plans to create three new community councils in Clacton-on-Sea, Holland-on-Sea, and West Clacton & Jaywick Sands have officially been approved by Tendring District Councillors.🏛️

The decision follows strong backing from residents, with up to 93% support in some areas.

Over 6,000 consultation responses across two phases helped shape the plans.

Each council will give residents a stronger voice on local issues.

The new councils will be:
Clacton-on-Sea Town Council (25 councillors)
Holland-on-Sea Village Council (15 councillors)
West Clacton & Jaywick Sands Community Council (12 councillors)

These councils will help represent local priorities, influence planning decisions, and support services like parks, events, and community facilities.

If all goes ahead, the councils could launch in April 2027, with the first elections taking place shortly after.

This is a big step towards ensuring local voices remain heard - especially with wider council changes planned in the coming years.

To read more, follow the link in the comments 👇

🏍️Think Bike! 🏍️From Essex Police - Braintree District

We ❤️safe bikes across 3 Fields - but also see (and hear) some riders that may put themselves and other road users at risk 🏇🏻🚶🏻🦌 🚴 🚗🚜🚒

Here's a link to the free FIREBIKE courses to help riders keep themselves and other road users safe 👇
https://www.essex-fire.gov.uk/firebike

❤️3 Fields

Kerbside collection changes start 1 JUN 2026.

Here's a few extra 💷💷💷reasons to get it right and avoid the Braintree incinerator where possible.

Upto date cost / income rates have been taken from a range of sources and exclude transit costs.

NOTHING in the GREY BIN is sorted and INCINERATION costs Essex taxpayers the most to process.

In March 2026 (before the election) ECC allocated nearly £95m to cover its statutory waste obligations.

♺ Happy recycling ♺

PLANTS Great Bardfield

Just outside the beautiful village of Great Bardfield, tucked away behind The Blue Egg, you’ll discover PLANTS — a truly inspiring destination for gardeners, plant lovers and anyone looking to transform their outdoor space.

Surrounded by the Essex countryside, PLANTS offers a wonderful collection of carefully selected herbaceous, perennial and annual plants, alongside an impressive range of trees, shrubs and seasonal colour to suit gardens of every size and style. Whether you are creating a cottage garden, refreshing borders, adding architectural planting or simply searching for something special, there is inspiration at every turn.

The nursery also boasts a lovely selection of terracotta pots, planters and garden accessories, perfect for bringing warmth, character and timeless charm into any garden setting.

What makes PLANTS stand out is not just the quality and presentation, but the genuinely friendly and knowledgeable team always on hand to help. From planting advice and garden planning ideas to ongoing maintenance guidance, visitors can enjoy expert support in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

A visit to PLANTS is more than shopping for your garden — it’s an experience. A peaceful place to wander, take inspiration and enjoy some of the finest planting displays in the area, all just moments from the heart of Great Bardfield.

A fantastic evening at Deersbrook Farm enjoying one of their superb food and wine pairing events.
Contact Deersbrook farm for upcoming food and wine tasting events.

The whole experience was exceptionally well put together — a wonderful atmosphere, excellent hospitality and beautifully prepared food using outstanding local produce. Each course was thoughtfully paired with wines that complemented the dishes perfectly, creating a really memorable evening from start to finish.

What stood out most was the clear passion behind the event and the celebration of local farming, quality ingredients and the rural Essex community. It is great to see businesses creating experiences that not only showcase fantastic food and drink, but also support and highlight the very best of our countryside and local producers.

A huge thank you to everyone involved for such an enjoyable and professionally delivered evening. Highly recommended and thoroughly deserved praise for what Deersbrook Farm is creating. 🍷

What to do?

Follow the link 👇
https://braintree-consult.objective.co.uk/kpse/event/764D6050-3FC0-487E-8DF6-69FFC5A479E5

Download the Plan details (or go and VIEW 👀 hard copies of the plan at either FRESHWELLS or THE WETHERSFIELD SHOP or CAUSEWAY HOUSE (Braintree District Council Offices)

Commenting on-line is a bit of a faff but worth doing. Set up a login to the portal (it was easiest to use my Facebook profile) - add a short comment supporting the draft and or add a comment

See below NP update. BDC have started the Public Consultation stage for our Neighbourhood Plan. Please see documents and feedback process on Braintree Council's website. It's very important that our community's voice is heard. Thank you. https://www.braintree.gov.uk/policyconsultation

TONIGHT - pop in from 5.30 - 7pm - see you there!

❤️3Fields!

NORTH BUS USER GROUP MEETING:

(TOMORROW EVENING) !!

Wednesday May 20th, 5.30pm-7.00pm at Shalford Village Hall

Shalford Parish Council on behalf of the DigiGo NORTH ZONE were awarded a £48,000+ grant to help improve the existing transport service for our village.

We are keen to see a North Bus User Group (NBUG) created and would love to have appropriate representation across 3 Fields with a Shalford Division.

CAN YOU HELP ??

We are looking for volunteers who would be willing to:

• Attend virtual monthly meetings (45mins)
• Develop local events (2 per year)
• Help locals and groups to ‘get on the bus’
• Help identify service needs
• Help roll-out / explain new features
• Verify /scrutinise bus data and sentiment about the service

If this is you, then please come and join us on May 20th at 5.30pm in Shalford Village Hall and help us to make a difference!

We are also looking for feedback from our residents about the DigiGo Bus Service and have set up the following email address solely for this use:

Please email any feedback to: [email protected]

IMPORTANT COMMUNITY NOTICE – PROPOSED SILICA SAND EXTRACTION NEAR GREAT BARDFIELD

Ahead of Thursday public consultation regarding the proposed silica sand extraction venture near Great Bardfield, I want to encourage as many residents as possible from Great Bardfield, Finchingfield and the surrounding villages to attend, engage and fully understand what could potentially be proposed for our rural area.
At this stage, NO formal planning application has yet been submitted.

That is extremely important.
This current consultation period is one of the earliest and most critical opportunities local residents will have to influence whether this proposal progresses any further at all.
Once a formal application is submitted, the process becomes far harder for communities to influence.

Right now, the developers will be assessing:
• The level of community concern
• The likelihood of political resistance
• Whether the road network is suitable
• Whether the proposal is realistically deliverable
• The reputational and planning risks associated with the site.

Residents therefore have a genuine opportunity to make their voices heard BEFORE anything becomes formalised.
It is also important people understand clearly what silica sand extraction actually means in practice.

This is not simply a “small local sand pit”.
Silica sand extraction is an industrial mineral extraction operation involving:
• Large-scale excavation
• Heavy plant and machinery
• Continuous HGV movements
• Noise and dust generation
• Long operational timescales
• Significant impact on rural infrastructure
• Potential long-term alteration to the surrounding countryside
For many local residents, the biggest concern will understandably be the suitability of our rural road network.

The roads surrounding Great Bardfield and neighbouring villages were never designed to accommodate sustained industrial traffic movements. These are narrow country roads used daily by:
• Families
• School transport
• Cyclists
• Walkers
• Horse riders
• Motorcyclists
• Agricultural traffic
• Visitors enjoying our countryside
Many already suffer from:
• Narrow pinch points
• Blind bends
• Deteriorating road edges
• Poor passing opportunities
• Existing speeding concerns
• Flooding and drainage problems
• Limited pedestrian safety infrastructure
Residents are entirely justified in questioning whether introducing substantial additional HGV traffic into this environment is either appropriate or safe.

There are also understandable concerns regarding:
• Noise pollution
• Dust and air quality
• Impact on wildlife and ecology
• Harm to the rural landscape
• Potential impact on historic buildings and conservation settings
• Loss of tranquillity
• Long-term industrialisation of countryside locations Importantly, communities should remain mindful that developments can sometimes evolve over time.
Residents should therefore seek clear answers regarding:
• Future expansion potential
• Processing operations
• Operating hours
• Traffic growth projections
• Restoration guarantees
• Length of operation
• Long-term land use intentions

If attending the consultation, I would strongly encourage residents to remain calm, constructive and evidence-led.
The strongest community objections are not emotional outbursts. They are:
• Organised
• Professional
• Factual
• Planning-focused
• Evidence-based

Questions residents may wish to ask include:
• How many HGV movements are anticipated daily?
• What exact routes will lorries use?
• Will villages be avoided?
• What independent traffic assessments have been undertaken?
• How will vulnerable road users be protected?
• What hours will operations run?
• How will dust be controlled?
• How will noise levels be monitored?
• What environmental impact assessments are planned?
• What guarantees exist regarding restoration?
• Could the site or operations expand in future years?

I would also encourage residents to begin documenting:
• Existing traffic problems
• Narrow road sections
• Dangerous junctions
• Near misses
• Areas heavily used by cyclists, walkers and horse riders
• Existing road damage
• Flooding or drainage issues

Local evidence often becomes extremely important during planning processes.
This consultation is not about preventing discussion. It is about ensuring our communities are properly informed, our countryside properly considered and local voices properly heard before any irreversible decisions are made.
Our villages, landscapes and rural way of life deserve careful protection, proper scrutiny and responsible decision-making.

‼️Another important consultation for development in our area.

Please do go along to the meeting if you can and voice your concerns.

Great Bardfield Town Hall CM7 4SA.

14th May between 1pm and 6pm.

https://salings-pc.gov.uk/public-exhibition-proposed-sand-pit-south-of-great-bardfield/