1^st September: – Tony Kirby, ‘Tides of Fortune’ The rise and fall of seaside resorts 1700-2016.

6th October: – John Vigar’ The Church Conservation Trust’ Work on Redundant Churches.

3rd November: – Martyn Lockwood. ‘Zeppelins over Essex’ Zeppelin raids 1914-18

1^st December: – Presentation by Peter Sanders and Paul Embleton to celebrate the publishing of Stansteds history book ‘On the Beaten Track’.  The History of Stansted Mountfitchet.

2017

5^th January: – ‘Members Evening’ Volunteer your short talks please.

2^nd February: – Roger Barrett; Art and Artists of Stansted (Including the story of Violet Bartlett of The Thatch; Grove Hill, Stansted.

2nd March: – Tony Earle ‘London Underground from Inception to Modern times’ includes a light-hearted Quiz.

6^th April: – Carolyn Wingfield: – ‘Lost and found’ Treasure and other finds acquired by Saffron Walden Museum.

4^th May: – AGM followed by a Quiz.

Stansted Mountfitchet Local History Society

The season’s meetings will be held in the Crafton Green Centre, off Chapel Hill on the dates given, at 8pm. Member’s subscriptions will be £8 for the year and £2 for Day Member’s. Refreshments will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you this coming season, and extend a warm welcome to all newcomers.

The new hub, which will include a library, the Parish Council offices and other community services, will be created on the site of the current library with work due to start in July and be completed by Spring 2017.

During this period a mobile library will be available within the car-park adjacent to the site on Saturday 2^nd July (10:00 – 16:00) and then at the following regular times:

Week 1 – Starting 4^th July

Tuesday: 10:00 – 13:00

Friday: 10:00 – 16:00

Saturday: 10:00 – 16:00

Week 2 – Starting 11^th July

Tuesday: 10:00 – 13:00

Wednesday: 13:00 – 16:00

Thursday: 13:00 – 16:00

Saturday: 10: 00 – 16:00

In addition a small collection of books will also be available in the Day Centre next door to the site during their opening times. The Parish Council offices will continue to provide its usual services at Crafton Green House until the move next Spring.

For more information contact Jenny.Salisbury@essex.gov.uk or Anthea.Wearn@essex.gov.uk.

This is a popular and sensitive location right in the centre of the village and we appreciate residents will be concerned that the character of the gardens is maintained particularly as the war memorial is a place where people value peace and quiet to pay their respects. We think that the designs are very sympathetic to the history of the gardens but we welcome feedback from residents before the final design is agreed.

We will now have to submit funding applications to get the money needed to pay for the hard landscaping and planting. Positive support from residents always helps secure funding so please get in touch with us if you support the project and if you have any comments to make on the designs.

We already have one resident who has asked if he can donate a bench in the gardens to his parents’ memory. If you interested in doing something similar in memory of a loved one please contact the Parish Council Office.

Click here to view the two options.

Click here for full details of the meeting.

Our twice yearly working groups are resulting in significant improvements in the appearance and ecological health of the pond.

Who can enter:

• Local Residents
• Businesses Organisations / Charities
• Individuals or groups of residents can also enter communal areas they are responsible for.

We will judge as separate categories:

• Full / specified residential / business garden areas
• Hanging baskets / tubs
• Communal areas

Judges will view your entry on June 18th and will consider:

• Use of space and design
• Colour and layering
• Variety of planting

Visual and sensory impact plaques will be awarded for the 1st/2nd/3rd winners in each category, on Saturday 2nd July 2016, at the Crafton Green Day Centre. Click here for a copy of the entry form.

The number of entries last year was a bit disappointing. The competition date has been brought forward which we hope will encourage more of you to enter. There are lots of really impressive floral displays around the village so please enter into the spirit of the competition, be proud of your work and enter the competition.

Uttlesford District Council’s Community Project Grant scheme for 2016/17 is now open for applications – with grants from a minimum of £100 up to a maximum of £3,500 available.

Last year’s scheme helped 44 different organisations, supporting a wide variety of local initiatives ranging from environmental projects to community building repairs.

Grant awards can be made to properly-constituted voluntary organisations or similar bodies in the Uttlesford district, such as village hall committees, community shops, town and parish councils, community associations, play and recreation clubs and groups.

Grants will be considered for expenditure incurred in the provision of any of the following:

• Development of land for recreational purposes, including environmental improvements
• Buildings or facilities that are available for community use such as village halls, community centres or public conveniences
• Car parks and access roads to car parks directly associated with a community use building
• Children’s play areas, including equipment and safety surfacing
• Improvement, refurbishment or extension to any of the facilities outlined above
• Essential equipment that contributes significantly to the aims and objectives of the project
• Training or a one-off staffing cost that contributes significantly to the development of the project or increases benefit to the community (wages and salaries cannot be paid)

Eligible projects must be completed after 1 April 2016 and before 20 March 2017.

If the application is for more than £1,000 the amount raised by the applicant must represent at least 50% of the total project cost. In the case of an application for less than £999 the applicant must have raised 25%.

Closing date for applications is midday on Thursday, 30 June 2016. Applications from sports and cultural groups are not eligible.

To request an application form, or for further information, please contact Sue Hayden, Community Development Officer, on 01799 510563 or shayden@uttlesford.gov.uk.

‘An event or situation which threatens serious damage to human welfare in a place in the UK, the environment of a place in the UK, or war or terrorism which threatens serious damage to the security of the UK.’

We certainly don’t want to be alarmist and thankfully we haven’t had to deal with a major incident in recent history however we have had minor excitement when a potential unexploded WW2 bomb was found a few years ago and more recently we had the M11 snow closure but our plan has never really been put to the test and obviously we hope it never will, however we should be ready just in case.

Flooding has been a major focus locally and we have plans in place to respond if there is a threat of the kind of flooding we have experienced in recent years but the Civil Protection and Emergency Planning group are also charged with making sure we can respond if some other risk should arise.

The role of the Parish Council is primarily to support the emergency services by:

• Disseminating useful information to the local population
• Providing local knowledge and information to the Emergency Services
• Assisting District Councils in the identification of premises suitable to be used as Rest/Reception Centres for victims of an incident
• Assisting in the setting up of and facilitation of public meetings
• Attending and contribute to the incident debriefing process
• Distribute completed Plan to the District Council and ensure they are kept abreast of updates and reviews.
• Being aware of vulnerable members of the community (disabled, elderly, ill, etc)

We also maintain an up to date register of people, organisations, and businesses we can call on in an emergency with details of any resources they are willing and able to make available. If you would be prepared to offer any of the following skills should they ever be needed we would appreciate you providing the Parish Council with your details:

• Qualified plumbers, electricians and general builders
• Qualified First Aiders
• Vets
• Qualified Counsellors
• Interpreters- We would like a comprehensive list covering languages from Western and Eastern Europe, Asia and Africia.

Similarly if you would be prepared to make available any of the following please let us have your details:

• Hydraulic equipment
• Chain and power saws
• Tractor and Diggers
• Four wheel drive vehicles

Please download a form by clicking here to volunteer your services.

You can contact us Monday – Friday, between 09:00 and 13:00 on 01279 813214, or e-mail parishcouncil@stansted.net.

Person Specification

The Ranger will need to meet all of the essential criteria as listed below.

All applicants are required to disclose any medical condition which may affect their ability to undertake any of the prescribed tasks. This is not to preclude anyone, but to ensure that that Parish Council is aware and can make appropriate arrangements.