WEST HANNINGFIELD PARISH COUNCILNews from Cllr Sue Dobson – City & County Councillor
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Councillor Sue Dobson…
First of all, many thanks to all those who voted for me as Essex County Councillor back in December and enabled me to continue Ian Grundy’s good work. I am now settling in and taking time to find out how I can get things done. Because Ian was unwell for some time, I am aware that there may be several things outstanding, and I am now going through past records to try and pick up on those. Please bear with me whilst I do this – although if there is something urgent do let me know and I’ll look into it. This role, coupled with my City Councillor role, means that whatever the query, I should be able to look into it whether it is a City issue or a County issue.
It appears that I have become an Essex County Council Councillor at an historic time; no doubt most residents are aware of this Government’s desire to completely reorganise Local Government and do away with the present three-tier system – County, District/Borough and Parish and form Essex into perhaps 4 combined authorities with an elected Mayor for Essex. Essex County Council have responded positively to it on the basis that as the Government intends to do this, it was felt better to be involved right from the start so we can have the opportunity to do what is best for the county rather than have it imposed on us at a later date.
At the time of writing, we have just heard that our expression of interest has been accepted by the Government and work is already under way to prepare our plans. It is likely that a Mayor will be elected in May 2026 with ‘shadow’ authorities being formed and elected in 2027. We have also had confirmation that the Essex County Council elections due in May this year will be postponed for one year until May 2026. I will update residents as and when I have any further information.
Meanwhile, business carries on as usual and on 13th February at 10.00 am Essex County Council will hold a Full Council meeting where the final budget will be presented and the Council Tax figures established. Similarly, Chelmsford will approve its final budget for the forthcoming year at its Full Council meeting on Wednesday 19th February at 7.00pm. Residents are welcome to attend both meetings and both will be available to view on Youtube via the respective websites.
Highways issues still dominate the enquiries I receive and if there is an issue, do please email me and I will see what I can get done as a priority – I can’t promise to do everything but I will certainly try my best!
An important issue at the moment within the City area is the Local Plan Review consultation, and this commenced on 4th February and will run for six weeks until 4pm on Tuesday 18th March 2025. This is the final draft of the Plan before it is submitted for examination by a Planning Inspector. The Council adopted its Local Plan in May 2020 and the Plan needs to be reviewed every 5 years to make sure it remains up to date and meets the changing needs for development growth to 2041.
Residents are encouraged to respond; details are on the website and these include FAQ’s, a newsletter, a PDF of the exhibition boards and details of face-to-face and staffed exhibitions. The web page is www.chelmsford.gov.uk/lp-review
Remember also that if you would like to continue receiving collections of garden waste (brown bins) after 4th March 2025 you need to subscribe to the service now which will cost £60 per annum for one bin and £30 per annum for a second one. Subscribe at www.chelmsford.gov.uk under the tab ‘garden waste collections’.
I am aiming to get round to see all of the parish councils as soon as I can and hopefully attend the Annual Parish Meetings where time allows as this gives all residents the opportunity to ask me to look into issues for them.
In the meantime, if any resident has an issue they would like me to look into, please either email me on for Essex County Council enquiries or for Chelmsford City enquiries – or if you’re not sure, select one and I’ll pick it up anyway!
Cllr Sue Dobson
Garden Waste Collections
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Lithium-Ion Batteries Safety Campaign
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Please click on the link below to learn more about safety issues raised by the charity Electrical Safety First:
Victory In Japan Commemoration
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Whilst VE Day marked the end of the war in Europe in May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still involved in bitter fighting in the Far East. Victory over Japan would come at a heavy price, and Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) marks the day Japan surrendered on the 15th August 1945, which in effect ended the Second World War.
For many British people, the first knowledge they had of the war ending, was from newspaper headlines, which read “Japan Surrenders!” There were scenes of celebration redolent of those which Britain had experienced on VE Day, on the 8th May 1945.
For many of the Allied prisoners of war held by the Japanese, the physical and emotional impact of a brutal captivity would continue for the remainder of their lives. Some in West HAnningfield have witnessed the toll the dreadful conditions and harsh treatment had on the Far East Prisoners of War (FEPOW). Even so, some of those former captives considered themselves fortunate to have been alive as almost 30 per cent of the inmates of Japanese POW camps died and 11,000 were drowned when allied forces sunk Japanese ships transporting FEPOWS to Japan to work as forced labour in coal and copper mines.
The Kohima epitaph:
When you go home
Tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow
We gave our today
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
we will remember them.
