On the 12th of November, I attended the Essex County Council Autumn Climate Summit ‘Enabling Net Zero New Homes in Essex’. I was excited that the Summit showed a level of ambition aligned with the gravity of the national net zero task and our international commitments. (You can watch a recording of the Summit here).
I was also impressed by the statements that Essex was taking a leading role, especially with the Essex Climate Action Commission Set Targets for all new homes to be net zero by 2025 and for all new buildings to produce more energy than they use by 2030.
Maldon Green Link 19 (Cold Norton-Latchingdon-Southminster)
Mid Essex Cycle Route 9 also skirts the Dengie (Danbury-South Woodham Ferrers)
These would help move towards the #rECOnnectDengie ‘Slow Ways Dengie’ vision but a quick look already reveals the lack of:
a south Dengie route connecting through to National Cycle Network route 13
routes connecting north Dengie villages to south Dengie villages and the Crouch Valley railway line (eg. Mayland-Althorne-Althorne station, and Woodham Mortimer-Purleigh-Cold Norton- Fambridge)
a link to the Burnham Ferry connecting the Dengie to Rochford/Southend/South Essex
plans that avoid busy roads (eg. B1021)
There are no maps or route descriptions for walking that I have seen so far and the cycle routes seem to entirely be on existing roads. When I go into the survey and more of the supporting documents I’m hoping to see more ambition: elements like segregated cycle routes, and a network vision. At the very least I’m expecting something on ‘quiet lane’ designations, continuous pavements, safe crossing points, speed restrictions and traffic calming measures
There’s chaos in Burnham on Crouch Town Council (BTC). Seven councillors resigned last week (including the Mayor and Deputy Mayor), the Chief Officer has not been seen for months and rumour suggests that another of the small staff team has departed. The resignations are the latest incident in a low-intensity conflict between the resignees and previous post holders, the details of which remain largely obscure and cloaked in ‘private and confidential’ ambiguity. Recent sniping in social media posts and comments from the guerrillas have received no return of fire from the occupying forces (an apparent attempt to avoid the bunfight such fora tend to produce) which has made it difficult to take a rounded view.
The Dengie Hundred Bus Users Group public meeting on November 6th was oversubscribed and spilt out of the Burnham Town Council chamber into the lobby behind.
In that lobby, a printer was churning out copies of the order of service for Remembrance Sunday, making it impossible to hear what was said in the chamber. Eventually, I wriggled myself in.
Last week, we celebrated the first year of the Dengie Climate Action Partnership (DCAP) with a social at the Victoria Inn.
More folk turned up for the social in the pub than regularly do for the monthly meet-ups in Burnham Council Chamber. An unsurprising but salutary reminder that an open formal meeting is not for everyone.
Dengie Bioregion 