Category: Uncategorized
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Push Biking
The recent and successive cycle strategy documents from Essex and Maldon have failed to suggest what cycle routes on the Dengie could look like – so, I’ve had a go… [I should start by stating that the ideal situation would be a Dutch style network, including completely new cycleways taking the most direct line between…
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The Essex-wide LCWIP
Like me, many of you may have responded to the Essex County Council consultation on the ‘Essex Wide Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan’. The results of that consultation were quietly released last August (2025), so you may not have seen them. I’m still working through the documents and I welcome comment and feedback from anyone…
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Urban Habitat: Burnham Library
The planned extension to the Burnham Library building is interesting. The planning documents reveal it will house a Family Hub Delivery site, relocating the existing Family service from a temporary building at Ormiston Rivers Academy to this central location. This is all to be applauded. The service deserves a permanent home and facilities. Co-locating it…
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Poop-Poop
Barely a week goes by now without a collision on the Dengie roads. A couple of months ago this sadly included two fatalities. There’s clearly a problem with drunk and drug driving, but this appears to be a factor in only a minority of cases and doesn’t sufficiently explain the frequency of dangerous driving incidents.…
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The Lost Words
By national government edict the 15 councils in ‘Greater Essex’ must reorganise to form new unitary authorities through a process of Local Government Reorganisation. This will change the current two-level council system into one in which there are new, bigger councils called unitary councils. I’ve been reviewing the four competing proposals submitted by existing councils…
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Let a Thousand Knepps Bloom
Yesterday, Maldon District Council (MDC) shared on social media that they would be working in partnership with a property consultancy company that has launched a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) scheme with the Braxted Park estate. The post and linked article are light on detail, and there’s nothing about it on the MDC website, but this…
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Stitching the Path: Connecting Disjointed Walk & Cycle Routes 1
A mission objective of the rECOnnect Dengie project is to improve the active travel infrastructure on the Dengie and get a safe network of routes connecting all the settlements. As I’ve noted previously, there are lots of good words about achieving this sort of thing in the strategy documents produced from the national level down…
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Weeknotes 02025 Q1 W8
The author expresses concern about the impact of devolution on strategic climate planning in Essex, particularly regarding the Transport Strategy (LTP4) and its timeline. Engagement with local council members reveals uncertainty about adoption and public consultation. Additionally, ongoing environmental and budget challenges are highlighted, along with reflections on local history and community events.
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You Say You Want a Devolution
The Greater Essex devolution consultation has begun, aiming to establish a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Essex, Thurrock, and Southend-on-Sea, with the first mayoral election in May 2026. Concerns arise regarding local governance changes and climate action commitments, highlighting uncertainty around the future of local development plans and authority structures in Essex.
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Weeknotes 02025 Q1 W5
DCAP We had our monthly meeting on Thursday and tried to do some Thermal Imaging of 4 homes at the same time – which was ambitious. The only way to make it work was to split the group in two and I wasn’t really happy with things working out that way. Earlier in the week…
Dengie Bioregion 