CURRENT NEWS
Parish Directory 2009-2010
March 2010
STOP PRESS
Grant for Pre-School given in
full!
The grant from the
Essex Early Years Development and Childcare
Partnership have granted Langham community
Council £211.250.00 under the Every Child
Matters Grant.
See what it will
look like by clicking on the planning
application below!
Community Centre proposals and plans
- Planning Application 100114
Cuckoo Farm Park and Ride Display
An exhibition as to the
development of the Park and Ride scheme at
Cuckoo Farm .
It will be in
the Central Library Thursday 4th March, Friday
5th, Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March.
Thereafter in Angel Court Monday
& Tuesday 8th and 9th ... and at the West Homes
Community Stadium pm on Wednesday10th 2010.
Primary School Update March 2010
Newsletter for March 2010
March supplement
7th St
Mary’s 10.00 Sung Eucharist
14th St Mary’s 8.30
Eucharist
(BCP)
21st
St Mary's
10.00 Sung
Eucharist
28th
St
Mary’s
8.30
Eucharist
(BCP)
Langham Parish Council
2nd
7.30
Community Centre
Langham Footpath Walk 14th 2.00
Community Centre Car Park
Langham WI 11th
7.30 Langham Community Centre
(Paul Howe: 'Trinity House' -
open meeting with refreshments)
Langham Good Companions 3rd 2.00
Langham Community Centre
(Annual Party)
The Point, Langham 11th &
25th 6.15-7.45
Langham Community Centre
Langham Badminton Club
Thursday 8.00
Langham Community Centre
Langham Carpet Bowls
Tuesday 2.00 & Friday 7.30
Langham Bridge Club
Monday 7.15
Langham Community Centre
Langham Pre-School
Monday - Friday in school term
9.30—12 Langham
Community Centre
2nd Langham Scout Group Wednesday (times
vary) Langham
Community Centre
Langham Baby/Toddler Group Monday in
school term
9.45—11.15
Langham Community Centre
Langham tennis Coaching Sessions
Langham
recreation Ground
Pay
& Play: 10.15-11.15 (age 5-10); 11.15-12.30 (age 11-17)
February 2010
Valentine's
Day Dance - photos - then scroll down
Valentines Dance February 13th 2010
- made just over £600
Birchwood Road/A12 flyover situation
Family History
Chris Graves is
our Online Parish Clerk.
He
is not employed by the Parish Council but is a
member of the Essex Online Parish Clerk volunteer
network. He has a copy of the parish registers
(1638-1979) and is gathering material on Langham
familes which can be passed on to any family
historian.
New scale of charges for the Community Centre
Newsletter for February 2010
February Newsletter supplement
This month the Parish Newsletter contains a report
from Langham Parish Council, and will contain the
meetings of Boxted in future issues. There is a
further page of advertising to cover the additional
printing costs, and provide an outlet for those
businesses that could not be fitted into the
Newsletter.
January
2010
Newsletter for December 2009/January 2010
Meeting in the Community
Centre on Saturday 23rd January, 10.00 - 11.30.
The objective is to come up with a letter from
the Parish Council to the Inspector that sums up
the views of the Council and we would hope the
Parish.
This meeting was well-attended and there was
much detailed discussion by the assembled
parishioners.
Langham Snow 2009
Langham Snow-2- 2009
Two new pages, covering
the snow on December 18th, and December 19-20th.
Exhibition at the Community
Centre Monday 30th November 6.00 - 9.00pm
Many in the village have received a leaflet
inviting them to an exhibition in the Community
Centre.
The exhibition will illustrate proposals made by
the Whitnell Group and Powerplus Engineering
concerning a proposal to develop an industrial
site on the land alongside the A12, from Park
Lane to Birchfield Road, and behind Wick Road.
links to the two plans of the proposed
developments
School Road Residential
Development
Industrial site alongside the A12
Local Development Framework
Planning
Inspector Terry Kemmann-Lane DIPT MBIM FRTPI has
been appointed to conduct examinations to
determine whether Colchester Borough Council’s
Site Allocations and Development Policies
Development Plan Documents are sound.
Anyone wishing
to comment on the Documents should write to the
Planning Inspector at the Planning
Inspectorate, Temple Quay House, 2, The Square,
Bristol BS1 6PN
News of the new A12 junction.
The delivery of the new A12 junction is a
joint effort between several partners
including Essex County Council, Colchester
Borough Council, East of England Development
Agency, Haven Gateway Partnership, Homes and
Communities Agency and the Highways Agency.
The scheme will cost approximately £12
million with the majority of the funding
being provided by the Homes and Communities
Agency as part of the Community
Infrastructure Fund.
Leaflet detailing the project
Construction will commence in December 2009
with the junction being open to the public
by March 2011. The final phase of the
Northern Approaches Road, across the former
Severalls Hospital site, is expected to be
open to the public in 2012. Once completed
the junction and Northern Approaches Road
will enable the
development of the former
Severalls Hospital site and employment land
near the Weston Homes
Community Stadium. It will also
improve access to existing housing in North
Colchester and
reduce congestion on the local
road network. The scheme will also enable
the future delivery of
a Park and Ride site north of the
A12 at Cuckoo Farm.
Please note that the A12 leaflet is also
available online at
www.essex.gov.uk/A12Junction28.
November 2009
photos
for
Langham Autumn 2009
, including the Fifth anniversary of the Community Shop,
Bonfire Night and the Memorial services.
There will be
a Christmas Dance, in the Community Centre on
Friday December 18th with all profits
going to the upkeep of the Centre.
The band is
Kenny Lee & Hustler, and the tickets are £9.00
each.
Bring your
own drinks & supper. Tickets available from Liz
Schofield on 01206-272448
Liz and
Bob Schofield attended the Essex Playing
Fields Award Ceremony on Sunday 1st
November, at Essex Cricket Ground Pavilion
in Chelmsford.
Langham's
Children's play area was awarded a
“Certificate of Merit” which means they
attained over 75% of the marks.
The
Certificate was presented by Councillor
Bonnie Hart, Leader of Essex County Council
and Lord Petre of Ingatestone .
Well done to all concerned!
Newsletter for November 2009
Parish council Meeting dates
are changing
In order that a report of the
monthly meetings can be carried promptly by the
following edition of the Newsletter, Parish council
meetings will be on the first Tuesday of each month,
starting in January 2010.
These new meeting times have been
decided, taking us up to the Annual Parish Meeting in
April:
Tuesday 5th January
Tuesday 2nd February
Tuesday 2nd March
Thursday 8th April
October 2009
Langham Summer 2009
photos from June to early October
October 13th - the Community Shop
celebrates 5 years and gets a new banner!
November 2009
photos for
Langham Autumn 2009
, including the Fifth anniversary of the
Community Shop, Bonfire Night and the Memorial
services.
There will be a Christmas Dance, in the Community Centre
on Friday December 18th with all profits
going to the upkeep of the Centre.
The
band is Kenny Lee & Hustler, and the tickets are £9.00
each.
Bring your own drinks & supper. Tickets available from
Liz Schofield on 01206-272448
Liz and Bob
Schofield attended the Essex Playing Fields Award
Ceremony on Sunday 1st November, at Essex
Cricket Ground Pavilion in Chelmsford.
Langham's
Children's play area was awarded a “Certificate of
Merit” which means they attained over 75% of the
marks.
The Certificate
was presented by Councillor Bonnie Hart, Leader of
Essex County Council and Lord Petre of Ingatestone
.
Well done to all concerned!
Newsletter for November 2009
Parish council Meeting dates are changing
In order that a report of the monthly meetings can be
carried promptly by the following edition of the
Newsletter, Parish council meetings will be on the first
Tuesday of each month, starting in January 2010.
These new meeting times have been decided, taking us up
to the Annual Parish Meeting in April:
Tuesday 5th January
Tuesday 2nd February
Tuesday 2nd March
Thursday 8th April
October 2009
Newsletter for October 2009
Langham Summer 2009
photos from June to early October
October 13th - the Community Shop
celebrates 5 years and gets a new banner!
September 2009
Newsletter for September 2009
July/August 2009
Work on Langham Lane late
Wednesday 5 August.
Updates for both the Tennis club,
with
Newsletter and subscriptions letter.
The Business section has been
expanded to include the first two of the firms on the
village website that now occupy
Langham Barns Business Centre -
Crown Law
and
Henleys.
July/August Newsletter
June 2009
Pro-Mac return to Langham Lane
Tuesday 2 June saw Pro-Mac return to
Langham Lane to repair potholes and, as seen here to
reinforce the crumbling road edge, where it is falling
into the ditch.
The workmen were only too willing to
demonstrate their skills and, as they did last winter,
have a done a good job at a remarkable pace. I passed on
the thanks of the council for the work they did then, in
bitter conditions and with very short days .. of which
they only needed a little over three.
Future of Homestead
School
These notes came from a meeting between Parish
Councillors and Mr Chris Percival of Essex CC on 26th
May 2009
Homestead school was officially closed at the end of
December 2008. However, it was vacated long before that
date and a refurbishment programme was undertaken with a
view to bringing the school back into service. The
classrooms have been refurbished and there are new
bathrooms and additional partitioning in the rooms for
added privacy for the borders. A further budget will be
made available for a hard play area, safety features and
some high tech teaching aids.
The aim
is to transfer 40 pupils, in the 11-16 year old age
range, from the Heath site of the Ramsden Hall School at
Stanway on the 1st September 2009. Twenty two of these
pupils will be Monday to Friday borders. Both the
Ramsden Hall sites at Stanway and Billericay have
excellent OFSTED reports so we are not expecting any
repeat of the poor performance standards that were
associated with Homestead School before its closure. The
school will be known as the Ramsden Hall School, Langham
site.
With
regard to the housing that is tied to Homestead the
following decisions have been taken:
- The
Lodge will be taken back into school use as it is
structurally sound.
- The
three vacant houses will be used by the new staff.
- No
decision has been taken regarding the Headmaster’s house
as there are major structural concerns.
In
addition to the above there is a plan to build a new
school on the playing fields of the existing site. The
new school, which will house up to 50 pupils, has a
build period 2012-2014. It is anticipated that the
number of boarders at the new school will not increase
significantly. Surveyors have been on site and the
feasibility study is complete. This project is being
funded by wave 6 of “Building Schools for the future”
and Government funding for this is secure. They have two
options for the new project which are being considered
at the moment:
i)
Provide an entire new school including accommodation.
ii)
Provide a new teaching block, using the existing
Homestead building for accommodation.
If
option one is chosen then there is a chance that the old
Homestead building could be sold off.
When
the new school is built it will relinquish its tie with
Ramsden Hall and a new name will be chosen.
Any job
vacancies (mainly cleaning/catering) will be advertised
locally.
Hanningfield Awards
The deadline for applications is 19th June.
The
awards are to support those individuals or groups who
meet the following criteria.
Successful applicants aged 16—25 would be expected to
demonstrate some or all of the following criteria:
-
innovation in outdoor and environmental education
both here and abroad;
-
achievement in the face of difficult or adverse
circumstances;
-
promotion of opportunities for those with a
disability or having special educational needs;
-
gifted and talented young people wishing to
undertake challenges during their ‘gap’ year;
-
inspirational activities that promote social
cohesion and community activity;
-
volunteer activities from motivated and committed
young people:
Here is a link to the
2007 application form. The webmaster has a current
2009 form for the first applicant!
Newsletter for June 2009
May 2009
LANGHAM PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS
2009 - 2010
The meetings for the next 12
months are scheduled as follows, all currently
for 7.30 p.m.:
Tuesday 26th May 2009,
which will also be the Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 30th June 2009
Tuesday 28th July 2009
Tuesday 29th September
2009
Tuesday 27th October
2009
Tuesday 24th November
2009
Tuesday 26th January
2010
Tuesday 23rd February
2010
Tuesday 30th March
2010
Thursday 29th April
2010 which will be the Annual Parish Meeting
followed by a short Parish Council Meeting
Langham photos Spring 2009
Newsletter for May 2009
April 2009
Tennis Club Newsletter 1/4/2009
This
coming week the village will be visited by judges from
the Calor Village of the Year Competition. We are in the
Regional Rounds as a result of winning the Essex Village
of the Year Competition. We bid the judges welcome and
ourselves, of course, good luck!
The Inaugural General Meeting of the
Parish Plan Association will be held on Wednesday 22nd
April at the Community Centre committee room
starting at 7.30pm.
This is
an open meeting and all are welcome to attend. We
will be able to vote on the nominations for officers
of the Association, settle its constitution, and
begin organising working parties to undertake
writing the Parish Plan.
Newsletter for April 2009
March 2009
Open meeting of
the Langham Parish Plan Association, Thursday, 26th March,
in the community Centre at 7.30pm
Sarah Sapsford,
of the Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE), will be
explaining the steps to be taken to prepare our Parish
Plan and Officers for the Parish Plan Association will
be elected on this evening.
Newsletter for March 2009
Newsletter for February 2009
Newsletter December/January
Newsletter November 2008
Newsletter October 2008
Newsletter
September 2008
and the accompanying completed
Village Design Statement
and letter from the Parish Chairman.
Newsletter
July/August 2008
Newsletter
June 2008
Newsletter
May 2008
Parish
Newsletter April 2008
Parish
Newsletter March 2008
Parish Newsletter Feb 2008
February 2009
click on the photo and you
can check the prices!
The fishmonger calls every Thursday! Thursday 12
February
Gritter in the ditch at
Runkin's Corner. Wednesday 11th February
Report roads faults at
http://ehss.essexcc.gov.uk/
More photos on the
Winter 2009 page
Langham Parish Plan
7th February 2009
There was a good
turnout for the
open exhibition of what is involved in the
village plan.
Details and more photos
will appear on the
Parish Plan page.
Langham Parish Plan
7th February 2009
There will be an
open exhibition of what is involved in the
village plan. This will be in the club room
downstairs at the Community Centre, from 10 a.m. to noon.
January 2009
The walkers return from the
Community Walk - 12 Jan 2009
(click photo for a larger image)
Langham Parish Council Meeting 27th
January 2009
Agenda for 27 Jan Parish meeting
Beverly Davies of
Essex County Council has accepted an invitation
to speak at this meeting on the subject of
grants. The meeting will be at the slightly
earlier time of 7 pm in the Community Centre,
Parishioners are invited to ask questions which
should be submitted in writing to the clerk at
St Margaret’s Cottage, School Road, Langham, CO4
5PD or via his e-mail address (dcwinter@hotmail.co.uk)
Country dance/Ceilidh
Saturday evening, 24th January, from 7.30 pm
until 11pm at Langham Community Centre.
Proceeds are to be shared between
the St. Mary's and St. Peter's Youth Group and
The Lettice Dyke Educational Trust for Young
People.
Tickets will cost £8.00 each for
adults, and are available from the organiser,
David Winter, telephone 01206 322301.
Entry for children will be free,
with perhaps a small donation for those a little
older who might be able to take an active part.
Music will be provided by a live
band called "Just what the doctor ordered", plus
Maggie Couldwell as the caller, all specially
imported for the occasion from Sheffield!
Bring your own food and drink,
though there will be some "nibbles" provided.
There will also be a raffle which Gill Flack is
organising.
December 2008
Primary School
The school
broke up on the 19th December for the
Christmas Holiday having completed a
very eventful end of term. In December
the Friends Of Langham School (FOLS)
held a Christmas Fayre and raised over
£1000 for school funds. A Carol Concert
with narrative, singing and recorder
playing was held for parents and
friends and the younger children
performed a Nativity Play on the
school's new stage. A group of recorder
players from years 5and 6 visited
Langham Ward at the Colchester General
Hospital and played carols to the staff
and patients. Their playing was greatly
appreciated. The term started on Monday
the 5th January and already the school
clubs are in full flow. A new cross
country club has commenced this term.
The art theme for years 3 and 4 is
founded on a skills based patterns and
the classes will be visiting the Tate
Modern Art Gallery in London later in
the term.
Langham Women's
Institute
At the December Meeting the
President thanked Chris Clarke for
organising the Christmas lunch and
to Ann Cairns for taking 17 cakes,
made by members, to St. Helena
Hospice. A letter of thanks had been
received . The Resolutions for the
National A. G. M were available for
members to read . Pam Paris will
attend the Parish Plan Meeting on
7th February. This is to discuss the
aspirations of the village. The
party in January starts at the
earlier time of 7.00pm. Please
remember to bring along a plate of
food. All visitors who attend a
monthly meeting will be asked to pay
£ 3. Christmas cards and bags made
by members were on sale. In the
Community Council report, it was
stated that smoke detectors will be
installed. Two grants have been
accepted. A regular cleaner is
required for the Hall .A fire alarm
induction class took place this
week. Members were told about the
Coop Juniors, who are appearing at
the Charter Hall on 27th and 28th
December. The speaker for the
evening was Mrs. Barbara Boswell who
gave an excellent demonstration of
flower arranging . All the superb
displays were kindly given and put
in the raffle .Sherry and mince
pies were followed by carol singing
which concluded a most enjoyable
evening.
Langham in figures - from the 2001 Census
16/12/08
New photographs uploaded. Words added to the Summer
2008 shots and Winter 2008-2009 page added.
November
2008
The closure and repair
of Langham Lane.
Good News!
Langham Lane was re-opened a day early, despite the work
taking place in the poorer light and bitingly cold
conditions of earlier in the week. Pro-Mac have
certainly got on with the job and covered most of
Langham Lane in just four days!
The start date will be November
24th finish will be 5 days later. There will be a
different contractor doing the work. This time it
will be Pro-Mac and we all hope they make good
progress in the time frame allowed.
Replies from Messrs
Harris and Smith from the public meeting on our roads on
30 September 2008
Bonfire Night in Langham
1st November 2008
The work
that goes into organising this event is
enormous and very stressful, and when it is
affected so much by the weather, leads to a
disappointing outcome. However, Langham
Parish Council thanks Mr Bob Schofield and
all the helpers and visitors that turned out
for our bonfire on such a miserable evening.
Those that turned out commented on the
tremendous firework display, and the fact
that they enjoyed themselves working
together against adversity!
October
Agenda for 28 October Parish Meeting
Minutes of 28 October meeting
Now the Village Design
statement document has been published, we
can wind up the Association
The next stage is to set up
The Langham Parish Plan Association and all
this will take place at a meeting next
Wednesday 8th October in the Community
Centre at 7.30pm
Please spread the word and
attend is you possibly can as the next stage
is reputed to be more important than the
VDS!
Tuesday 30th September Langham
Parish Council
Langham Parish Council has invited Mr
Geoff Harris to a meeting of the council on 30th
September. He has accepted the invitation and had
agreed to answer resident’s questions. There are a
number of pressing issues concerning roads and
footways in the Langham area and, according to the
level of interest in this meeting, we will organise
a larger room to accommodate the public.
If you have a question to ask of Mr Harris it would
be useful to have it in writing beforehand. This
will enable full answers to be given on the night of
the meeting. Please forward your questions to the
Parish Clerk at
dcwinter@hotmail.co.uk
The Park-and-Ride was discussed:
from an e-mail from Councillor Chris Garnett
The Core Strategy
enquiry took place in the Tudor Room,
George Hotel,
Colchester
from Tuesday 24th June 2008 to Wednesday
9th July 2008.
I attended several
sessions, mainly those relating to rural matters in
general and the regulation 32 Langham Park & Ride in
particular. Several Langham villagers
attempted and attended some sessions as well.
Resolution 32
Langham Park and Ride was specifically but briefly
mentioned on Friday 4th July.
Williamson’s agent objected to Colchester Borough Council’s refusal to
consider Langham’s Park
and Ride, especially as arrangements for the
temporary car park had been withdrawn by CBC.
The arguments in favour of Langham Park & Ride were
not robustly put and it became evident that the
inspector and CBC felt confident that the East and
Northern sights would provide the best solution in
the short term, although other sites to the west and
south of the Borough might be needed in the future.
The inspector’s
comments which are binding upon the Council with no
right to appeal, will be
available in draft form during October 2008.
No doubt the LDF Panel will meet to consider the
Inspector’s comments. The atmosphere was
fairly relaxed and one had a feeling that the
Borough’s Core Strategy was robust but required some
minor adjustments. Once again, CBC
were grateful for the
letters of objection and this was made clear to the
Inspector and her Officers.
We look forward to
the draft comments which will be published during
the autumn of this year. Probably public
comment will be asked for at that time.
We Won It!
Langham has won the 2008 Calor
Essex Village of the Year Competition.
The award was made at
the RCCE AGM on Wednesday 9th July at Channels
Golf Club, Little Waltham.
The basis of the award
was the excellent sense of community embodied in,
notably, the sixty or so volunteers at the community
shop, and the focus provided for a number of
activities at the Community Centre ... as well as
impressing the judges with a presentation on the
general merits of village life in Langham!
Langham will now go on
to represent Essex in the National Finals of this
competition.
The village also gained
a Certificate of Merit in the Best Kept Village
competition.
EADT
story
Gazette
story
Footpath 25 Diversion
The footpath that used
to go through the garden of 'The Fens' has been
legally diverted to run along the field edge to its
terminus in Old Mill Road. The new entrance to this
footpath is about fifty metres to the south and is
well marked.
Langham Lane is to
be closed for repairs to the road from
Monday 14th
... for 5 days.
Access will be available to residents and businesses
in the road. This is all we know at the moment;
presumably diversion notices will be put up on the
surrounding roads, and there will be congestion in
unusual places until people get used to the
situation.
The
closure will be inconvenient for residents, but I’m
sure we are pleased that something is being done to
improve the condition of this road.
On the same theme ….
Langham Parish Council has invited Mr Geoff Harris
to a meeting of the council on 30th
September. He has accepted the invitation and had
agreed to answer resident’s questions. There are a
number of pressing issues concerning roads and
footways in the Langham area and, according to the
level of interest in this meeting, we will organise
a larger room to accommodate the public.
If
you have a question to ask of Mr Harris it would be
useful to have it in writing beforehand. This will
enable full answers to be given on the night of the
meeting. Please forward your questions to the Parish
Clerk at
dcwinter@hotmail.co.uk
Outreach Post
Office
The
Outreach Post Office service at the Community Shop
has been operating for three sessions. There have
been a number of difficulties, with the computer not
working for two sessions (so no cash) and not all
the required services available in the other
session. People have also expressed concerns about
both the security of the new service and the lack of
privacy during transactions. Of course, these two
considerations would disappear in the security cage
is retained ... and we do want to keep the service
we have left, of course!
Opening times for the
Post Office are now:
Mondays and Thursdays
9.30 - 11.30
If
you have concerns about the service please pass
these quickly to the Parish Clerk at
dcwinter@hotmail.co.uk
These concerns can then be passed on to interested
parties, such as Essex CC, the RCCE
Park and Ride
There will be an opportunity to view proceedings in
the Town Hall when the proposals for a Langham Park
and Ride will be discussed on Thursday July 3rd.
Member of the public are welcome to attend, but will
not have the right to speak.
Local Election
Results
The Dedham and Langham
Ward returned Christopher Garnett as Ward
Councillor; the turnout was the highest in the
borough.
|
CATNEY, Carolyn
|
Liberal
Democrats |
102 |
|
GARNETT,
Christopher* |
The
Conservative Party Candidate |
895
(Elected) |
|
MAXWELL, Andrew
R. |
The Labour
Party Candidate |
46 |
|
MOOG, Sandra A.
|
Green Party
|
38 |
|
Turnout
|
45.62% |
All of the Colchester
results are on the Borough website
click
here
The Parish Council
There was no election
this year as there were insufficient candidates for
a contest. As a result all present councillors, with
the exception of Simon Gallup, who declined to stand
again, were returned.
Langham CD, 2nd
Edition - now out!
This CD is a
much-enlarged version of the original, completed
only after the unveiling of the Airfield
memorial, that generated even more
material! A real treasure trove of local history!
Langham, a Pictorial
History, is a P.C. based CD which is interactive and
multimedia and contains well over 1700 photographs
and 60,000 words. The CD is available from the
Community Shop, price £5, or by post to any UK
address for £6. Any profits from the sale of the CD
will go to the Community Shop. Orders for a CD to be
posted should be sent direct to S.Gallup, Bakers,
School Road, Langham, Colchester. CO4 5PA, together
with a cheque, made out to S.Gallup, for £6.
Airfield
Memorial unveiled - April 19 2008
a first look at the photographs
