News
Pylons scheme: final consultation has begun. So it’s over to you…
Monday 15 April 2024
The third and final consultation on National Grid’s plans to place a line of pylons from Norwich to Tilbury has just begun – and we urge everyone who is concerned about the scheme to get involved. The statutory consultation began on Wednesday, April 10, and runs until Tuesday, June 18. It is the last chance […] Read more >
Sweet, sour and blue
Monday 15 April 2024
A strange one from photographer Gordon Ridgewell today… “The bluebells are now in flower at Howe Wood, Littlebury. They add to the smells of the countryside, along with the rape and dumping of sewage just along the road. A bit like sweet and sour.”. Mmm… Read more >
Does a withdrawn Local Plan make Wickford vulnerable to the developers?
Thursday 11 April 2024
It is feared that the lack of an up-to-date Local Plan is making a south Essex town open to speculative housing development. Basildon Council withdrew its Local Plan in 2022 and, although it is working on a new one, residents are anxious that developers will take advantage and apply to build houses across the borough. […] Read more >
More than 80 acres to be used for Dengie solar farm
Thursday 11 April 2024
Try as we might to argue the case for rooftop solar, our landscape still bears the brunt of the march of solar farms across the county. Maldon District Council’s planning committee has granted permission for the development of 81.5-acre Dengie Solar Farm south of Dengie village. A previous application had been refused permission in July […] Read more >
Countryside ahead on rooftop solar but England’s full potential overlooked
Wednesday 10 April 2024
New CPRE analysis reveals that homes in the countryside are leading the way on solar power generation. Forty-eight of the 50 English parliamentary constituencies with the highest domestic solar generation capacity are in rural areas, while all 200 of those with the lowest are in towns and cities. Analysis of local-authority data showed that rural […] Read more >
We wish you a happy and peaceful Easter
Thursday 28 March 2024
It’s blowing hard out there as we write this, with weather warnings issued, but Easter is almost here. And no flower is associated more with this lovely and important time than the daffodil. So over to photographer Gordon Ridgewell… “It’s ‘daff’ time of the year again. I had to call at St Mary’s Church, Wendens […] Read more >
Billericay ‘under attack’ – campaigners highlight potential housing onslaught
Thursday 28 March 2024
It might be scant consolation to its residents that their town has not featured before on these pages, but a campaign group is highlighting how Billericay is “under attack” from developers. The Billericay Action Group website shows how they “are targeting the London Road and Mountnessing Road area” of town, while another site in the […] Read more >
The Clatterbury Oak is saved – and it’s now got a preservation order!
Thursday 28 March 2024
With Easter almost upon us, let’s share some more good news! A planning application to fell an ancient Essex tree has been refused. Developers looking to build an access road as part of proposals to put up five new houses had applied for permission to remove the Clatterbury Oak, on the edge of the village […] Read more >
The dandelions are early – but what about the wine?
Wednesday 27 March 2024
It might seem that spring is struggling to splutter into life, but photographer Gordon Ridgewell reminds us how nature’s cycle is very different to how it once was. “I have just seen dandelions in flower,” he tells us. “Back in the day – the 1960s – when I made wine it was always said to […] Read more >
Coggeshall, Open Gardens and the love of trees
Monday 25 March 2024
These pages have gone way too long without the writing of Anne Boileau. This particularly beautiful piece will surely touch us all. One of the striking features of Coggeshall is the surprise of the back gardens, which are often larger and more leafy than you would expect on seeing the front aspect on the street. […] Read more >