General
We have a date for the AGM! It’s October 7!
Wednesday 2 August 2023
The wait is almost over! This year’s CPRE Essex AGM is being held in the beautiful town of Thaxted on Saturday, October 7. The exact location is Pam’s Place and it almost goes without saying that a delicious tea will be provided! After the event, we will enjoy a tour of the village, taking in […] Read more >
Worra lorra lorries!
Wednesday 26 July 2023
Some things you just can’t ignore, even when you might wish to, as photo king Gordon Ridgewell reminds us: “Harvest is just getting started here in north-west Essex, where the M11 segregates some farms. The road was busy this afternoon with lorries as usual.” Read more >
Here’s Hemlock!
Thursday 6 July 2023
Here’s one for the tabloids! Hemlock is a notoriously poisonous plant – indeed it is reputedly what did for Greek philosopher Socrates when he was executed. Gordon Ridgewell, photographer extraordinaire, tells us: “ The hemlock is on the march at Littlebury this year and has reached about 10 feet in height.” No need to panic, […] Read more >
One man’s weed?
Tuesday 4 July 2023
Photographer Gordon Ridgewell reflects on the passing of time and changing of attitudes with these pictures: “When we were kids these were weeds, but now to an old man with time on his hands and a smartphone they are things of beauty.” Never in doubt, Gordon! Read more >
Pollution red alert?
Tuesday 27 June 2023
As we all know, Gordon Ridgewell has a photographer’s eye for the natural world, but it also roves beyond to man-made phenomena, where he clearly has mixed feelings. “I was sat in the garden on Sunday at 5pm and had my own Red Arrows show. They were displaying at Duxford’s summer show – or Pollution […] Read more >
Let’s Talk Trash: Braxted Park festival will put the focus on litter
Friday 16 June 2023
We all dislike litter, so an event being held at Braxted Park, near Witham, next month should lift the spirits. The Let’s Talk Trash event on Tuesday, July 18, is a “climate action anti-litter festival” for youngsters aged 11-13, with more than 300 pupils from the Plume Academy in Maldon taking part in a range […] Read more >
A heavenly word?
Friday 16 June 2023
Gordon Ridgewell: “After doing a few jobs in the garden I fell asleep in the chair outside and was woken by this red kite heckling me. “I looked up, thinking my late wife Megan had floated down from heaven telling me to wake up and get on with it. It was so real. Luckily, I […] Read more >
Leave it for the birds?
Friday 16 June 2023
We’ll just have to take ace photographer Gordon Ridgewell’s word on this one! “I took a ride to Hatfield Forest now the weather has turned better,” he tells us. “I was quite surprised that at 88 I can still pull the birds – they imagined I had something they wanted. “It was more jackdaws than […] Read more >
Big builders exploiting loophole to push greenfield developments through on appeal, CPRE research shows
Tuesday 13 June 2023
Deep-pocketed developers are winning on appeal against cash-strapped councils by exploiting a planning loophole Individuals and firms proposing small-scale projects have far less chance of successfully challenging planning decisions – the system appears weighted in favour of big builders Major developments on greenfield land use the ‘five-year housing land supply’ rule to override Local Plans […] Read more >
Planning seminar: the highlights from a fascinating day
Monday 5 June 2023
Andrew Wood, former CPRE planner, returned to his former haunts (spiritually if not geographically) when he led a workshop in Chelmsford entitled How the planning system works, and how to influence it. Held at the Essex Record Office Conference Centre, Chelmsford, on Friday, May 19, the workshop proved an undoubted success as everyone present got […] Read more >