A campaign has been launched by Essex County Council to raise awareness of upcoming changes to the UK’s telephone network.

By 2025, analogue phone lines will be replaced by a digital landline service. This means that calls will be made over a broadband line.

Residents should be contacted by their telephone provider before anything changes.

The council is encouraging residents to respond to their provider and discuss what they need to do to keep using their phone line.

The campaign will utilise advertising space on buses, bus stops, billboards, radio, and social media to reach as many residents as possible. Non-digital media will be used to help make sure the message reaches all residents, including the 20% of the Essex population that are offline.

For most residents, the change should be straightforward. If you have broadband, you should be able to plug your digital landline into your router, instead of a wall-mounted socket.

Residents should contact their provider if they or someone they know:

• doesn’t have broadband at home
• uses a personal alarm or healthcare device
• has additional needs
• lives in an area with no mobile signal

Your telephone provider should tell you if there are any further steps you need to take.

The council is also warning residents to be wary of scams surrounding the switchover. If you receive any requests for money, report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040.

Cabinet Member for Planning a Growing Economy, Councillor Lee Scott, said: “The digital switchover is a vital step to upgrade current phone lines in the UK, which are very old and unreliable.

“However, some residents could be impacted by this change, particularly if they don’t have broadband, use a personal alarm, or have additional needs.

‘’Together with the 12 Essex districts, as well as Southend and Thurrock, we’re urging residents to look out for their loved ones and neighbours and, if they think they could be affected, to contact their telephone provider and make sure they’re aware.’’

For the latest information on the switchover, visit www.essex.gov.uk/landline-switch.

An ambitious commission which aims to address the increasing pressures on social care services has been announced by Essex County Council.

Councillor Beverley Egan will be the Chair of the newly created Caring Communities Commission. This will explore local and community-based solutions to social care pressures on public services.

The commission will launch in the summer of 2024 and focus on early intervention and prevention to avoid escalating needs and costs, and how residents could be supported in new ways to enjoy better health and access services in new ways. This will include:

• identifying and amplifying assets within Essex communities to support vulnerable residents
• building capacity within communities for improved resilience, better services and lower costs
• looking at all forms of provision to better support the changing needs of residents

Councillor Egan leaves the Children’s Services and Early Years portfolio after three years. In that time, she has overseen an Outstanding Ofsted report for children’s social care services. Ofsted commended the council for its innovative approach to early intervention and continuous improvements across its services.

Councillor Kevin Bentley, Leader of the Council, said: “Ten years ago, we set up an innovative social care commission under the chairmanship of Sir Thomas Hughes-Hallet and vice chairmanship of Councillor John Spence. It asked the big question: ‘How will we care for our residents in the future?’ Its final report said there is no option but to take action, with more control over our care.

“Since then, the population of 70 to 74-year-olds has increased by 44%. There has also been a 40% increase in the number of children entering care and we continue to see the impact of Covid in communities. Data on demographics and demands show us that we need to build on the existing work that we’ve successfully implemented in Essex such as the rollout of caring technologies to support people to live independently, age well and live at home or with their families.

“I am therefore delighted to announce the formation of our Caring Communities Commission. Instead of looking at how to pay the ever-growing cost of social care, this commission will find radical, community-based solutions to meet care needs in a cost-effective way. It will be informed by the expertise and experiences of frontline staff, care users and their families."

Councillor Egan said: "My career has been spent in the voluntary and public sector and most recently as the Cabinet Member for Children’s Services and Early Years. I am particularly keen to engage with the people who use our services and have lived experience as I have seen the power that our children in care have had in re-shaping our services. I will connect the work of the Commission to the ambitions that Essex County Council has for all our residents and to re-shape the care that we offer them, and I look forward to listening to a diverse range of views as we move forward."

The RideLondon festival of cycling returns in May and includes routes in Essex, including our District. The event will take place from Friday 24 May to Sunday 26 May 2024, and there will be some delays and some road closures over the weekend.

On Friday 24 May the stage one Classique Womens elite race enters the Braintree District near Finchingfield, and then heads towards Sible Hedingham, passes through Gosfield to Halstead and then heads towards White Colne where it leaves our District. This will be controlled by a police rolling road block bringing traffic to a hold for about 20 minutes at the most. 

On Saturday 25 May the stage two Classique Womens elite race starts and finishes in Maldon. It will enter our District at a couple of small touch points for example near Witham.

The mass participation ride on Sunday 26 May briefly passes by Blake End near Great Saling coming from Dunmow. There will be a full road closure in the area all day for the duration of the race. Road closures are necessary for the safety of everyone taking part in RideLondon-Essex, but provisions are in place for care providers to make home visits as planned.

Well spring has sprung and the migration into the garden has commenced with all the extra jobs that it brings. Unfortunately with the spring season also comes seasonal crimes too and we need give it a little consideration to prevent it and help others from becoming victims too.

New tools and lawn mowers: Be mindful of how you dispose of the packaging to your new purchases; don’t advertise it to the thieves and burglars with your empty boxes on display outside for roadside collection. Fold boxes inside out or break them up and put them in bag for collection.

Property marking: It’s a good deterrent if your property is visibly security marked with your house number and post code or labelled if a forensic property marking system is used such as www.smartwater.com or www.selectadna.co.uk. You can also record the serial numbers of any property free of charge at www.immobilise.com . If your property does get stolen with property marking and/or recording on Immobilise there is a greater chance of you getting it back.

Working in the garden:  It is easy to get engrossed in what you are doing when working in the garden, if the house is empty it is wise to close and lock the door (don’t forget the key though!). Put tools away after use, “it add insult to injury” if your tools are used to break into your house.

Shed security: With sheds coach-bolt and plate the padlock hasp sections to the frame and door, use a good quality “Close Shackle” padlock or a key operated mortice lock; don’t forget the hinges ensure they cannot be unscrewed. Protect windows with a wire mesh and fit a curtain or white wash the windows to prevent prying eyes. Products that are fit for purpose can found by looking for the "Secured by Design" or "Sold Secure" logos, or on their websites www.securedbydesign.com or www.soldsecure.com .

New plants:  Larger plants ect can be secured to land or rootball anchors or plant through chicken wire covering the area with soil. Cement or bolt down containers to the ground. Your local garden centre or DIY store should be able to help.

Rogue Traders: The rogue trader also takes advantage of the fine weather to con the unsuspecting. Although you may think you would never be taken in by them they can be very convincing especially to the elderly or vulnerable “I am laying some gravel up the road and see you need some……” “I notice your trees or shrubs need a prune…” so many stories. Look after the elderly or vulnerable near you and step in should you need to with a little advice, also another face sometime puts the rogue trader off. Need a trader and have no personal recommendations, look at www.buywithconfidence for traders checked out by Trading Standards.