Dear parish clerks and councillors,
In this week's newsletter you can find information about:
- Energy saving scheme
- Community Garden and Open Spaces Fund
- Free trees for community groups
- Local Plan Review
- New funding opportunities
- New playground opens in Panfield thanks to the allocation of funds
Any questions you have about the content in this newsletter please email us at marketing@braintree.gov.uk.
Do you need to make energy savings?
Essex Highways is offering parish councils free LED streetlighting lanterns. All you would need to pay for is installation and ongoing maintenance and repairs.
As part of an upgrade programme, Essex Highways is replacing early-generation non-dimmable LED lanterns. The saved LEDs, which are relatively new, will provide good energy savings compared to traditional streetlights.
Rayne Parish Council has already taken up the offer and installed the free LED lanterns earlier in the year. These have provided an immediate cost-saving, as the parish council has been able to reduce the monthly maintenance needed for street lighting.
It is recommended that you use a Highways Electrical Registration Scheme (HERS) accredited contractor to test and install the lanterns: https://thehea.org.uk/hers-
If you are interested in taking up the offer, please email lighting@essexhighways.org stating your contact details, the quantity of lights required, and an indicative time and date for collection. Essex Highways will then be in contact.
Community Gardens and Open Spaces fund
Community Garden in Great Maplestead
Our Community Gardens and Open Spaces Fund is offering grants of up to £4,000 to local charities and community groups to create or improve green spaces. These projects should benefit the whole community and align with our climate change goals.
The deadline by which final applications should be submitted is Friday 13 September 2024 and more information can be found on our website: Community Gardens – Braintree District Council.
The Community Gardens and Open Spaces Fund has received £41,825 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Free trees for community groups
There are some fantastic opportunities to get some FREE trees at the moment.
The Woodland Trust is offering free tree packs to community groups and parish councils - choose from a variety of options, including trees for wildlife, hedges and fruit-bearing trees.
The deadline to apply is 26 August for a November delivery. Organisations must have permission from the landowner before planting the trees. The full list of trees is available on the Woodland Trust website, along with FAQs and tree planting advice.
Application forms can be found here: https://bit.ly/4d72ypt.
The Tree Council has launched its Branching Out Fund and is accepting applications from community groups, schools and small registered charities who wish to establish trees, hedgerows and orchards in their local area.
The deadline to apply is the 1 December and application forms can be found on the Tree Council website: https://www.cognitoforms.com/
Local Plan Review
Thank you to all parish and town councils who have helped share our Local Plan Review update on their own channels to residents. This is really helpful in helping residents understand what a Local Plan is and why we have to review it.
Call for sites
As you know we have completed the initial Call for Sites consultation, which councils are required to do as part of the Local Plan Review process, where developers, landowners and others were invited to put forward suggested sites that may be suitable for development up until 2041.
While we anticipate that most of the development needed between now and 2033 is already catered for, there may be additional land needed to meet longer-term needs between 2033 and 2041, not just for housing but to create jobs, new infrastructure, healthcare and education.
Sites put forward in your parish area have been shared with you via our planning policy team.
These sites are not allocations and are only proposals at this stage. Every site is being robustly assessed to determine whether they are suitable, available and achievable for development.
We will be publishing the full list of sites as part of our Local Plan Sub-Committee agenda next week, which we will make available on our website at www.braintree.gov.uk/
Seeking community feedback
We're keen for residents to be involved throughout the review process and share their feedback to help shape the district’s future.
We are encouraging stakeholders, parish and town councils and residents to share their ideas and suggestions on what they would like to be considered in the Local Plan, identifying opportunities up to 2041.
This could include housing, employment, green spaces, transportation, infrastructure, community and education facilities, land they would like to see protected, or any other aspect of the community - in towns, surrounding villages and rural areas.
How to share feedback
- Email our Planning Policy team at planningpolicy@braintree.gov.
uk - Write to the team by post to: Planning Policy, Braintree District Council, Causeway House, Bocking End, Braintree, Essex CM7 9HB.
Feedback can be shared up until 5pm on Friday 16th August 2024.
Comments will be considered by the council in preparing the draft Local Plan document ahead of further wider public consultation with residents, businesses and communities later this year and in 2025.
Keeping updated on the Local Plan Review process
- Visit our website: www.braintree.gov.uk/
localplanreview - Sign up to receive direct email updates from our planning team here: https://braintree-consult.
objective.co.uk/kse/ - Sign up to our dedicated planning e-newsletter here: https://bit.ly/3GDclU4
New funding opportunities
There are a number of funding opportunities available at the moment.
The Community Safety Development Fund has been launched by the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex (PFCC), offering £300,000 to support local initiatives that prevent and tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.
The first round of applications closes on 1 September 2024, with a second round opening in December. The application form and criteria can be found on the PFCC website: https://www.essex.pfcc.police.
Voluntary organisations, community groups, residents’ associations and Town & Parish Councils can now apply for grants through the Community Initiatives Fund (CIF).
This fund aims to help strengthen local communities and aims to support a number of projects including upgrades to sports facilities, improvements to community buildings or cultural events and activities.
For 2024, two kinds of grants are available:
- £300,000 of the fund is available for projects that benefit the wider community and demonstrate a real community need. Organisations can apply online at Community Initiative Fund (CIF) – Essex Association of Local Councils (ealc.gov.uk) and the closing date is 18 October 2024.
- £50,000 of the fund is available for grassroots groups up to £1,000 micro grants. Groups can apply online at Micro Grant Fund – Essex Association of Local Councils (ealc.gov.uk) and applications to the micro grants fund will remain open until all funds are used.
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