Castle Hedingham Parish Council

CASTLE HEDINGHAM NEWS - updated 9th April 2024

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COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVE
Sign installed at Castle Hedingham Cemetery

In April 1944, six members of the local home guard were killed in an accident in Gestingthorpe during an exercise dealing with an unexploded grenade. Captain John Scantlebury Philp was one of the men killed and the location of his grave at Castle Hedingham Cemetery has now been marked with a Commonwealth War Grave sign, with thanks to the Commonwealth War Grave Commission. A service at St Peter's Church at 11am on April 21st 2024 will incorporate an act of thanks and remembrance marking the 80th anniversary of the accident. This service will be supported by the local branch of the Royal British Legion

20s Plenty for Castle Hedingham - Tell us your views here

Find more information at 20s Plenty

Join the Great British Spring Clean 2024
CASTLE HEDINGHAM VILLAGE LITTER PICK
15^th March to 31^st March 2024
Back for its ninth year, the Great British Spring Clean is the nation’s biggest mass-action environmental campaign. 
Borrow litter pickers, hi-vis vests, gloves and purple sacks from Castle Hedingham Village Shop.
Drop off purple sacks at the collection point in the Bell car park
Please join in Keep Britain Tidy: Pledge here!

Station Road bridge repair: An update from Essex Highways via Cllr Peter Schwier is on our Highways page 

Footpath 25 (Scotch Pastures) Castle Hedingham Public Path Diversion Order 2022: Consideration of the Order will take the form of a public local inquiry. The Inquiry will be held at Gosfield Village Hall (Maurice Rowson Hall), Church Road, Gosfield, Essex CO9 1TL on Tuesday 5th March 2024 at 10.00am.  All documents relating to the Public Inquiry including maps, statements and objections are now available at the Essex Highways website at https://www.essexhighways.org/getting-around/opposed-orders  A timetable of events and further details are available here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/2023-rights-of-way-order-information-start-date-notices-inquiry-hearing-notices-and-rejection-letters#essex-county-council

BDC Waste & Recycling Collection calendars
Calendars for Castle Hedingham collection routes can be downloaded here:

• Monday Route 6 collections
• Tuesday Route 2 collections

Clear recycling sacks can be obtained from Castle Hedingham Village Shop. Full details of all collections including the new green waste subscription service can be found at https://www.braintree.gov.uk/bins-waste-recycling

Castle Hedingham Village Shop & Post Office

• New Post Office opening times: Monday 10am–4pm, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 9am – 1pm,  Thursday Closed
  
• The Village Shop has a new Saturday closing time of 4pm and winter closing time 4pm weekdays
• Volunteers are needed to help the team - if you have a couple of hours a week to spare or even only occasionally, please drop in to the shop and speak to any of the current volunteers for more information

Castle Hedingham Drain blockages
We know there are many drainage issues in Castle Hedingham, but there's one thing we can all do to help. On a call out to an overflowing sewage drain in the village, Anglian Water engineers identified that wet wipes had caused the blockage. This is now the most common reason for blocked drains. Please can we all follow their guidance and look for the Fine to Flush logo before disposing of any products down the loo. Only these products can be flushed, everything else should be put in the bin. There are some wipes on the market that say they are 'flushable'. These have not met Fine to Flush standards and should also be placed in the bin after use. Most wipes like baby wipes and all sanitary products (tampons, pads etc.) currently on the market display a Do Not Flush logo and should be disposed of in the bin. For more information please see: https://www.water.org.uk/news-views-publications/news/fine-flush-standard-celebrates-100th-accreditation

New Park Street Lights
Correspondence with Npower and UKPN has been ongoing, with the issue escalated to the highest level at both Npower as the energy supplier and with UKPN who manage the Unmetered Supply (UMS). Reinstatement of the energy supply by Npower has been offered at an increased rate per Kwh, together with financial compensation for the error which led to the supply contract being withdrawn.  At the October Parish Council meeting, a number of options were carefully considered by Councillors, taking into account the longer-term cost to public funds and only one expression of concern since the lights were "de-energised" in August. It was decided  to leave the street lights de-energised for the time being, i.e. in a state where the supply could be reinstated if necessary at a later date. 

Rewilding New Park Castle Hedingham: Our rewilding project at the Pump House land, New Park, started in spring 2023. To take part in monitoring plant and animal species observed,  try the iNaturalist App at https://uk.inaturalist.org/. This is part of a 5 year project on Braintree District Council owned land, and carried out with the support of the Essex Wildlife Trust Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages team. 

We love seeing our Team Wilder councils and communities using the Urban Wildlife Champions, River Champions or Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages emblems. These can be used on newsletters, letterheads, interpretation signage, equipment and much more!

Castle Hedingham Parish Council have used the Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages emblem on signage for their new rewilding project in collaboration with on-the-doorstep residents.