WELCOME TO THE
ESSENDON PARISH COUNCIL WEBSITE
Essendon is a small rural village in Hertfordshire, UK,
close to Hatfield, Hertford, Welwyn Garden City and Potters Bar.
Statement from Mike Brown, Chair of the Essendon Parish Council:
His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh
It is with great sadness that Essendon Parish Council has learned of the death of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The Council and residents of the village extend condolences to Her Majesty the Queen and members of the Royal Family. The Union flag will be flown at half mast, and the Hertfordshire online Book of Remembrance for HRH Duke of Edinburgh may be accessed here.
Parish Council Meeting Dates
Please note that the Annual Parish Meeting will be held on 26th April 2021, and the Annual General Meeting of the Parish Council will be held on Tuesday 4th May 2021
The next meeting of the Essendon Parish Council will be on 4 May, 2021, immediatley after the AGM.
Census
Need help completing the census? Scroll down for details
Hertfordshire's Census Engagement Managers’ online sessions to help complete the census. Despite census day having passed, there is still plenty of time to complete
Free 1-2-1 Business Support
Hertfordshire Growth Hub, in partnership with Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnerships and the University of Hertfordshire, has created the Volunteer Business Support Scheme, a free and confidential 1-2-1 mentoring programme to respond to the increase in demand from businesses seeking support in the county. Click here for more detail.
‘Helping your business bounce back’ explains the scheme and how you can access this free support.
THE ROSE AND CROWN PUBLIC HOUSE - ASSETS OF COMMUNITY VALUE
The Parish Council regrets to inform the public that Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council has delisted the Rose and Crown PH from its list of Assets of Community Value. The Parish Council had successfully applied for the relisting of the village pub in September 2020 when the initial listing from 2015 came to the end of its 5 year period. The relisting was appealed by the pub’s owners and a review panel made up of two officers of the Borough Council met with the owners in February 2021 to hear their case. The review panel upheld their appeal and delisted the pub. The Parish Council was not informed of the appeal and were thereby denied any opportunity to address the issues raised at the appeal. The first we heard of it was by email informing us of the delisting. The Parish Council considers the action of the review panel to be contrary to the principles of good, open and accountable government and has complained to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council about both the decision to delist and the manner in which the decision was taken. We await its reply.
Regrettably, we have no reliable information about the future intentions of the owners or the future of the Rose and Crown. It is the last pub left in the village and its continued closure is a grave cause of community concern to us all. We gather that the owners have made a significant investment in the facilities as part of the recent refurbishment and we sincerely hope to see its successful reopening as soon as the Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.
Census 2001 - Census Day 21 March.
Progress on Cole Green Way resurfacing - see Documents 2021 page
The start of these works has been delayed. New start dates for each section will be advised once known, and in the meantime the Cole Green Way and car parks will remain open. Site notices will be updated accordingly next week.
Update on Public Rights of Way
Countryside and Rights of Way will shortly be launching a project to repair the surface of paths damaged by extra use during lockdown, combined with the recent bad weather. Priority will be given to paths near settlements which will continue to be well-used. While working on the surface, other improvements will also be considered, such as removing unnecessary structures, or upgrading stiles, gates, steps and signage. If you are aware of any paths in your area which might benefit from this, do please inform the clerk who will relay the information to the Access Projects Officer. If possible please send a plan with the area in question marked and any photos you may have.
LAUNCH OF REVITALISING RURAL: REALISING THE VISION
The campaign calls on Government to fairly fund rural areas and to ensure that Government policies are developed and implemented in ways which take into account the particular needs of rural communities. More detail here
(https://rsnonline.org.uk/launch-of-revitalising-rural-realising-the-vision)
RUBBISH AND RECYCLING
Latest information is available at this link.
This includes information on fly tipping.
PLAYGROUND
The playground is open with appropriate precautions for Covid 19, following government guidelines.
Vaccine Fraud
Criminals are using the COVID-19 vaccine as a way to target the public by tricking them to hand over cash or financial details. They are sending convincing-looking text messages letting people know they are eligible for the vaccine or phoning people directly pretending to be from the NHS, or local pharmacy.
New National Covid Restrictions
National lockdown: Stay at Home
Coronavirus cases are rising rapidly across the country. Find out what you can and cannot do at this link. Latest update
Village Hall
Please note: Restoration work on the Hall floor has been completed.
Invitation to nominate someone for a National Honour or for CPRE Hertfordshire awards
If there is someone within the community who has dedicated service over many years, the Council or other local people can nominate them via the online form at www.gov.uk/honours ensuring that a deserving local community is represented at national level. Further information on honours and awards: www.lord-lieutenant-herts.org.uk,
Contact Details for Queries or more Information:
HERTSMERE & W+H
Dawn Grocock (01992) 555235
Enforcement Officer
James Bartlett (01992) 555236
For detailed information see Herts Sunflower.org
Allotments
Useful guidance on how to manage allotments in accordance with government regulations. Click here
For more information from NHS, see here.
Other COVID related information see here
PARISH COUNCIL MEETINGS
2020- 2021
Following Government Guidelines, in person meetings were suspended in 2020. Business will continue to be conducted by email or video conferencing. The Chair and Vice Chair have been empowered to take necessary decisions to keep the workings of the council running.
Dates for 2021:
April 26 Annual Parish meeting
May 4 7:00 pm Annual Meeting of the Full Council (Election of Chair and Vice Chair)
7:10 pm Ordinary Parish Council Meeting
June 14 Parish Council meeting
July 12 Parish Council meeting
September 13 Parish Council meeting
October 11 Parish Council meeting
November 8 Parish Council meeting
December 13 Parish Council meeting
Meetings take place on Mondays at 7.00pm. Please consult the website prior to the meeting to find out whether it will be on Zoom or in person at the Village Hall.
The public are most welcome at all
Parish Council meetings and are encouraged
to raise any matters of concern