Lib Dem campaigner Graham Pooley has gained a seat on Chelmsford council, winning the Broomfield & Walthams by-election held on Tuesday 19th February. He won the vacancy caused by the death of veteran councillor Delmas Ashford.

The result is shown below and the vote share comparisons are with the last election in 2011.

Chelmsford Council's planning committee last night gave planning permission for 3,600 houses, schools and business park at Greater Beaulieu Park, north east Chelmsford (off White Hart Lane). Commented Stephen Robinson, who created the Don't Choke Chelmsford campaign, "The Liberal Democrats opposed this idea from the start, primarily because of the urban sprawl that will result and poor sustainability, including the lack of integration with public transport.

Lib Dem MP David Laws says the Coalition still has the potential to be one of the great reforming governments of the post war era.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced on Monday that there will be up to £10m additional support for Pupil Premium children who leave primary school without Level 4 literacy - the expected level. Benefiting most, if not all Chelmsford Primary Schools with additional cash resulting in an improved education for pupils in Chelmsford.

In a keynote speech to teachers and school leaders, he said that the Education Endowment Foundation will be awarding the money to pilot projects to help disadvantaged pupils make the transition from primary to secondary school. The money will be targeted at struggling Year 7s from deprived homes.

"How can a child start secondary school unable to read with confidence?" declared Nick. "That is a basic building block of a good education and no child should begin the race so far behind the starting line. We need to do everything we can to help these children through this transition to get them up to speed.
"That is a responsibility the government takes extremely seriously. And I can confirm that the Education Endowment Foundation will shortly be inviting groups of local schools, in the areas that suffer most with this problem, to bid for extra funds for struggling Year 7s from deprived homes to help them get their reading and writing up to scratch. Extra 'catch up cash', if you like.
"We envisage that schools will want to use it for small catch up classes, or one-to-one tuition, or vouchers for literacy tuition that parents can spend. We will run a proper evaluation, sharing what works with all schools not just those areas taking part in these pilots. It's likely this kind of targeted support is the best way to crack this problem - next year we'll know.
"Of course, we hope as few pupils as possible need it, thanks to the Pupil Premium. And I know primary and secondary schools up and down the country are determined to make this work.
"Some are using the money for breakfast clubs; homework clubs; or to provide one-to-one-tuition. Some are funding counselling services, so troubled kids are in the right place, emotionally, to learn. Some are using it for educational visits to places like museums: the sort of experiences middle class children take for granted but poorer child might rarely enjoy."

Nick also announced that he wants to "strike a deal between the Coalition government and our schools and teachers. Teachers who help these children unlock the doors that otherwise hold them back ... they are the key to an open and fair society ... the key to the opportunity Britain I am determined we build."

The best teachers will be offered incentives to work in schools that have large numbers of disadvantaged pupils. The government will ask the School Teachers Review Body to look at giving other schools the same flexibility Academies currently have to use pay to hold on to the best teachers.

Also, from next year, there will be Pupil Premium Awards for the 50 schools that do the best to boost the performance of their poorest pupils and narrow the gap - with cash prizes of up to £10,000 for the best of the best.

It was announced this morning that the Queen is to confer City status on Chelmsford to mark Her Majesty's Diamond Jubilee. Deputy Prime Minister (& Lib Dem Leader) Nick Clegg made the announcement today, before he took Prime Minister's Questions at noon.

Chelmsford was one of 23 towns in the running for the honour. When the Lib Dems were running Chelmsford Council, a bid was made in 2001 and previous Group Leader, Mike Mackrory, pushed the council to back this current bid.

Chelmsford Council has given planning permission for 135 houses in fields off Patching Hall Lane (see Committee Agenda). Local Lib Dem Councillors Stephen Robinson and Alan Arnot attended to speak up for local residents. Cllr. Robinson spoke out about a number of traffic concerns - in particular, the exit from Skerry Rise onto Broomfield Road and the Hollow Lane / Patching Hall Lane / School Lane junction.

Liberal Democrats in north Chelmsford will continue to fight plans for an "urban sprawl" extension that will close the gap between the northern edge of the town and Broomfield parish. Plans for up to 400 houses on the edge of north Chelmsford and up to 400 more on the edges of Broomfield are contained in Chelmsford Borough Council's final "North Chelmsford Area Action Plan". The Conservative-run Council has published its plan for consultation until 16th February.

The Liberal Democrats have gained the vacant seat of Broomfield and The Walthams on Chelmsford council on a massive 29% swing. The result strengthens the position of the Lib Dems on Chelmsford council, which now has 25 Lib Dems, 32 Conservatives and no other Councillors.

The victorious candidate, Malcolm Taylor, expressed his delight at winning. He thanked all the people in Broomfield, Great Waltham and Little Waltham who had voted for him and pledged to do his best for the residents of the villages.

Too many fast cars and heavy goods vehicles are still plaguing Broomfield, Great Waltham and neighbouring villages. Local Lib Dem candidate Malcolm Taylor is calling for the long-promised down-grading of the A130 through from Great Waltham to Dunmow, so that more traffic heading to and from Stansted and beyond will use the A131 and A120.

The local Liberal Democrats have selected a strong candidate to defeat Conservative plans to desecrate the local environment around Broomfield, Great Waltham and Little Waltham. Malcolm Taylor will fight the local by-election on 11 September, and is well-placed to defeat the Conservatives as the Lib Dems came second here in May's election.

Leader of the County Council Lib Dems, Cllr. Tom Smith-Hughes, has attacked the Conservative Borough Council planning consultation as a sham. This follows a statement by a leading Tory that ALL the new housing would be built in North East Chelmsford. That is, on the remaining green fields north of Springfield.