At an official ceremony during last night's Annual Council meeting (Wednesday 15 May), Councillor Trevor Miller and his wife Maureen began their term of office as Mayor and Mayoress of Chelmsford for 2013 - 2014.

Trevor Miller has been a Councillor for Great Baddow East Ward since 1995 and a Parish Councillor and School Governor since 1993/4. He was born in Suffolk and is married with two sons and three grandsons. He graduated from Reading University in Politics and Economics and rowed for the university. After university, he worked in management accounting and financial planning with British Railways for 33 years.

Over the last two months, more community groups have expressed interest in being part of a community centre on the former school site. Thriftwood School hope to have their bid for South Block confirmed soon and the local steering group hope that North Block may be used for the community.

Cllrs. Stephen Robinson and Jude Deakin have been involved in a large number of meetings and conversations with Chelmsford Planning, Chelmsford Policy Team, Essex Property and the Centre for Voluntary Action about fundraising and constitutions.

North West Chelmsford Community Action Group - 13^th November 2012.

Place: Parkside Community Hub, Melbourne Avenue Chelmsford

The plan to secure a major community facility for north Chelmsford took a few more steps forwards this last week. Cllrs. Stephen Robinson and Jude Deakin attended a number of meetings and spoke to a number of the key players in order to secure a future for the former St Peter's College, in Fox Crescent.

The working group considering the future of the former St Peter's college met today. Local Lib Dem Councillors Stephen Robinson and Jude Deakin briefed the group on meetings they had attended with council officers in recent weeks.

Representatives of the community groups present drew up a list of facilities that local groups would like to see on the site as part of any future development. Further discussions will be held with Chelmsford Council planning officers in the weeks ahead before the next working group in mid-October.

After years of campaigning, residents of south Chelmsford were expecting a "Lollipop" crossing in Linnet Drive, Chelmsford for a trial period of three months starting in September. It was agreed by the new Chelmsford Local Highways Panel in July. However, Essex County Council has now refused to back the Highways Panel and everything is up in the air again.

A halt has been called on plans to sell most of the site of the former St Peter's college in north west Chelmsford. Essex County Council has agreed that part of the site will be given to Thriftwood special academy and debate is now starting about the rest of the site.

An intervention by the County Councillors for the area, Lib Dems Stephen Robinson and Jude Deakin, has stopped the site being put up for sale immediately.

Said Cllr Robinson, "During the recent by-election I said I would campaign for community facilities on the site. So when Jude Deakin and I heard that the Council was thinking about selling the site, we met the Cabinet member for Finance.

"I am delighted that he agreed to give local people time to come forwards with proposals for what the community would like to see on the site in future. We will now have these discussions via the North West Chelmsford Action Group."

Notes

A 1,125-strong petition was handed in to County Councillor Jude Deakin by the residents of Chelmsford in support of a zebra crossing on Linnet Drive. See reports in the Chelmsford Weekly News and the Essex Chronicle.

The history of this crossing 'debate' goes back some time. A change of 'catchment areas' for local schools, meant a large increase in children crossing Linnet Drive at the top of Plane Tree Close to get to Mildmay School. Then there was an accident involving a child in 2005.

Following meetings this week Lib Dem Councillors Jude Deakin, Linda Mascot and Freda Mountain are keeping up the pressure for a local crossing.

Last week Conservative County Councillor Tracey Chapman (Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation) decided against installing a zebra crossing in Linnet Drive. The Liberal Democrat Councillors for Goat Hall (Linda Mascot and Freda Mountain) have been campaigning for this crossing for several years.

The junction of Rainsford Road / South Primrose Hill / Mace Walk is highlighted for action by Cllr Jude Deakin.

Jude has repeatedly asked for a safe crossing at this junction. Essex County Council Highways have agreed to investigate and report back to her. Jude said, "Having requested the Council to investigate this for several years, at last it looks as if it will be. What we need now is a firm commitment from Highways to put a safe crossing in place quickly before we have a fatal accident".