Chelmsford City Council is drafting plans to upgrade Dovedale Sports Centre in the Old Moulsham area of the city. The Lib Dem-led council is keen to hear local views about this and has just launched a consultation (running until Sunday 13 February) to help shape any future improvements.

The site, which the council shares with Chelmsford College, was opened in 1974 and has had minimal investment over the last few decades. It is used by the college during the day and managed by Chelmsford City Council for public use after 5pm on weekdays, with full access at weekends and college holidays.

Chelmsford City Council has announced its latest round of grants for the hospitality and leisure industry, and the Lib Dem-led Council has announced a further round of special grants to provide FREE membership of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

Said Council Leader Stephen Robinson, "We know that many local businesses have been really struggling over the last two years and the City Council is doing what it can to help. The Council is also developing a partnership with the five other District Councils in north Essex to pool resources to help more businesses."

The Government is being urged to back a National Landlord Register as part of the Renters' Reform Bill. Chelmsford Council's Leader, Lib Dem Stephen Robinson, has written to Secretary of State for Housing, Michael Gove.

Cllr. Robinson said, "You don't need reminding that we are in the middle of a housing crisis, with supply not meeting anything like the demand. In the private rented sector, sadly, this often means poor quality housing at sky-high prices and exploitation of tenants. Please help local Councils to do more to address this problem."

The Hive Café at Chelmsford Museum has won a prestigious award from VisitEngland. The café is based in the original Drawing Room of Oaklands House, which houses Chelmsford City Council's museum, and was recognised by the national tourism agency with a Visitor Attraction Accolade for its Quality Food and Drink.

Cllr Stephen Robinson (council leader) and Cllr Rose Moore (cabinet member for greener & safer Chelmsford) have released a message in which they talk about booster vaccines, masks, and the exhaustion everyone is feeling at this stage of the pandemic. Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLbCD4GnUxg

New accommodation for people who are homeless is now available in Chelmsford. Lib Dem-led Chelmsford City Council has worked with local charity CHESS Homeless so that they can increase their total of bedspaces from 32 to 66 (62 of these bedspaces are in Chelmsford).

Cllr. Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford City Council said, "The City Council is committed to preventing homelessness, supporting those who are homeless and working to end rough sleeping. We provide homeless households with housing and also support to permanently change their lives for the better. No-one needs to be sleeping rough in Chelmsford."

Chelmsford skateboarders can now enjoy the skate ramps at Central Park well into the evening with new floodlights.

The floodlights were funded by contributions that the Lib Dem-led City Council extracted from local developers and are programmed to turn on when it gets dark and turn off automatically at 10pm. One of the lights will stay on for 10 minutes longer to give skaters time to pack up and go home safely.

A blue plaque in honour of prolific Essex architect Charles Pertwee (1833-1905), has been unveiled at the Cemetery Lodge on Writtle Road by the Mayor of Chelmsford, Jude Deakin.

Charles Pertwee (born 1833), a local architect, was responsible for the design of Cemetery Lodge and the laying out of the cemetery, built between 1885-1886. In addition to this, he also designed many well-known buildings within the city, including several on New London Road; the Essex and Chelmsford Infirmary, Oaklands House, The White House and numbers 180-188, the Co-Operative building on Wells Street and part of the former National School on Moulsham Street. He was also well known for his non-conformist chapels across Essex, including Christ Church; Stock, and more.