At the Essex County Council budget meeting, Liberal Democrats identified spare cash stashed away in the council's accounts and proposed the following projects for spending.

• £4 million extra for minor highways schemes across Essex
• £2.5 million for Public Health, to help reduce youth suicides, tackle smoking related illnesses and improve mental health
• £350,000 for the Youth Service, to help young carers, lunch clubs and outreach work
• £250,000 to help 16-18-year olds from low income families to get to college
• £250,000 to help reduce fly tipping
• £12,500 to enable street lights to be left on if recommended by local police
• £22,000 to develop a plan for solar panels on County Council property

A plan to investigate clean air zones across Essex's urban centres was rejected. Essex County Council Liberal Democrats called for the Council to take a lead on undertaking full assessments for clean air zones to tackle air pollution.

The proposal was simply to spend £22,000 to develop a business plan for this but it was rejected by the Conservatives. The Lib Dem proposals also included charging heavily polluting vehicles.

Proposals to enhance and improve Essex libraries were rejected today by Conservative-run Essex County Council. At today's Full Council Budget meeting, Liberal Democrats proposed a full review of library premises, to consider commercial or residential additions, which would safeguard their future, rather than threaten the closure of 44 libraries.

A proposal that would generate extra users of Essex libraries is being tabled on Tuesday. At the Essex County Council budget meeting, the Liberal Democrat Group will propose that the council recruit four new officers to promote reading and literature, particularly among young people.

The Lib Dems will also propose taking unused cash reserves to extend, convert or remodel library buildings to make them more flexible spaces, able to deliver a wider range of services.

Most people will be looking to their councillors to deal with local issues that matter day to day. Unlike at Westminster, where key issues are being ignored due to them spending so much time and money discussing Brexit.

High on the list of local issues are problems with roads and pavements, consistently generating the most complaints. Essex Highways has decided to concentrate on main road repairs, so the side roads that we all use day to day have been neglected, as have pavements. The Liberal Democrats have proposed more cash for pavement repairs at the last few budget meetings but have been turned down by the Conservative majority.

Many residents have been in touch with us to say they have problems with parking near where they live. We'd like to build up a better picture of where the parking problem hotspots are across Chelmsford.

Are you aware of any parking issues in Chelmsford?

If so, please fill in the survey below to help us demand better from the Council.

The Liberal Democrats have kicked off 2019 raring to go and are the first political party in Chelmsford to announce their candidate for the next General Election, whenever it comes.

Party members have chosen Marie Goldman, who lives and works in the centre of the constituency.

Said Marie Goldman, "I'm thrilled and honoured to be selected by the Liberal Democrats in my home constituency of Chelmsford.