Chelmsford is better connected with a Lib Dem Council
The Liberal Democrats campaigned in the local elections to make Chelmsford Safer, Greener, Fairer and Better Connected. Below are some of the policy changes and actions that your Liberal Democrat-led City Council has undertaken in the first six months.
A Better-Connected Chelmsford
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Make it easier for the public to contact the Council by linking up Digital Services. New self-serve, online services will allow the public to report issues directly through the Council's website, rather than waiting in a telephone queue. This will bring the Council into the 21st Century and make it more efficient.
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Working towards a more open Council - encouraging the public to attend more Council meetings and ask questions; allowing all Councillors to ask more questions at and before Cabinet meetings, and putting out more information via social media. The first speech of the new Lib Dem leadership of the council was broadcast on Facebook Live and we are looking at low-cost ways to do that for all meetings.
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Supporting new, innovative productions in Theatres & Museums. The theatre has trialed new ways to reach different audiences. The productions of Someone Who'll Watch Over Me and R4J are just two examples of the more diverse range of programming that we expect to see in the coming months and years.
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The refurbished and reimagined Chelmsford City Museum was officially reopened and has welcomed approximately 30,000 visitors, which is more than came in a whole year before. The museum has developed its volunteer programme, to support services, and is growing new audiences, with exciting innovations like Museum Lates, which bring visitors into the museum 'out of hours' - making the most of the Council's investment and its building assets.
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Creation of the Chelmsford Policy Board. This board looks at all policy formation and has so far formed five Working Groups, all cross party like the Board itself, covering the following areas .
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homelessness and rough sleeping
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the supply of housing that is affordable
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health and wellbeing
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developing more use of our waterways and adjacent towpaths and green spaces
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local democracy and the connectedness and involvement of Chelmsford 's many organisations and charities and its residents.
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More news about better connected communities
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Article: Sep 18, 2020A wide range of community improvements costing £10.2 million can now go ahead, following a vote of the Lib Dem led Chelmsford City Council's Cabinet on 8 September 2020.
The following projects will benefit from the funding:
- Affordable housing initiatives, including the infrastructure at Chelmer Waterside to maximise housing delivery
- 28 projects for improvements and investments across the city's parks, green spaces and strategic sports facilities
- Tindal Square pedestrianisation
- Beaulieu Secondary School
- A range of GP surgery improvements
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Article: Sep 17, 2020
Boats could get access to the centre of Chelmsford for the first time in many decades, following a decision of the Lib Dem led Chelmsford City Council's Cabinet on Tuesday 8 September. Councillors agreed to commission a detailed feasibility study into replacing flood gates to the east of the city centre and adding lock-gates. This would allow boats to pass further west, up the rivers Chelmer and Can.
If found to be feasible, replacing the automatic flood defence gates and adding a lock should allow the whole stretch of the River Chelmer from the Heybridge Basin through Chelmsford to be navigated. Currently boats cannot navigate any further than the weir gates, situated near the Essex Record Office.
The automatic gates were built during the 1960s and are mainly used to retain water in the river by the city centre. Without them, water levels would be very low and even non-existent in some parts each Summer. They are currently operated by the Environment Agency (EA) however, the EA has indicated that it can no longer justify the continued maintenance of the gates.
Cabinet Member for Greener and Safer Chelmsford, Councillor Rose Moore, said, "Improving our waterways is a key objective in the Council's new 'Our Chelmsford, Our Plan' and I am delighted that we are delivering on that objective. The City Council's Waterways Working Group is promoting this plan as one way to improve and encourage the varied use of the city's waterways and adjacent paths and open spaces, and we want to engage the wider waterway user community.
"One of the key aims of the Working Group has been finding ways to enable navigation to the upper Chelmer. I am pleased that Cabinet has now agreed to develop these studies further."
Lib Dem Leader of Chelmsford City Council, Cllr Stephen Robinson, said, "Enabling boats to access central Chelmsford's waterways has long been an aspiration for many of us. There are still a number of further steps to take before this becomes reality. However, this full feasibility survey will enable the Council to assess the viability, design solution and full costs, before deciding whether the scheme should be taken forward. This is a positive step forward and we look forward to seeing the detailed feasibility study -
Article: Jul 31, 2020More Chelmsford businesses that are suffering a significant fall in income due to coronavirus, can now apply for a grant. Chelmsford City Council has launched a third and final round of Discretionary Business Support Grants.
The policy has been revised to bring additional businesses into scope and will increase the funding grants, on top of the £31 million that has already been paid out. Previous applicants do not need to apply again, as the Council will look at all applications to see if businesses qualify under the new terms of the scheme.
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Article: May 28, 2020The National Lottery's new Coronavirus Community Support Fund for organisations is now open.
The fund will be aimed primarily at small to medium organisations in England.
The Fund has two key objectives:
- To increase community support to vulnerable people affected by the COVID-19 crisis, through the work of civil society organisations.
- To reduce temporary closures of essential charities and social enterprises, ensuring services for vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19 have the financial resources to operate, and so reduce the burden on public services.
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Article: Apr 28, 2020Over 120 sports clubs and community organisations in Essex participated in three live webinars delivered by Active Essex and Sport England, to hear about what emergency financial support is available to them in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each webinar focused on the Sport England Community Emergency Fund, a £20m support package aimed to help community sport and physical activity organisations experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.