at last... Playground back to full strength Messing community orchard gets underway! Messing cum Inworth Parish Council Parish News

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1 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 1 Messing cum Inworth Parish Council Parish News August 2017 Issue 7 Playground back to full strength With the installation of the new climbing frame and the addition of a new picnic bench, the playground is now, once again, fully functional. Apart from the two springer units, which have undergone recent repair, the playground can boast a new make-over in the shape of two sets of swings, a new picnic bench and a very popular new piece of equipment - the multi climbing frame and slide. The parish council thanks the various bodies that have contributed funds towards achieving this goal. see page 6 at last.... Messing community orchard gets underway! during July, Messing cum Inworth Parish council were finally handed title to the land to the rear of the red house that will become the Messing community orchard. Over the comming months the Parish Council will work with contractors to achieve the best package possible to include a safe and easily accessable entrance, car parking and a secure gated system. The site itself has been neglected for a number of years, (see pictures on page 10) and hopefully, with the help of volunteers, we can return the site to something like its former self. Once the basic ground work is under way, an orchard committee can be formed to deliver and run the orchard itself. continued on page 10

2 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 2 MessIng cum InWorth ParIsh council chairman: David Smith Parish clerk: Dawn Marriott Fairwinds, 13 New Lane, Feering, Essex CO5 9EJ telephone: Mobile: councillors: Messing John Dey Jon Longman Laura Marven David Smith (chair) Robert Suckling Inworth John Lindsay Simon Patten Chairman s notes This summer has been a busy time for the Parish Council with quite a wide variety of agenda items and ongoing projects. Meetings regarding both the upgrading and re-routing of the A12 and the Colchester Borough Councils Local Plan have been regularly attended by parish councillors enabling us to register your concerns on these matters. Messing Playground is complete, the Allotments are ticking over nicely and the Orchard is now a project requiring serious attention. The Inworth village sign is, at this time, undergoing restoration and the Inworth PC notice board is in desperate need of replacement for which quotations are now being sought. If you have any concerns relating to parish matters, please feel free to contact any of your councillors, contact detail can be found on this page. David Smith, Chairman. Messing cum Inworth Parish Council Under the Spotlight: Hi, I m David Smith and a resident on Messing Green. I have lived in the village for the past 16 years, and prior to Messing, I lived in Feering for 21 years, some would say not an old hand, but not a new boy either! I have been involved with various village groups over the past years, and gained the nick-name of Mower Dave! After retirement in early 2013 I was persuaded to join the parish council and then elevated to the dizzy hights of chairman 2 years ago. Should any of you have any problems relating to parish matters, feel free to contact me on the number above or me at messing.green@gmail.com page 2

3 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 3 colchester borough council emerging local Plan On Thursday, 3rd August the Parish Council held a public meeting in Messing Village Hall to discuss the draft local development plan which includes the proposed West Tey Community development. Although held at short notice, it was a well attended meeting with residents from both Messing and Inworth contributing with a lively debate. Our thanks to Borough Councillors Andrew Ellis and Jackie MacLean for attending to answer the many questions posed by the audience. The discussion was wide ranging touching on topics such as roads, rail and infrastructure; affordable housing; job creation and a plethora of other topics. If you are interested in finding out more, the minutes can be found on the Parish Council website. It was also agreed that there would be a further meeting between the Chair of the Parish Council, a Messing Resident and the Colchester Borough Council Planning Officer to elaborate on some of the issues raised. The closing date for formal comments has now closed so we hope you had the opportunity to express your views. LOVE YOUR GARDEN? Award Winning: GARDEN CENTRE PERRYWOOD GROWN PLANTS GIFTS AND HOMEWARE COFFEE SHOP page 3

4 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 4 You can get rid of household or garden waste by composting or recycling it. Contact your local council to find out how to dispose of garden waste and about recycling in your area. danger to traffic by smoke You could be fined if you light a fire and you allow the smoke to drift across the road and become a danger to traffic. complain about a neighbour s bonfire Your council can issue an abatement notice if a neighbour s bonfire is causing a nuisance. A bonfire must happen frequently to be considered a nuisance. Your neighbour can be fined up to 5,000 if they don t stick to the notice. Another problem that has come to the attention of the Parish Council is the return of dog poo! Whilst we are aware that the vast majority of dog owners are very responsible people, it would appear that a very small minority are behaving in an unacceptable manner by discarding their dogs poo bags along hedge rows rather than take them home or dispose of them in a dog waste bin. We would like to remind these irresponsible owners that you can be given an on-the-spot fine if you don t clean up after your dog. The amount varies from council to council. It s often 50 and can be as much as 80. If you refuse to pay the fine, you can be taken to court and fined up to 1,000 Most of the complaints received concern the footpath that runs from Lodge Road out over the farmland to the rear of the Old Crown, and the parish council has made a request to Colchester Borough Council for an official bin to be sited at the entrance of this footpath. page 4 garden bonfires The Parish Council has recently received complaints regarding garden bonfires and whilst there are no laws against having a bonfire, there are laws for the nuisance they can cause. burning domestic waste: You can t get rid of household waste if it will cause pollution or harm people s health. This includes burning it.

5 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 5 The Allotment Site goes from strength to strength with eight of the twelve plots now taken, the plots that were worked earlier in the year are now producing good crops. The pathways are now well defined and regularly mown, and a rabbit-proof fence has been installed at the far end which completes the secure boundaries, and a village resident has donated a wooden bench giving somewhere for the allotmentiers to take a break! If you are interested in taking up an allotment plot, you can obtain further information from the Parish Clerk who s details are available on page 2 allotment site Before Makeover After.... makeover The allotment notice board is sited on a waste piece of ground within the allotment car park which was home to builders rubble, grass and weeds. Thanks to the hard work of local residents and a very generous donation from Perrywood Nurseries, in the shape of a large supply of insect loving plants and shrubs plus soil membrane, thank you Perrywoods, this piece of waste land has been transformed into an extremely attractive flower bed for which we have had a delivery of gravel to spread between the plants which will help to suppress weeds. Volunteers come in all ages... and with a big smile... local resident Oliver Marven. page 5

6 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 6 Village Playground Early last summer saw the completion of the flood works, part of which required the removal of the original play equipment, the vast majority of which was deemed unsafe, but at last, the Parish Council has managed to deliver a new look playground which we hope the children will enjoy. Pavement Parking - page 6 Over the past few months Messing has seen a rise in Pavement Parking, notably alongside the playground and the village hall. Please be aware that this is seen as extremely problematic for persons using the footpath as it forces those with children in pushchairs and users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters out into the road on a very dangerous bend. Also, parking on grass verges is on an increase, and many verges are used by pedestrians in the absence of footpaths. the pavement is for PedestrIans - not cars

7 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 7 Inworth garden tea Party Sunday, 13th August 2017 Everyone enjoyed the perfect combination for an English summer afternoon: a beautiful garden, warm sunshine with lots of sandwiches, cakes and tea. There was plenty of fun and games including Splat the Rat, Tombola, kicking footballs at Krusty the Clown and Bowling. We were also treated to live music played by Ben on his guitar and the more flexible amongst us were encouraged to try the hula-hoops. Brenda Taylor and Sue Bunting had devised an absorbing treasure hunt with clues cunningly hidden amongst the trees and shrubs in the beautiful grounds of the Grange. Many thanks to Jane and Mark Walker for hosting the garden party, to everyone who helped by providing cakes and sandwiches, those who helped on the day with teas and stalls, Chloe and Francesca Townsend who organised all the entertainment and of course the visitors who supported it. Over 600 was raised for Inworth Church. page 7

8 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 8 Village resilience Plan At the start of this year we began to dust off the Messing and Inworth resilience plan and refresh and update it. The latest plan can be found at : I am delighted to say that the highest risk in Messing (flooding) has now been downgraded due to the substantial investment made in The villages do remain prone to extreme weather causing power outages and road closures and so it is in these areas we have focussed our planning. We would like to thank those who have kindly allowed us to have access to community facilities in the event of an emergency including but not limited to the churches at Messing and Inworth, Messing Primary school, the Red Dog and The Crown and of course our primary resource in the event of an incident, Messing village hall. As well as these community assets, we would also be reliant on the resources of individuals. We are particularly keen to hear from anyone who has generators; chain saws and 4 x 4 vehicles or useful skills such as builders, first aiders etc. that we could call upon if necessary..we have knowledge of where some of these exist but we do not think we have a full inventory and if anyone is able to offer some assistance please let Simon Patten or Laura Marven know. Finally we are required to identify vulnerable individuals that might require special assistance in the event of an emergency. As no-one likes to consider themselves vulnerable (and so may not declare themselves as such) or people maybe vulnerable for only short periods of time (e.g. broken bones etc.) we have decided not to maintain a register but instead to ask that in the event of a village emergency if you do required priority assistance to prominently display a tea towel in your window and then we can make sure help reaches you. If anyone has any ideas as to how we can improve our planning further, we would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions. Cllrs. Simon Patten & Laura Marven page 8

9 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 9 hedge Fund! With the bird nesting season over, the afternoon of Sunday 6th August saw local residents come together to cut the hedge that borders School Road and Messing Green. Teas, coffees and other drinks were provided during the afternoon, and behind the scenes, the catering department provided a buffet in the evening. The Parish Council thank all those who took part, it is this commitment to lend a hand that not only help save parish funds but also gives our parish a great community spirit. Job done - where s the buffet? MOBILE LIBRARY SERVICE 'MESSING Located alongside the Village Stores (opposite The Old Crown) between 9.00 and 9.15 am on the following Fridays: 25 August 6 October 8 September 20 October 22 September 3 November 17 November MESSING CARPET BOWLS CLUB New members welcome COME AND JOIN US page 9

10 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 10 Messing community orchard The site, of approximately.7 of a acre, has been neglected for a number of years and after gaining access the first obstacle we met was a bund several feet tall, this runs along the border with New Road approximately 6 meters in from the fence, and required a large amount a dense vegetation to be cleared. (See pictures above and below left) In the coming months, the Parish Council will be contacting those of you who have registered an interest in the orchard, and anyone who would like more information regarding this project, please contact the Parish Clerk, who s details can be found on page 2. page 10 The bund itself, when returned to mown grass, would provide a natural amphitheatre for any future events held in the orchard. The remaining area of the site is reasonably flat but will require a considerable amount of dense vegetation to be cleared. (see picture below)

11 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 11 Messing Village fun sports day On Sunday 9th July, Friends of Messing Church held their annual Sports Day on the village green. Once again this proved to be a very popular event with many local and visiting children (and big kids) entering into a variety of races which, amongst others, included a three legged race, egg and spoon and a novelty water relay, for which the children were awarded medals and cups. Refreshments included The Beer Tent, BBQ, Strawberries & Cream, Pimms etc. A total of was raised on the day, and a big thank you to all who contributed to make it a successful day. local crime Children s medal ceremony There has been a spate of burglaries and thefts in the local area recently that is giving residents serious cause for concern, especially as we are not as well policed as we would like to be. Police contact numbers: you should call 101 to report crime and other concerns that do not require an emergency response. For example, if: Your car has been stolen Your property has been damaged You suspect drug use or dealing in your neighbourhood Or to: Give the police information about crime in your area You should always call 999 when it is an emergency, such as when a crime is in progress, someone suspected of a crime is nearby, when there is danger to life or when violence is being used or threatened. page 11

12 August 17:Layout 1 31/08/ :39 Page 12 Parish oil syndicate The Parish Council runs a very successful Heating Oil Syndicate. Due to the placement of regular bulk orders we are able to gain very advantageous prices. For details please contact: cllr. Jon longman - jmelongman@aol.com Messing Community E-News To make sure you are kept informed and up to date with village news and events via the community service, register your name and address at messing.green@gmail.com messing mums Messing Mums runs Fridays - fortnightly at the Village Hall from 1.45 to 4pm on a drop in basis. Come and have a chat with other mums and dads and bring your children! There is tea, coffee, sugar free orange squash and biscuits available. Toys and entertainment for the children. End your week with a chat and cuppa at our lovely hall! There is no charge but a donation of 3 per family would be appreciated. For more information, contact: Elaine, thekelvedonsmiths@btinternet.com Tel: page 12