CALL FOR PAVING STONES HEEDED

A 'trip hazard' along Brentwood High Street has been repeaired after a local councillor highlighted the problem. Councillor David Kendall called on Essex County Council Highways to 'urgently repair' the section of pavement outside the Oxfam shop on Brentwood High Street back in August. After a number of paving stones had become loose along the High Street, Essex Highways repaired the section by filling them in with tarmac.

At Essex County Council yesterday, attention was drawn to the cuts in Essex Police Officers and PCSOs, and rising crime. A motion from the Liberal Democrats to the Full Council meeting noted a cut in officers since 2010 of 650, rising drug and violence-related crimes, and that Essex Police is the second-lowest funded police force in the country.

Five Chelmsford libraries have been proposed for closure by Essex County Council, with others at risk. Broomfield, Writtle, Galleywood, Danbury and Stock libraries are due to close and Springfield is at risk of closure, despite only opening a few years ago and being run by volunteers.

Libraries are not just about books. They are a vital community resource.

We the undersigned call on Essex County Council to abandon its plans to close 25 libraries and possibly 19 more. They are a vital community resource.

We back Lib Dem calls for the range of services in our libraries to be widened and for central government to properly fund local councils.

In July 2016, in the aftermath of the referendum, the Liberal Democrats were a lone voice calling for a final say on whatever deal was done on Brexit.

Last week, an estimated 700,000 people marched on the streets of London, calling for a people's vote on Brexit.

That makes it the biggest protest since the Iraq War.

The Civic Society and a range of other local groups have arranged a series of events under the title "Chelmsford in the Great War"

• Visit to Stow Maries airfield tomorrow (20 October)
• Great War Books: Meet the Authors 2nd November 7.00 pm in Anglia Ruskin University
• Concert in the Cathedral on 7th November, City of London Sinfonia

The Essex Health and Wellbeing Strategy is an important document that brings together many agencies across the county to agree a range of topics on which joint working is required - to improve health in the county. The strategy is on the Essex County Council website at this link.

There are supporting notes and action points from the 18 July meeting where it was adopted also on the ECC website.

Option C on the Lower Thames Crossing scheme was backed today at Essex County Council's Full Council meeting, though it was opposed by the official opposition Liberal Democrats.

Lib Dem Cllr David Kendall called for the Council to stand shoulder to shoulder with the thousands of residents in Thurrock. He said, "The Option C route will run a bulldozer through green belt land, destroy homes and ancient forests, increase air and noise pollution, and also have a major impact on many established communities.

Essex Liberal Democrats have today welcomed Cllr Andy Wood to their ranks. Andy has represented the Clacton North Division since 2013.

Andy said, ''I have spoken to lots of residents over the past weeks who are telling me they are unhappy with the way things are going in Clacton and the country as a whole, this is why today I have resigned from the Conservative Party. I no longer believe that they are listening to the ordinary person on the street, you only have to look at what is happening to Brexit to see this.''