Chelmsford council is carrying out a town centre survey and wants your input. They want to understand what areas need to be improved and what areas are working well, in order to maintain a vibrant and welcoming town for residents and visitors. The survey is running until 31 October 2011 at www.towncentrehealthcheck.org.uk/chelmsford
ESSEXstreetdiversions returns to Chelmsford for its ninth year on Saturday 1 October. As a part of this award winning international festival, all manner of curious characters will descend on this town centre with a grand finale by Bash Street Theatre from 5pm. This year's line up will include performances never before seen in Chelmsford alongside the face of the festival "the Coneheads" performed by the Natural Theatre Company. Between 10.30am and 4.30pm the town will be filled with the weird, wonderful and downright bizarre, so don't be alarmed if you see a pair of dapper penguins, a giant lobster, comedic nannies, an unsavoury litter-picker or even crazy hair sculptors all the way from Spain!
Today South Lakes MP Tim Farron has cautiously welcomed news that Natural England has voted to extend the Lake District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. Tim did caution that is now time for the National Park authorities to reassure local communities that they will get democratic accountability and that fears over planning restrictions will resolved.
Brentwood's main opposition party will be calling for the council to do all they can to support the bid to refurbish the skate park at King George's Playing Fields in Warley.
In a final act as outgoing Leader of Surrey County Council, Dr Andrew Povey and his Cabinet have pushed through unpopular plans to remove full-time staff from up to 19 of the County's libraries and end the mobile library service from this week.
Small Business Rates Relief (SBRR) was introduced by the government in April 2005 and about 3500 businesses in Wiltshire receive it. Under the scheme ratepayers who occupy only one rated property in England, where the rateable value is £12,000 or less, will receive a reduction in their liability.