Local Elections on May 6 2021

Despite the elections life goes on and here is my latest article in WivNews. I appreciate the Wiv Forum is not for partisan use, so I try to be as factual and informative as possible without being too political.

Since my previous article in WivNews, life has been hectic, both with running an election campaign and dealing with a number of major issues that will affect Wivenhoe.

Taylor Wimpey has now submitted a planning application to CBC No 210965 for 120 homes on land between Richard Avenue and the Football Club. It is likely come before the CBC Planning Committee in late summer. It is important that we engage with TW to ask them hard questions so as to mitigate any harmful effects and secure the maximum community benefit. Here are my questions to TW. TW’s agents on behalf of their clients agreed that these replies may be reproduced in WivNews.

21st April 2021

Public consultation - land off Richard Avenue, Wivenhoe

Dear Cllr Liddy,

Thank you for your email regarding our proposal for 120 new homes on land of Richard Avenue, Wivenhoe. I’m sorry for the delay in responding to you.

As you have asked a number of questions, I have set out my responses in turn below.

1. The most important challenge is that of how to create a real sense of community in a new estate, particularly one that is so remote from the rest of Wivenhoe ?

This is a challenge that we face at all of our developments, and one that to some extent has to be met organically. Typically we see strong relationships grow as new residents move in and get to know their neighbours, and our site team encourages this by engaging with customers both before and after they complete their purchase.

We will be providing significant areas of green space and an area for use as sports pitches by both new and existing residents. We will also work with local stakeholders during construction in order to further encourage a sense of community both within the development and with the existing residents.

2. Will there be a meeting place or a community hub?

There is no formal building being proposed, but we are providing significant open space and sports fields which will serve as a place for people to gather for recreation.

3. Will infrastructure be built first or paid for by the sale of houses?

Site infrastructure including access with safe paths and roads will be provided prior to any occupation.

4. This is linked with how the estate will be managed. Will it be by a resident’s association or co-operative, by WTC, CBC or a management company that will charge much for very little, as happened at the other TW development at Cook’s Shipyard?

We expect that a management company will be responsible for most incidental public areas. However, we continue to discuss with local organisations the option of finding appropriate guardians for the sports pitches and open space.

5. What will be the tenure of the homes and how much scope is there for a local residents first allocation?

The tenure mix of the affordable housing element will be down to the local authority, but typically there is weight given to local priority.

6. The affordable/social housing element should be clarified and TW should confirm that these will be built to the same high standards.

All affordable homes will be built ‘tenure blind’, using the same construction materials and methods as our private homes.

7. There is also the question of any unadopted strips of land and who will take responsibility for them?

These will be the responsibility of a management company, as per question 4.

8. What will be the after sales support for new residents either for snagging in individual homes or in infrastructure?

Taylor Wimpey has a dedicated in-house customer care team to deal with any issues that arise following completion.

We're proud to have been awarded 5 stars for customer satisfaction by the Home Builders Federation, which means over 90% of customers would recommend us to a friend. We also welcome Trustpilot reviews and are currently rated ‘Great’ at 4.0 out of 5 based on approximately 4,950 reviews.

9. Who will manage the open space and playing field, and who will have access to it?
10. What role will local organisations such as the Sports Facility Trust or Football Club play?

As above, we are working with local stakeholders to establish who will take ownership and responsibility for the sports pitches.

11. Is there scope for a skate park or other youth facility, or children’s play area on site?

There is no provision for a youth facility and a children’s play area already exists to the south of the site.

12. What guarantees will the homes built by TW will remain fit for purpose in a changing world and perform as well in 100 years time?
13. Energy efficient homes do not only reduce carbon emissions, but are also on of the most effective ways to support low income households by reducing energy bills. What is TW’s policy on energy efficiency?

We use modern building methods and a fabric first approach to make sure the homes are future proofed and consume as little energy as possible.

14. Trees are both beautiful to behold and vital to life. They give a sense of place, of season and tranquillity. They are also vital in suppressing atmospheric carbon, as well as hosting birds and insects. Apart from the trees on the periphery of the site, what additional trees will be added to the site?

A full landscaping strategy will be submitted with the application covering all aspects of the green space on site. This will include planting of trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

15. And what, if any, funding will be available to support the community in the future?

Should planning consent be granted, a series of contributions will be set by the Section 106 Agreement, along with additional funds as specified in the Wivenhoe Neighborhood Plan. We will also have a community budget during the sales phase to support local groups and projects, and will work with schools and other organisations to offer further support where possible.

16. The Building Research Establishment (BRE) operates the Home Quality Mark (HMQ) and the BRE Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM). TW has signed up to these protocols for mitigating the environmental impact of housing schemes, successfully integrating them into surrounding communities and delivering quality homes . Will the development as it progresses from planning to final delivery be audited by BRE and the results published?

Taylor Wimpey completes all BREEAM assessments on our developments.

17. Street naming is another opportunity to stamp a Wivenhoe identity on the new estate. Perhaps this would be good opportunity to commemorate some highly regarded local residents who are longer with us, such as Steve Ford and Jan Richardson in some way?

We are always open to working with the local authority on street names and would recommend that you put any suggestions to their street naming team.

I trust that this answers your questions, but please do not hesitate to let me know if I can be of any further assistance.

Yours sincerely,

Planning Manager
Taylor Wimpey London

I am sure there are many unanswered questions and readers may not agree with the replies, but it is important that we have a constructive dialogue with TW.

Ferry Marsh. Despite the recent dry weather that has dried out some of the marsh, a long-term flooding problem remains. This is due to the sluice gate that drains the marsh silting up. Clearly the problem must be resolved before wet weather returns.

The sluice gate was commissioned by Persimmon Homes when building the West Quay development in the late 1990s. Since then, it has silted up. In 2018 it was cleared at a cost of £5,000 and it re-silted within six months.

I drew this to the attention of officers at CBC. The planning officers are now in negotiation with Persimmon Homes with a view to enforcing the s106 obligation to maintain the sluice. Previous dealings with Persimmon do not give much cause for optimism.

In the longer term, I have also made a case to officers that CBC should seriously consider purchasing the remainder of the marsh from the Treasury Solicitor, to improve land management.

Ferry Marsh was owned by Wivenhoe Quay Ltd (now defunct). The northern part was transferred to CBC and the southern part to Bovis Homes to build the West Quay development.

There remains a strip of land between the two parts that includes a substantial river frontage facing Rowhedge, as well as the sluice. That land was disclaimed by the liquidator of Wivenhoe Quay and the Treasury Solicitor. That means that although the land is owned by Crown, no liability attaches to it or the taxpayer. However, it possible to acquire that land from the Treasury Solicitor. Hence my suggestion to CBC.

I am anxious to pursue that CBC pursue this course of action, as since the Colchester Council Act 2001 which enabled CBC to close Colchester Harbour and removed its harbour authority obligations, the river is no longer dredged. Hence the sluice silting up.

The wider issue of river management is important as CBC declared a climate emergency in July 2019 and prior to the pandemic the river was to have been a strategic priority of CBC. I hope that priority is not overlooked as if such a declaration is to be meaningful, we must manage those assets over which we have some control. The river is the physical feature that defines our borough and our community more than anything else, so we must manage it properly for future generations.

Other matters.

Electioneering inevitably produces more case work. Among residents’ concerns raised on the doorstep are -

Path to cattle duct. A resident brought my attention to the muddy state of the path leading from the cattle duct under the railway line into Wivenhoe Woods. I will be exploring ways to make the path more accessible to users.

Speed ramp in Rosabelle Ave. Another resident requested that a speed ramp be installed on Rosabelle Ave to discourage motorists speeding down a straight road. Julie Young and I have taken the matter up with the Local Highway Panel. Part of the evidence base is that a young child was killed in a road traffic accident on Rosabelle Ave in 1996.

Rose and Crown PH. The pub has been shut for some months, but the management has applied to CBC for a pavement permit. This has attracted much opposition from the neighbours, as the management of the pub and its patrons continues to be a source of annoyance.

The application will be determined by the Licensing Officer at CBC and if granted will be subject to a number of site-specific conditions which can be enforced against the pub, its licensees and proprietors.

Finally, I am pleased that I contributed £100 from my Locality Budget towards WTC’s Terracycle initiative, as well as seed corn funding to groups that see to the well-being of elderly residents, celebrate our village’s intimate connection with the River Colne, rewild our roadside verges, recycling hard to recycle items, community energy, provide an important venue for social and community events, a substantial contribution of £1,000 towards the refurbishment of the Sk8 park and provision of a basketball court by WTC, as well as a donation to the Colchester Foodbank.

County Councillor Julie Young up for re election tomorrow :

I have been your County Councillor for 21 years and during that time I have felt very honoured and proud to represent such a wonderful and special community. Whatever the outcome of thursdays vote I would like to thankyou for all the positive conversations about the issues that face the community over the course of the election period. I spoke with many people in a very short space of time. Normally we start door knocking much earlier but due to the pandemic that wasn’t possible , we squeezed in as many doors as possible but if I didn’t get to yours then apologies . My contact details are on all the literature so do get in touch if I can help at all.

Highways update , the most mentioned concern of residents :
At the March local highway panel funding was agreed for a school street at Broome Grove and Bowes road or Wig Wag lights there. I have conducted some early consultation on preferences and will feed all of the responses to ECC to consider the best solution. The good news is that there is £56k coming to Wivenhoe to fund safety improvements at both schools.
We can all see the state of our roads and footpaths are awful I diligently report defects but even the most urgent ones take forever to get repaired. I wanted to update on a few areas where improvements are planned. Rectory road drainage work is all but finished and the road will be resurfaced between the 10th to the 17th May. Heath road will be re micro surfaced on the 30th July and the Avenue will be resurfaced between the 7th-17th July . The exposed telephone cabling pipes on the railway bridge will be covered over again but these are too close to the surface and need to be moved to prevent constantly being exposed. The kerb stone displaced on the corner of the high street and Station road is also reported and awaiting repair. There is much still to do as far as highway maintenance is concerned. If re elected I will continue to report potholes , sadly there isn’t a magic wand to get them fixed as some might imagine . Budgets have dropped over the years due to the Government grant to local authorities being cut to nothing. That said Conservative run Essex County Council had just under £1m unspent in the Highway budget at the end of the financial year. In the BBC Essex hustings recently Kevin Bentley the portfolio holder for Highways blamed Covid and excessive rain. Wivenhoe is not singled out for shoddy road maintenance driving on the Olympic roundabout near Tesco is like driving over a ploughed field !
In other matters :
Consultation is currently ongoing about the link road joining the A120 and A133 and I have asked for an extension to the consultation to allow more time for people to respond, the documents are long and detailed.
I totally understand the strength of feeling over the Garden Community , now that the decision is made we must work together to ensure we get the best from this development including a segregated lane on Clingoe hill for the rapid transit system ensuring that this is the transport of choice from the garden community , more cycling infrastructure which will benefit all , decent sustainable homes including 30% affordable housing, the green buffer zones to segregate the new community from the existing settlements and no building south of the A133. I attended the hearings in public recently concluded , in fact only Labour Councillors did so and spoke on the need for the green buffers and a countrypark to protect salary brook. Only those people who registered comments at the start of the local plan process could register to speak which ofcourse included me.
Finally a little relaxation ,I was pleased to make £5000 available from my Essex County Council locality budget to fund the table tennis table which has been a real hit with the community on KGV and make a substantial contribution to the refurbished basketball court. Both of these projects will give young people and those a little older a chance to meet and play which is so important for our mental and physical wellbeing. Something we have been desperately short of over the course of the past year.

Mark Cory - I hope you will have seen my work over the year through Facebook - specifically the Wivenhoe Community Noticeboard. I care passionately about our community and making it even better. I am standing for the Essex County Council Election because I am basically fed up! I fed up with the poor service we get and the lack of communication from ECC. 

Since restrictions began to lift, I have once again sent out my newsletters and have spoken to many residents on the doorstep – following the correct Covid guidelines. My small team and I have enjoyed speaking to you and your neighbours and picking up the issues and concerns you have. I like to come round and speak to you because I feel local councillors should be seen and resident’s views listened to.


As I say above, I do not believe we are listened to by Essex County Council. The County Council run our libraries, local education, our youth services, transport, and they are supposed to look after our roads and pavements. I think we get a poor service and things need to change.


I campaigned alongside many great volunteers, like Michelle Burrows, to save our Wivenhoe Library and those across the county. On Youth Services, I helped run the Hub Youth Club which had to shut when the County Council sold off the building. Now, I am leading the project for a multi-million-pound Youth Zone for Colchester, which will offer skills training, mental health support, sports, and fun to young people – with a transport plan to help Wivenhoe youngsters get there safely.


On transport, I have pushed ECC to support 20mph zones on our estate roads. If elected, I will consult residents on making our local roads safer. And on roads and pavements, we have all had enough of the neglect of our potholed roads and our dangerously deteriorating pavements. A new approach is desperately needed, and I will work tirelessly to get our roads and pavements fixed.

Living locally, I walk, run, cycle and drive around Wivenhoe, which helps to pick up the issues and report problems when I see them. I feel it is important to vote for someone who lives here and who has a proven track record. I am standing for Essex County Council this year because I feel we need a change.

Thanks for that; do we know how the other 2 votes went?