The District Council is starting another group of consultations. This time it’s about some of the most precious parts of our small villages.
Council planners have prepared a series of reports on how to protect the official Conservation Areas at:
Battlesbridge
Canewdon Church
Canewdon High Street
Foulness Churchend
Great Wakering
Paglesham Church End
Paglesham East End
Shopland
The documents aren’t yet visible on the council website but we hope they will be there soon.
One interesting question comes up with the Battlesbridge report – do the advertising signs there detract from the beauty of the area around the bridge? If so, should there be tighter advertising controls there, or should the council leaves things as they are to encourage local trade?
Meanwhile the report on Paglesham Churchend says:
“Responsibility for the repair and maintenance of the church lies within the parochial church council. This is a heavy responsibility for a small parish such as Paglesham. While acknowledging the difficulties involved, every effort should be made to prevent the condition of the building deteriorating further. Rigorous basic maintenance regimes, including regular clearing of ivy and scrub away from the building, would help and not be costly. Grants can be secured to ensure an effective and manageable programme of repairs can be put in place”
We wonder if residents in the east of the district have any comments on this?
There is a copy of the consultation version of the Battlesbridge conservation area at http://www.rettendonandbattlesbridge.org.uk/html/battlesbridge_conservation_are.html
The only thing that is missing from this report about the conservation areas for Battlesbridge is what the plan is for restoring Battlesbridge Bridge, as the beauty of this bridge has been ruined by the steel work enclosing it to stop it falling in the river. Can this be looked into?