View this email in your browser

LRAs Loughton News1 August 2020

In this issue you can read about re-opening theLeisure Centre and other facilities including ourlocal museum how the libraries will operate andsadly how some businesses have confirmedthey wont reopen

Also read how LRA and the community keep awatch on our trees and about residents parkingrestrictions that are about to come into force insome areas

Changes are afoot in the planning system that LRAwill be closely watching including licensing for foodand drink on the pavement outside premises andmaking it easier for developers to get permissionfor two storey upward extensions

Also do remember if you are out enjoying theForest in the summer please check the guidelinesfor visiting

Support is still available for the many residentswho find these times difficult and we repeat theguidelines from central government and the DistrictCouncil that enable all of us to play our partresponsibly

Thank you for supporting LRA You can alwayscontact us by emailat contactloughtonresidentscouk to raise anissue to give your views or to offer help

News SectionsLRA News

Planning and Licensing

Police and Crime

Roads Parking andTravel

Council News

Health and Wellbeing

Local News

Epping Forest

Your LRALRA Website

LRA on Twitter

LRA on Facebook

Contact LRA

Links not working Read

the online version

LRA News

District Council new Local Plan - AirPollutionThe District Councilrsquos draft Local Plan is inabeyance while the Council decides how to avoidfuture developments harming the Epping ForestSpecial Area of Conservation (SAC) The Councilwill

consult Natural England and theConservators of Epping Forest on managing air pollution and to listen toresponses and incorporate them into the final approach

following consultation formulate a statement to the Local Plan inspectoruse the knowledge on managing the effects of air pollution when consideringfuture planning applications

LRA and Loughton Town Council will be watching closely to ensure that any solutiondoes not involve either swamping Loughton with housing or damaging the SACandor Loughtonrsquos Green Spaces

Recovering from the crisisThe County Council and District Council have been working on plans to implementon-street measures to make citytown centre public spaces safer for people duringthe Coronavirus crisis They have already set out plans to introduce a 20mph speedlimit and wider pedestrian spaces on Epping High Street to help people with socialdistancing

It is disappointing that no plans have yet been actioned for Loughton though they arebeing drawn up Initial proposals have been shown to LRA Cllr Bob Jennings who ison the District Council Covid recovery group and LRA Cllrs are pressing forappropriate action We hope its better than that at Epping where social distancing inthe northern part of the market is impossible

The Broadway Post OfficeWe understand the closure of the Post Office is still scheduled for October 23rd ThePost Office has been looking for another shop in The Broadway to take on runningthe service however it would appear that they have not had any success to dateLRA Cllr Chris Pond has asked the Post Office what would happen if they wereunable to secure another shop and has been told the alternative would be a pop upshop or a mobile temporary office

Keeping watch on our TreesIn our town not only do we have Epping Forestnearby but we are also fortunate to have manytrees all around the town many of which localresidents are very protective and fond of

LRA Cllr David Wixley is also a Tree Warden andhas a close relationship with the District CouncilTree Officers so is able to help out between the

Town and District Councils and residents when questions or problems arise

Recently from residents reports or from personal observation when out and abouthe has reported dead trees in danger of falling over and thus a risk to the public inLawton Road Rectory Lane Spring Grove and Church Hill Some of these treeshave been removed whilst others have yet to be dealt with Also low hangingbranches over pavements from trees in Hillcrest Road and Spring Grove have beenreported

Also noticed was an advertising board for a company (not local) that had beenscrewed to an large oak tree on Chigwell Lane between the junction with OakwoodHill and the railway bridge along with vehicle debris at the base of this tree asapparently it was driven into

A concerned local resident also reported to David that a large branch had fallen offan ash tree in Conyers Way and other branches overhanging an electric sub-stationand a rear garden Work on this tree was swiftly carried out by the District Counciland it was reported back that amongst other things it was suffering from a brackettype fungus called Inonotus Hispidus The tree now looks fine so hopefully willremain in good health for many years to come

LRA Cllr Carol Davies also took up the case of amissing tree The tree a large oak previouslystood on housing land at the corner of BurneyDrive and Mannock Drive It disappeared sometime ago but would it be replaced (You can see itvia Google Streetview before but not now)

It was a beautiful majestic tree at one time so itwould be a shame not to replace it As well beingquite a large vintage tree it was likely part of theoriginal country landscape that preceded the postwar Debden Estate After making enquiries at theDistrict Council the matter is now awaitinginspection by an Arborist Officer which will becarried out as soon as is possible If they approve and budgets allow it should bereplaced However they do have an extremely high volume of enquiries to deal withand cannot confirm yet when it can be doneImage Asier Odriozola

Loughton Leisure CentreLRA Cllr Rose Brookes has been in regular contactwith Places Leisure and the District Council to tryto open Loughton Leisure Centre and others asearly as possible The Council has given asubstantial subsidy to open the pools and gymsas the necessary social distancing numbers for allactivities means capacity is much reduced (egthe 25 metre pool will only be allowed 31 people)

Gyms and classes will resume on Monday August 3rd and the pool on MondayAugust 10th It is hoped to restart swimming lessons in September Places for lanedswimming Aquafit and gym sessions must be booked in advance and paid forbeforehand via the Places Locker app or the website Please turn up early and kittedout for respective activity as there will be separate queues for each activity anddifferent entrances and exits through the building for every activity Thisvideo provides more information

As it is the summer holidays and there are no fun activities Places Leisure haveintroduced a family swim Each family (up to six people) can book a lane tothemselves Also there will be no lockers available and swimmers will need to puttheir clothes at the side of the pool

Places Leisure have changed from night time cleaning to during the day and rigorouscleaning will take place throughout the day

Residents report problems at pubsThe Last Post High RoadWe have had complaints from residents that drinkers at this pub are spilling outacross the pavement after 11pm at night The High Road is a residential area withflats above the shops and houses in the roads behind the shops

They are also disturbing residents by using for customers an area which is meant tobe kept for staff parking and deliveries and LRA has taken up this apparent planningbreach with the District Council Gardeners Arms York HillWe have had reports from residents of problems at this pub and LRA Chris Pondinvestigated

LRA Cllr Carol Davies also took up the case of amissing tree The tree a large oak previouslystood on housing land at the corner of BurneyDrive and Mannock Drive It disappeared sometime ago but would it be replaced (You can see itvia Google Streetview before but not now)

It was a beautiful majestic tree at one time so itwould be a shame not to replace it As well beingquite a large vintage tree it was likely part of theoriginal country landscape that preceded the postwar Debden Estate After making enquiries at theDistrict Council the matter is now awaitinginspection by an Arborist Officer which will becarried out as soon as is possible If they approve and budgets allow it should bereplaced However they do have an extremely high volume of enquiries to deal withand cannot confirm yet when it can be doneImage Asier Odriozola

Loughton Leisure CentreLRA Cllr Rose Brookes has been in regular contactwith Places Leisure and the District Council to tryto open Loughton Leisure Centre and others asearly as possible The Council has given asubstantial subsidy to open the pools and gymsas the necessary social distancing numbers for allactivities means capacity is much reduced (egthe 25 metre pool will only be allowed 31 people)

Gyms and classes will resume on Monday August 3rd and the pool on MondayAugust 10th It is hoped to restart swimming lessons in September Places for lanedswimming Aquafit and gym sessions must be booked in advance and paid forbeforehand via the Places Locker app or the website Please turn up early and kittedout for respective activity as there will be separate queues for each activity anddifferent entrances and exits through the building for every activity Thisvideo provides more information

As it is the summer holidays and there are no fun activities Places Leisure haveintroduced a family swim Each family (up to six people) can book a lane tothemselves Also there will be no lockers available and swimmers will need to puttheir clothes at the side of the pool

Places Leisure have changed from night time cleaning to during the day and rigorouscleaning will take place throughout the day

Residents report problems at pubsThe Last Post High RoadWe have had complaints from residents that drinkers at this pub are spilling outacross the pavement after 11pm at night The High Road is a residential area withflats above the shops and houses in the roads behind the shops

They are also disturbing residents by using for customers an area which is meant tobe kept for staff parking and deliveries and LRA has taken up this apparent planningbreach with the District Council Gardeners Arms York HillWe have had reports from residents of problems at this pub and LRA Chris Pondinvestigated

The Hills Amenity Society took this up with the licensing department and Chris withsenior police This two pronged approach resulted in the licensing dept getting intouch with the licensee who has promised to operate Challenge 25 and step upsafety measures and social distancing inside the pub However she says that manyof the groups gathering outside and on the green are young people bringing theirown drinks She also says that after the pub closes staff check the green area andclean up any bottles or rubbish that is left even though this is predominately rubbishleft by people not being served by the pub

Please report any anti-social or criminal behaviour at these or any other licensedpremises to the police Call 999 if a crime is being committed report online or call101 Please report any breaches of alcohol licensing conditions to the District Councilby email or on 01992 564000 (during normal working hours) If yoursquore affected bynoise call the District Council noise service at the time (01992 564000 24-hourservice) or email contactuseppingforestdcgovuk More on reporting noiseproblems

Epping Forest District MuseumLRA Cllr Rose Brookes has been in regular contact with the museum staff duringlockdown It re-opens on Saturday August 1st with slightly reduced opening hours toallow for extra cleaning Visitors will be encouraged to wear face masks and toiletsare still available

Various display cabinets have been refreshed but the major exhibition on the groupof boys evacuated from concentration camps to Holmehurst Hostel Loughton hasbeen postponed till next year Interactives and activities will be limited but a takeawaycraft activity will be available for visitors to take home for just pound1 so they can stillenjoy summer activities

At a time when travelling into London can be an anxious experience this is a goodlocal place to visit The museum is not well known but does great work and the morepopular it becomes the better placed it is to get through any future pressure oncouncil budgets

More on the opening and the museum

Great Eastern PathLRA Cllr David Wixley reported the dumping of six full wasterecycling sacks on theverge This was soon collected by the District Council

LRAs Farmers Markets will re-start onSunday September 13th (There may be some

individual traders in Centric Parade onSunday August 9th)

Well keep you updated via our Twitter and Facebook pages

Latest Advice from the Government and NHS

Essex CountyCouncil

How to help andFacebook support

group

Loughton COVID-19 Mutual

Aid UK Group

Planning and Licensing

Read more on our website about Planning and Licensing the role of the LRA PlansGroup (LRAPG) how to get more information and how to comment

If you wish to comment dont delay The process is time critical with several stagesalong the way If you wish to make comments please try to submit them before thedeadline set by the council Although submissions can be made and have to beconsidered up to the time a decision is made once the statutory deadline haspassed the application might be determined before your comments are received

13-17 High Beech RoadThis application proposes to convert the first floor office space to five flats with noparking

LRAPG has objected as this will result in congestion and pressure for parking spaces

on High Beech Road The highways impact of the additional cars will also result inmore air pollution and a subsequent impact on the air quality in the Special Area ofConservation (SAC) Any additional dwelling that leads to more traffic in the SAC isunacceptable The additional cars will also result in more visits to the overstressedrecreational services and subsequent damage to the SAC We therefore consider thetransport and highways impact is significant and the councilrsquos prior approval shouldtherefore be refused

Application Number EPF139620 The date for comments has passed

Pavement food amp drinkThe Government has produced a new temporary speedy licensing regime to enablepremises serving food and drink to get licences to put chairs and tables etc on thepublic highway without the need to also obtain planning permission There areconditions on ensuring free movement for pedestrians particularly those withdisabilities and for the provision on non-smoking areas More

Applicants will need to apply to the District Council and the LRAPG will be keeping aclose eye on any applications and objecting where appropriate The regulations onlyapply to the public highway and expire on 30th September 2021

Extra storeysNew regulations which will make it easier for developers to get planning permissionfor up to two additional floors on purpose-built blocks of flats come into force inAugust More

Owners have to apply for the prior approval of the council and LRAPG will be lookingvery closely at any applications and will object if the proposals would cause anysignificant adverse effects on the amenity of residents of the existing building andneighbouring premises the provision of adequate natural light andor the externalappearance of the building We are also concerned about Government proposals tomake similar relaxations in the planning rules in respect of other blocks of flats andfor other types of housing

Changes to Planning Use ClassesPlanning use classes determine what a particular property may be used for Forexample an A1 use class is for shops Before the use of a property can be changedto a different class (eg from a shop to an office) planning permission needs to beapplied for and approved

From September 1st there will be fewer use classes The most significant changeis the inclusion of local retail shops in a new use class which means they can be lostto a range of other non-retail uses without the need for consent

Generally speaking retail shops banks offices cafes and restaurants and a load ofother uses will be within the same use class and therefore able to interchangewithout the need for planning permission This change may have a significantadverse effect on the High Road and The Broadway Pubs bars and hot foodtakeaways are excluded Physical works such as ventilation trunking for kitchens willstill need planning consent

Homes must have windowsStrange as it may seem up till now Government ldquopermitted development rightsrdquowhich enable developers to avoid some of the normal requirements in the planningprocess havenrsquot required homes approved in this way to have windows Lastyear The Planner reported on a Planning Inspectorrsquos decision to grant permission for

the conversion of an industrial building in Watford to 15 flats seven of which wouldhave no windows News article

No wonder then that LRAPG needs to check every application There are nowregulations before Parliament to put this right

Council house buildingBecause of delays due to the coronavirus crisis the planning permissions obtainedby the District Council for developments in Thatchers Close and Lower Alderton HallDrive have expired (they last for 3 years only) and cannot at present be renewedbecause of the current ban on approving any applications which might produceadverse effects on the Epping Forest Special Area of Conservation (SAC)

Police and Crime

Cannabis ldquofactoriesrdquoThe police recently executed a warrant at aseemingly normal Loughton residentialproperty which was a cannabis factory 571plants were recovered from the roomsincluding the basement and one suspect

was taken into custody In another case detectives were tipped-off about a propertyin Alderton Hall Lane and officers seized hydroponic growing equipment along withup to 200 plants Can you helpThe police point out that these cannabis ldquofactoriesrdquo are notharmless innocent home owners have their rental housesdestroyed they bring gang violence to an area fund organisedcrime and support modern day slavery They are also anextremely dangerous environmental hazard with very high riskof catching fire

If you have any information about the Alderton Hall Lanecannabis factory or concerns about drug-dealing andproduction elsewhere

please report it onlinecall 101contact Crimestoppers on their anonymous online formor on 0800 555 111

More in the Epping Forest Guardian news report

Action on drugsSince May 1st more than pound21m worth of Class A drugs (155kg) and pound185m in cashhas been seized in Essex by the Essex Serious Crime Directorate as part of aninternational operation targeting serious and organised crime 13 people werearrested

This was part of an international operation led in the UK by the National CrimeAgency to tackle serious and organised crime which involved the takedown of abespoke encrypted global communication service used exclusively by criminalsEncroChat offered a secure mobile phone instant messaging service with 60000users worldwide and around 10000 in the UK primarily for co-ordinating andplanning criminal activities including the distribution of illicit commodities and money

laundering Agencies in France and the Netherlands recently infiltrated the platformand shared the intelligence gleaned from it via Europol to national law enforcementagencies This led to a number of police operations in Essex More

An update from our local PC Marc Arnold

First on the scene at a murder on Wakes ArmsroundaboutAttended an incident with a male with a knife threateninghis partnerArrested a male wanted on warrantSearch warrant executed for drugsHigh visibility patrollingInterview of a suspect for racial crime and file submittedto Crown Prosecution ServiceHigh visibility patrols for a rave that took place in Theydon BoisSeveral Road Traffic Collisions attended and dealt with

Petrol thiefA prolific offender who stole petrol from garages was located and summoned to courtto face charges on 16 offences When he failed to appear the police obtained awarrant and paid him a visit He was a little surprised seeing an officer at the backdoor when he tried to leave that way to evade the officers at his front door

Incident at High BeechA man is due to appear in court charged with assaulting two women outside a pub inHigh Beech This follows reports of a large disturbance outside the King Oak pub onSaturday May 30th

In for the high jumpA suspect on a bicycle in Loughton wastold to stop by the Epping Forest TownTeam but pedalled off However PC MattEdwards had other ideas and was notgoing to let a little thing like gravity stand inthe way of getting some more drugs off ourstreets After accelerating down the streeton foot he became airborne and came at

our offender from the last direction he expected - from above

The suspect was dusted off and promptly relieved of his phones drugs and over athousand pounds in cash Itrsquos going to be a high jump for him when he has to explainthis lot in court

High-value-vehicle dismantling ringThe Epping Forest Community Police Safety Team successfully ended weeks ofwork when their police response vehicle rapidly entering a ldquochop shoprdquo Threesuspects were swiftly arrested and numerous vehicles recovered

Cross-border crime

Essex Road Crime Team and Met Task Force have been combining for ldquoOperationGamblerrdquo which targets criminals who cross our border In one recent week they

made 43 arrestsRecovered nine stolen vehiclesLocated one imitation firearm and seized lots of offensive weapons drugs andcash

National Police Aviation Service (NPAS)A small number of local residents are continuing to complain about the noise theNPAS operation causes so an independent noise monitoring survey is being carriedout and will evaluate alternative flight profiles The helicopter serves London andEssex

Town Centre Teams anniversaryOver the years there has been a constant desire among residents supported byLRA to see more police on our streets tackling ldquolow-levelrdquo crime (such as drugdealing shoplifting carrying weapons) as well as dealing with anti-social behaviourA year ago Essex Police set up five Town Centre teams in West Essex one of whichcovers Loughton (including Debden) and which works closely with the police teamemployed at the District Council More about the teams Case studies Video

Make reports on the live chat serviceDid you know you can speak to a police operator about non-emergency mattersusing the live text chat service The link is on the homepage of the police websitealong with online services like crime and anti-social behaviour reporting

What to do if yoursquove fallen victim to online shopping fraudAction Fraud say ldquoWe all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incrediblyconvincing If you think yoursquove visited or made a purchase on a bogus website youshould first take a note of the websites address then close down your internetbrowser You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank toseek advice Whether youve been a victim of fraud will depend on how muchinformation yoursquove provided to the website so keep an eye on your banktransactions if you can Contact your bank immediately about anything that you donrsquotrecognise even small amounts More information about how to stay safe online

Has your email address been hackedThis website allows you to search across multiple data breaches to see if your emailaddress has been compromised

False claims on YouTubeDistrict Councillors have rebutted false claims about the use of the Bell Hotel inEpping They have reported a video to the police and are calling on local residents tosupport a campaign to have YouTube remove it

We are not providing a link to the video as we donrsquot want it to have any furtherdistribution

Roads Parking and Travel

New parking restrictionsNEPP have announced new parking restrictions starting on August 10th in HighGables Roding Gardens amp its side roads Staples Road amp Shaftesbury and Traps Hillamp West View Yellow lines may already have been painted signs ndash where needed ndashwill be put in between August 3rd and 10th

Permit holders in 3-65 Staples Road and Shaftesbury will be able to park whereverthey like in both streets (except on yellow lines) if a space is available

Clifton Road Car ParkThe District Council recently bought this car park behind Centric Parade which waspreviously operated by a private operator During the Covid-19 lockdown period theCouncil has been taking advantage of the reduction in car usage to resurface the carpark and install pay and display machines and tariff boards etc The car park isexpected to be fully operational in mid-August The Council had hoped to include twoElectric Vehicle charging bays andor public access pool cars during therefurbishment work but as staff from the relevant operators had been furloughedthis has been deferred

Getting around in LondonTransport for London (TfL) say you can use theirwalking maps and tools to get around

Plan your journey to find out how to get fromA to B and choose walking speedsCheck journeys that are quicker towalk between lots of central London stationsand see walking times and steps betweenzones 1 and 2See walking routes between shops and attractions that are less than 20minutes in the West EndLook out for Legible London signs on streets which show walking maps forshort journeys

Travelling on the Tube - Enhanced CleaningTfL are using hospital-grade anti-viral cleaningproducts in all public areas across the networkKey interchanges are being cleaned throughout theday and there is an enhanced regime acrosstheir entire fleet to ensure regularly touchedsurfaces are clean Check the guidance on safertravel before your journeyImage TfL

Wearing a face mask with glassesA helpful optician has revealed some simple tips on how glasses wearers can keeptheir lenses clear while using a face mask

Canrsquot wear a mask Some people with disabilities are not able to wear a face maskThere is concern that such people are being criticised unreasonably on publictransport or when out shopping Please remember that not all disabilities are obvious

to onlookers More

(If you have a disability and are unable to wear a mask you may like to considerwearing a face shield instead)

Please report Highways problemsPlease report potholes smashed bollardsstreetlights not working amp all other issueson the road that need fixing online Yourreport goes straight to HighwaysInspectorsrsquo tablets making repairs moreefficient

You can find how Highways sets itspriorities for carrying out repairs here

Stop Swap GO A campaign aiming to make it easier for people inEssex to switch from cars to sustainable travelsuch as walking cycling and using the bus is live

LRA Cllr Chris Pond presented a petition from localcyclists to the County Council for a Debden-

Buckhurst Hill cycle route This may be included in the second tranche ofGovernment cycle facility funding

Stop Swap GO is led by the County Council MoreImage Essex County Council

Council News

Essex and Southendrsquos local Test and Trace SystemLocal Test and Trace will be used to complement the national system with moreemphasis on contacting individuals in relation to any local outbreaks relating toschools social care settings and businesses Genuine texts calls or emails from theLocal Test and Trace service wonrsquot ask you for any personal details upfront

The only website the service will ask you to visit is the NHS Test and Tracewebsite Please stay scam aware and report any suspicious approaches on 0808223 1133

District Council Safer SpacesldquoCommonplacerdquo reporting lets you have your say on social distancing and saferplaces in the District and identify locations that may need to be improved to supportsocial distancing protect public health and allow services and businesses to re-opensafely Up until 20 July they had 2503 visitors to the site with 698 contributions(comments and agreements) and 193 comments

The comment which currently had had the most agreements on the platform (50agreements) relates to the green in front of Kings Oak High Beach with issues suchas pavement parking lack of social distancing and anti-social behaviour concerningdrugs and alcohol which have been compounded by COVID-19 A further police

presence has been provided in this area and so this will need to be an issue that ismonitored to see if there are improvements More

Town Council playgrounds and outdoor gymsAll the towns playgrounds and outdoor gyms are now open Please use themresponsibly and read the Council information first

Latest District Council adviceDistrict Council advice for residents on EatOut to Help Out mandatory face masks inshops and supermarkets whichbusinesses can or canrsquot re-opensupporting local businesses by eating andshopping locally restrictions on gatheringsand how to keep up-to-date in future

You can also register your business for theEat Out to Help Out schemeImage Essex County Council

Public parking at Civic Offices EppingThe District Council will not be re-opening the Civic Offices car park for publicparking as maintaining overall safety would not be possible

Top up grantsThese are being offered for creative projects from small local businesses trading inthe creative cultural or digital sector More

Council Housing RepairsThe District Council are still unable to purchase certain materials so they cannotcarry out all repairs that are currently needed

Rough sleepers - Everyone In InitiativeAt the beginning of lockdown some 3 months ago the Government called for localhousing authorities to ensure that all rough sleepers in their areas were made anoffer of accommodation as part of what became known as the Everyone In initiativeThe Essex County Council Housing Needs Service working in partnership with arough sleeper support service has delivered a fast response service to those at riskand offers of accommodation have been made to 15 individuals who would otherwisehave been at significant risk of contracting and spreading Covid-19

Funding is now being sought to deliver supported accommodation to rough sleepersfor a period of 9-12 months working with them to tackle substance misuse issues tosupport mental health to increase training education and employment opportunitiesand to secure more permanent housing solutions

New Town Council Blue PlaquesThe Council have approved a new Plaque for author and journalist Peter Abrahams(1919 - 2017) Peter Abrahams was a South African freedom writer who lived inJessel Drive and African independence campaigners frequently met there

Also a new plaque to Stanley Baldwin and Rudyard Kipling who spent a seminal sixmonths as boys in Loughton in 1877 has been erected in Stanmore Way On thesame day the Historical Society published a book The Loughton Idyll by JaniceLingley This is available for pound650 from The Book Shop 150 High Road or from theLoughton and District Historical Society on 020 8508 2361

Health and Wellbeing

The Essex Welfare ServiceAs the UK slowly emerges from lockdown and thethreat of coronavirus reduces anxieties aroundsafety financial worries redundancies and familypressures continue to increase for many The

Essex Wellbeing Service gives all Essex residents a single point of access to thepractical emotional and specialist support they need irrespective of theircircumstances

In particular those classed as ldquoclinically extremely vulnerablerdquo are being advised thatthey no longer have to shield Government provided food boxes and medicinedeliveries will also end

If yoursquore concerned about how you or someone you know will cope then pleasecontact the Essex Wellbeing Service - they can connect you with a trained volunteerwho can assist with everyday tasks

NHS Blood DonationsThe blood donation team need people who haverecovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma Savelives Help them beat the virus MoreImage NHS

Public Health activity in EssexThe County Council has published this document on how public health activity haschangedwill need to change to respond to and mitigate the impacts of Covid-19

Local News

Local business closuresWersquore sorry to see that a number of businesses havenrsquot survived the lockdown Weknow that includes The Olive Tree Cafeacute Rouge Rush Hair and the Card and Party

shop in the High Road with Percy Ingle also to close If you spot others please emailus at contactloughtonresidentscouk

Re-openings

Epping Forest ReUse Centre has re-opened (Monday to Thursday 9am to3pm) They need donations particularly fridges fridgefreezers washingmachines cookers microwaves wardrobes beds and small tables and chairs(please donrsquot just turn up ndash ring beforehand on 01992 578222 or emailinfoeppingresuseorguk They are also looking for volunteers MoreLopping Hall The Hall is now open again MoreCopped Hall The gardens and grounds are re-opening on Sunday August 2but the mansion remains closed for the time being More

Luxborough Way BridgeThis is also known locally as Luxborough Lane Bridge and is a footbridge near theend of Luxborough Lane in Chigwell bridging the River Roding to Buckhurst HillEssex Highways closed the bridge in January 2020 as it was no longer safe forpublic use - it supports very high voltage electricity cables which could cause seriousharm through injury and considerable disruption to supply if they were damagedHighways hope to replace this structure by Autumn 2021 and are currently exploringthe possibility of installing a temporary pedestrian-only bridge nearby

Air ambulance rescueThe air ambulance assisted at a recent incident inLoughton The service is funded by donations andif you wish to support them you can find out moreabout them the work they do and how to buy abrick on this website

LibrariesEssex Library Services have begun theirphased re-opening Their video helpsexplain some of the changes theyrsquovemade to keep customers and staff safeYou will also be asked for your contactdetails to support NHS Test and TraceThe number of customers allowed tovisit at any time has been reduced butthey do understand you may need tobring your children with you (pleaseensure theyrsquore supervised and theymaintain social distancing)

The service on offer will be limited Yoursquoll be able to stay in the library for up to 15minutes to browse the shelves and return renew borrow and pay for items using theself-service machines Whilst browsing try not to touch too many items as any youdecide not to borrow will need to be put aside reducing the choice for others To helpyou with this libraries have childrenrsquos book bundles ready for you to borrow All otherservices and facilities are temporarily suspended so there will be no study spacescomputers or printing toilet access or events and activities These will be reviewedfrequently so they can be offered again as soon as it is safe to do so More answersto your questions are here If yoursquore missing rhymetimes or are looking for activities

to engage with your child see here where yoursquoll find online rhymetime craft and storyvideos as well as ebooks e-audio e-comics and e-magazines for children and onlinelearning resources

Essex Libraries have joined The Libraries Consortium (TLC)As part of the Essex Libraries Consultation in 2019 respondents said they wanted anincrease in the number of titles available to borrow from Essex Libraries By joiningthe consortium Essex residents will have access to over 6 million items of stock viathe shared TLC library catalogue including books e-books e-magazines and audiobooks This will be in addition to the current 19 million titles Essex Libraries alreadyhas available More

Warm Homes EssexWarm Homes Essex is a new service set up by the Citizens Advice Service inEssex in order to help people who struggle with energy bills They could help withensuring you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to helping with any fueldebts energy saving around the home checking whether you are on the right energytariffs access to grants for energy saving improvements applying for emergency fuelpayments and free energy saving devices around the home More or contact yourlocal Citizens Advice

Epping Forest

Visiting Epping ForestThe Forest is a wonderful part of nature to enjoy this summer Please remember torespect what we have and the guidelines for visiting before you go

As there is now limited parking car parks can be very busy so if you can leave yourcar at home and walk or cycle to where you want to go

Please take your litter homeSince the start of lockdown the Forest has seen ahuge increase in the amount of litter being left inthis special landscape of which large parts aredesignated as a Special Area of Conservation andSite of Special Scientific Interest

Epping Forest staff and some wonderful volunteershave been working hard to clear the rubbish that has been left each day and theConservators are immensely grateful to the volunteers that have stepped up to helpthis ancient woodland Please take your litter homeImage Epping Forest Focus newsletter

Public toiletsPublic toilets at High Beach and The Temple are open The Conservators are doingeverything they can to keep these clean and they ask visitors to abide by socialdistancing and hygiene advice when using the toilets Consideration for othersincluding leaving the facilities clean after use is essential to these remaining open

Connaught WaterThe path around Connaught Water is being resurfaced from August 3rd to 12th Thismeans the path and car park will be closed each day until 430pm

No fires or barbecues allowedEven the smallest flame can lead to devastatingforest fires in the warmer weather and leaveunsightly scorch marks in the grass

If you see a barbecue or fire in EppingForest please call 999 in an emergency or pleasereport to 020 8532 1010 (24 hrs)

Image Epping Forest Focus newsletter

Did you see an Emperor ButterflyDuring a Forest stroll in August if you are very verylucky you may catch a glimpse of the rare andstunningly beautiful purple emperor butterfly If youdo please let the Conservators know on Twitter orFacebookImage Epping Forest Focus newsletter

And More

Whenrsquos your MOT dueEpping Forest Neighbourhood Watch are reminding residents that the MOTextension period ends today (August 1st) and if you forget to book a MOT test youwill not be able to legally drive your car If you do you could face a hefty fine orworse As a lot of drivers will be booking their MOTs now they suggest you get ontoyour usual garage sooner rather than later (Your car van or motorcyclersquos MOTexpiry date was extended by 6 months if it was due between March 30th and July31st 2020) More

Silly Squad ndash Summer Reading Challenge 2020The Summer Reading Challenge 2020 hasstarted and this yearrsquos theme is SillySquad a celebration of funny bookshappiness and laughter Children can jointhe digital challenge now on the Summer

Reading Challenge website

Help take natures pulse by joining the Big Butterfly Count

The Count takes place from now until Sunday 9thAugust It is a UK-wide survey aimed at helpingassess the health of our environment simply bycounting the amount and type of butterflies (andsome day-flying moths) we see Itrsquos so easy to doand is a fantastic activity for people from 3 to 103years All you have to do is spend 15 minutes in anoutdoor space during sunny conditions and countthe types and amount of butterflies you see By submitting your counts yoursquoll behelping The Butterfly Conservation scientists add to important data on these speciesand to understand to what extent the climate crisis is affecting butterflies and mothsin the UK MoreImage Big Butterfly Count

Thank you for being an LRA member Our next Loughton News email is due to be issuedSaturday 29 August 2020 although that date could change

Get more from LRA and keep up with whatshappening between issues of Loughton News

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