A DECISION to cancel elections in Essex has sparked accusations that it will “significantly harm faith in our democratic system.” reports the Local Democracy Reporter. Secretary of State Angela Rayner’s announcement yesterday has angered a slew of Essex politicians, and residents will now have to…

TRAIN operator Greater Anglia has teamed up with local mental health charity, Mid and North East Essex Mind to encourage commuters and travellers to take time to talk to each other to support their mental wellbeing. The collaboration has been announced as part of the…

DETECTIVES investigating a serious assault in Harlow are asking for the public’s help to locate a missing bike. We’re continuing to investigate a serious assault in Harlow in which a boy sustained a serious head injury.An investigation was launched after we received a call at…

HARLOW Council has joined forces with other local councils to tackle fly tipping in Essex. ‘Let’s SCRAP fly-tipping’ is a new county-wide campaign supported by Essex County Council, the Environment Agency and the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to reduce incidents and impact of fly…

ESSEX-based Independent Sexual Violence Advisor (ISVA) Caroline Woodcock works closely with people who have been impacted by sexual violence. Today, she talks about the vital work of the county’s specialised services teams as part of the national Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week (Feb…

THE Government has today (5 February 2025) confirmed that Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council have had their request to be part of the Devolution Priority Programme confirmed.  This follows the councils writing to the Government on Friday 10 January requesting inclusion on the programme and committing to local…

GREEN Party Co-Leader Carla Denyer MP joined Greens in East Herts at the weekend to launch their County Council local election campaign, with a rallying cry to oust the Conservatives who’ve shown they’re unable to tackle critical issues in Hertfordshire.  Nearly 100 Green Party supporters joined…

Dear Editor, It was with great regret that I read of the closure of the Advice Centre through lack of funding. I was a councillor right from the outset and found it an invaluable source of information and support for Harlow residents. I referred numerous…

ALL 99 police community support officers (PCSO) under the threat of redundancy could keep their jobs after the Home Office has approved extra cash for Essex Police reports the Local Democracy Reporter. As many as 65 back-room staff are still facing redundancy. It follows an…

POLICE forces across the country are urging the owners of specific brands of blank-firing guns to hand them in at station front counters across a month-long national amnesty. Essex Police is taking part in the amnesty, running from 3rd – 28th February, which applies only…

WITH the news that councils across the country are set to increase Council Tax again this year, Harlow Council has announced that it is proposing to freeze its share of the Council Tax bill for the fourth year running. The Council Tax freeze is part…

TWENTY-four flats in Wedhey have undergone a major refurbishment and fire safety improvements as the council continues to transform Harlow’s housing. The comprehensive works on the four-storey block, originally built around 1961, addressed a number of fire safety concerns and have enhanced the overall condition…

LAST week, the Harlow Bus Users Group met for the first time in several year reports Charlotte Pedroz. Chair of the group, councillor Matthew Saggers hoped that this first meeting will kick start a healthy dialogue between all interested parties. One of the many concerns…

“OUR goal is to ensure victims of sexual offences and rape feel heard, supported and empowered when they report an offence to us.”  That’s the message from Superintendent Natalia Ross at the start of the national Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week, which runs from…