CHRIS Vince MP will be holding an advice surgery in February Saturday 1st February in Lower Nazeing.  It will be held between 10:30 am – 12:30 pm If you would like to book an appointment, please send Chris an email with the following information.  Please…

THE UK economy grew for the first time in three months, driven in part by a boost in trade for pubs, restaurants and the construction industry reports the BBC. Official figures showed an expansion of 0.1% after the economy shrank in each of the two…

HUNDREDS of renters across Harlow will be saved from forking up to £8,274 of rent upfront thanks to new plans introduced to Parliament by the Labour government today.  Credit: Brian Thomas Photography Currently, there is no limit to how many months rent landlords can require…

PROTECTING the most vulnerable, investing for the future and seizing opportunities to innovate are all part of Essex County Council’s latest 2025/26 budget proposals and annual plan.The council has published its 2025/26 budget proposals ahead of its Cabinet meeting on 21 January.  In them, it…

THE MP for Harlow has hit back at the leader of Harlow Council over his claim that the council will be punished by the Labour government for keeping council tax down. Councillor Dan Swords had issued a press release (see below) on the back of…

THE county council has defended its plans to increase council tax by 3.75 per cent —equivalent to an extra £57 a year for a band D property reports the Local Democracy Reporter. The increase is split between a planned 1.75 per cent general increase and…

TOWN halls that set low council tax bills are to be “punished” by losing millions of pounds of funding claims the Telegraph. The leader of Harlow Council isn’t happy. According to the article, new rules have been introduced by Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, under…

BRITAIN’S ‘pothole plague’ took even more of a toll on drivers in 2024 as RAC patrols attended thousands of pothole-related breakdowns over the course of the year. The UK is thought to have more than one million potholes, with these road defects being one of…

THE Government’s English Devolution White Paper set out plans in December last year to facilitate the reorganisation of local government. Essex County Council, Southend-on-Sea City Council and Thurrock Council have requested that the county is included on the Government’s Priority Programme for Devolution. If the…

HARLOW MP Chris Vince rose on the floor of the House of Commons to take part in a debate where chancellor Rachel Reeves delivered a statement defending a recent trip to China, which had prompted criticism as it fell at a time of turbulence in…

THE Hunsdon, Eastwick and Gilston Neighbourhood Plan Group (HEGNPG) has pledged to continue working to represent all residents after East Herts Council confirmed the grant of planning permissions for 10,000 homes and infrastructure. These outline planning permissions for 8,500 homes for Places for People across…

LAST month, we reported on St Alban’s Primary Academy’s very impressive Ofsted report. Amongst the observations were: St Alban’s core values of ‘learn together, grow together, and achieve together’ fostercollaboration and respect for all.  Pupils are polite and friendly and engage well in conversations. They…

A DIFFICULT meeting around devolution and plans to cancel elections in May descended into accusations of ‘criminal’ behaviour against Essex County Council’s only Reform UK councillor reports the Local Democracy Reporter. Reform’s Jaymey McIvor said he was not in a position to comment after Labour…

A VOTE to cancel elections in the name of helping usher in major reorganisation of the political system in Essex has been rapped as “cowardly.” by Reform reports the Local Democracy Reporter. It comes after Essex County Council voted to confirm that it wants to…