News in Maldon

The following are statements released by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Christmas Transport Tsar, Sir Peter Hendy on Tier 4 travel this morning (Sunday, 20 December):

"It is incredibly important that people follow the guidance, stay at home and do not attempt to travel. Our focus must be stopping the spread of this virus, protecting lives and our NHS.

The following is a message from Maldon District Community Volunteer Service (CVS) Director, Sarah Troop:

"Everyone at the Maldon coronavirus response team shares the community's frustrations at the latest announcements from central Government.

Essex Police have released a statement following news this afternoon (Saturday, 19 December) that most of the county, including Maldon district, will move into the new Tier 4:

"As of 00:01 on Sunday 20 December), most of Essex moves into Tier 4 of the Government's Covid-19 restrictions. This will have an impact on what we can and can't do.

Maldon district is to be placed under new Tier 4 restrictions following Government alarm at the spread of a new variant of the Covid-19 virus.

The new Tier 4 restrictions will be in place in all areas currently in Tier 3, including London and most of Essex and Kent. The new variant is now prevalent in London and the South East.

2020 has been a memorable year for all the wrong reasons, but it looks like the cosmos will ensure that it ends with an astronomical highlight on December 21!

This is, of course, the usual date of the winter solstice when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted furthest from the Sun and we have the shortest day. From this point, the days get longer as we head optimistically into 2021 and 2020 starts to fade into a surreal memory.

Maldon District Council (MDC) has refused planning permission for the a large-scale extension of Beckingham Business Park.

Members of the authority's North West Area Planning Committee voted to turn down the proposal for 13 new industrial and business units, an office block and a café at Beckingham Business Park in Beckingham Street, Tolleshunt Major, at a meeting on Wednesday (16 December).

Essex Police have reported the death of one of their officers who was killed when the motorbike he was riding was in collision with a lorry.

A statement from the force yesterday evening (Friday, 18 December) says: "We are saddened to report that a member of the Essex Police family has died following a collision yesterday, Thursday 17 December.

At 97 years of age, D-Day veteran Donald McGeachy was the first man to get the Covid vaccine at Maldon District Council offices this afternoon (Friday, 18 December).

Proudly wearing his row of medals as he was taken to have the jab at 1.30pm, Donald joked with medical staff - smiling and cheekily asking pharmacist Megan Owen who gave the vaccine if she'd "done this before".

Non-urgent operations at Broomfield Hospital are reported to have been halted as Covid-19 has put increasing pressure on its capacity to cope.

Broomfield, together with Basildon & Thurrock and Southend Hospital are run by the Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust.

Maldon District Council has voted tonight (Thursday, 17 December) to send a letter to key government figures in support of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) currently being developed by Rolls Royce – indicating a potential alternative to the proposed new plant at Bradwell B.

Maldon District Council's Bradwell B Working Party, a group of councillors whose task has been to feed back to the wider council on the proposed new nuclear plant, has come up with the idea of sending the letter to Maldon MP John Whittingdale and Stephen Speed, Director of Nuclear at the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.