News in Maldon

BUDDING photographers in Maldon can get their phones and cameras at the ready for this year's Essex Wildlife Trust competition.

The charity's 2020 Photography Competition is now open for entries and with the beautiful natural surroundings provided in the town and district, local people are sure to find plenty of worthy material for their snaps. Entries must be photographs taken in Essex.

EAT Out to Help Out has been a huge success in Maldon, with more than 139,000 meals dished up under the scheme.

Latest figures show the scale of the benefit to the 110 restaurants, cafes, pubs and coffee houses which took part in the government initiative within the Maldon constituency.

THE latest Covid-19 figures show that Maldon district continues to have a low infection rate – despite one area in the county having seen a jump in cases in the last seven days.

There were two new confirmed cases of coronavirus in the Maldon district in the seven days up to yesterday (Friday, 4 September), equal to 3.1 new infections per 100,000 population.

A MALDON man who lost 3st in his fifties is taking part in the virtual London Marathon – 35 years after he ran in the famous race the first time round.

Fifty-eight-year-old Paul Foster has kept himself fit in lockdown with this and other virtual challenges, including the virtual Kilimanjaro climb for the NHS. His efforts have seen him walking miles every day.

BOATS travelling on the Chelmer and Blackwater Navigation from Heybridge Basin and Maldon could navigate up through Chelmsford and beyond if plans for a new lock gate get the go-ahead.

A £6million plan for a single lock next to new automatic floodgates in Chelmsford, allowing boats to navigate upstream, is likely to be the most practical, realistic and affordable solution, Chelmsford City Council will hear.

IN the year of the pandemic - when so many things have been cancelled - Maldon's September Heritage Trail Weekend is still going ahead.

The theme for 2020 will be 'hidden nature', where Maldon Town Council is working with heritage sites to create a memorable weekend.

A MALDON councillor who was accused of breaching the code of conduct has been cleared by a standards committee.

At a meeting of Maldon District Council's Joint Standards Committee (JSC) yesterday afternoon (Thursday, 3 September), members decided that there was no evidence to support the claims against Independent Councillor Chrisy Morris, published in a report last week.

ARTISTS young and old are being invited to get creative to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Maldon's veteran Steam Tug Brent.

The famous boat, moored at the side of Hythe Quay closest to Promenade Park, is instantly recognisable by her tall funnel. Steam Tug Brent was the last working steam tug in the country.

THE former leader of Maldon District Council has been found in breach of the council's code of conduct by a standards committee for waging a campaign of humiliation against a gay councillor.

Now Conservative Councillor Adrian Fluker, who resigned from the leadership of the council in August, will be told that Maldon District Council's Joint Standards Committee (JSC) will be recommending to full council that he is formally censured and banned from sitting on committees and working groups for 12 months.

A MALDON district pork producer has spoken of his fears over the impact on the farming community if cheap US meat imports are allowed to flood the market.