News in Maldon

Maldon Wycke Women's Institute may not currently be able to meet face to face for their monthly meetings - but it hasn't stopped them from helping out the local community.

Secretary Nicola Martin said: "I have been collecting food hampers from our members for the last couple of months to donate to Julie at The Cafe at St Peter's Hospital.

The combination of lockdown and unusually mild weather will have driven many Maldon residents to seek out oases of calm in the town centre where they can enjoy an outdoor coffee and snack.

A short walk down Market Hill takes you to such a place: Market Hill Garden, maintained by the Town Council. It represents a gap in the beautiful houses that curve down the hill, and was indeed the site of several early, possibly medieval buildings, numbers 22-24 Market Hill. Deemed "unstable", these were demolished in the 1930s.

Maldon Nub News aims to be supportive to EVERY element of the community from business and shops to people and charities and clubs and sports organisations.

Everyone is finding it tough at the moment and wants life to get back to normal.

IT'S been another seven days of big news stories in Maldon, from news of a boost to the town's policing team through to the revelation that the new £100,000 garden play area at the Prom could be ready by May.

Here at Nub News we like to make your life easier so if you've missed any of the local news this week, don't worry.

Here's just a reminder to Maldon motorists that the A12 remains closed this weekend until 6am on Tuesday (24 November) – and now next weekend, too.

The plan for the works originally involved closures of the busy route between junctions 19 (Boreham, Chelmsford) and 25 (Marks Tey) at weekends running up to Christmas, but Highways England is now carrying out the essential repairs over extended weekend periods instead – with the plan to be finished up before lockdown comes to an end.

Maldon district councillors and officers will meet with Hythe Quay's sailing barge owners to discuss the possibility of discounting river wharfage fees.

The decision to review the charges for 2021/22 came as it was revealed that some of the barge owners and organisations have lost more than 70 per cent of their expected income for this year due to the pandemic.

THE new garden play area at Maldon's Promenade Park has moved a step closer – and could be ready by the start of May next year.

Revised plans for the redesign and upgrading of the popular Sensory Garden play area at Maldon's Promenade Park will go before councillors next Tuesday (24 November) at a special meeting of Maldon District Council's Strategy and Resources Committee.

A report to councillors reveals that Maldon has the second highest furlough rate in Essex and that Universal Credit claimants in the district increased threefold between March and August.

Around 9,500 people have been furloughed in Maldon, equal to 34 per cent of those considered eligible, while the number of Universal Credit claimants rose to 1,980.

There will be free parking in Maldon town centre car parks from 2pm each Thursday in the run up to Christmas and beyond.

Maldon District Council announced today (Tuesday, 17 November) is pleased to announce that - subject to a change in the national restrictions ending on 2 December- there will be free parking in all public town centre car parks from 2pm on the following Thursdays: 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 December, then 7 and 14 January.

The 2021 Census will be 'digital first' – and now Maldon district volunteers are being sought to help people fill out the forms online.

The Census is completed every 10 years and records information about people and households across the UK. This time it will be accessible through an online platform.