As all will be aware, there have been proposals for the Oak Hill Road site in Stapleford Abbotts - these will be featured in a publicdrop-in consultation event on Monday 22nd July, 15:30-19:30 at St John's Church, The Green, North Road, Havering-atte-Bower RM4 1PL. Flyers have already gone out to local residents - all are welcome to come on the day to find out more.

A reminder to all our parishioners and readers that there is no Parish Council meeting in August due to it being holiday season. Our next meeting will take place on September 3 2024, at 19:15 in the Village Hall as usual.

GENERAL ELECTION - ARE YOU READY?

Make sure you’re ready
As all will be aware, the General Election will take place on July 4 2024. Here is some general information for what to do when you go to vote...

Polling hours
On Thursday 4 July polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm.

Bring your poll card
You will have received your poll card in the post. You must go to the polling station on your poll card. Please bring your poll card with you to vote as it will help speed up the process, although you do not need your poll card to vote. Find out how to vote in person.

No voter ID = no vote
You must show an accepted form of photo ID or you will not be allowed to vote. Find out about voter ID including a full list of accepted photo ID. Please remind family and friends they will also need photo ID to vote.

Marking your vote
Put an X next to your chosen candidate on the ballot paper using the pencil provided. You can also use your own pen if you want to, but don’t write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted.

Posting your postal vote
Those voting by post are advised to use normal Royal Mail postbox so that your vote is received by 4 July. There are new rules for returning a postal vote by hand. Votes for the Epping Forest constituency must be handed to an authorised officer at the civic offices in Epping during office hours or at a polling station on election day before 10pm.

Result declaration
Counting will start as soon as polling stations close. We will publish the result on our website and social media as soon as it is declared, this could be anytime from 3am on Friday morning

All those who attended the First Aid course we hosted in 2017 will remember how good it was - and how much we all learned. By popular demand, we're planning to run another one this summer. You'll learn to save a life with CPR, use a defibrillator, and take the lead in case of an emergency - plus much more.

Time, place and date will be fixed and confirmed once we have definite numbers - so please sign up now and make it a successful day with a strong cohort. You can email staplefordabbottsparishcouncil@gmail.com or call or text the Parish Clerk direct on 07599 249962

Epping Open Gardens 2022 in partnership with Epping Ongar Railway and Epping Forest District Council Community Culture & Wellbeing team are providing a FREE day out for residents in the district living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment to enjoy with a friend, family member or carer.

Everyone hates fly-tipping - it's a perennial problem which poses a danger to residents, drivers, wildlife and the environment alike. If you see it in the parish, you can report it to EFDC online on the link below - with details of the location and a picture:

https://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/recycling-and-rubbish/report-dumped-rubbish-and-fly-tipping/

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As per regulations, we have completed our annual Parish Council returns under the auspices of PKF Littlejohn. Certificate and statement are attached here.

A quick reminder to all those planning to attend the Right Royal Picnic at St Mary's Church tomorrow at 3pm - in case of inclement weather the venue will be moved to the Village Hall.

The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is nearly here!

To mark – and share – this historic occasion as a community, we’re hosting a small gathering to light a beacon, as per many other towns and villages across the British Isles. Everyone is welcome!

Venue is St Mary’s Church, Church Lane, Stapleford Abbotts on June 2 2022

Meet at 9.15pm for lighting at 9.45pm

Tea & coffee and cake will be served!

The Jubilee is on the way - and lots of people will be dressing up their houses over the weekend. If anyone in Stapleford Abbotts with gates that could be made a bit more patriotic would like to have some bunting, please let us know onstaplefordabbottsparishcouncil@gmail.com or on 07599 249962 by Friday 13 May 2022.

Ride London is coming on Sunday May 29 - we are aware that many people are worried because of the upheaval this will generate with road closures and cycle traffic. The organisers will be at the Rabbits on Monday May 9 at 6-7.30pm, to answer questions and offer advice. Drop-in session will be in the conservatory.

STAPLEFORD ABBOTTS PARISH COUNCIL

Email: StaplefordAbbottsParishCouncil@gmail.com

Future Meetings for 2022/2023

2022

Tuesday 3rd May 2022

Tuesday 7th June 2022

Tuesday 5th July 2022

- No meeting in August 2022 -

Tuesday 6th September 2022

Tuesday 4th October 2022

Tuesday 1st November 2022

Tuesday 6th December 2022

2023

Tuesday 10th January 2023

Tuesday 7th February 2023

Tuesday 7th March 2023

Tuesday 4th April 2023

Provisional date for AGM Tuesday April 18 2023

A 'Community Response Hub' to assist with storm-related incidents across the Ongar Rural county council division - which includes Ongar, The Rodings, Moreton, Willingale, Fyfield, Stanford Rivers, Abridge and Stapleford Abbotts - is now based at The Kings Head, Ongar.If you need assistance with a non-emergency incident email jaymey@icloud.com

Everything Epping Forest is running a dedicated Storm Updates page with 'rolling news' updates for the Epping Forest district.

Bookmark https://bit.ly/EEF-STORMUPDATES

Mental Health First Aid Training is available for all Councillors, Clerk and residents. This training will help you to understand how to support yourself, your staff and colleagues and your residents. Book online directly Free Mental Health First Aid Training

J9 Domestic Abuse training is available to all Councillors , Clerks and residents. This training is vital to help your staff and residents know how to signpost and give safe haven to those in need. J9community@outlook.com

Living with dementia is something that many of your residents and their families do everyday. This training can help you to understand how you can support them. Becoming a Dementia Friend