WORKING FOR OUR COMMUNITY 

Grants of up to £5,000 are available to Parish Councils to fund local consultations in order to identify the needs of local communities. The funding which is being provided through the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Rural Social and Community programme and administered by the Rural Community Councils can cover up to 75% of the costs involved in undertaking the consultation and producing an action plan that addresses their local community needs. The benefits that have resulted from Parish Plans are very varied, and have included; highway safety improvements; village hall refurbishments; planning permission for health facilities; installation of IT facilities; and revitalised Parish Councils. The programme will run until March 2008 and Parish Councils interested in applying for funding under this scheme should contact their local Rural Community Council..
http://www.defra.gov.uk/funding/schemes/pp.htm

For a list of dates and venues for the council's travelling waste skips, click here

Essex Libraries have informed us that due to lack of users, the stop in Mill Lane has been discontinued. The Mobile Library will continue to stop in Luard Way on Tuesdays from 2.55pm to 3.10pm.

If you are interested in village matters, and we hope you are, you are most welcome to come along to the Parish Council meetings. Details of these can be found on the 'Planned Events' page. You can register your interest in joining the Parish Council (providing you have lived within the village boundary for a minimum of 12 months) by letting the Parish Clerk know. (His email address and telephone number can be found at the bottom of this page.)

Birch is represented at Borough Council level by two Borough Councillors. If you wish to contact your Borough Councillors, you can email them directly from here.

For Cllr. Peter Crowe click on cllr.peter.crowe@colchester.gov.uk

For Cllr. Kevin Bentley click on cllr.kevin.bentley@colchester.gov.uk

If you would like to know more about the Three Villages Community Association, (Birch, Layer Breton and Layer Marney) please click here. The Association would welcome more people getting involved to help organise events that all residents can enjoy and that will provide positive benefits to our community.

Our aim is to make BIRCH a great place to live, raise a family or retire to. We do however need your help in achieving these aims so, please get involved with your community. We hope you enjoy your visit to the site but if we have omitted subjects you would like to see included, please let the editor know by using the email link below and we will do our best to include your suggestions.

Birch Parish Council Contact Information.