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Essex &
Suffolk Water Announcement regarding Abberton Reservoir.
Not only is Essex one of the driest counties in
England but demand continues to grow and we have a responsibility and a
commitment to ensure that water supplies continue to meet our needs – and those
of our children. Essex & Suffolk Water requires a large strategic resource
within Essex to provide the amount of water needed to ensure a continued supply
to its customers over the next 25 years. After over a decade of investigation,
the plan being taken forward is known as the Abberton scheme.
This scheme will involve raising the top water level of Abberton reservoir to
increase its storage capacity by 60% and obtaining the additional water to fill
the raised reservoir by varying the amount of water the company is allowed to
abstract at Denver and Blackdyke (in Norfolk). The third part of the project is
the transfer of this water into Abberton reservoir, through new pipelines.
We plan to do this by laying two underground pipelines, one from Kirtling Green
to Wixoe and another from Wormingford to Abberton reservoir.
The work to get these pipelines in the ground is not planned to start until 2009
but we want local people who might be affected by the project to understand what
we are proposing. We believe we have already demonstrated that the Abberton
scheme is the right plan which, in both environmental and cost terms, will be
far more positive than creating a brand new reservoir. The project forms an
essential part of our 25-year water resource plan, as well as part of the
Environment Agency’s regional strategy for the east of England.
We have been developing our plans for Abberton over many years, consulting,
discussing and researching. We have already discussed our plans with the
landowners who will be directly affected and a wide range of other stakeholders
including planners, regulators, environmental and conservation groups and
politicians. Essex & Suffolk Water is also determined to do all it can to ensure
that local people are kept fully informed of its plans and progress and to do
its best to resolve any problems or queries. So, we are planning to hold two
informal information sessions.
If you do have an immediate question, please either email
sarah.pinkerton@eswater.co.uk
or call her, during office hours, on 01245 212862
New travel concession arrangements confirmed
Date Published: 13th December 2005
Colchester Borough Council is making plans to put in place a
new free travel concession scheme for the over 60’s and disabled people from 1
April 2006.
The new scheme will mean that Colchester residents aged over
60 and some disabled people will be able to travel free on all buses
throughout Essex after 9am weekdays and all day at the weekend. There already
15,000 people in the existing travel concession scheme, and the council is
expecting 3,000 or more extra applicants.
All existing members of the scheme will be sent details of how
to claim their new free pass by 1 February 2006 to allow time for the new
passes to be issued.
Eligible residents who are yet to claim a bus pass and would
like to join the scheme from 1 April 2006 can register by completing an
application form and providing evidence of age and address, together with two
passport style photographs from early January onwards. Forms will be available
from the Customer Service Centre at Angel Court in Colchester High Street, and
other council offices or by visiting the council’s website
www.colchester.gov.uk
The new passes will be issued by post in March in good time
for them to be used from 1 April.
Travel tokens will continue to be offered as an option within
the scheme. Tokens are especially useful for people who cannot use buses and
need to be able to use local taxis.
Cllr Elizabeth Blundell, Portfolio Holder for Planning and
Transportation, said: “We are expecting the scheme to be really popular with
many more people signing up to take part, and playing their part in helping to
reduce traffic congestion in the borough and beyond.”
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